Holistic Health Grandview Heights expands focus of health and PE classes By Chloe McGowan
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Photos courtesy of Becky Lee
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one are the days of stinky tube socks and being chosen last for kickball. At Grandview Heights, gym and health classes are shifting focus toward a more holistic view of wellness. Wellness for Life is a K-12 initiative introduced to Grandview Heights Schools in 2014 by then Chief Academic Officer Jamie Lusher that reimagines the curriculum for health, wellness and physical education, says Angela Ullum, the current chief academic officer and head of the Wellness for Life committee. The multifaceted initiative includes a wellness center, food and nutrition services, community partnerships, and wellness-oriented extracurricular activities such as gardening and running clubs. “The goal of our wellness committee is that we look at all aspects of wellness,” Ullum says. “We just look at it as a system to make sure that we’re all working together to achieve the goal of a whole, healthy child.” The state of Ohio hasn’t created a health curriculum for public schools, Ul-
Larson Middle School fourth and fifth grade students enjoy roller skating in PE class.
lum says. Grandview’s Wellness for Life initiative considers what the district wants Grandview graduates to be able to achieve beyond typical considerations of academic success. “We thought about the whole child and we wanted to really focus on mental well-being, healthy habits and just really
make sure that, when our kids left, they had really strong foundations,” Ullum says. The 2014 initiative includes teaching attributes such as grit, honesty, accountability and responsibility. Activities introduced before the pandemic have rebounded, Ullom says. During Foodie Fridays, students can try a May/June 2022 • www.trivillagemagazine.com
