Student Well-Being & Movement Video

This School Keeps Kids Moving All Day. See How It Works

By Jaclyn Borowski — January 28, 2025 4:11
Assistant Principal Beth Bearor and kindergartener Rhys Gallup practice letters and letter sounds while walking through a rope ladder during P.E. teacher Robyn Newton’s action-based learning class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024.

A short drive outside Burlington, Vt., sits Vergennes Union Elementary School. Aside from the building itself, little else in the school is sitting.

In this K-5 school, movement is everywhere. Dancing and stretch breaks in classrooms. Movement activities in hallways and out in the school forest. And a program that combines movement with learning while reinforcing literacy and math skills in the gym.

Through the support and collaboration of educators throughout the building, and the school’s longtime physical education teacher Robyn Newton, students are staying physically active as a regular part of their day.

Here, Newton and her colleagues explain how it works, and why movement is an integral part of the learning process in Vergennes.

Explore the Series

Beatrice Hesseltine, center, and her classmates in Alyssa Saunders’ kindergarten class take a movement break during class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 19, 2024.
Beatrice Hesseltine, center, and her classmates in Alyssa Saunders’ kindergarten class take a movement break during class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 19, 2024.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

Jaclyn Borowski is the Director of Photography and Videography for Education Week.

Video

Reading & Literacy Video What Happens When Middle and High Schoolers Still Struggle to Read?
When it comes to reading, teachers and experts alike say that many older students still struggle with the basics.
1 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Special Education Video How This District Teaches Bilingual Students With Dyslexia
Students with dyslexia receive instruction in Spanish or English, depending on their dominant spoken language.
2:28
School & District Management Video The Enemy of Smart, Strategic Spending Decisions in K-12 Districts: Leadership Churn
The EdWeek Research Center surveyed district leaders on the barriers to long-term thinking.
Professional Development Video How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
A district invests in improving secondary teachers' knowledge to help students needing reading support.
1 min read
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
Jason Drakeford for Education Week