Medford Schools Land $900,000 Fitness Grant
Physical Education Grant to Focus on Lifetime Fitness
– Allison Goldsberry
Gone are the days when gym class meant spending most of the class waiting around for a turn to kick a ball.
With a new $900,000 grant from the federal government, students in Medford’s middle schools and high school will learn how to create and reach personal fitness goals to remain fit for life.
The grant, one of the most significant in recent memory according to School Superintendent Roy Belson, will be used to create an entirely new fitness program to combat inactivity and poor nutrition, focusing on grades six through twelve.
Health and Physical Education Director Eileen DiBattista calls the new program “Medford Moves on the Road to Wellness,” with a plan for a revised physical education curriculum, 150 hours of professional development for health and fitness teachers, and new equipment.
“The basic goal is to teach them lifetime fitness, so when the graduate from Medford High School they can say ‘I know how to stay fit, I don’t need a P.E. teacher anymore, I know just what to do for myself,'” said DiBattista.
The fitness center at Medford High School is already receiving a makeover and will have brand new, state-of-the-art aerobic and weight-training machines. Gym will go hi-tech with the introduction of heart rate monitors and hand-held computers so teachers can assess students’ individual fitness levels and progress. The traditional sports model for gym class has been scrapped in favor of “adventure-training” that will include a rock-climbing wall at the high school, and leisure activities such as golf, tennis, and snowshoeing.
“And if we don’t have snow we’ll snowshoe on the grass. It’s not a problem. It’s a great balance activity,” said DiBattista.
The grant will be spread out over three years, with the new equipment and technology expected to be incorporated this year. Adventure training is planned for next year, with a rock-climbing wall to be installed at the high school and other equipment for the middle schools.  Finally, the leisure activities, generally activities students can do on their own such as inline skating, will be incorporated in year three.
School Superintendent: Some Budget Cuts Have Been Restored
Speaking at a city press conference last Friday, Superintendent Belson said retirements and other recent budget changes have allowed for the restoration of some cuts made at the end of the school year.
According to Belson, guidance counselors have been brought back as well as each of the ten elementary school teachers that were let go. In addition, the foreign language program has been restored at the middle schools.
French has been eliminated as an option and foreign language for sixth and seventh graders had been cut from the budget.
Last June Belson said rising costs and decreased local aid left the schools $3.4 million short to create a budget that would provide the same level of services for the 2008-2009 school year. The proposed $44,840,000 budget for fiscal year 2009 is $200,000 higher than the one for 2008 yet is $599,000 lower than the actual expended budget for 2008.
In addition, budget cuts have not impacted planned improvements at the high school. The school has over 1,700 new lockers, 175 new computers and printers, new lights in the Little Theatre, new culinary arts and printing equipment for the vocational school, and an elevator at the Community Schools entrance that should be open in October.
McGlynn School Wind Turbine Construction Out to Bid
After three years of planning, a wind turbine behind the McGlynn School will be constructed sometime over the next few months.
The $600,000 project is funded completely by private grants and state money and is expected to save the city $25,000 per year by generating 10% of the school’s electricity.
The turbine will stand 131 feet tall with 33-foot blades that will spin around 12 miles per hour. The project is expected to generate 170,000 Kilowatt hours per year and offset an estimated 76 tons of carbon dioxide to the environment.
Medford Environmental Agent Pat Barry said the bids for the construction work will come in on September 16. Construction of the wind turbine should take three to four weeks.
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Watch video of last week’s press conference, courtesy MHS-TV 15