Kindergarteners Learn To Skate At New Canaan Country School

Kindergarteners at New Canaan Country School got the opportunity to test their ice skating skills Monday, Dec. 3 in the first class of a series of instructional classes taught by professional instructors.

New Canaan Country School kindergarten students took to the ice Monday, Dec. 3 for their first learn to skate class of the season.
Photo Credit: *New Canaan Country School*

Valerie Musson

12/09/2018 5:30 a.m.

The class will teach young students the fundamentals of ice skating technique, which include gliding, stopping, and skating backwards.

This class is a long-standing tradition and even a “rite of passage” for young students at New Canaan Country School. It dates back to the school’s opening more than a century ago. Before the rink was built in 1957, students skated on Hardon Pond.

The skills acquired in these classes aren’t just for fun - officials say they’ve seen numerous graduates hone their skills to participate in ice hockey and other ice skating activities through high school and college.

“We are so fortunate to have this lovely resource," Head of Early Childhood Beth O’Brien told New Canaan Country School officials. "In addition to being a great way to develop gross motor skills, skating gives us yet another way to help the children practice and ultimately master the art of resilience."

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