Students in 4th through 8th grade participated in a plank challenge at the end of their gym class led by Orangetheory Fitness instructors Dec. 7. (Record Photo by Kayla Boyd)
When students returned this school year to St. James School after more than a year of virtual learning, it was clear to the PE teacher that physical exercise and movement hadn’t been a priority.
Some students needed more than two minutes to catch their breaths after summiting the stairs, said Julie Mattingly, who leads the physical education program at the Highlands school.
Paired with the mental and emotional toll COVID-19 has had on children, Mattingly said, she knew something needed to be done.
Mattingly said students learn better when they’re mentally, physically and emotionally healthy, so she launched a Wellness Program to help the whole child.
The initiative has taken a three-pronged approach: a breakfast program, regular counseling sessions and increased focus on classes to support wellness — physical education and health sciences.
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The week before Christmas break, St. James students and families collected items for the people devastated by the tornadoes in western Kentucky. Out of the goodness of their hearts, and being committed to doing God’s work on this earth, they collected over 1,100 items and cash. Mrs. Snapp, Director of Student Services, took the lead and promised the students she would personally deliver the items to Mayfield and Dawson Springs.
