‘Just Say No’ program juggles multiple goals
When Indian Riffle Elementary teacher Paula Bennett became coordinator of the school’s “Just Say No” program in 1994, she wanted to introduce activities that would get kids moving and would challenge them.
“I figured we needed to have the students involved in after-school activities that were helpful to their bodies, rather than harmful,” Bennett said.
Little did she know that one of those activities, juggling, would stand the test of time and remain as popular three decades later as it was when she introduced it to students nearly 30 years ago. During what has become one of Indian Riffle’s most popular afterschool programs, students can be seen juggling, tossing and balancing everything from the more traditional sand-filled balls, to metal rings to the more challenging juggling clubs.
Juggling, says Bennett, has something for everyone and is a great way for the kids to learn hand-eye coordination and balance. And just as important are the “soft skills” she hopes students are developing during Juggling Club.
“For most of the kids, juggling is something that is brand new to them, so we all learn to share the equipment and to use positive, encouraging words with each other when someone gets frustrated as they’re learning a new skill,” Bennett
said.
And it’s quite an accomplishment when one of the club members successfully juggles a 3-ball cascade 12 times in a row. Notes Bennett, “Juggling the cascade 12 times in a row gets the student their very own set of juggling balls.” … And a gym full of applause from their fellow Juggling Club members.