Rockville Centre School District launches physical education app

Rockville Centre School District’s physical education teachers won’t let physical fitness and mental wellbeing fall by the wayside while schools are closed. On April 20, they launched an application for mobile devices with an array of different exercises for students and their families to follow.

“As we entered the next phase of remote learning,” said Carol Roseto, the district’s director of physical education, health and athletics, “we focused on utilizing physical activity as a method to destress, as well as fulfill their remote learning requirements.”

The app has different tabs for Kindergarten through fifth grade, grades 6 through 12, adapted exercises and “family fun,” as well as tabs with health resources, contact information for the district’s gym teachers and an activity log.

“Each week the app will be uploaded with new activities and resources which will add to the existing ones,” Roseto said. “Our goal is to have every community member utilize the app and be active each day in some way.”

As of Thursday afternoon, the app had just over 2,000 users. Physical education teachers at all levels have reported that students are using the app to complete their physical education remote learning assignments. At the high school, gym teacher Liz Marshall said many of her students are using the app’s yoga resources and strength workouts.

Roseto also shared some feedback she’s heard from parents and students. Some elementary school parents, for example, said their kids enjoy looking through the resources and choosing one on their own. A middle school parent said the virtual yoga class helped to relax her son.

“Checked out the log and it’s super easy to navigate,” wrote Elena Mingorance, a South Side Middle School student. “The PE app is also really cool, and I think everyone is really going to enjoy it.”

To get the Rockville Centre School District's physical education app, click here.