Cleveland Schools Students And Programs Supported By Politicians And Celebrities

Film Star Prepares Cleveland Schools Students for Future Performances

Otis Sallid, a choreographer and director, is offering Cleveland Schools students a chance to gain from classes in dance and acting. The classes are in cooperation with the Ohio Theatre, which is using the classes as a way to recruit for its upcoming productions. The classes will be held at the studios in the Playhouse Square.

Sallid is well qualified to teach these classes. He is a winner of the Bob Fosse L.A. Choreographers Dance Award, whose film credits include Spike Lees School Daze, Do the Right Thing, and Malcolm X, and Disneys Sister Act II. Sallid has also done work for several television sitcoms like, Living Single, For Your Love, and Suddenly Susan. The Cleveland Schools Director of Performing Arts endorses the classes fully.

Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Joe Jurevicius Gives Cleveland Schools Students a Lesson in Financial Responsibility

At Cleveland Schools South High School, students were able to learn about how to manage money for the future as part of the VISA, NFL and PLAYERS INC., Financial Football program. This program teaches students about money management. The class will be taught by Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius and Jason Alderman, director of Visa USA. The program is centered around the interactive computer game Financial Football, an educational program that teaches about value and use of money. Cleveland Schools is one of seventeen school districts from across the country chosen to host the program.

Politicians Support the Cleveland Schools 3Rs program

The Cleveland Schools 3Rs Program Rights, Responsibilities and Realities is cooperation between the Cleveland Bar Association and the Cleveland Schools. This program has over 600 local attorneys, judges and law students to help offer support and advice to students about their future. This volunteer program aims to help tenth grade students in the Cleveland Schools increase their success rates on the Ohio Graduation Test by improving their understanding and respect for the rule of law and our Constitution and to provide practical career counseling to focus students on their potential beyond high school.

This is accomplished by teams visiting tenth grade social studies classes in twenty-one Cleveland Schools high schools each month. The Ohio Graduation Test is only one part of the program, the volunteers will also help students make decisions about their future, help them set goals, prepare them for pre-college testing, guide them to resources for financial assistance and coach them in developing a strong resume. The first session of the 3Rs program was held Friday, September 22. Prior to the first session a rally was held to kick off the program. key speakers at this rally were: Dr. Eugene Sanders, CEO, Cleveland Schools; Hugh McKay, President, Cleveland Bar Association; Lawrence Davis, Chairman, Cleveland Board of Education; Robert Triozzi, Director of Law, City of Cleveland; Louis Stokes, former U.S. Congressman; The Honorable Patricia Hemann, U.S. Magistrate Judge; and Joanne DeMarco, President, Cleveland Teachers Union. Cleveland Schools John Marshall High School marching band and Cleveland School of the Arts choral singers, John F. Kennedy High School cheerleaders cheering on 3Rs and a dramatic presentation of the Constitution by students from various schools was the entertainment for the rally.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more information on Cleveland schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/ohio/cleveland/index.html

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Desktop Rhythm - Dance, Rhythm and Variety for Daytime Energy

The everyday work that we do, whether in an office, working around the house, or in any setting, is like a dance: both working and dancing have rhythm, movement and flow. Working in an office, like physical exercise, can tire us. However, we can use a few simple movement ideas from the art of dancing to stay fresh and energized.

Fatigue at a desk

Have you ever thought, Ive been sitting at a desk all day. I havent been exercising hard. Why am I so tired?

Part of the reason is that sitting at a desk or working on a computer often results in a posture that impedes proper breathing. People can unconsciously develop poor posture habits that contribute to fatigue. Sitting in a concentrated posture with the head craned forward, slumped shoulders, and rounded back results in less oxygen intake than healthy posture with the head and shoulders in alignment.

Another cause of fatigue is focusing our thoughts too long on one task. This is similar to the effect of repeating a physical exercise all day. Thoughts have speed, strength, direction and flow, just as exercise does. Although physical activity may be minimal, focusing too long on one mental task is tiring. Shifting positions and varying activities can help.

Balanced movements

Breaks and short naps are helpful, but resting alone doesnt always remedy fatigue during the workday. Pioneer movement analyst and researcher Rudolph Laban discovered that balance in body movements is important. He believed that if work required movements twisting to the right, then twisting to the left should be included to create balance. Dancers and athletes do this in their training routines, in order to develop muscle symmetry in the body; likewise, workers are also influencing the development of their muscles with their daily routines.

Rhythmic variety and dynamic contrast

Walking, typing, speaking and meetings all have rhythms and are part of a typical office workday. For example, some meetings run with the steady rhythm of a fixed agenda, and others flow like a meandering stream with a flexible agenda. Varying rhythms during the day enhances productivity at work and helps us stay energized.

Just as it is fatiguing to listen to words spoken in a monotone, work done in a monotone mannerfor example, at a fast tempo all day longis fatiguing. Variety, balance and contrast make work more interesting, and help us stay productive. Just as dancing involves rhythm and movement, along with a variety of fast, medium and slow tempos, job satisfaction is related to rhythm and work flow.

Repeating the same physical movements too many times creates mental and physical fatigue; this can happen at work or in an exercise class. A dance instructor who spent three hours rehearsing a single step created mental and physical exhaustion for the students in that class. An office worker who spent three hours at a desk working on one paragraph in a business letter felt similar mental and physical fatigue. Creating variety during work and exercise helps avoid this.

Individual rhythms

Every individual has a natural rhythm, which is expressed when walking, talking and working. For example, some people prefer to walk briskly, while others prefer to be leisurely. A person whose natural rhythm tends to be slow and thoughtful is likely to feel uncomfortable in a setting demanding fast and habitual movementsfor example, in a job working under demanding deadlines and rushing to meet tight schedules for a repetitive task. A person in a job which matches their natural rhythm is more likely to be satisfied with their work.

Group rhythms

Many retail businesses, doctors offices, and restaurants play music in the background as part of the setting for their work. While this is often intended to make the setting more comfortable and friendly for customers, it also creates a background rhythm for the employees. Fast paced music is used in some retail settings to encourage customers to be quick about their selections and purchases; the employees also respond to the music and to the customers rhythm. Other settings, such as dental offices, play slow, relaxing music to encourage customers to relax.

Dancing through a workday

Dance is a beautiful example of how rhythmic variety, dynamic contrast, and balanced movements help us recuperate. Dance and exercise classes involve balanced movements: exercises for the right leg must be repeated for the left leg; steps done traveling across the floor to the right must be repeated traveling left. Using variety also keeps movements interesting and energizing.

Dance and exercise classes add variety to our movement repertoire and challenge us with physically demanding movements. While this is arduous at first, stamina increases with regular sessions. A dance or exercise class also helps with developing balance, rhythm and variety, which help us stay fresh and energized.

Ideas for creating variety and minimizing fatigue during the workday:

* Be aware of your posture at work; sit upright, not slumped. If you need help developing good posture, consider attending an Alexander Technique class or yoga class.

* Hand massage and hand exercises help maintain flexibility, and are especially important for people who use a computer keyboard for long periods of time.

* Shutting and relaxing the eyes periodically helps prevent eyestrain.

* Tempo and movement changes create rhythmic variety, balance and contrast.

* Taking the stairs, instead of an elevator, burns more calories and is a form of exercise for some office workers.

* If your employer offers exercise facilities, take advantage of these to get physical variety into your workday.

Ramona is the author of Dynamic Belly Dance, the Joyful Journey of Dancemaking and Performing. See free belly dance videos, read book excerpts and order an autographed copy at http://www.DynamicBellyDance.com

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