Tasker students step it up with wellness club By MATT ARMES Staff Writer
Donna Bailey is using all available resources to help kids the best way she knows how: staying healthy.
In her second year as a health education teacher at Benjamin Tasker Middle School, Bailey has been fully utilizing a grant given to the school to create a wellness club for students and teachers.
"Last year, Mrs. (Karen) Coley, the school's principal, brought me some information on the Bowie Education Grant, and so I thought about what a great opportunity it would be to get more fitness equipment here at the school," she said.
Students involved in the wellness club meet together with Bailey in the gymnasium Thursday afternoons for two hours. They stretch thoroughly and then, weather permitting, they walk outside for an hour before returning to the gym for Pilates, weight training and other exercises.
Bailey said that an estimated 15-20 students participate in the wellness club on a regular basis, close to the same number of students that attended last year's program.
"This year I'm concentrating on kids that are overweight," she said. "But there are also some normal weight children, and they're all enthusiastic about working out."
Bailey added that she recently finished a program working with some of the school's teachers in November and December. She is still recruiting students to attend the club on a regular basis, and she has become quite popular.
So popular, in fact, that Coley recently encouraged her to work with students battling physical handicaps.
"The mobile students are doing step aerobics, and the nonmobile children are lifting weights to the music as we 'dance,' " she said. "They are so, so good at step aerobics and really excited about exercising."
Eight handicapped students attend the program, Bailey explained, and they've taken an instant liking to it.
"The music is always very inspiring, and it gets them moving," she said. "They always try very hard."
"Sometimes I'll let them be the group leader, and they just love that!" she added. "They do really well in getting their heart rates up."
In her second year with the school and with the exercise program, Bailey said the wellness club continues to be a success because of the students' progress.
"We're seeing results from everyone, and when you see people excited about fitness, the parents are encouraged, too," she said.
"Things like that are so gratifying, because you just want the kids to be healthy," she added. "I've taught in fitness clubs for 25 years, and I've worked at 10 fitness clubs. I'm just happy to support kids where I can do what I love.
"The kids could be more consistent in their workouts, but it's good that they all expect great things and attend when they can," she said.
Bailey went on to say that Coley had recently approached her to hold a workout session for an upcoming school PTA meeting to help more parents be actively involved.
In her seventh year of teaching in this school district and 18th year of teaching health education, Bailey credited the physical education department for lending gym mats to the club's participants as well as Coley for her constant support of the program.
"I left to teach in Laurel for four years, but I missed Bowie a lot so I came back last year," she said. "The students that I have had the pleasure of teaching for the past two years have been wonderful."
"With everything we've done so far, I haven't seen anything but positive results," she added.
"I've taught elementary students, but I wanted to teach middle school students because they're more mature, they just need the guidance and education, and that's what we're doing here."
