It appears that reading, writing and arithmetic are not the only disciplines students are learning at J.G. Johnson Elementary School.
The campus recently instituted a sports club.
School counselor Pat Williams is overseeing the program, where students participate in various sporting activities once a week.
Williams said the sports club is very popular among the student body.
“We have study tables, all kinds of sports and snacks at the end of the day,” he said. “We have been successful in the past with it and we wanted something that the kids could have for extracurricular activities. They all like sports so we put that at the end of the day for them and so far it’s been a big success.”
The activities run the spectrum of the sporting world, which includes basketball, soccer, kickball and track and field.
At present, 31 girls and 28 boys are in the program.
“We can take fourth and fifth graders right now, while the third graders are looking forward to it next year,” Williams said. “The kids must have permission from their parents to participate. We are going to play the teachers in basketball and kickball. The kids are really looking forward to that and it’s coming up later this spring.”
J.G. Johnson Principal Mark Gabrylczyk praised the program as an incentive for some of the students.
“We really think this a good and positive program for the kids, especially some of the kids that are maybe having a little bit of problems with their behavior,” he said. “It’s something that they can hang their hat on and we are glad to have it. It’s like a motivator or incentive. On Mondays, the boys meet and Mr. Williams goes over academics, behavior, and he also teaches basketball fundamentals. The females meet on Wednesdays.”
There are no fees to join and participate in the sports club.
For parents who want additional information on the sports club, call 775-727-6619, extension 303.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes.com