The Milestone School Begins Weekly Capoeira Class

The Milestone School, an independent elementary school for nursery through fourth grade in Mount Vernon, opened its Studio earlier this year and now offers a Capoeira class for students in third and fourth grades. The Studio can also be rented out as a party and event location.

The Milestone School's Studio aids classroom activities by giving children room to stretch to help eliminate distraction.

In November, The Milestone School, an independent nursery through fourth-grade day school that aims to provide a foundation for early childhood learning, began a Capoeira class for third and fourth graders. This, and other classes, became possible when the day school opened the Studio in back in January. The space provides room for new classes, and allows the Milestone School host birthday parties, baby showers, and other events.

Capoeira, sometimes referred to as a game, is a Brazilian martial art that combines dancing, acrobatics, and music. The third and fourth grade students are taught Fridays during regular school hours in 12-week sessions. During the class, students are also exposed to the Brazilian culture and language involved in learning the martial art. At the end of the 12 weeks, the children perform the Batizado, a baptism or rite of passage in which a beginner student plays the capoeira with a more advanced student and is assisted in developing his or her game.

“Imagine taking the children out of the classroom and offering them, in the Studio, a whole new experience,” says Angela Freeman, founder and head of school. “[The Milestone School] tries to take the best for what works for kids and apply it to the curriculum. Education is always evolving.”