A New Sense of Wellness Developing at Kennett

If you happen by the gymnasium at Kennett these days, youre likely to see an original and exciting approach to Health and Physical Education. In keeping with the latest research in both of these subject areas, new approaches to wellness education have been put into place this year through the development of two new course structures: Integrated Health and PE at the High School, and Wellness in the Junior High School. The aim of both classes is to teach students to manage their lives with healthy choices and to employ exercise to help insure good health.The High School Health and PE teachers are working as a team to plan lessons that compliment each other and are sharing students throughout the week. The kids are learning facts in a classroom about what happens to their bodies as they live and grow and are then engaging in exercise that target the same concepts. In educational lingo, the teachers are combining the cognitive aspects of wellness (for example, learning about exercise physiology, nutrition, and stress factors/reduction in health classes) with psycho-motor activities (such as snowshoeing, walking with heart rate monitors, and volleyball in PE classes). Students track their progress by using computer programs and by keeping journals. The exercise components for the Integrated Health and PE course have been carefully selected for their lifelong accessibility and relevance to the health issues that can arise as students grow into adulthood. It is more likely, for example, that a group of college students might go for a brisk walk before a tough exam to reduce stress than it is that they will play, say, lacrosse. The students enrolled in this course are participating in a combined health and exercise class that provides them with the best of both worlds. They are literally living the healthy life that they are studying. The end-product? We have healthier and happier young citizens of Mount Washington Valley. For more information, contact Mike Veilleux and/or Donna Byrne at KHS, 447-6364