Rockwood School District students heading back to class this fall may notice more movement built into their school day.

Green Pines Elementary hosted the Action-Based Learning (ABL) Summit from Tuesday, July 7, through Thursday, July 9, drawing more than 60 educators to the Wildwood campus. Many of the participants came from Rockwood, though the summit also attracted teachers from outside the district, according to a Rockwood School District announcement on Wednesday, July 22.

Two Rockwood coordinators led sessions at the summit: Dr. Sally Schulte, Coordinator of Physical Education/Health/Drivers Education, and Nicole Willmann, Coordinator of Science and Social Studies K-5.

ABL trains teachers to weave physical movement into everyday lessons across subjects. The approach is grounded in research connecting movement to improved focus, stronger academic performance, and fewer behavioral issues in the classroom. The program has operated for more than 30 years and is used in more than 4,000 schools across all 50 states, according to the ABL program's website.

For Rockwood families, the summit signals that teachers across grade levels are actively preparing to bring movement-based strategies into classrooms when the new school year begins.