‘Sensory Hallways’ Thrilling Students In Caldwell-West Caldwell

CALDWELLS, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Elementary school students across Caldwell-West Caldwell schools are hopping, crab-walking, and spinning right into the new year with the new Superb Sensory Hallways thanks to a grant Board President, Marie Lanfrank had shared with the team!

Funded by the Caldwell-West Caldwell Education Foundation, the grant has provided funding to purchase enough materials to install sensory hallways in all of our elementary schools. These hallways include activities specifically designed to provide stimuli connected with the position, movement, and balance of the body to help students with self-regulation skills so they are better able to attend and more ready to learn.

Research has found that deficits in sensory processing can lead to inattentive and fidgeting behavior which affect students’ performance and success in the classroom. The sensory hallways encourage students to jump, hop, and crawl down the hallways. The movement breaks can both appropriately stimulate a tired, unfocused student, and calm an overly active student….not to mention they are fun for kids! Katherine Martinez, CWC Occupational Therapist, has seen students using the Superb Sensory Hallways to organize their body’s energy level. She recently worked with a student who struggled the first time he “crab walked” earlier this month and now was able to sustain the position the entire length of the hallway.

The students and staff of Caldwell-West Caldwell School District thank Ms. Lanfrank for the recommendation to apply for the grant and the Caldwell-West Caldwell Education Foundation for supporting this project! A huge thank you to Katherine Martinez and Cythnia Gallagher, the Caldwell-West Caldwell Occupational Therapists who researched and helped install the Sensory Hallways.

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