February 18, 2015

Dear Families,
I am currently a graduate student in the M.Ed. program Applied Studies in Teaching and Learning at West Chester
University. For the next eight weeks, I would like to include my students in Room 202 in an action research project
investigating the effects of incorporating movement and physical activity into our daily classroom routine. Some
activities that your child may be participating in include jumping, stretching, and dancing. Your child will be observed
during his/her normal daily school routine, specifically before and after the implementation of short physical activities or
brain breaks. In addition, your child may be given the opportunity to share and teach a movement with the class. Your
child will complete one or two brief surveys so that I can learn more about his/her physical activities outside of school as
well as his/her feelings related to movement in the classroom. Your child will go about his/her school day just as he/she
normally would with the addition of short physical activity breaks between subjects. I am also curious about parent
perspective on movement in the classroom and may send an optional survey home for your completion.
All information that is obtained during this research project will be kept strictly secure and will not become a part of your
child's school record. Your childs name and any other information concerning his/her identity will be deleted from the
research information. Your childs confidentiality is most important and every effort will be made to ensure that this
research remains confidential at all times.
Your child's participation in this project is completely voluntary. In addition to your permission, your child will also be
asked if he/she would like to take part in this project by participating in physical activities in the classroom and
completing brief surveys. The choice to participate will not impact your childs grades or status at school in any way.
The results of this inquiry will be used in my final project that is required in my course, EDE 611 Teacher Research in
the College of Education at WCU. The project is developed in an electronic format on a website that is a private site,
viewable by my classmates, my professors, and myself only. I may be sharing this work with other teacher researchers at
spring conferences; however, all names and identifying information will be removed from the final project before sharing
with anyone outside of WCU. Pseudonyms or codes will be substituted for the names of children and the school. This
helps protect confidentiality.
In the space at the bottom of this letter, please indicate whether or not you allow your child to participate in this project.
Please return the bottom portion of this completed form as soon as possible. Please keep this written letter explaining my
action research project for your records. If you have any questions about your childs participation or this research
project, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,

Shana L. Denne
3rd Grade Teacher
sdenne@pvsd.org
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Childs Name: _______________________________________________________________________________
________ I agree to allow my child to participate
________ I would rather my child not participate
Date: _________

Parents signature:

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