Broughton Primary moves students with mix of physical activity and academics
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The Math Race forms an exhilarating part of the National Jamaica Moves Day in schools as students engaged their minds and bodies.
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Principal Marva Davis-Clarke leads the students, teachers, and parents in an energetic ‘Follow the Leader’ dance around the school compound.
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Students form a circle as they prepare for the third activity of the day called ‘Shape Freeze’ during which music is played while students are encouraged to move around freely before forming shapes when the music stops.
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The students huddle together, eager to hear the instructions for the next activity for National Jamaica Moves day after reenergising.
A sprint to the right answer, children forming shapes at the sound of music, and teams crawling, jumping and racing across the field – Broughton Primary School turned its Jamaica Moves in Schools Challenge proposal into a full-scale, high-energy reality on Friday.
The Westmoreland institution used National School Moves Day to execute its plan: a rotational activity circuit blending physical movement with academics.
Across five stations, students moved continuously – solving maths problems while hopping, sprinting to correct answers, and working in teams to complete relay challenges.
Among the standout moments was the now-popular ‘Math Race’, which drew praise from health officials on site.
“They would have gotten an equation at the start of the race, then they have to run to the correct answer, which I’ve never seen anywhere else, so that is incredible,” said Chad Morgan, senior health education officer in the Ministry of Health & Wellness.
The structured activities were paired with free play, creating what organisers described as a balance between guided exercise and natural movement.
BALANCE
“So it’s not just about the structured activities – they must be able to play as well, because play is still movement and we want to see that too. So the mixture of both is good,” Morgan added.
The day also featured nutrition integration, with hydration breaks, healthy eating discussions, and chants like “Love yuh body, treat yuh body right!” reinforcing the Jamaica Moves message.
Beyond the activities themselves, it was the level of engagement that stood out. Parents, teachers and students all took part, reflecting the school’s deliberate push for greater community involvement.
“I’m actually excited, driving in and seeing all the students out, the parents and the teachers – showing that it’s a whole school, a whole community approach,” Morgan said.
He noted that this is exactly the kind of impact the initiative is meant to have beyond the school environment.
“It gives me joy because it means that everybody’s participating, and then these activities won’t stop at the school – they’ll happen in the communities at home, which is what we want to see,” he said.
Meanwhile, Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, said the execution demonstrated strong planning and leadership.
“You would have seen the evidence here today. Everybody is involved – the parents, the teachers, the students, as well as the ancillary staff. Everybody is involved, which is excellent,” he said.
Despite the school still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, it pushed through.
“They are bouncing back. They clearly are resilient, and they are doing the work to keep the students active and healthy and to help them cope with what’s happening,” Morgan said.
mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com