Students save school money by dancing Accelerated Learning Resources

Students save school money by dancing

COLUMBIA (WACH) — “It’s thinking differently. It’s thinking creative. It’s looking at the resources that are there,” says Kathy Preston.

Like many private school principals Kathy Preston has to balance a tough budget and sometimes that means physical exercises and extra curricular activities get the ax.

But Preston found another way to save money and keep her students healthy.

Instead of P.E. class students at St. Peter’s Catholic School attended the Columbia Conservatory of Dance.

“This program cost the school approximately one third of what a full time P.E teacher would have cost us,” says Preston.

Students performed a variety of physical exercises under a strength and movement class.

“Everyone learns at their level and everyone can excel at their level,” explains William Starrett.

Starrett adds the classes are not just about dancing.

“They learn about their bodies they learn about music, they learn about rhymes and it’s an artistic opportunity and it’s not combative.”

Preston also says she loves that it opened up the students to a world that maybe they would not have experienced.

The class was from September to December and the principal agrees the students got their physical exercise to the sounds of music.

“With art and dance it’s physical. It stimulates the brain. It’s learning how to learn in a different way,” Starrett says.

Columbia police officers escorted the students as they crossed the street to get to the studio. The principal says she is waiting on feedback from parents to see if it will be a good idea to continue the partnership next school year.

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