Highlight Award School 2025

Congratulations to the NED Highlight Program award winner for 2025!!!

Check out this awesome program offered by our member to the students of their district!!

Also, many thanks to our Highlight Award Chair, Julie Botkin and the NED Delegates for their work in selecting the NED Highlight Program Award recipient!!Click here for more information on the NED Highlight Award.

Watts Elementary School

Des Plaines, IL

Fitness Drumming

Submitted by Terri Andrews
Terri Andrews created and implemented an engaging cardio drumming learning experience for all of the students in Watts Elementary. What began as an innovative response to minimal space and equipment, evolved into a unit working towards learning and creativity objectives enhanced with visuals, cues, routine creation, and exciting challenges.
Terri's description: I couldn’t find any quality K-5 programs out there with realistic and fun choreography, so I created my own. I didn’t have drums, so I used everything that we had from water coolers, metal chairs, buckets, hippity hops, milk crates, etc. I used pool noodles to decrease the noise level of 60 + kids in a closed room. I developed a routine that could work for K-2 as well as 3rd-5th- in single and double classes with simple variations. I used my skills as a fitness instructor to help lead my classes facing forward and from the back. I developed visual and verbal cues that helped to teach the patterns. Students then developed their own routines in small groups and in partners using criteria and strategies that I created. I added challenges for my older students like speed challenges( Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy), and modifications for my students with special needs and various abilities.

Highlight Award Schools 2024

Congratulations to the NED Highlight Program award winners for 2024!!!

Check out these awesome programs offered by our members to the students of their respective districts!!

Also, many thanks to our Highlight Award Chair, Julie Botkin and the NED Delegates for their work in selecting the NED Highlight Program Award recipients!!Click here for more information on the NED Highlight Award.

Salt Creek Elementary

Elk Grove Village, IL

C.L.A.W.S.

Submitted by Bo Phillips C.L.A.W.S. stands for Community Leaders Active With Students. At Salt Creek I am always advocating for my students to be active both during the school day as well as after. My job is to provide my students with opportunities and ideas on how they can be active during their time away from school and see the value in taking care of their bodies.At Salt Creek we talk about how we can be leaders both in our schools and in our community. We discuss how it is because of community leaders that we have access to parks and playgrounds, our pets and family members are kept safe and cared for, we have access to books and crafts , we have laws to protect us and so many more opportunities that benefit us. The goal of this program is to connect community leaders with my students in school. Guests are invited in and I have them introduce themselves to the class and explain their role as a community leader and how they are connected to the Salt Creek community. I then have them join the students for the lesson that day and participate in the activities planned. I end class with some questions and a debriefing activity. So far this year we have had the following guests at school. Elk Grove Police members, Elk Grove Village Mayor Johnson, CCSD59 Superintendent Dr Bresnahan, Maria Filippone - Girl Scout/Boy Scout Pack leader, Joe Bush- Elk Grove Village Trustee, Christian Casas - District 59 Bus Driver and former student of mine. The idea for this program came in February 2023 when I was in Washington D.C. advocating for Health and PE and met with my school's Congressman Raja Krishnamothri. After a great meeting his aid and chatted about potentially having him visit our school. We are still working on a date and I hope to have him in soon. In the meantime we have started conversations with many leaders from all parts of our community and I look forward to connecting with others and growing this program.

Cumberland Elementary School

Des Plaines, IL

Structured Elem PE Program for ELS Students

Submitted by Sarah Hamman
The Educational Life Skills (ELS) classes at Cumberland Elementary School attend structured, self-contained Physical Education (P.E.) classes three times a week. The format of the class is structured for differently abled and neurodivergent students to perform a variety of movements, exercises, stretches, and skills with established routines and expectations.Each student receives a P.E. schedule with moveable pieces that display their agenda. This P.E. schedule is on a pouch that also holds their warm-up book that includes the exercises and stretches they perform. Their schedule is as follows: first, a timed walk; second, warm-up routines (either 1-regular warm-up and 2- warm-up exercises and stretches for students who prefer standing only); third, P.E. Stations; and lastly, Preferred or “You Choose” activity until the end of class. The P.E. stations are consistent from class to class. One station, the Skill focus, is adjusted each week to reflect what the general education classes are being instructed in P.E. class. For example, when the general education P.E. classes are in their soccer unit, the ELS P.E. classes will have the skill station reflect a component of the unit, such as a kicking to a partner.Cumberland’s paraeducators are a significant resource to the success of this program in the ELS P.E. classes. The paraeducators help to guide students through their individual P.E. schedules and help them complete each task. The paraeducators are prepared to assist students who may be experiencing a challenge to aid in their physical, mental, and social well-being in class. Also, the paraeducators are excellent at providing encouragement for students to achieve the outcomes of the lesson.Implementation of this structured P.E. class for our ELS students has led to an increase in their understanding of class expectations and structure and therefore increasing more opportunities for participation and engagement. It has also created a positive learning environment for these students to know what to expect to accomplish during their P.E. class. This structured P.E. class empowers students to enjoy participating in health-related fitness activities and sport skills to lead healthy, active lives.

Madison Elementary School

Hinsdale, IL

Madison Stackers

Submitted by Jessica Czerniuk
Madison Stackers is a group of students who meet three times per week, outside of PE, to practice their Speed Stacking sequences. The students learn and build their skills, while improving their eye hand coordination, bilateral brain activity, and team building skills. Madison Stackers attend several competitions locally, and even nationally, throughout the season. New this year, the experienced stackers have been paired up with new stackers to offer peer mentoring for stacking.

Highlight Award Schools 2023

Congratulations to the NED Highlight Program award winners for 2023!!!

Check out these awesome programs offered by our members to the students of their respective districts!!

Stuart R. Paddock

Palatine, IL

Family Fitness Night

Submitted by Gary Simonian Family Fitness Night is held every year the week before Thanksgiving. There are two sessions where students can bring their family and go through 30 fitness stations in the gym. To enter into the gym each family brings in a canned food item, which I donate to the Palatine Food Pantry. This year we had over 55 families participate in Family Fitness Night. There are two sessions, each being 40 minutes. At the end of the session, there is a raffle which include a Turkey, and various prizes that were donated from local businesses. Our food service donates a healthy food item and water so everyone goes home with a healthy snack.

Prospect Elementary School

Clarendon Hills, IL

GLOW-GA

Submitted by Laura Duffy and Kristin Conway
We were fortunate to attend a storybook yoga session at IAHPERD two years ago. We loved the idea of incorporating yoga and literacy. We got the idea from the presenter to have a special session with black lights for a halloween glow-ga event. As we planned out the day, we thought it would be wonderful to do this activity with grade level buddies. They would attend together and the older students would help model poses and behaviors. We also added higher level thinking and challenges for our older students to help us create the poses that best went with the stories. We also worked with our Librarian to find the best halloween themed books to use! It was a wonderful team event!

Highlight Award Schools 2022

Congratulations to the NED Highlight Program award winners for 2022!!!

Check out these awesome programs offered by our members to the students of their respective districts!!

Also, many thanks to our Highlight Award Chair, Julie Botkin and the NED Delegates for their work in selecting the NED Highlight Program Award recipients!!

Gower

Middle School

Burr Ridge, IL

Operation Physical Education

Submitted by Jennifer Stankiewicz The Operation Physical Education program is a fitness program that connects students with local veterans while participating in various health and skill related component based activities. It is partnered with Honor Flight Chicago’s Operation Education group to highlight the various branches of the military, as well as different veteran experiences through physical activity. One of the important parts of this program is that the activities are shared through Honor Flight Chicago’s website and can be accessed by other teachers at any time.
Operation Physical Education has three main pieces; “Follow in their Footsteps” step challenges, Boot Camp, and Veterans Day, but the program continues to grow annually.
“Follow in their Footsteps” is a step challenge based on a specific veteran’s service. Students watch a video of the veteran sharing their experience about the location and events, and then track their steps to follow along as the veteran’s service continues. We have challenges tailored to various times of the year like African American history month and D-Day. Students can choose to track their steps through PE or throughout the day with pedometers from the department or their own smart watches. We have connected with Cantigny’s First Division Museum and use their traveling trunk system where students can interact with replica equipment and attempt to walk in gear that soldiers have worn in past or current wars. This part of the program gets many staff and family members involved and engages everyone in physical activity outside the classroom.
Boot Camp is the second component of Operation Physical Education. We currently have three different boot camps; Navy, Marine and General Military. Boot camps are typically a two day event with general fitness test stations on day one, and theme specific skill stations on day two. Each themed boot camp has different stations and settings. For example, the general military boot camp includes a draft card that students get the day before boot camp starts. It details which events they will participate in over the following days. This allows us to discuss topics such as the draft and what it must have been like for the veterans to have faced such a situation. Activities are designed to highlight that theme of the boot camp. The Navy boot camp includes periscope challenges, knot tying and anchor hauling among other stations, whereas the Marine boot camp includes ammo can lifts, tire flips and weighted running stations. Students are exposed to the various fitness and skill requirements of our military and are able to get a unique fitness experience.
The third aspect of the program is the Veterans Day celebration. We work with Gower Middle School’s Student Council to help plan and run a celebration of our local heroes. Local veterans are invited into the building and are hosted by our social studies classes for the day to share their stories and interact with the students, who will now have a better understanding of what a veteran is and what it means to be a veteran.
Operation Physical Education continues to grow beyond these three main aspects. There is a community 5k through Honor Flight Chicago that students are encouraged to participate in with their families and there are future plans to allow students to complete it during their PE class. In the spring there is a Volley for Veterans volleyball tournament that our volleyball teams run. We continue to look to grow the program and inspire students to be active in different ways while honoring those who served our country.

Ridge Family

Center for Learning

Elk Grove Village, IL

Ridge Arcade

Submitted by Brian Pflederer
This program was inspired by the story of Caine’s Arcade. A young boy in California usedcardboard boxes, ingenuity, and a ton of imagination to design his own arcade. His arcade went viral and people from across the country came to visit and play at Caine’s Arcade. A short film about Caine and his arcade is used to introduce this program to students.This year our 4th grade students were tasked with designing and running the Ridge Arcade.Students use inspiration from the video to design an “arcade game” that uses one or more manipulative or sport skills. Students are responsible for deciding if their game will be for one player at a time or more than one player. Some groups decide to create an individual game, while others design a team game.Students test their own game, then test each other’s games and give both positive andcorrective feedback to peers. Student’s use this feedback to modify their arcade game, making sure it’s not too easy, not too challenging, but just the right amount of difficulty. Student’s also modify their games to best fit different grade levels as they come through the gym as well. Students then make a sign with a catchy name, label the skill(s) used in their game, as well as how much their game costs. Each student will start with $10 and will choose which games they play when they come to the arcade.
On the day of the arcade, students are the teachers for the day. They see every class coming to the gym that day and teach their arcade games to classes grades K-5. Students are responsible for advertising/explaining their game to passing students, making/giving correct change (as students may pay with larger bills), and running their game for the day. At the end of the day students count their earnings and reflect on their experiences during the day. This day is hyped up on the morning announcements and in P.E. as the day approaches and something the whole school gets excited for. It’s wonderful to see students take such ownership of their work and how they grow into confident, young educators over the course of just one unit.

2019 Awards

Arnett C. Lines

Elementary School

Barrington, IL

Lines on the Run and Lines Committed

Submitted by Sarah Rodriguez The Lines on the Run is a weekly running club that meets in the Fall and Spring season to encourage students to be physically active outside of the school day. All students and staff are encouraged to attend practices. Lines on the Run practices are held twice a week either before or after school. Students and staff members participate in a variety of running activities and fitness tasks. This program is run by the Physical Education teachers and supported by the help of other staff members and parent volunteers. At the end of the Fall and Spring running club seasons, there is a culminating event. In the Fall, the students participate in a Fun Run in October. The parent volunteers and physical education teachers help to organize the event, which consists of deciding on a theme, organizing donations and any equipment needed, supervising the event. In the Spring, running club participants are encouraged to participate in a local running event, Got2Run, as the culminating event. Lines on the Run routinely has over 40 students, parents, and staff members at this run. Part of the proceeds from this race go back directly to the participants’ school, which serves as a fundraiser for running club equipment needs.
Lines Committed is a wellness program that is an additional extracurricular opportunity for our students and staff. Lines Committed helps to foster healthy habits among all students and staff in addition to providing goal-setting and mentoring opportunities for fifth graders. Lines Committed partners with the Barrington High School program called Broncos Committed. High School students that choose to live the “Bronco Way” visit Lines School four times a year to speak and interact with the 5th grade students. They cover the importance of positive sleep habits, hydration, proper nutrition, peer interactions, as well as making good decisions regarding social media. Lines Committed program holds a wellness week during the school year to discuss healthy habits including nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress management, physical activity, and teamwork.
In addition to promoting a healthy lifestyle with the Lines students, staff members are provided opportunities to be active in a variety of activities. Dance classes, yoga, individualize workouts and sports teams are promoted with the staff. Being Lines Committed is a school initiative supported by many.

Rupley

Elementary School

Elk Grove Village, IL

Healthy Hearts Day

Submitted by Julie Botkin
In the cold winter months of the school year, unfortunately the students spend a lot less time being active between less active recess activities throughout the day and less active opportunities during lunch as well.
To combat this, and entire day of activities were planned for the whole school to participate in. All students Kindergarten through fifth grade in the General Educational program as well as the Educational Life Skills program participated from the start of the day until dismissal.
Many of the activities got everyone’s hearts physically pumping faster and working hard. Others focused on the social emotional idea of a heart making ourselves happy and healthy Rupley students and teachers.
This activity was designed to bring the school together as a community and promote living a healthy lifestyle.
The wide range of activities adapted for all ability levels provided opportunities for everyone to be active and reflect upon what makes them healthy and happy.
Heart rate was an assessment that was used throughout the physical activities. Students were able to check to see if their heart rate was in their target heart rate zone. Visual supports helped students do this accurately and often.
The students also used words and pictures to fill a heart diagram with habits in their life that make them healthy and happy. This was used as a type of check-out/closing circle assessment. Many students used this as their guide to share their learning in their classroom at the end of the day while others chose to sit one-on-one with their teacher if they were not comfortable talking to the whole group.

Woodland

Middle School

Gurnee, IL

Prevention is Powerful

Submitted by Christine Murray & Joanna Wolk
According to ASCD & CDC’s Whole School Whole Community Whole Child model, “The School, its students, and their families benefit when leaders and staff at the district or school solicits and coordinates information, resources, and services available from community-based organizations, businesses, cultural and civic organizations, social service agencies, and other community groups.” Taking this to heart, we have created a network of community members that are working together to address issues that our students are facing. Forming this network has allowed us to coordinate a panel of community members as part of our regular instruction. This panel includes our county State’s Attorney, Prevention Specialist from our township youth and family service organization, and an ER doctor. Each rotation (6 times a year), these community members volunteer their time to come into our classes to share their expertise with our students, which allows our students to hear relevant information as it applies to our community, as well as learn of community resources available to them. Each presentation, while focusing on the general topic of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Drugs, becomes personalized to each class based on student driven questions and participation. Knowing the education of our students is supported at home, we recognize the importance of expanding the wall of our classroom to engage our students’ parents in a meaningful way in order to meet their needs. For this reason, in collaboration with our community network, we host an annual parent education night that includes a presentation on the topic of drug trends within our community, a panel for Q&A, as well as local community resource tables. 2017 Presentation: From Use to AbuseThis workshop will educate parents on The Adolescent Brain Development, Heroin and other opioid trends, Effects of Heroin and opioids on the brain, Addiction as a brain disease, Adolescent risk and protective factors, How to prevent adolescent substance abuse including a parents’ role in discussing substance abuse prevention with their children.2018 Presentation: How Parents Can Engage their Teens in Crucial Conversations & Hidden In Plain Sight ExhibitThis interactive traveling exhibit invites attendees to tour a mock teenage bedroom that contains over 100 items that may be indicative of risky behaviors including substance abuse, underage drinking, eating disorders, sexual activity, suicide and more.2019 Presentation: Seeing Through the Vapor This workshop is designed to inform parents about vaping, which was initially thought of as a healthier alternative to smoking. E-cigarettes are being marketed to younger audiences, and many teens have started engaging in this potentially dangerous and addictive habit. Executive Director of LEAD, Andy Duran, will share information on: How to recognize if your teen is smoking e-cigarettes, What they look like and how they work, Why and when students are choosing to smoke, Possible long-term effectsEach year, in conjunction with the education night, we host a Medication Take-Back Event: Help protect our teens against drug abuse and overdose by disposing of unused and expired medications. Bring in your unused and expired medications where the DEA will safely dispose of them.

Has YOUR school done something above and beyond?!

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Highlight Award School 2025

Watts Elementary School

Highlight Award Schools 2024

Salt Creek Elementary

Cumberland Elementary School

Madison Elementary School

Highlight Award Schools 2023

Stuart R. Paddock

Prospect Elementary School

Highlight Award Schools 2022

Gower

Middle School

Ridge Family

Center for Learning

2019 Awards

Arnett C. Lines

Elementary School

Rupley

Elementary School

Woodland

Middle School

Has YOUR school done something above and beyond?!

Why not apply for a Highlight Award? Info. can be found here.

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