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COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Gymnastics Classes
Menlo Park Gymnastics classes
are designed to encourage the child's development as
an athlete and a person. Classes are taught in a manner
that allows the child to succeed, thus fostering a positive
attitude toward physical development and personal relationships
with other students and teachers.
This is a parent participation class in which our instructors
guide the parents on how to help their children to properly
use our Gymnastics equipment safely and effectively.
Individual movement exploration, guided discovery, and
minimal organized activities are included in the curriculum
of perceptive motor development for toddlers. Additional
benefits include the opportunity to socialize with other
children of the same age, learning to share, and following
simple directions.
A parent participation class for 2.5 to 3.5 year old
students that still may need the security of a parent.
Designed for the child that is working on separation
or being able to focus on the instructor, slightly more
structured than KinderGym but not yet an independent
class. Transitional classes with the goal of having
the child participate independently by the end of the
session.
This is our first level of structured Gymnastics without
parent participation. This class emphasizes fundamental
Gymnastics positions and basic skills on all Gymnastics
apparatus and floor exercise as well as gross motor
skill activities, games, and individual movement exploration,
emphasizing social as well as physical development.
Gross and fine motor skill activities, cooperative games,
and individual movement exploration are the emphasis
at this level with fundamental recreational Gymnastics
skills on all apparatus and floor exercise. The teachers
encourage problem solving and creative thinking as the
children begin longer skill combinations and cooperative
work.
Gymnastic skills, flexibility, and strength development
are emphasized at this level. Continued work on problem
solving, creative thinking, social and language skills
are also incorporated in the class in order to help
prepare the student for classroom settings.
At six years old, the students are ready to enter the
developmental program. This program is a more structured
class that is designed to develop specific gymnastics
skills that will help develop the strength, flexibility
and coordination of the student, while encouraging life
long physical and mental well-being. Gymnastics provides
unparalleled challenges for the body, the mind, and
the spirit. By meeting these challenges, children continue
their development toward becoming confident, fit, and
able adults. This development is our goal for all students
and as always is designed to do this in a safe and fun
environment. Our program offers classes based on the
USA Gymnastics Level I through Level V.
Our program has been measuring results since 1991. The
information for our program was gathered through the
use of participant surveys, teacher reports and director
evaluation. The participant survey results showed that
98% or the respondents felt that the program met their
expectations. Having fun in a safe environment during
the class was the general expectation of the respondents.
The teacher's report showed that 95% of the students
learned a new skill during the session. These skills
ranged from proper socialization in class to various
gymnastics skills on all the Olympic gymnastics equipment.
Menlo Park Gymnastics has always had a very high return
rate. The average number of sessions for each respondent
was 6.75 sessions. Our program is currently working
on more accurate methods of tracking the return students,
however the majority of our students continue in the
program for several years.
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