<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2b0OYu_18saU8pg00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2b0OYu_18saU8pg00" width="700" height="350" ><figcaption>While some students are still getting the feel of skating, others have ventured out on their own. Photos provided by Kristen Jana.</figcaption></figure>InkFreeNewsROCHESTER – In the 1970s and 1980s, roller skating was all the rage. Kids spent their weekends circling the rink floor and hitting the concession during the intermission.Kristen Jana, gym teacher at Columbia Elementary, is reigniting that passion for skating by introducing her students to the activity.“We’ve been doing it for quite a few years now. We started out renting the equipment from a company based in Indy called Skate Time America. About five years ago, the corporation had an anonymous donor donate money for ‘real life experiences’ for the kids,” she explained. “We were able to purchase skates instead of rent them.”On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the gym is converted to a roller rink where the kids get to test their skating abilities. With the closest actual skating facility in Logansport, Jana turns the gym into a skating area that is both safe and fun for everyone involved.“I currently do it with all of first grade. Getting on the skates is a little tricky for the kindergarten kids. Now that we own the skates, we can skate whenever we want,” she said. This is especially helpful if there are snow days or school delays.“I try to do a six-week program. We have three levels of skating. The first level is both skates on the mat, more or less walking so they can get used to how they feel. Level two is one skate on the mat and one skate off the mat so they can have the sensation of how it feels to roll. Level three is skating around the gym. I tell the kids by the end of the program on our last day, I will have music playing and we will skating around the gym,” she said.Jana doesn’t hide the fact that falling is a natural part of the process.“We wear wrist guards and helmets. We talk about the right way to fall, and by the end, everyone is usually skating around. I leave the mat out so some of the kids feel more comfortable,” she said.She makes sure the kids know how to fasten the different types of skates (some buckle, some are laced). She also explains the differences between traditional roller skates and inline skates.Jana enjoys the support of the parents as well.She added, “This is one of the only things I do where I require the parents to sign a permission slip. The students have to have it signed by their parents. It explains everything. In the early years, I had volunteers come in to help get things on and off when I was still learning. Now, I do it all. I know the kids love it. I think it’s a fun experience, and I know some of the kids have never had the experience to do something like that.”The kids do the limbo and other skate-related activities during class.“Once we get to the fourth and fifth time, it’s a lot more fun for everyone. They’re able to skate around to the music. They don’t realize they are learning anything. They’re just having fun,” she said.Jana credited school leadership for backing the idea.“I would like to thank the corporation as a whole. When I went to my principal, Jason Snyder, with this idea I had seen at a P.E. conference, he backed me 100%. To rent was a big financial commitment and the school Superintendent Jana Vance backed the idea 100% too. None of this would have been possible had they not believed in this idea I had brought to them.”Funding from the anonymous donor ensured the program could continue. Purchasing the skates eliminated rental costs and allowed the school to buy the necessary safety equipment.“Without the anonymous donor, the program wouldn’t be here,” Jana said.</div></body>

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ROCHESTER – In the 1970s and 1980s, roller skating was all the rage. Kids spent their weekends circling the rink floor and hitting the concession during the intermission. Kristen Jana, gym teacher at Columbia Elementary, is reigniting that passion for skating by introducing her students to the activity. “We’ve...

Keep on rollin’ – A new generation of skaters

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ROCHESTER – In the 1970s and 1980s, roller skating was all the rage. Kids spent their weekends circling the rink floor and hitting the concession during th

Keep on rollin’ – A new generation of skaters

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