Kenton Elementary

At the recent annual Colorado Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (COAHPERD) awards dinner, Donna Carey, physical education at Kenton Elementary, was named the Dance Educator of the Year for the state of Colorado. Each year Donna organizes and collaborates a winter musical program. Each show is different and encompasses music and dance. Approximately 300 students perform during the show. Donna does a phenomenal job organizing this yearly event. Every year Kenton parents and community members pack the high school auditorium for the event. Donna also organizes the annual Read, Run and Race Field day. This is a K-5, 2-day event where each station is based on a piece of literature. Donna goes above and beyond the call of duty to create an extraordinary event. This year was our 9th year. We have school board members, parents and of course, students, look forward to this event every year. Students from Kenton have performed at the state capitol, and on stage for their families, demonstrating the importance of quality physical education and that dance is a life-long activity resulting in a healthy lifestyle. Instilling the knowledge that dance is for boys and girls and that second language learners are able to improve language skills in different modalities is a very important aspect of dance in the elementary level. Dance expression crosses all socioeconomic levels and often brings students and families together. As a master teacher, Donna shares her knowledge with fellow educators. She has presented at the state reading conference, and at district and state physical education conferences. She co-hosted the first ever art, music and physical education inservice for the Aurora Public Schools. Due to her influence on the PE Curriculum Council, all elementary schools now have a Dance Dance Revolution system. Donna is our local dance professional and has presented at numerous district inservices on how to best incorporate dance into the curriculum, helping fellow teachers to develop a sequential dance lesson that meets the needs of all students and allows the teacher to feel confident and comfortable in teaching movement and dance. She is always willing to help out us teachers who are not comfortable with dance, and she does so with a smile. Donna creates a safe environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves, and the joy of movement is contagious.

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