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The bonus of joining school clubs (besides just the fun!)

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The bonus of joining school clubs (besides just the fun!)

M2L’s before-, during- and after-school programming is in full swing these days throughout Alexandria City Public Schools. The fun is FREE and takes place at the schools, removing barriers of cost and transportation to allow any student to participate. 

We saw a need for this kind of activity and went for it. The benefits are huge. Students get active, they try something new, they develop a connection with peers and staff and they discover the mind-body connection. This all follows them back to the classroom so they do their best.

Kids of all ages love being part of a team, wearing their jerseys and t-shirts and meeting another whole side of their teachers and counselors outside of the classroom! To help them learn, grow and reach their highest potential. From lacrosse to boxing, running/walking to dancing, take a look below at the variety of club and activity offerings!

Meet the awesome Lacrosse Club of Ramsay Elementary School! Principal Mike Routhouska (far right back) and School Counselor Wanda Weaver (far left back) share coaching duties. Mr. Routhouska is passionate about diversifying the sport and is excited to bring his favorite game to his school. As with all of the clubs, M2L pays the teachers for their time. For LAX⁠, ⁠M2L also purchased the portable net, sticks, lacrosse balls and jerseys.

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The Boxing Club at Hammond Middle School is a huge hit! Kidist Square, a school counselor, coaches 20+ energetic kids who are really proud to be part of this group. To warm up, students count out loud doing their push-ups, sit ups, jumping jacks and jumping rope. Then they glove up and practice their punches on the free-standing bags.

M2L purchased the four punching bags, sand to fill them with, gloves and mats. With a waiting list for the club, Coach Square is already planning for the next session. We just LOVE that the kids LOVE what they’re doing and are so into the sport! Nice work, Coach!

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The GWMS Prexie Dancers absolutely love their new hoodies and t-shirts! Most of these kids are in the special education program at the middle school and dance under the instruction of Special Education Teacher Michelle Cole and Librarian Tonya Taylor. The kids do a lot of line dancing (dance with repetitive moves) and absolutely adore Kidz Bop music! Because some of the kids require more assistance, M2L provides an extra instructor to make sure everyone has a ton of fun!

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Pictured here are just a few of the 30 students who participate in the GWMS 7th grade Mentoring Club! They meet with their mentors, mostly ACPS leadership, once a week to walk and talk. M2L provided a treadmill and under desk pedals for use on bad weather days. To complete the look, we also provided shoes, socks and awesome t-shirts!🌞
Seeing the enthusiasm, energy and learning from ACPS students and staff participating in these clubs has been incredibly rewarding! The demand for them really reflects their popularity, and with the support of ACPS and our generous donors, we’re 100% committed to growing this programming.

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Fun Fact
Hum three notes of most any rock/pop song on the radio between 1965 and 1983 and I’ll name it!

Brooke Sydnor Curran

President and CEO

I started running when I was a parent of three young kids to get some time by myself. I still run because it’s such a good rush and is a great way to start my day — I do a lot of my best thinking during those early morning hours. When I’m done, I feel focused and ready to face the world.

Today, science backs the evidence that running, and exercise in general, boosts not only emotional health, but blood flow to the brain, making it easier to stay on task and learn better. This is especially true for school children, who spend much of their time in classrooms and are expected to pay attention and do their work.

Without an outlet to positively direct energy and boost blood flow to support brain function, concentration suffers, which can be disastrous for so many kids.

My Elementary and Jr. High Years

I know what it’s like to be the student who can’t sit still, has a hard time focusing and listening to the teacher. That was me as a child. I was always being called out for disrupting the classroom. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I understood the positive relationship between movement and learning.

I look back at those years and the lingering effects with empathy for that little girl, but I know she wasn’t — and isn’t — alone.

Fun Fact

In 1978 Danielle was the first girl to play Little League Baseball in her hometown!

Danielle Seiger

Director of Operations

Danielle grew up in Conshohocken, PA, and was and still is a Philly sports fan! As the first in her family to attend college, she received her Bachelor’s from Boston College and her Master’s of Forensic Science from The George Washington University.

Prior to joining RunningBrooke in 2017, Danielle spent 20 years as a Forensic Document Examiner for the FBI. She conducted forensic examinations of evidentiary material and provided testimony as an expert witness in federal, state and local courts. 

Danielle is a self-proclaimed grammar nerd who enjoys swimming, skiing and watercolor painting. She’s an avid runner and has completed four 200-ish mile Ragnar Relays. She is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan and has seen him in concert seven times.

Danielle lives in Springfield, VA with her husband, two very active teenage sons and two dogs, Cleopatra and Hunter.

Fun Fact

Polly held her swim team’s girls backstroke record for 10 years before it was broken.

Polly Shannon

Director, Marketing & Communications

Before joining RunningBrooke in May 2020, Polly led the marketing team for Humane Society International that at the time was the fastest growing entity in the organization in terms of digital fundraising, with a 1,500% increase in growth revenue during her tenure. Over her 14 years working on behalf of all animals with HSI and it’s parent affiliate, the Humane Society of the United States, she held a variety of roles, including digital fundraising manager and director of public relations.

She brings the same passion and vigor to RunningBrooke on behalf of school children.

Other career highlights include communications, public relations, marketing and writing/editorial positions at ICF, Fannie Mae, the National Captioning Institute and The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

The native Arlingtonian splits her time between here and Richmond and has two grown daughters and two adorable mutts, Max (L) and Bel.

Fun Fact

Jen ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2004. A veteran wearing combat boots, smoking a cigarette and carrying a POW flag beat her to the finish line.

Jen Wiser

Director of Programs

Jen, a native of Darlington, Wisconsin, grew up in a family full of public educators, from her parents to a bunch of cousins and in between. She’s a proud alumna of the University of Wisconsin at Madison and received her Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

As a Marine spouse, she and her husband and kids moved eight times in 13 years. While stationed in South Carolina she became a licensed registered nurse (she has expired licenses in three states!).

One of her proudest accomplishments is as founder and past-president of the Down Syndrome Network in Onslow and Carteret Counties in Jacksonville, NC. She hosted the inaugural Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome, which is still going on under its third president.

For the past seven years, she and her family have lived in Alexandria. Collectively, her children have attended Charles Barrett, Mount Vernon Community Schools, Cora Kelly and George Washington Middle School.

Jen began subbing for ACPS in 2017, moved fulltime to Charles Barrett in 2018 and served as Safe Routes to School coordinator from 2019 to 2021.

Animals of the Wiser house include Larry the boxer and Frank the hamster. In her free time, Jen enjoys reading, baking, biking, hiking, yoga, pilates, barre, and running the occasional 5k with her family. 

is now

Brooke Sydnor Curran, president and CEO of Move2Learn and the former “runner” of RunningBrooke, shares the story behind our new name and look.

Hecho de la diversión

Tararea tres notas de la mayoría de las canciones de rock/pop en la radio entre 1965 y 1983 y ¡lo nombraré!

Brooke Sydnor Curran

Presidenta y CEO

Empecé a correr cuando era padre de tres niños pequeños para pasar un tiempo a solas. Todavía corro porque es una buena carrera y es una excelente manera de comenzar mi día: pienso mucho durante esas primeras horas de la mañana. Cuando termino, me siento concentrado y listo para enfrentar el mundo.

Hoy en día, la ciencia respalda la evidencia de que correr y el ejercicio en general mejoran no solo la salud emocional, sino también el flujo de sangre al cerebro, lo que facilita concentrarse en la tarea y aprender mejor. Esto es especialmente cierto para los niños en edad escolar, que pasan gran parte de su tiempo en las aulas y se espera que presten atención y hagan su trabajo.

Sin una salida para dirigir positivamente la energía y aumentar el flujo sanguíneo para apoyar la función cerebral, la concentración se resiente, lo que puede ser desastroso para muchos niños.

Mis años de primaria y secundaria

Sé lo que es ser el estudiante que no puede quedarse quieto, tiene dificultades para concentrarse y escuchar al maestro. Ese era yo de niño. Siempre me llamaban por interrumpir el salón de clases. No fue hasta que fui adulto que entendí la relación positiva entre el movimiento y el aprendizaje.

Miro hacia atrás a esos años y los efectos persistentes con empatía por esa niña, pero sé que no estaba, y no está, sola.