(Middlefield, OH ) - If you have walked the halls of Cardinal Elementary School, you have likely noticed the paw print stickers and charts displayed on the walls. These visuals are more than just decorations – they are a part of a new sensory hallway designed to help students improve focus, regulate emotions, and take movement breaks throughout their school day. Thanks to Fellowship City Church and its Love Your Neighbor mission, where the church puts its faith into action, upgrades to the school’s sensory hallways were completed this summer.
The church’s mission statement reads, “We are committed to serving others, whether that’s in our own community, alongside local organizations, or around the world.”
“We transitioned from an older, but super charming, elementary school building a couple of years ago. Now, we've moved into the middle school building, and we are trying to make it our own and make it feel like home,” said former Associate Principal Brittney Owen. “It will be a place where they can take a break from class, and go out into the hallway, safely, and get some energy out.
“We have needed sensory space since we got here. We have an amazing elementary staff, as well as paraprofessionals, teachers, and other professionals who work with our students and make many things possible. They have come up with awesome ways for students to take sensory breaks and get the support they need. However, we definitely need a space where students can do this more independently, access their own education, and really learn how to regulate themselves.”
According to an online article from FunandFunction.com, “Studies show that movement regulates energy levels and can help reduce stress, while increasing retention and concentration. Students who struggle with self-regulation skills often benefit from extra sources of movement to improve their self-control.”
“A lot of times these kids need a break from the classroom to refocus and recenter themselves, where they can come back, ready to learn and to be successful,” said Bob Kujala, who served as the Principal at Cardinal Elementary School for the last three years.
So, what will our elementary students experience when walking through the hallways? They will have the opportunity to use floor decals where they can crab crawl, jump over stickers that are logs, play hopscotch, march like ants, and do push-ups against the wall. There will be breathing exercises, and visual directions and cues to help the students get back on track. The Cardinal Elementary administration team created a wish list of items that they believed would benefit their students while using the hallway, including sensory tiles, interactive games, colorful stickers, and much more.
As Mrs. Owen described what the typical day looks like for a Cardinal Elementary student, she explained that they will be greeted by several sensory decals as they enter the building and walk through their respective hallways. After picking up breakfast, students usually head to their classrooms to begin the school day.
“On their way in, a lot of times they are bringing in whatever has happened to them at home that day. Whatever it is – good, bad, high energy, baggage, or a really great birthday party the night before – they are bringing whatever they have from home emotionally to school,” said Owen. “If that looks like excitement, maybe that means a little bit of hopscotch on the way to class. Or if it’s, ‘I’m really not ready to walk into this class yet because I have a lot of pain and I have a lot of stuff going on at home,’ they are able to stop, get centered, and get whatever is on their mind off.”
While the sensory hallways welcome students at the start of the day, their purpose extends far beyond the morning routine. They are intended to be a resource students can use throughout the school day, especially during transitions between classes.
“They will have opportunities to come out into the hallway, do these little fun activities, and get ready to go back to class. We also hope that this will reduce some behavioral issues where kids have a tendency to want to pull things off the wall. Hopefully, it will give them another outlet to redirect those behaviors and help reduce some unsafe or disruptive actions,” said Owen.
Students at the elementary level benefit from structure and routine, but they also often need the ability and space to get up and move. This resource will be available to all students, including those with accommodations through an IEP or 504 Plan. With a designated space, the sensory hallway will provide valuable opportunities for students to develop self-regulation skills while learning to communicate their feelings and emotions.
“Brittney has done a lot and has really made my dreams of having sensory-friendly school resources come to reality,” said the district’s occupational therapist, Allison Novotny. “The new sensory path and activities will help students properly regulate their bodies to help them get ready to learn. They allow for vestibular and proprioceptive input, which can help students regain self-control and focus.”
This project was made possible by Mrs. Owen, who attends Fellowship City Church’s Chagrin Campus and works alongside her husband, who serves as the church’s Creative Director and Designer. Several Fellowship City Church volunteers dedicated their time for two days in June to lay the decals down and hang the sensory wall panels. Many of the installations serve as calming tools, tactile panels, or heavy-work elements where students can interact with sequins, mazes, and textured shapes, tracing their fingers along the surfaces while taking deep, calming breaths to refocus.
“We are super fortunate because our sensory hall will actually span multiple hallways, thanks to the generosity of Fellowship City Church,” said Owen. “In the halls, we are going to have awesome stickers from a company that designs products specifically to help students. They’re on the floor, and they feature different physical activities that students can do safely and independently. They’re brightly colored, they’re fun, and they are going to be a very functional resource for our students.
“I really want to say thank you to all of our volunteers and donors. I value authenticity as a leader, and I appreciate educators and community members who truly follow through on what they say they are going to. That’s what I’ve experienced here in Middlefield.”
“Sensory paths benefit students’ physical, cognitive, and emotional development. The path is designed to engage multiple senses and provide students with a structured way to engage in movement throughout the day,” said Novotny.
“One of the things I love about Middlefield is that they show Huskie pride. Our community is about these schools, and our community actually cares about our students, and they advocate for what they believe in,” said Owen when asked what she is most excited about for the future of Cardinal Elementary and its students.
During Cardinal Local Schools’ Open House in September, students and their families will have the opportunity to experience the sensory hallway firsthand. For Mrs. Owen, seeing the project come to life has been especially meaningful.
When asked what she hopes the students feel when they walk into that space, Mrs. Owen answered with one word – excited.
“I hope they feel excited. All of our teachers and staff – even our secretary, who greets students with hugs in the morning – want them to feel safe here at school."