Third grade students recently participated in cardio drumming at JB Stephens Elementary School.
GREENFIELD – Mary Beuoy and Erin Stevens handed out dozens of pool noodles to elementary children in gym class.
“Rule No. 1: No sword fighting,” Beuoy said, before getting into the rhythm of the popular children’s song “Gummy Bear.”
A new cardio drumming program at JB Stephens Elementary School in Greenfield combines music, rhythm and exercise in a program for all students grades kindergarten through third.
Children grabbed their pool noodles and headed to their station – a yoga ball propped on top of a donated Home Depot bucket. They were all smiles and giggles as they drummed to the tunes of “Baby Shark” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
Cardio drumming is made possible with a grant from the Greenfield Central School Foundation. It is a combined effort of Beuoy, the school’s music teacher, and Stevens, the school’s physical education teacher. Together, they teach rhythm and exercise simultaneously.
The elementary school recently hosted a family “informance” night, where parents were able to come to the school and try cardio drumming themselves.
“It’s just to keep the community involved, and it’s a great way to show what we do in class,” Stevens said.
Cardio drumming works on students’ muscles and heart rate while they have fun jumping and moving around, she said. Tutorials on YouTube make it easy to try the activity at home.
Third graders Kourtlynn Nugent and Jane Wright had a front row spot during a recent gym class for the program.
“I like that it helps my heart get stronger, and helps me get healthy and strong and helps me understand movement,” Nugent said.
Wright added that it’s popular music that makes the hobby enjoyable.
“On Friday they played a song me and my grandpa jam out to!” she said.
Beuoy said she saw the idea on Facebook of residents in a nursing home enjoying the activity; she’d love to one day bring elementary students to a nursing home to share what they’ve learned.
“Their whole body feels the beat, and there are not a lot of activities you can do that,” Beuoy said.
