Sullivan Middle School students are seeing big improvements in their focus and concentration—and are ultimately spending more time learning in their classrooms—thanks to a new weight room anda half-size outside basketball court made possible through a $100,000 “Time Out of Learning” grant.
“Our program received the Time Out of Learning grant to address a critical need—reducing the time students spend out of the classroom,” said Jessica Olivares, a clinical coordinator with the district’s Therapeutic Intervention Program. “Last year, we saw about 102 time-outs per month, which is a significant number.”
To create more effective options for students, Sullivan School repurposed existing spaces designed to enhance the social-emotional learning practices already in place at the school, Ms. Olivares said. “They have been transformative, teaching students healthy ways to manage their emotions, and energy, and really learn self-regulation skills.”
The numbers tell the story: The new spaces have reduced the number of time-outs to around 14 per month, for an overall decrease of more than 85%.
“It showed us the power of intentional spaces and tools for regulation and how beneficial they are for students,” she said.