Welcome to Coordinated School health programs

SAD 75 has a commitment to providing best practices in physical education and physical activity in its schools. They walk the talk of doing what is best for all of their students.

There is a significant commitment to system wide physical education from the superintendent and other administrators. The assistant superintendent has spent a significant amount of time working with the staff on curriculum. Principals truly believe in the body-mind connection as it relates to reading and language ability.

The physical education program is well organized and teachers show great enthusiasm and creativity. The elementary, middle, and high school physical education teachers are able to meet regularly to develop a cohesive program.

The elementary physical education program emphasizes motor development and continually monitors and enhances programs for individual students who have developmental challenges. The high school program promotes collaboration with the physical education and English teachers through an integrated student assessment.

Take Time, a program that promotes physical activity in the classroom, is used at the elementary level. Walking through the building you may find a kindergarten class doing yoga and observe middle school classes walking.

Teachers role model positive health behaviors and create opportunities for the community to be involved. The schools are all open at different times of the day for community members to walk indoors, with distances mapped out.

Congratulations to SAD 75 for receiving the 2006 Exemplary Award in Physical Education and Physical Activity.

Linda Dutton has volunteered her time on the District Wellness Team. As a participant at the Schoolsite Health Promotion Conference, Linda learned about a program to increase physical activity among students in Maine schools and brought the idea back to the entire Wellness Team. The “Take Time” program was enthusiastically received. It is Linda who ignited the spark for this successful program. Contratulations to the entire SAD 75 Wellness Team.

Supportive administrators are key when trying to “lift” any new initiative. When the principals were approached and asked to participate in the Take Time Physical Activity pilot two years ago, they were willing to give it a try. Since then, all the District’s elementary schools are involved in promoting some kind of daily physical activity for all students. This is in addition to recess and conducted during the school day. With administrator’s approval, teachers and their students can be seen throughout the District enjoying energizing motor breaks. Kindergarten students do yoga, third graders dance to the oldies, and seventh graders can be found taking little strolls as they chat with friends. Accepting this honor and representing the principals is Sandy Trach.

In SAD # 75 all eleven Physical Education Specialists and Adaptive Physical Education Specialists work in unison to provide a consistent, cohesive curriculum among the eight schools. Elementary school specialists have videotaped students and studied the results as a team to insure their evaluation techniques are consistent. Middle school specialists have played a key role in helping establish a coordinated link between nursing services, guidance counseling, and physical education when measuring students’ body mass index. High school specialists have a rich history of quality physical education that involves students in assessing their personal levels of fitness, developing an appropriate fitness plan and putting that plan into action via life long physical activities. Accepting this outstanding leadership award and representing the Physical Education Focus Group is Colleen Rioux.

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© 2000 Coordinated School Health Programs