SACO – Sitting still all day can be difficult for students.

Gov. Fairfield Elementary School second-grade teacher Karen MacKenzie recognizes that, and is raising funds to outfit her classroom with Kore Design wobble chairs to help students stay active while learning. The wobble chairs have a rounded base that’s made to tilt and wobble, allowing the user to move gently while remaining seated.

Students come from all different backgrounds, but each comes to school with hopes and dreams, said MacKenzie, who is in her 29^th year as a second-grade teacher. “As teachers, we want to do everything we can to help students achieve their goals,” she said.

Sitting at desks can lead to slouching and sore muscles, she said, and research has shown that physical activity leads to sharpened academic performance, better health and improved behavior.

“Active seating allows for students to have improved posture and muscle tone, increased sensory input, and it increases blood flow. Students can stay more focused on the activity or assignment given with these wobbly chairs to sit on,” she said.

MacKenzie’s goal is to raise about $950 for 16 chairs, enough to accommodate all the children in her classroom.

MacKenzie has a fundraising campaign on donorschoose.org, a website designed for public school teachers to request donations for classroom projects, to raise half the money needed.

She has also reached out to local businesses and held a fundraiser at Portland Pie in Biddeford.

 “The rocking motion from Wobble chairs provides movement input for the nervous system, specifically the vestibular system that can be calming and organizing for the brain,” said Fairfield Principal Maureen McMullin in an email. “This type of input can increase children’s ability to pay attention in a subtle way. Seatwork is no longer a sedentary activity with the wobble chair.”

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].