A video led wellness program seemed like a great idea for PE classes at Cline Elementary but teacher Judy Shetler was not able to purchase the program due to its cost being outside her budget.

What she didn’t know was that an act of kindness and community spirit would bring about the program.

For the second consecutive year, Cline Elementary had collected more than $30,000 in their annual Walk for Diabetes. The entire school participates and this participation along with donations made Cline second in the state for success.

Judy Shetler, coordinator of the Cline event, not only received recognition for second place but also was given an opportunity to purchase something for Cline as a gift for winning.

When she perused the catalog, she found Dance Arcade, the video wellness program she had wanted. She contacted the company to ask which Texas schools already used this so she could get an idea of how it would work with elementary children.

“I was told that schools in California were using this with great success but we would be the first Texas school,” Shetler said. “I look forward to having Texas schools now call me so I can share with them how fantastic this program is.”

Shetler and her assistant Nate Holtvluwer ordered the program and reviewed it. They taught it to all PE classes and then let the children take ownership.

“This program is so much fun and the students love it,” Holtvluwer said. “Once they got the routine down, they started doing it without much coaching from us. It is a workout but the music and the screen provide entertainment and fun.”

The students enjoy the program.

“They come in ready to go. They take turns getting on the dance pads that record success and allow the group to go to the next level. It has been a great program for kindergartenthrough third grade. They have all been getting great workouts that are fun,” Shetler said.