On any given week inside the Rowlett Elementary School gym, PE class looks a little different than traditional dodgeball. Second graders might be evaluating their own volleyball serves using visual mood charts. Other days, entire classes build team-building huts out of hula hoops or turn the floor into a temporary bowling alley.

For physical education teacher Christy Hedgecock, every single minute of that movement is deliberate.

"There is such a strong correlation between physical health and brain health," Hedgecock said. "Kids spend so much time sitting on devices at home, so I want to make sure they get meaningful, quality activity at school."

That commitment recently earned Rowlett Elementary a place in the state spotlight. The campus was named a recipient of the 2026 Exemplary School Program Award by the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (TAHPERD). Rowlett was one of only two schools in the entire state chosen for the honor.

The award was not handed out lightly. Earning it required Hedgecock to open up her entire curriculum for state review. Evaluators closely examined gym layouts, lesson plans, equipment lists, and hours of video footage to ensure students spent their time actually active rather than sitting through long instructions.

"A big part of teaching PE is less talk and more doing," Hedgecock explained.

For Hedgecock, creating that environment is personal. After stepping away from education for 17 years to raise her family, she returned to the classroom four years ago with a clear mission: make fitness accessible to every single child, regardless of their background.

Because Rowlett serves a high population of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, the campus relies heavily on PTA support, grant writing, and creative fundraisers to fund non-traditional sports like pickleball and bowling.

"We have a lot of kids that just are not going to get those opportunities outside of school," Hedgecock said. "A lot of these kids would never get to play pickleball, but they get that opportunity here."

That multi-year investment builds something deeper than basic motor skills. Because Hedgecock teaches students from pre-K through fifth grade, she gets to watch that confidence grow as the students grow.

"My goal is that when they leave our school, they look back and think, 'I really loved going to PE. It was fun, and I moved my body a lot,'" she shared.

Rowlett Elementary will be officially honored for that vision at the annual TAHPERD Convention in Corpus Christi in December. The award marks state recognition for a program built on a simple promise: make every minute count.