tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15501676625793774832024-03-13T14:19:38.710-07:00Play works in Salt Lake CityA disscussion about play generally and about children's play in Salt Lake City public education more specifically.Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-85485400866676369232012-05-02T13:19:00.001-07:002012-05-02T13:19:07.353-07:00How Does Playworks Reduce Bullying?<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7350340823177248" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.playworks.org/research-reveals-playworks-reduces-bullying">A study from Mathematica Policy Research and Stanford University recently found that Playworks programs significantly reduce bullying behavior in schools</a>. It’s a pleasant surprise because <a href="http://playworks.org/">Playworks</a> doesn’t have a specific anti-bullying curriculum. We don’t advertise ourselves as an anti-bully program, and we really don’t focus our program on addressing ‘bullies’. So what’s going on? Why does our program achieve those results? Below is my attempt to figure that out based on my own personal experience with bullying and with Playworks.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had a single fight in grade school. A kid named Mike (not his real name) came at me after I tackled him a little too hard in a game of two hand touch football. We pushed each other a couple of times and then we were on the ground, arms wrapped around each other, screaming curses. The playground supervisor rushed over and pulled us apart. It was over in less than a minute, and neither one of us got hurt. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I’ve tended to think about this story as an isolated incident, one that left me feeling angry and slightly humiliated to be sure, but not bullying per se. Despite that, the incident, which I refer to in my mind as “the fight” still weighs heavily on me. I like to think of myself as a very calm, patient person, but there are moments when the façade breaks down and I experience rage. It only happens when I’m alone. I think about a problem in my life, some challenge I have to overcome. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That sounds so melodramatic. Really, they’re small things, the dishes that have to be unloaded from the dishwasher, the bills that need to be paid, the floor that needs vacuuming… All of the little things in my life that I have to take care of, but that are never done. They’re tasks a person cannot truly accomplish, but they demand my attention and I get a flash of anger, a flash of that moment of grass and dirt and the smell of sweat on Mike’s jersey. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Every day at recess I played two hand touch football, and every day Mike and Derrick were captains, and every day they picked the same kids in roughly the same order. We believed this order was based on skill with the best wide receivers being picked first, the best running backs next, and then the kids who were pretty athletic followed by those that we viewed as bad players. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every single day we went through the picking of the teams like a ritual. Every day we were put in our places. I wasn’t ever picked last (I’m pretty tall and reasonably athletic. I can catch a football.), but I wasn’t ever picked first either. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In truth, the picking of teams wasn’t about skill level. It was about power. Mike and Derrick didn’t get to pick every day because they were the all-time quarterbacks. That’s what they told us, but we all knew it was because they were the ‘popular kids’, and the popular kids make up the rules as they go. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They picked their friends first, and so when I got picked in the middle, I knew what it meant. Sure, I could play football with them because you need ten or twelve guys to play, but I wasn’t their friend. Outside of football, we didn’t hang out. They didn’t talk to me, and I didn’t talk to them. It played out like that in the game too. Mike would drop back into the shotgun, hike the ball himself and then throw it to one of his friends, even if they were double covered and I was wide open. I got the ball sometimes, and I even scored my fair share of touchdowns, but it didn’t matter. No one ever thought of me in terms of a wide receiver. We were labeled by our social standing.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On the day of “the fight,” I was on Derrick’s team. We were winning by one touchdown with only five minutes to go until the bell. Mike dropped back, hiked the ball and we started counting down the 5 seconds we had to wait before we rushed him. He faked a pass, ran to his left, faked another pass and then started running. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The quarterback sneak was one of the most popular moves in recess football. It allowed the quarterback/captain to show off his skills without having to share any of the glory with his fellow teammates. Mike breezed by our first defender and started sprinting up the side of the field. I was the closest to him, and I gave chase. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just before he reached the end zone, I dove and got him with both hands flat on his back. We both went down and rolled in the grass and in an instant, he was up again stomping towards me with the awkward gait of an irate chimpanzee. I scrambled to my feet and turned to face him. He pushed me in the chest and then stepped forward to put his face in my face. I stood my ground. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why’d you push me?” he yelled. </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I didn’t push you. I tackled you. You’re down.”</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It doesn’t count,” he said. “You pushed me so it’s a touchdown.”</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“No,” I said my voice rising, “I got you right before you crossed the line. You’re down.”</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Pushing doesn’t count,” he said. He started to turn away, but I was the one who was irate now. I pushed him in the chest and he took a couple of steps back. For a moment there was surprise painted all over his face, and then he rushed me and we were on the ground.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking back on it, I realize that the football game I participated in was a bullying institution. It operated by setting up and then reinforcing social hierarchies that were then played out in the classroom. There are a number of points at which “the fight” could have been avoided, but without an engaged adult on the playground, incidents like the one I was a part of are not just common, but inevitable. I don’t mean to suggest that every school that doesn’t have Playworks at its recess is bad, but without adult guidance from a playground aid, a teacher, an administrator, or even a volunteer parent, kids can have a hard time sorting out their baggage in a healthy way.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are the places a Playworks program would have intervened:</span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We would likely have been playing flag football instead of two hand touch.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We would not have been using captains to pick teams so the social hierarchy would not have been reinforced.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Playworks coach would not be okay with one person being all-time anything.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An argument over whether something was a touchdown or not would get solved with roshambo (rock paper scissors).</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We would all be learning core values like inclusion, healthy play, and respect in our class game times which the coach would help reinforce at recess.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><ol start="6" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most importantly, there would be an engaged adult on the playground who knows how every kid out there is feeling that day, and he or she would intervene before things got out of control.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s the question: What is it we do that reduces bullying? </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everything we do reduces bullying because we change the dynamics of recess. We replace the routines of established social hierarchy with healthier routines. The dailiness of our program means that our students are constantly being lifted up rather than beaten down. Bullying is systematic, constant, over and over again, and I think that Playworks is effective at combating something like that because we are also daily. We’re systematic. We’re constant. We’re over and over again. Most programs that address bullying focus on kids labeled as bullies and how to get them to change their behavior, but none of those programs has a presence on the playground like we do. It sounds simple and straightforward, but I really think it’s the answer. </span></div>
</b>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-60418330924303546362012-04-05T08:45:00.000-07:002012-04-05T08:45:45.688-07:00Why I work at Playworks<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I worry. It’s a specialty of mine since my son was born last April. Here is a short and by no means comprehensive list of things I worry about. </span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1WPGPb_jThteOa6v7js8BQ5jMJhPSETNac4_HWd7N3VUh0ILvbY-rHHhQzUp953u1Tg1EIcUMF6TqXCnWXVD-4xBmWrUSsFca1xPkmXfuKqBV7i8MwvLeDXB3Zsw-uEykp__Sl5WAUw/s1600/Ezra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1WPGPb_jThteOa6v7js8BQ5jMJhPSETNac4_HWd7N3VUh0ILvbY-rHHhQzUp953u1Tg1EIcUMF6TqXCnWXVD-4xBmWrUSsFca1xPkmXfuKqBV7i8MwvLeDXB3Zsw-uEykp__Sl5WAUw/s320/Ezra.jpg" width="217" /></a><ol><ol><ol><ol><ol><ol><ol><li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That he will get sick</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That he’ll fall and hurt himself</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That I’ll drop him</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That he will ingest something poisonous</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That someone will steal him</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That I am a really bad parent</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That I am causing some psychological damage that I can’t even imagine right now</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That our house will burn down and I won’t be able to get to him</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That wolves will find their way into our house and eat him</span></li>
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That he will grow up and leave me</span></li>
</ol></ol></ol></ol></ol></ol></ol></ol><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I guess these are the things all new parents worry about--physical and emotional safety. We can’t help it. Babies are so vulnerable, so easy to damage, so desirable for thieves, so toothsome to wild wolves.</span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The worries speak more of my fears and insecurities than of any real danger my son faces. As parents, we’re scared of all the harm the world may inflict on our children, scared of the harm we will inevitably inflict, and yet there’s no way to guard against these risks. </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We can’t raise our kids in a bubble, or give them away to expert nannies in order to avoid psychological damage. Our children must fall down and bruise themselves, must experience pain and loss, must try new things and take risks, and they must learn to live with us as their parents. It’s a painful process, but necessary. We try to keep the risks to a minimum, but at some point, we’re supposed to work ourselves out of a job. Our kids are supposed to become adults and leave us. </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even now, the little bit of growing up he’s done has made my son more independent, less reliant on me. He’s taking small steps towards the door, and the pain of it is only a little less than the joy.</span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I work at <a href="http://playworks.org/">Playworks</a> because it’s something I can do to make the world into a less worrisome place. I don’t fight disease, or catch baby thieves, or correct psychological damage, but I do have an impact. </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My job makes a difference for 3,400 kids in Salt Lake City. I help our office stay up and running and provide support for our coaches who spend their time out on the playground making sure school is safe, healthy, and fun. Because of them, kids get bullied less, they are kinder to each other, they see school as a positive place. </span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of them and because of me, the world is better. I work at Playworks for my son, because the world should be as good as I can make it for him, and because I want him to see that this is my job, that we care for each other. That’s what we do as human beings. I want him to understand that things can get better, that he can make a difference just like I do, that this is what it means to grow up.</span></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-80300923283569806862012-03-12T12:51:00.000-07:002012-03-12T12:51:59.961-07:00Race Results from the Run for Recess!<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I apologize for the weird formatting. It looked fine in word. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve on the race for next year in the comments section. Congratulations to all of our finishers.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Place<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Name<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Time<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">1<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Levi Pace<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:18:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">2<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lauri<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shea<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:18:45<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">3<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Keven Yeh<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:19:23<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">4<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brianna McKall<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:19:44<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">5<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kenn Despain<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:20:26<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">6<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rayl Smith<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:20:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">7<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clay Rockwood<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:20:58<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">8<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rich Otterstrom<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:21:11<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">9<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ryan Smith<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:21:31<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">10<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kevin<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grimes<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:21:52<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">11<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aria Rockwood<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:22:17<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">12<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gustavson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:22:29<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">13<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Scott<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunderman<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:22:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">14<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cohen Summers<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:23:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">15<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Corey King<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">16<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Laura<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tatham<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">17<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tom Luthy<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">18<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kirk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probasco<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:05<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">19<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jennifer Stuhan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:06<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">20<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Laura<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wight<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:09<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">21<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Phillip Carron<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:17<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">22<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Taylor Negus<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">23<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Molly Person<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">24<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Daphne Dee<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:24:55</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">25<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jamie Rankin<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:25:17<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">26<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celeste Simmons<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:25:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">27<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carlos Hernandez<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:25:53<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">28<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Marile Dauydara<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:05<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">29<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emily Spackman<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:15<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">30<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eric Jansen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:21<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">31<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nick Johnson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:32<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">32<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Laura<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strate-Madsen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:47<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">33<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stephen Williams<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:49<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">34<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tammy Turner<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:52<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">35<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rhonda Black <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:26:54<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">36<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Nick Estrada<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:27:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">37<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Colin Olsen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:27:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">38<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Victoria Alimov<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:27:46<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">39<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ronald<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peterson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:27:57<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">40<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>LaQuitta Probasco<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:13<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">41<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jason Burt<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:22<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">42<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jeanette Saffir<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:36<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">43<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lauralee Lavender<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">44<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Christina Hales<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">45<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Annika Jones<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:46<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">46<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Clayton Rather<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:49<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">47<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jennifer Gygi<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:28:51<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">48<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brayden Lund<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:04<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">49<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emily Milam<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:06<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">50<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kimberly Allfrey<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:07<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">51<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>David Martinez<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:25<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">52<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Matthew Adamson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:31<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">53<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jennifer Pringle<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">54<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Katelyn Hatch<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:41<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">55<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roseann Gibson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">56<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hyo Bae<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:49<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">57<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bonnie McBroon<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:52<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">58<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Becky Milam<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:29:59<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">59<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heather Brockbank<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">60<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Travis Carlton<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">61<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kim<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monti<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:06<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">62<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jenny Stout<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:14<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">63<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kathy Stout<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:16<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">64<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kathleen Ogrin<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:41<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">65<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kristy King<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:52<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">66<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Helen Carlton<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:30:56<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">67<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Camille Grimshaw<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">68<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cindy Howard<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">69<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>sarah Huber<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:16<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">70<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gwen Nguyen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:24<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">71<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wendy Penrod<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:28<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">72<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Marianella Ojeola<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">73<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heidi Dillier<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:41<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">74<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Paul Simmons<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:42<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">75<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emily<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jensen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:46<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">76<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jason Payne<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">77<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shannon Blood<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:51<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">78<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shelly Christensen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:31:52<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">79<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Julie Bangerter<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:07<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">80<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lyndee Crawford<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:10<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">81<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Amity Waldecker<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:12<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">82<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Melanie Davis<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:13<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">83<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Naava Rockwood<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:18<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">84<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>David Tangren<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:24<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">85<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Doug Tangren<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:27<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">86<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Natalie Stevenson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:34<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">87<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Abby Talbot<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:37<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">88<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Joseph Allen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:46<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">89<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>John LaVictove<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:50<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">90<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hannah McFall<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:55<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">91<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Loralie Rafiti<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:32:58<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">92<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Stephen Schutz<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:33:09<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">93<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jeffery<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jensen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:33:24<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">94<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Staci Doi<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:33:27<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">95<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Terri Sawyer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:33:30<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">96<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heather Jorgensen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:33:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">97<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Raelyn Hazen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:34:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">98<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Michael Fortin<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:34:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">99<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danielle Hall<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:34:33<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">100<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Melissa Miller<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:34:55<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">101<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robin<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wheelright<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:34:57<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">102<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Colleen Densley<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">103<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Celia Pawlowich<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">104<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shawn Clay<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:23<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">105<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ronald Clay<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:28<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">106<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Charla Buchanan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:30<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">107<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Maria<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greene<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:32<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">108<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jimmy Greene<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">109<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cindy Vanklaveren<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:37<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">110<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pam Weaver<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:35:39<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">111<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Armin Nazarihia<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">112<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bethany Harry<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:13<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">113<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brian<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howard<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:16<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">114<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Brandy Winward<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:19<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">115<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eric<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miller<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:31<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">116<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>David Buchanan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:35<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">117<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shana Aposhian<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:36:50<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">118<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Natanya Fisher<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:37:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">119<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tammy Christensen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:37:55<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">120<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Olivia Blood<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:37:58<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">121<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Megan Nequs<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:38:01<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">122<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cyndi Tangren<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:38:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">123<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Chris<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stayer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:38:21<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">124<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Angelee Luther<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">125<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emily Bushman<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">126<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rose McCain<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:04<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">127<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Susan Fortin<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:06<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">128<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hesper Bath<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:20<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">129<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Robert Sawyer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:51<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">130<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Candace Estrada<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:39:57<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">131<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Emily Thunberg<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:40:37<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">132<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Rebekah-anne Gebler<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:40:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">133<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gavin Smith-Knott<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:41:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">134<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sandra Hundley<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:42:20<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">135<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shannon Burnham<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:42:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">136<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ernie Broderick<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:43:40<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">137<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thekla Houghes<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:43:44<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">138<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cydne Houghes<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:44:01<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">139<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Troy Carlton<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:44:16<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">140<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Anna MaricPezely<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:44:42<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">141<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jon Pezly<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:44:44<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">142<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shannon Fallis<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:45:28<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">143<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>katie Craigo<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:45:53<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">144<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whitney Ward<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:45:55<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">145<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ariane Mardis<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:46:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">146<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Mandi Oler<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:08<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">147<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Heather Perez<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:38<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">148<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>katie Hardman<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:40<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">149<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Judith Adams<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:42<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">150<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Gale Antell<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">151<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Beth<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mota<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:47:59<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">152<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Inez Mota<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:48:00<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">153<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kathleen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Burke<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:48:11<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">154<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tim<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cromwell<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:48:19<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">155<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Carla Kimmel<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:48:48<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">156<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kathy Porter<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:49:47<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">157<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Danielle Downs<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:49:57<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">158<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shelley Downs<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:50:01<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">159<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Courtney Miles<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:50:04<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">160<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jennifer Strieker<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:50:27<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">161<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lora Poulsen<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:50:57<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">162<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Holly Stevens<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:51:02<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">163<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yvonne Stayer<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:52:58<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">164<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Cindy Holloway<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:53:01<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">165<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Judwh Oki<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:54:21<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">166<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Marianne Conover<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:54:56<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">167<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jeanette Boyd<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:55:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">168<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Holly Schack<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:56:08<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">169<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kira Kirner<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:56:11<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">170<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Katherine Garduno <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:56:50<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">171<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sierra Garduno Morgan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:56:54<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">172<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ryan Kunzler<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:56:59<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">173<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kelly Lund<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:03<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">174<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Karin Holt<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:05<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">175<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Amy Casper<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:09<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">176<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Amy Boynton<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:12<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">177<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lee Stevens<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:16<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">178<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alaina Wilcock<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:20<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">179<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Bethany Gates<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:24<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">180<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Berta Alcazar<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:37<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">181<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Jenna Woods<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:39<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">182<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Pam Blackwell<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:41<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">183<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Volker Teller<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:57:42<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">184<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kristin Teller<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>0:58:43<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">185<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sharon<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Edwards<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1:03:24<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">186<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kirk<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Conover<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1:04:50<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">187<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Becky Bissegger<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1:07:12<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">188<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Corrine<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soriano<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1:07:15</span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></span></span></span></span>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-10866226515681636082012-02-21T12:22:00.000-08:002012-02-21T12:22:03.865-08:00What can recess teach us about education?<b id="internal-source-marker_0.7342929434962571" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I spend a lot of time on my blog talking about why recess is important and advocating for all of us to view it as a relevant and useful part of education. A lot of the responses I get back seem to look fondly back on a time when recess was better, longer, more fun, and more free. Even my own childhood seems somehow rosy with the glow of play.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I was a kid, it seemed like recess lasted forever. We played kickball or dodge-ball for what seemed like hours. That was all that school seemed to be composed of in fact. The rest of the time, Math, Science, Social Studies, English, and even Lunch, seemed to be but interruptions in my recess time rather than the other way around, but when I look back at it, I'm sure recess was only ten or fifteen minutes long at most. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How did such a short time make such a huge impression on me? I think it was because I loved it so much. I really did cherish the time I got to be outside (I hated indoor recess) playing. It's not that other things weren't important, or that I didn't learn anything except how many outs make an inning, I learned a lot in school and always got good grades, but recess was where I found joy. It gave me a reason to focus on math and writing because they were part of it, part of the experience. You couldn't have recess without math, and you couldn't have math without recess. The very dailiness of it made it true. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That's what education was for me, and I can't help thinking that's how it was intended, that reading, writing, research, work be coupled with catharsis, that they be intertwined. Too often I hear about a school administrator taking recess away from a child because he didn't finish his math homework, and I think to myself that all of school is transmuted into punishment when adults make that decision. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Learning is not something to get out of the way before we are allowed to play. Learning and play are not separate things, just as joy and work are not separate. They're inseparable, inextricable. Learning cannot exist without play just as play cannot exist without learning. They are two ends of the same meaningful endeavor. To pretend that they are separate impoverishes both, renders them meaningless even. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Most schools (especially in Salt Lake) realize this on some level. After all, recess is still part of the school day, but we need to celebrate it, and bring adults in on this most basic and ancient secret. I realize that teachers have far too little time for breaks, and that recess is usually one of those sacred times. I'm not asking for educators to spend every recess with their kids, but we have district wide drop everything and read days. Why not a drop everything and play day where everyone, even the adults participate? After all, teachers deserve joy too, and it's part of what school is all about.</span></b>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-28206256797343092952012-02-02T12:03:00.000-08:002012-02-02T12:03:55.255-08:00Run, Run As Fast As You Can<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm a <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/slc/run-for-recess-2012">runner</a>. I've been a runner for almost as long as I can remember. It started with my dad taking me out to the track at SIUE (Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville) and having me run a mile with him. It was a struggle. I was eight years old and four laps on a track seemed like a ridiculous distance to me. I remember struggling to get faster, working towards an eight minute mile, and when I finally broke through that barrier, I felt like the fastest kid on the planet. I've been a runner ever since.</div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Running requires a lot from a person. It requires strength and speed and endurance and stamina, but it also requires something else, an indefinable something related to discipline or will. I say related because those aren't exactly the right words. </div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> When you think of discipline, you think of forcing yourself to keep moving even when you're out of energy, but running requires something else. It's almost a trick. You tell yourself that all you need to do is keep moving until that next tree or that next crack in the pavement, and when you get there, you convince yourself you can go just a bit further... to that shadow up there or that blue car or that stop sign, and you keep doing this over and over until you're at the end of your run. It's not will power precisely. It's more like the ability to believe what you're telling yourself even though you know it's a trick.</div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> You may be wondering why such a skill would be important. In a world where people are constantly being told that crime is getting worse, jobs are becoming scarce, and money buys less, I think it's important to be able to tell yourself a different story and believe it. </div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I tell myself that most people have good intentions. I tell myself that things are bound to get better. I tell myself that the world is a good place to live. There are times when it's easy to believe this, and times when it's more difficult. When you fall down and skin your knee, or get laid off from your job, or have a fight with someone you care about, things can seem pretty bad, but you tell yourself that tomorrow you'll find something beautiful, that you'll laugh again, that you'll get by, that circumstances are bound to turn around. </div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> I guess what I'm getting at is optimism. Running teaches you how to keep going through the hard stuff until you can reach your goals. It's good practice for life.</div><br />
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> March 10<sup>th</sup>, <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/salt-lake-city">Playworks SLC</a> is sponsoring a <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/slc/run-for-recess-2012">5k and 1 mile fun run</a> in Liberty Park. We'd like to invite you to come out and run with us. Not only will you be building your muscles and keeping fit, you'll also be training yourself in optimism and supporting play in public schools throughout the Salt Lake Valley. So sign up and start training. We'll see you there!</div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-47939499123773050272012-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:002012-01-18T13:41:40.140-08:00Meet Playworks SLC<div style="background-color: transparent;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6098603624850512" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I talk about these people all the time. It’s time I introduced my readers to Playworks Salt Lake City staff. Here’s a little video I took during our staff training. Now you’ll be able to put faces to the names of our coaches. As you can see, we have a lot of fun at work!</span></b></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyfWLSvvRod0a_q-IqgvU-xIf4f0EX-BTuYrhUpcv7k7wxVpB4BA7IyaWycS5WTjic3XL1gecxc0rae-EU4Fg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div align="center" style="background-color: transparent;"></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-26459711768274355472012-01-11T13:04:00.000-08:002012-01-11T13:04:07.107-08:00What makes a difference on the playground?<b id="internal-source-marker_0.563990025781095" style="font-weight: normal;"><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Playworks coaches have a unique perspective on a student’s day. Children’s true personalities, often through stories and questions, are particularly present during play at recess. When we ask ourselves, how can we tell we are making a difference? We usually end up with standard measurements (surveys, etc.), but it’s the little things--moments with students on the playground that we have a harder time quantifying--that make every day meaningful.</span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How readily does a student smiles. How quick she is to join a game, how open or guarded he is while talking to peers or adults. These cues often tell us more than measures of academic success or how much improvement a particular student shows at a certain game. They are subtle indicators of kids states of mind, which are influenced by innumerable factors. Home environment, bullying, relationships with friends and family, how much sleep he/she got last night. These impacts are not measureable, but we do notice, as educators, the subtle signs that mean our kids have other things than school on their minds. For the most part, teachers are limited in how they can manage subtle changes in kids behavior. Teachers have material they must teach, other kids who need their attention, and a schedule to keep. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The time Playworks coaches spend with kids everyday at recess becomes that much more important in this context. Recess provides more freedom than time in the classroom, which means that students have time to talk with their peers, to open up if they need to, to decompress, and to relax. Though we have games set up to play with students and we hope all students are engaged in some way, coaches are also available to listen to students who simply need an adult to talk to on their own terms. </span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coaches, while still authority figures in a lot of ways, are often viewed by students as available and fun. With the playful nature of coach’s role, students feel safe expressing themselves in ways they may not normally do so around other adults with whom they have a more formal relationship. </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Most of the time, this is incredibly positive. Kids can run and scream and express excitement. They tell us how much fun it is to play, or how they can't contain themselves at the thought of whatever exciting event may be happening at home, a birthday party, or a trip to grandma's house.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Other times, coaches are confronted with distress, an incident of bullying they can't tell their teacher about, or something happening at home. These types of communication are important, too, because they allow us to see problems kids might otherwise keep to themselves. Once problems are out in the open, we can help kids find the resources they need to address those problems.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That role, and the unique relationships our coaches form with students is one of the intangible things about Playworks that makes having our program at a school so valuable, and immeasurably important.</span></div></b><div style="background-color: transparent;"></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-23428514705441056242012-01-03T10:14:00.000-08:002012-01-03T10:14:00.355-08:00Good Enough<b id="internal-source-marker_0.10897778742946684" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2012 is upon us and I hope everyone has resolved to have a playful year. We're halfway through the school year and our coaches are about to start new truly amazing programs with the students in their schools. Each year at this time, Playworks starts up a girls basketball league. Later, our coaches will facilitate a co-ed volleyball team. There are a lot of leagues available for both boys and girls, so you might be asking yourself what's so special about our leagues? To answer that question, I need to relate a story. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I started playing basketball in the third grade on a team sponsored by my elementary school. Actually, there were three teams sponsored by my school that year because there were so many who wanted to play. My team, the Columbus Clippers, was about as bad at basketball as possible. I remember a game in which we scored only 4 points, and all of them were from free throws. We were psyched because we'd finally scored in only the third game of the season! I was responsible for two of those points and got taken out for ice cream after the game for being our top scorer.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Columbus Clippers was a co-ed team, and our coaches philosophy was that everybody played. We learned to dribble, pass, shoot and play defense, and as the season progressed, we got better. I played basketball in a league like that all through elementary school, and by the end of sixth grade, I thought I was good enough to try out for the junior high team. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I got there, I realized this was nothing like the team I'd played on. There was a varsity team and a JV team. About a hundred people tried out. One of them was a six-foot-tall seventh grader who could almost dunk. I didn't make either team. Though I'd learned a lot about basketball in the three years since I'd started playing, I couldn't hack it in such a competitive setting. After that, I never played basketball on a team again.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I was lucky. I got to play for three years before someone told me I was no good, and even after that, I played soccer and ran track. There were opportunities for me to remain athletic and be part of a team, and I think I've benefited immensely from those experiences. Playing sports taught me how to learn a skill, how to cooperate with people, how to celebrate the victories of others. These are lessons I don't think a person can learn anywhere else.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sometimes I wonder how it would have been if I'd never played basketball or any other sport. Would I have worked as hard at school without the lessons I learned from playing basketball? Would I be able to make friends as easily as I do if I hadn't had the experience of being on a team? Would I think of myself as a failure because I'd been cut?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Playworks partner schools have a large low-income community. We only operate in schools at which 50% or more of the students receive free or reduced price lunch. We operate almost exclusively in urban settings. Our populations tend to contain high proportions of minority students. Each of these factors means that the opportunity for our students to be engaged in organized sports is very limited. Playworks leagues might be the only leagues in which many of our students ever have the chance to play.</span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Our core values of inclusion, respect, healthy community, and healthy play mean that we never cut students from our teams. We concentrate on helping everyone who wants to learn develop the skills necessary to improve at basketball, volleyball, and all the other sports we teach. Our students learn how to play as a team and how to win and lose graciously. They learn to celebrate each others successes, and to support one another, not just in the leagues, but in school, and in every aspect of their lives. It's exciting stuff, and these leagues are about to begin.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I'd like to invite you to come out to our league nights this winter and spring, and help us celebrate the learning taking place there. If you live in or around Salt Lake City, our games will take place from 6-8 p.m. in the Lincoln Elementary school gym every Tuesday beginning January 17</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. If you live in another Playworks city, check our <a href="http://playworks.org/">website</a> to find out how you can support your own city's leagues. Not a Playworks city? Click <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/bring-play-to-your-city">here</a> to find out how to get Playworks in hour school district, and come cheer our remarkable students on!</span></div></b><div style="background-color: transparent;"></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-7363340664467689772011-12-14T08:38:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:38:25.773-08:00It's been a great year in SLC!<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.05668814782984555" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For my last blog post of the year, I thought I'd repost some of the great comments we've been getting from students and staff at our Salt Lake Valley schools. These stories were posted on our internal website by our coaches. Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oct 7</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was wandering around during indoor recess time yesterday and walked by a class doing their indoor PE time. They were playing Over Under Kickball! They had just learned it from CGT (Class Game Time) and were using it on their own time. Great to see.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oct 18</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was walking into the gym to gather my equipment for recess, when I noticed a class was playing elbow tag during their PE time. I asked the teacher if she started the game, and she told me the students started it. They enjoyed the game so much during CGT that they asked the PE teacher if they could play it. They taught her the game and started it themselves.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oct 19</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today a teacher told me she used to dread recess duty, but now she looks forward to it. She loves how the kids are engaged and not fighting. She thinks Playworks has already made a noticeable difference at the school.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 2</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today at recess I had a random bucket of colorful bean bags. A first grade student grabbed the bucket and went over to the map of the US. He started tossing the bean bags onto the states that were the same color as the bag. It was a great game that attracted ten other students. As the students tossed the bags, I quizzed them on their states. It was a great game and a great learning activity. I am going to start putting out random equipment to see what the students invent with it!</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 9</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Played "I Love My Neighbor" in CGT with a group of 3rd graders and the student in the middle said "I love my neighbor who loves Coach Jaime!" And everyone moved. Super cute and awesome.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 9</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I test out new games with my ASP (After School Program) kids to figure out how to explain activities to them and if the games are any fun, etc, so the ASP kids know a lot more games then everyone else. They have been taking their favorite games from ASP and playing/teaching them to other kids at normal recess time! Really cool to see.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 9</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During ASP I took a moment to lead one of my students favorite songs. One of the students said "Coach Vee, I want to lead the song". I let this student lead and was thrilled to learn that all of my students not only knew the song ,but took turns leading it as well. So fun! After all this time I realized I need to take more time to let my students take more active leadership roles.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 9</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past three weeks I have been hyping up "high fives" and "nice tries" on our play paradise at Lincoln. A para (para-professional) that helps with lunch recess said to me "Coach Vee, your energy is really changing the students. Today during my reading group one of my students pronounced a word wrong, and his reading partner gave him a "high five" and said "nice try!" Made my whole day!</span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 9</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the questions on the Junior Coach application form is “Why do you want to be a Junior Coach?” One of my students who applied answered the question, "When I grow up, I want to be a coach because Cpach Vee helps so many kids. It's like being a super hero!" I chose this student to be a JC, and she rocks our tag circle each and everyday!!</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 11</span></span><a href="about:blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #003965; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During ASP I took my third and fourth grade classes to play soccer. They decided to pick their team names. Team 1 named themselves "Playworks" and Team 2 named themselves "The Lincoln Way" (Respect, Inclusion, High Fives, Nice Tries, etc is the "Lincoln Way). When I asked them why they picked these names, they said it was because they love Playworks and playing respectfully. I could only smile!!</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 14</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Went to an after school teachers council meeting yesterday to discuss using only my equipment on the recess playground. All of the teachers were in favor after I explained the benefits (sharing, playing together, increase interaction between students, etc.) A few of the teachers told me they had stopped giving out equipment a while ago and had noticed their kids all playing together, being respectful to each other and choosing to play group games during their individual recess time, which they attributed to Playworks and what was happening at recess.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 16</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I walked into the building this morning and instantly was getting high fives and compliments from teachers about my JC's. I took a sick day and my JC's really stepped up their game. Teachers told me they asked for help to get into our office. They set up recess for the day and totally ran our program without me. To my surprise, they also lead all of our school cheers for cool down at the end of each recess. Teachers said they were blown away when they were able to cool down over 150 students at our last recess. WOW! I feel so proud to be back today! When I say Lincoln. . .You say PRIDE!!</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 16</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During class game time today, I heard a boy exclaim, "This is kinda fun!" It soon progressed to "This is fun!" followed by "This is cool!" and ending with "Why do we have to stop?"</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 16</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recess duty at my school approached me and told me how much of a change she had seen in students at Hillsdale. I said I hope that the program is making a difference and she responded by saying, "A sixth grade girl moved to this school and wouldn't smile at anybody, she would hardly say a word, now she smiles, gives high fives and plays four square every day. I see the improvement!" It made me realize that I don't see the change because I am just getting to know these kids, but it's wonderful to see a game put a smile on a child's face.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 18</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today at recess I brought out a new piece of equipment the office gave me not knowing what do with it, a GIANT volleyball a good 15" in diameter. I put in on the playground and my 5 and 6 grades invented a game using the ball. Everyone collaborated on the rules and it was an amazing group effort! Look out for Air Ball taking off at Meadowlark!</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 22</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today one of the 5th grade classes was making notes on those Thanksgiving themed cut-outs (turkeys/those horns that have food in them). A group of the kids made theirs for me. Here is my favorite one: <br class="kix-line-break" />"Dear Coach Jaime, Thank you for teaching us new games for PE. Also thank you for helping us on the playground. This is the best year for me because you came for the Playworks. This school would not be the same without you."</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nov 28</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I saw a 1st grader pouting during a basketball game. Another 1st grader came up and said, "It is not about winning and losing. It is about both and having fun. If you lose, no big deal. If you win, great." I gave her a much earned high-five for her wisdom.</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dec 12</span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Thanks for making time for me and my class on Thursday. My class really enjoys their Playworks time, so if they missed it, they would be upset. We'll be there at 9:10.” -Email from a teacher in regard to me rescheduling their CGT because of an assembly.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for making 2011 a great year! Happy Holidays from Playworks SLC.</span></span></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-48676336477423079122011-12-07T12:40:00.000-08:002011-12-07T14:26:16.419-08:00A Little Holiday Spirit<div dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.40350132365711033" style="background-color: transparent; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The holiday season is upon us. I am appalled, once again, by the utter madness of Black Friday. It seems like every year I hear about someone being trampled or robbed or shot as the holiday rush begins. This year, the big story was about a woman who <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57331160/black-friday-shoppers-pepper-sprayed-in-calif/">pepper sprayed</a> fellow shoppers over an X-box. To me, these things seem to be in direct conflict with the notion of goodwill and fellowship I traditionally associate with the holiday season, but I recognize that to some, this is what the holidays are about: fighting with family, making a huge profit on irrational consumer behavior, and getting the one awesome thing you want for Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gift giving goes back thousands of years to various civilizations, and the idea seems to be that a person shows his or her appreciation for someone by giving him or her something special. The holiday season has a certain ceremonial aspect to it in this regard. For many of us, it's the one time all year that we will go out of our way to say thank you to people we ordinarily take for granted. I'm giving my son's daycare provider a hand-made quilt for Christmas this year, and I admit it will be the first time I've gone out of my way to let her know I appreciate what she does for my family. Perhaps you will be giving similar tokens of appreciation.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This aspect of gift giving is, in my opinion, a good idea, but the tradition of gift giving is less often about appreciation these days than about an obligation. Many of us feel bound by an unspoken code to give everyone we know a gift regardless of whether that gift is heartfelt or not, and many of us, too, have used the holiday season as an excuse to get the toy or gadget or whatever thing it is we feel we deserve. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For parents, the desire to fulfill our children's most frantic desires by buying the toy that is too expensive to justify at any other time of year is bound up with our self worth. If we can purchase an X-box or an iPad for our sons and daughters, we consider ourselves good parents, but if we can't, we are utter failures.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All of these aspects contribute to the insanity of an event like Black Friday, and all of these impulses are, at some level, justifiable or at least understandable, but we are missing something important when we allow ourselves to sink into crazy pants land. We are missing an opportunity to make the holidays meaningful and important in a manner that transcends material possessions.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We must ask ourselves what lessons our children are taking from the holidays. Do they see our intentions, our deepest wishes for them, that they will be happy and healthy? Do they see our kindness and generosity? Or is it something else that they see when we buy meaningless gifts for people solely because we think we owe it to them? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'd like to encourage you to do something rather different this holiday season. Instead of buying things, volunteer. You can volunteer at soup kitchens or food banks or shelters or even at your child's school. Many teachers would really appreciate a helping hand in their classrooms, and if your school is a <a href="http://www.playworks.org/">Playworks</a> school, you can <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/slc/volunteer">volunteer</a> with us out on the playground. All you have to do is play a few games, and you will be contributing to something meaningful and valuable. Plus, your kids will see you doing it, and that will go a long way towards communicating what the holiday season is really all about.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don't feel like volunteering or can't find the time, consider a <a href="https://www.playworks.org/donate/donate-now?city=Salt+Lake+City">donation</a> or <a href="http://www.causes.com/causes/638593-playworks-salt-lake-city">microvolunteer</a> by sharing information about a cause you support with people you know. Sometimes networking is just as good as giving.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy Holidays from Playworks SLC</span></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-27013331948388954582011-11-29T08:52:00.000-08:002011-11-29T08:52:22.510-08:00Time spent wearing headphones<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The students we work with in Salt Lake are a really friendly and outgoing bunch of kids. Whenever I head out to our schools, it’s easy to strike up conversations with them and easy to get them to play games. There are a few kids I know by name and more that I know by sight. We usually smile and wave at each other whenever I’m out at recess, but outside of school, things are different. I see a lot of kids I know from school in grocery stores and parks, but I hardly ever get to talk with them because they’re wearing headphones.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The schools we work in here all have policies that ban headphones on school grounds, which I think is great, but it seems to me that as soon as kids step over the line that divides the blacktop playground from the sidewalk, their ears are suddenly filled with plastic. I can relate.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I forgot my headphones this morning and so my mp3 player is pretty much useless. I am still keeping it in my pocket like a child's security blanket, but the comfort it gives me is somewhat limited. Typically, I wear headphones most of the day. I go to the store in headphones. I snowboard in headphones. When I ride my bike to work, I wear them. If I go on a walk I wear them. I wear them at my desk whenever I don't need to talk to others. I even wear them sometimes when I watch TV. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are a number of reasons I love my headphones. I love music. That's number one. I'll listen to just about anything, but a good two part harmony between a lead female vocalist and a male backup is, perhaps the best sound I can think of, followed closely by a really good electric guitar solo. I listen to music a lot and it gives me great joy, which seems perfectly healthy to me. Music has a lot of benefits. It relieves stress, it lowers blood pressure, and it makes people feel good. Studies show that listening to music in early childhood improves kids aptitude for math later in life. Music is good.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But my headphones are not all about music. They are also a way for me to avoid social interaction, and they couch me in a world that is both personal and generic. I don't pay nearly as much attention to my surroundings when I wear my headphones, nor do I pay as much attention to my fellow human beings. As a result, I think I may be less sympathetic, less friendly, and less aware than I ought to be. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This morning, for example, as I was biking to work, I noticed myself looking around much more than I normally do because of the noise of engines approaching from behind. At times, I slowed down to allow a car to merge or waited longer than normal to make a turn because I could hear a car coming from an unexpected direction. It occurred to me that I may be less safe in traffic on days when I remember my headphones.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also said hello to the receptionist in our building this morning. She smiled and returned the greeting. On other days, I would have missed that interaction. This one day without headphones had me wondering what else I've been missing.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What does this have to do with play? Well, it's not just me who's been wearing headphones. More and more I notice kids (and adults too) wearing headphones in public places like grocery stores, sidewalks, and playgrounds. I see them wearing headphones while talking to their parents, interacting with their siblings and hanging out with their friends. Personal music has become ubiquitous.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's as if all of us have begun to exist in our own personal worlds of sound. We interact with other people, but at the same time we're shielded from social obligations and if we don't seem fully engaged, we have an excuse. It's the music.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Play requires us to be engaged, and the games I love most require complex social interactions. Headphones make this kind of interaction impossible. So more headphones means fewer awesome group games. More importantly, playing games is one of the best ways I know to start deep, meaningful friendships. Without the possibility of play, I find that I am lonely and isolated. I'm not great friends with everyone I've ever interacted with or everyone who’s ever played a game with me, but people who have cut themselves off from the possibility of talking with me, seem to be poor candidates for a friendship. Plus, the friends I do have, including some of the students I know here in Salt Lake seem cut off from me. We choose to be cut off from each other. I find myself wondering if this is healthy, and, I wonder, what (and who) I’ve missed out on because I had plastic in my ears?</span></span>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-35914922933490586112011-11-16T07:48:00.000-08:002011-11-16T07:48:06.755-08:00Playing games is inherently creative.<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, play takes us in unexpected directions. A game of catch becomes show of impressive leaps and diving catches. Tag morphs into Hide and Seek, which then becomes imaginative play. The hider becomes as a crook and the seekers the police. Or players find a hiding place so spectacular, it sparks a new story. When I was young, we had a tree house where inventive and adventurous games came alive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In short, playing games is, inherently, a creative exercise. When we play, we assume a role and interpret that role. Even in a simple game of <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/games/sharks-and-minnows">Sharks and Minnows</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, players decide how to act. The shark may run fast or slow, dart left or right, wait or chase. The minnows can slow down and taunt the shark or to play it safe and run. They can act as a group or strike out on their own. In some cases, a minnow may let the shark catch them so they can take on a new role.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Games demand that we act within a set of rules, but beyond that, players may do as they wish. If a kickball player wants to run the bases like a monkey, she can. If a four square player only wants to use his left hand, that's perfectly acceptable. Not only do we have the freedom to adapt our roles within a game, but games can favor players who experiment with their roles. The most successful wall ball player might not be the strongest or fastest, but the student who invents a new way to hit the ball, perhaps at an odd angle or by faking a huge hit and executing a smaller move, fooling her opponent. Games ask us to think strategically and that requires creativity.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Consider this story from Stansbury Elementary. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today at recess I had a random bucket of colorful bean bags. A first grade student grabbed the bucket and went over to the map of the United States. He started tossing the bean bags onto the states that were the same color as the bag. It attracted ten other students. As the students tossed the bags, I quizzed them on those states. It was a fun game and a great learning activity. I plan to continue putting out random equipment to see what the students invent!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This student didn't just innovate within the rules of a game; he invented a completely new one. Coach Raven also molded the game by asking students to name the states. All the participants used creativity in their play by thinking in a new direction, <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/games/invent-game">inventing games</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and letting their curiosity and ingenuity shine. Wonderful to see youth taking play to the next level!</span></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-90987483364408197112011-11-09T08:03:00.000-08:002011-11-09T08:03:48.515-08:00A Rant for Hockey!<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7593601185362786" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let's take a moment to think about hockey... </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not a hockey player. I just can't figure out how to negotiate the skates and the ice. I fall down, and when I don't fall down, I wobble and stand as still as I can. I love to watch hockey, though. It's a fast, exciting game. I never see a hockey game and think, “I could do that.” Instead I think, “wow, that's amazing.” Players are constantly switching direction, skating backwards one moment and then tearing down the ice at full speed the next, running headlong into the boards, and it's not just skating. In addition to riding two thin metal blades over the ice with nothing less than grace, hockey players have to master the wrist shot, the slap shot, and other more complicated moves with a stick and a puck. If you've ever played street hockey or lacrosse, you know how weird and foreign a stick can feel. Many sports don't bother with these implements. In football and basketball, players use their hands. In soccer, it's the feet. Baseball has bats and gloves, but the bat is more of a blunt object than the hockey stick and gloves don't require as much practice to get used to. A hockey stick, by comparison, can feel very foreign, like a prosthetic limb, grafted onto the end of the arm. It takes practice to get used to using a hockey stick, and using it well is a real skill. I'm certainly not knocking other sports. I'm a soccer player myself and a huge baseball fan, but hockey simply astounds me in a way that no other sport could. I mean, c'mon, it's played on ice!!!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The other thing about hockey is that it is under appreciated by many here in the United States. Americans love football, basketball and baseball. Soccer has even developed somewhat of a following since the introduction of the MLS, but hockey remains the unwanted stepchild of American professional sports. Most of us simply do not watch it. There are a lot of reasons for this. Most of us didn't grow up playing hockey. If you live in the south or the west, ice sheets aren't as prevalent as grassy fields. Hockey requires specialized equipment, and many of us can't relate to a sport originally meant to be played on a frozen lake. All of these barriers make Americans less likely to not only play, but go see a hockey game. Here’s your chance to see the great game of hockey and for a good cause! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Friday, December 16 the Utah Grizzlies play the Colorado Eagles. The <a href="http://utahgrizzlies.com/">Grizzlies</a>, a semi-professional sports team in Salt Lake City, need your support and so does Playworks. December 16</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> at the Maverik Center is <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/slc/playworks-night-utah-grizzlies">Playworks night</a>. If you <a href="https://www.playworks.org/events/playworks-night-utah-grizzlies">buy</a> tickets through our website, the proceeds will go to support physical activity in Salt Lake public schools. Tickets are only $15 (normally $17), and the money goes to a great cause, Playworks. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you can't go, but still want to support Playworks, consider <a href="https://www.playworks.org/donate/donate-now?city=Salt+Lake+City">donating</a> or <a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/play/slc/volunteer">volunteering</a>. We're always looking for enthusiastic people to come out to schools and help us energize recess.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And in the meantime, Go Griz!!!!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeSBLNf1iB-aO_9LmurOGL9CplIiHDuGdKM-INnpZwfSdElgo73gqxXFcz8u4_aDTjRm7mx7E8si5BF4jmZrizzxSsbntjTo8Mmih_S9voh3MRacxDMNG0rLEVsZKc3pZYH0uMsbjJwI/s1600/blog+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeSBLNf1iB-aO_9LmurOGL9CplIiHDuGdKM-INnpZwfSdElgo73gqxXFcz8u4_aDTjRm7mx7E8si5BF4jmZrizzxSsbntjTo8Mmih_S9voh3MRacxDMNG0rLEVsZKc3pZYH0uMsbjJwI/s320/blog+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span> </div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-31863281560442927832011-11-02T09:15:00.000-07:002011-11-02T09:15:16.363-07:00Salt Lake: A Strange (and cool) Place to Live<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since moving to Utah, I've noticed some strange things about life for kids here. I'm from a small town in Southern Illinois and so some of the differences have to do with growing up in a city. For instance, there are groups of skateboarders who hang out in the city parks. In Edwardsville, where I grew up, there were about three kids who owned skateboards and there was only one park, so there wasn't a lot of skateboarding. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A lot of other cities have good skateboard scenes, but other behaviors I've noticed seem to be unique to Utah or Salt Lake City. The most noticeable of these isn't something that affects grade schools much, but I have noticed that older kids, in middle and high school have a creative way of asking each other out on dates. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My sister went to school in Utah from 7</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: super; white-space: pre-wrap;">th</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> grade on. She was once asked out with a picture puzzle. She had to assemble the pieces to see who it was that wanted to go to a school dance with her. She replied with undeveloped film. The boy in question had to process it before he knew she'd said yes. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've heard of cars being stuffed with balloons, one of which contains a note asking someone on a date. I've heard of cakes being baked “Napoleon Dynamite” style, and once of someone concealing a request in a block of cheese. The more creative the ask, the better seems to be the rule. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The same seems to be true for younger kids in the Salt Lake Valley when it comes to recess activities. One popular game on the playground at Stansbury Elementary is creating an obstacle course to navigate out of cones, hurdles and other materials. Kids spend hours creating the challenges and then running through them. There doesn't appear to be any score-keeping. They're doing for the sheer joy of building. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meadowlark Elementary began playing 9-square (a variation of 4-square) last week. Heartland Elementary in the Jordan School District was recently included in a Salt Lake Tribune article with pictures of a unique game called footy tether ball in which students play without the use of their hands. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've decided to honor this ingenious spirit with a call to Salt Lakers. I'm asking, today for two lists. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One: What's the quirkiest thing you've noticed about living in Salt Lake </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><div style="background-color: transparent;"><div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">and </span></span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Two: What's the most creative or unique playground game you've heard of or played. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Please leave responses in the comments section of this post.</span></span></div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-57955391912972215592011-10-25T07:29:00.000-07:002011-10-25T07:30:31.192-07:00The Speed of Ideas<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Considering that the schools in the Salt Lake Valley have only had Playworks programs since August, I find it absolutely amazing that students at each of our schools have begun to start up games and activities our coaches have taught them. They play spontaneously, on their own, in situations where there is no adult telling them what to do. Several of our coaches have related stories about this incredible phenomenon. Coach Raven at Stansbury relates this story:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was walking into the gym to gather my equipment for recess, when I noticed a class was playing elbow tag during their PE time. I asked the teacher if she started the game, and she told me the students started it. They enjoyed the game so much during Class Game Time that they asked the PE teacher if they could play it. They taught her the game and started it themselves.</span></i></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">[Note: </span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.playworks.org/make-recess-count/how"><span style="color: #000099;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">ClassGame Time</span></u></span></span></span></a> <span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is a weekly or biweekly time between recesses in which entire classes and their teachers join Playworks coaches. Kids learn basic sports, playground and cooperative games and the physical skills building through play.]</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And here's another story from Coach Jaime at Meadowlark:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">During indoor recess time yesterday, I walked by a class doing their indoor PE time playing Over Under Kickball! They had just learned it from Class Game Time and were using it on their own time. Great to see.</span></i></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The thing that's so remarkable about these stories is not that the kids have memorized some fairly complicated games, but rather that their instincts to play, to try out new games, and to incorporate new behaviors are so wholly intact.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Play is how human beings learn skills, social norms, and interpersonal skills. It is a deeply ingrained function of being a child, and perhaps of being human. It is our nature to play; Part of our culture is carried in the games we pass from adult to child and in the roles played out as children teach each other games. So what kind of culture is being passed on by having a focus on play in schools? Coach Vee at Lincoln Elementary relates this story:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Since day one teachers have not just showed up to Class Game Time but also come fired up and ready to play. It has been such a joy to see the teachers and students having such a good time together. During our Class Game Time time everyone is engaged in play and the group morale is very high.</span></i></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I would argue that an emphasis on play transmits a culture of mutual respect between students from different backgrounds and between students and teachers. Cooperative learning through play emphasizes the fact that teachers and students necessarily work together to accomplish learning goals. Students too often see their teachers as antagonists in a struggle that pits them against the other. Teachers work hard to transmit knowledge to resistant students, but when students and teachers play together, that illusion breaks down. Teachers and students are able to forge a bond because they understand that they are working towards the same end.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It's the power of play and it's a beautiful thing to see.</span></span></span></span></span></div><br />
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</div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-86163516355142315582011-10-19T07:57:00.000-07:002011-10-19T07:57:38.776-07:00Roshambo, also called Rock-Paper-Scissors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: transparent;"><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“In my after-school program I had two boys that were arguing over who was going to go first. I was currently trying to get the rest of the game organized and before I could turn around to resolve the conflict one of my third grade girls rolled her eyes and said "Just Roshambo for it, duh!" They did and the game started smoothly. At that moment I realized just how awesome Roshambo can be.” -Jessi Bath, Hillsdale Elementary Program Coordinator</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rock crushes scissors, scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock... so elegant, so simple, so beautiful. Why does Roshambo work?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are several excellent answers to this question. Number one, Rock-paper-scissors is really cool. I remember learning about it around second grade, and for weeks afterwards that was all we did. We played Rock-paper-scissors on the bus, on the playground, during lunch, and in class. We played it so much that our teachers told us to stop playing it, which only increased its vogue. To a second grader, and even to older kids, there's nothing cooler than a game that can be played anywhere with no props whatsoever. Rock-paper-scissors was popular for a very long time... until we learned about thumb wars.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reason number two Roshambo works is that it doesn't make any sense at all. Clearly, these inanimate objects would never fight in real life and if they did, paper would be at a distinct disadvantage if only because of its molecular structure. Paper just can't stand up to steel or rock. As for the scissors-rock match-up, it's a toss-up if you're talking about which is stronger. A rock, however, could certainly ruin the scissors and make them unusable for cutting. I give the overall advantage to rock, but the game of Roshambo doesn't see it that way. Instead, it recognizes the underlying ubiquity of the universe. We're all just atoms and victory doesn't necessarily depend on strength. Sometimes paper wins.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This brings me to my last point. Rock-paper-scissors in intrinsically fair. No one element always wins, and since there are only three things to choose from, the ability to develop strategic prowess is limited. Novices have as much chance of randomly picking the winning element as experts. It solves inequalities in skill, physicality, intelligence, and social standing. There are no advantages for any single player save luck, and that is truly what makes it such an elegant solution to deciding classroom disagreements. Not to mention that often arguments like who should go first can be forgotten in the fun of Roshambo!</span></div></span>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-6899478924900390422011-10-11T12:25:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:25:11.147-07:00Boys and Girls<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>In a favorite Salt Lake City shop, I recently found two books. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>The Boys Book</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>, and </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>The Girls Book</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>. Both of these books carried the subtitle, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>How to Be the Best at Everything</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>The Boys Book</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>is divided into chapters with titles like “How to Rip a Phone Book in Half” or “How to Do an Ollie.” </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>The Girls Book</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>has a decidedly different focus. Chapters include “How to Explain Why You Are Late for School” and “How to Make Your Own Luxury Bubble Bath.” My question for readers this week is this: Is it okay to treat boys and girls differently?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>As an experienced educator, I realize that there are differences in the way boys and girls behave, how they relate to each other, and how they are affected by developmental changes. If one were to generalize about how boys and girls act, one might say that boys tend to be more aggressive, more competitive, and more prone to act out. Girls might be said to be more diplomatic, involved in complex social interactions, more eager to be friends with the teacher.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>Whether or not we choose to accept these assumptions now, they were overwhelmingly present while I was growing up, and I sense that they are still accepted by a large segment of the population here in Salt Lake City and in many other places in the United States. I've seen many children live into stereotypes about gender--eight-year-old boys concerned with nothing more than monster trucks and wrestling and young girls who wear high heels to elementary school and are eager to let me know that more people would like me if I combed my hair-- But where do these assumptions come from? Are they valid observations about how children of different genders tend to act, or are we, in fact, observing the outcomes of pervasive social norms that are pressed on our children by the media, the society we live in, our families, and ourselves?</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>I think there is strong evidence that though boys and girls do develop differently on a fundamental level, they are also being pressed into rigid social patterns that tend to dictate how boys and girls are allowed to act... with far reaching and detrimental consequences.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>I recently </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005442/Boy-15-suspended-school-wearing-mothers-dress-shoes-class.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>read a story</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>about a 15-year-old boy being sent home from school for wearing a dress. School officials claimed it was distracting. No doubt it was. My own experience with wearing non-traditional clothing is that it usually garners some unwanted attention. In Kiribati, where my wife and I were stationed in the Peace Corps, men wore bees (pronounced bays) which were long strips of cloth wrapped around the waist. When I wear the traditional garment here, in the U.S., I am usually accused of wearing a skirt.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>I don't think people mean to be biased. Probably they are simply taken aback by unusual behavior and can't help but comment. I'm sure it was the same reaction fellow students had when they saw their male classmate in a dress in the example above. Although it's natural to remark on unusual behavior, it seems, to me, that such a disruptive reaction may be an alarming example of just how closed off our society is. Boys simply do not wear girl's clothing... and they do not behave like girls. How often have we heard the insult “You throw like a girl!” or conversely “You smell like a boy!” Our children's behaviors are influenced by this sort of language without any conscious effort on our part as teachers or parents. And there are other, less harmless attitudes and behaviors that come out of this kind of thinking. </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpL-A6ZNy_w"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>A video commemorating</span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>the 17th anniversary of the violence against women act noted that in a 2009 study, 25% of sixth graders, boys and girls, thought it was “acceptable for boys to hit girls.” No one formally teaches an attitude like that, but it's one of the messages our children seem to be picking up.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>Next question: Is there any way to break the pattern?</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>I think that children are not innately prejudiced, and it's up to us, as parents and educators, to make sure they stay that way. Here's one small example of a school that's doing it right. Playworks Coach Raven at Stansbury Elementary School relates this story.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>When I first started working at my school, I noticed everyone enjoyed jumping rope--boys and girls. I had one 6th grade boy who really wanted to jump but did not know how. I spent time showing him how to do it and kept checking in on him when I made my recess rounds. By the end of recess he had it down. He came up after the bell rang and gave me a hive-five and a "Thanks Coach!" The next day at recess, I saw him teaching other students how to jump using the same pointers I gave him.</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><br />
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span>When I was in school, I would've been called some pretty bad names for jumping rope with the girls. No one, it seems, told this young man that “jump rope is for girls”, however, and for that, I say well done to Coach Raven and to Stansbury. It's small acts like this one, that have the power to turn things around. Keep up the good work.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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</div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-1501797709226187942011-10-03T11:01:00.000-07:002011-10-04T09:02:32.005-07:00Preparing Children<div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="color: black;">"When we adults think of children, there is a simple truth which we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life, childhood is life. A child isn't getting ready to live - a child is living. The child is constantly confronted with the nagging question, "What are you going to be?" Courageous would be the youngster who, looking the adult squarely in the face, would say, "I'm not going to be anything; I already am." We adults would be shocked by such an insolent remark for we have forgotten, if indeed we ever knew, that a child is an active participating and contributing member of society from the time he is born. Childhood isn't a time when he is molded into a human who will then live life; he is a human who is living life. No child will miss the zest and joy of living unless these are denied him by adults who have convinced themselves that childhood is a period of preparation.</span></i></div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><i>How much heartache we would save ourselves if we would recognize the child as a partner with adults in the process of living, rather than always viewing him as an apprentice. How much we would teach each other...adults with the experience and children with the freshness. How full both our lives could be. A little child may not lead us, but at least we ought to discuss the trip with him for, after all, life is his and her journey, too." </i>- Professor T. Ripaldi</span></div><span style="color: black;"><br />
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<div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">I found this quote on a blog by Lisa Sunbury about infants and toddlers which you can find </span><a href="http://www.regardingbaby.org/2011/09/18/the-way-we-see-them/"><span style="color: black;">here</span></a><span style="color: black;">, and it got me thinking. How much time do we, as educators, spend “preparing” kids for the next step. Each grade from preschool through college professes to be preparing us for something. Kindergarten for first grade, first for second, middle school for high school, high school for college, college for work. By the time we are done being prepared for life, much of it has gone by.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Am I suggesting that children and, indeed, adults should disregard the future to focus entirely on the present? No, I think a certain amount of attention must be spent thinking about the future, but the word preparation seems to imply certain things about the future; the fact that we know what the future holds, for example, which we do not. Instead of shaping students to fit precisely into a narrow definition of what we believe the future holds, shouldn't we be allowing their natural shapes, their proclivities and curiosities to dictate, at least in part, what they will become, what they will learn and how? And if that is true, doesn't that mean that we should respect the varied and wonderful people students have already become, the people they are?</span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Shouldn't our lessons be aimed at showing them how to dream the future?</span></div><br />
<div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">This kind of teaching and learning has to do with creativity, with awareness, and with attention, I think. Students should be trained to be aware of their own innate gifts, abilities, and limitations. Teachers should be trained to be aware of who their students are and attentive to their individual needs. Both should be working together to find a path towards a full and rewarding future.</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"></span></div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">In the best classrooms this is already happening, teachers are engaged in bringing out their students' best selves, but the classroom is only one area where growth and learning takes place. There are other environments, home and the playground, where learning can be fostered, and one of the best outlets for student creativity is through play, through movement, through the body.</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"></span></div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Often, adults think of play as an activity that takes away from time spent doing worthwhile activities. What are those activities? Shopping? Work? Making money? Money to do what...</span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">Play is an end in itself. Kids understand that, I think. They know that this is what it's all about, sprinting flat out after a ball, or the cathartic feeling that lifts their spirits after sinking a three-pointer, or the sense of community that comes with working together with a group of people towards a common goal, of playing with each other.</span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in; page-break-after: auto; page-break-before: auto; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;">In a very real sense, kids know how to be... if we have the courage to let them.</span></div><br />
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</div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-76522301201072892232011-09-20T11:14:00.000-07:002011-09-20T11:23:47.918-07:00Can We Teach Character?<div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What is 'character'? A </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html?_r=1">NewYork Times Magazine</a></span></span></u></span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> article suggests that there are two schools of thought on the issue. One emphasizes demonstrable qualities, the way character is acted out in everyday situations. Demonstrable character traits include things like zest, grit, gratitude and curiosity. These qualities are said to be good predictors of success in academia, business, and life. The other school of thought sees character as a moral quality one can possess, but which is not necessarily evident in a person at first glance. Abstract traits like bravery, integrity, and citizenship define this category. The article puts Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and other entrepreneurs into the first category, while figures like Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi fall into the second.</span></span></span></span><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I think the two are related. Deep moral fiber of the sort possessed by Gandhi seems like a daunting thing to teach, but perhaps smaller, concrete qualities like honesty, punctuality, following the rules are character skills that can gradually build a student up and prepare her for a life that can be lived in a deeply meaningful way.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And, if character can be broken down into a set of skills, those skills can be practiced. For me, practice has always been about muscle memory, doing a certain movement over and over until the motion becomes familiar, natural, instinctual. I played soccer in college and the way I trained was to carry a soccer ball with me, at my feet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I touched the ball thousands of times a day, millions times a week, and eventually, I could control the ball without conscious thought.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The basic elements of character can be built this way as well. To teach self control, we tell kids to take a deep breath and count to ten when they are angry. To teach gratitude, we tell kids to say thank you. To teach grit, we tell them to try try again, over and over. To teach zest, we sing. To teach integrity, we hold them accountable for their actions. Every time they slip up, we remind them what the proper action is.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Little by little, our students begin to do these things themselves. And just as math is learned more fully through personal experience, by handling money or having to convert grams to ounces while following a recipe, just as language is reenforced through interpersonal exchanges, character is best learned outside of the classroom. That's not to say that classroom teachers cannot teach values. On the contrary, it is extremely important for teachers to talk about character, to give character lessons and especially to model excellent character. This is the foundation of what we're trying to teach our students, but the power dynamics are necessarily one sided in a classroom. The teacher holds the knowledge and disperses it to the students. The lessons are there, but they take on more meaning when students encounter them in other areas of their lives.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The playground is a good example of a space in which students can apply the lessons they learn in the classroom. It is a dynamic and less predictable environment. Students are not as heavily supervised. They organize their own activities, set social norms for themselves, and play games according to their own rules. Character lessons inevitably either come home, or go out the window during recess. The playground is a testing ground for how the rules of the classroom apply (or don't) in real life.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This is one reason it's so important to have an engaged adult or two out on the playground reinforcing the social dynamics students have already been taught in the classroom. <a href="http://playworks.org/slc">Playworks</a> employees are often called coaches by the students, and that is what they are, coaches responsible for making sure kids flex their moral muscles as well as their physical ones, making sure the students repeat, over and over again the movements of good character until those motions become second nature.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I'm not saying every student will become a Gandhi, but maybe...</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.2in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Wouldn't it be cool to know that we're raising a generation primed to be a force for good!</span></span></span></span></span></div><br />
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</div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1550167662579377483.post-16591185954123757952011-09-14T13:38:00.000-07:002011-09-15T09:19:12.810-07:00Can Playgrounds Stop Bullying?<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Is there a way to build playgrounds, social areas, and internet sites in a way that discourages bullying?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My first thought is that when kids are more engaged, they are less likely to bully, so a space that actively engages students should lead to less bullying. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My next thought is that there are ways to engage children in positive behavior. In fact, in my experience, most kids seem to want to engage in positive behaviors so long as they are perceived as cool. When I was a camp counselor, I used to have older campers befriend younger ones and mentor them. This model worked extremely well with activities like fishing, climbing, and arts and crafts because older students had the opportunity to pass skills down to younger, less skilled students. The younger students felt valued because they were receiving attention. The older ones felt valuable because they were making a positive contribution to their communities. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">These are social innovations rather than physical ones, but I think there are some physical spaces that seem to foster these sorts of relationships better than others. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Playgrounds with cooperative features like swings that need to be pushed, see-saws, and other cooperative play elements might limit conflicts. I also, recently, found a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwEYYI-AGWs">video</a> on youtube in which someone placed a megaphone on a street corner in New York with the instructions to say something nice on a placard under it. I was thinking that a bull horn mounted somewhere with similar instructions might be effective. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Areas of a playground with directed activities might be more engaging than simple open space models as well. Most schools have such spaces with lines painted on the ground or equipment set into the cement. The key to this model is enforcement. Someone needs to be in charge of making sure that only tether ball is being played on the tether ball courts and only basketball on the basketball courts and so on.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Cyberspace should have similar restrictions. Areas that can only be used in certain ways. These spaces should be set up to foster positive behavior and monitored. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">This seems to be the key. Spaces for kids should be monitored. There's no getting around it. Kids need guidance. If they didn't, they wouldn't be kids. Furthermore, they need active guidance, adults showing them how to play and modeling good behavior rather than simply watching them play or leaving them to figure out what to do on the internet. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Does this mean that kids can never play alone? Most certainly not. I believe that a certain amount of unstructured outdoor play with other kids is necessary for a child's development, but that should not be the case all the time. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Children are engaged in a process of establishing social hierarchies. They do this by interacting in certain ways with each other. This can mean bullying, or it can mean positive, cooperative relationship building. The difference is a matter of learned behavior. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Our playgrounds are already set up for healthy play, and innovative companies like <a href="http://kaboom.org/">KaBOOM!</a> Are constantly innovating improvements in play spaces. Social media sites for kids with anti-bullying measures are coming on line soon, too. All they need are some adults who are ready to play. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">That's where <a href="http://www.playworks.org/">Playworks</a> comes in. </div>Ben Cromwellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13416383765420525820noreply@blogger.com0