Students at West Elementary in Knoxville have access to a new sensory path, set up inside the school cafeteria as a way to give students a mental break during the day.

Between classes, before or after lunch, or whenever a student may need to get away from the stress of a classroom, students can go along the sensory path and do several exercises meant to relax them and prepare them for learning.

Ryan Klein is the principal at West Elementary; he tells KNIA/KRLS News the sensory path has multiple uses throughout the day.

“We have teachers use it to start off their day with kids, to get them focused to go into classes; we use it as a ‘brain break’ for some physical activity. There are some counting and there are some letter formations and letter sounds that are incorporated into it; so it also can be used to connect physical activity with knowledge of letters and counting,” Mr. Klein says.

“So it’s used in a multiple…setting in multiple ways, to get our students engaged.”

And with the recent stretch of winter weather either keeping students out of school or preventing them from having recess outside, Mr. Klein believes the sensory path has proven to be even more useful than anticipated.

The Parent-Teacher Organization provided the funding for the sensory path.