Designated areas to help students refocus, succeed  

Sensory hallways provide a safe, friendly space for students to have a calming moment during school hours. Students who feel overwhelmed can take a short break, venture to the sensory hallway and participate in activities that allow them to return to instruction time focused.  

LaMonte/LaMonte Annex Elementary School introduced the school district’s first sensory hallway during the 2022-23 school year. That hallway boasted tactical boards, decals to promote movement, and a balance station. 

“All our students benefit from the sensory hallway, but it’s an incredible tool for our occupational therapists to use. Students who receive therapy services can work on balance and fine motor skills in that designated area,” said Hipolita Hernandez-Sicignano, principal of LaMonte/LaMonte Annex.  

Sensory hallways help engage students’ minds and bodies, which can improve their cognitive functions, memory, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. The spaces make for a more inclusive, calming culture at the schools.  

This fall, Lafayette Elementary School added a sensory hallway for its students. Like the one at LaMonte, it has physical aspects through floor decals. The hallway also uses texture to provide another stimulant like the sequin wall that reflects light and changes colors when students touch or draw on it.  

As you walk into the new Lafayette cafeteria, you pass through an empty hallway connecting the addition to the original school building. Principal Deirdre Kehayas said when she saw that space, she wanted to make it functional for her students. Her goal: expand the space to bolster more opportunities for students.  

Some spaces, like a light therapy activity, are still being installed in the hallway but Kehayas says students already naturally gravitate there.  

“I love that we can provide calming areas where students explore independently, practice skills, and have a little fun,” said Kehayas. Even the staff have a blast visiting the hallway.  

More areas designed for students 

Designated calming corners adorn each classroom at LaMonte/LaMonte Annex and Lafayette schools, offering yet another spot for students to retreat when overwhelmed during class time. 

Guidance Counselor Janeen Kinney decided to build off the popularity of classroom calming corners and construct a similar space in the Lafayette cafeteria, where students with sensory difficulties may feel most overwhelmed. Flexible seating, a rug and a fountain make up the new Chill Zone that opened in the fall. After lunch, students visit the area and read or socialize in small groups. Especially during winter when lunch and recess are often held indoors, these areas provide respite from the hustle and bustle of students engaged in play. 

A communication board on the playground at LaMonte/LaMonte Annex further enhances inclusivity by enriching student interactions. The large board has different symbols on it and can be used as a menu to suggest things to say, clarify speech, or as a replacement for verbal speech. Communication boards can also facilitate young children’s learning of new vocabulary and reading. 

“Some students that are nonverbal and use an iPad to communicate, use the board to communicate with our speech therapist and even other students,” said Hernandez-Sicignano. “They simply point or touch to the images and they can share how they feel.”

Funding for the Lafayette Elementary School sensory hallway came from the regular operating budget. Lafayette used Scholastic Dollars, earned for hosting a Scholastic Book Fair, to fund accessories for other spaces like the Chill Zone in the cafeteria.