School District to Take Another Look at Dodgeball, Curriculum

The Windham School District will take another look at its physical education curriculum, including dodgeball, following a decision made by the School Board on Tuesday.

The board's directive calls for a second review that will include parents and teachers in the process.

The original review saw a recommendation to remove 10 "human target" games from the curriculum. The board voted 4-1 in March to accept that recommendation.

The recommendation from district professionals was made based on the position taken by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), which does not support human target games in a K-12 curriculum.

Six students, all class officers in the seventh grade at Windham Middle School, helped pack out the Windham Middle School Cafeteria as they backed a petition they drafted in favor of dodgeball.

"For me as a board member, this (decision) is purely, purely based on the participation by the students tonight and affording them that opportunity," said School Board Chairman Mike Joanis.

Two of the kids – twin brothers Michael and Matthew Senibaldi – are the sons of School Board member Dennis Senibaldi.

In last month's 4-1 vote, Dennis Senibaldi was the lone dissenter.

His son Matthew spoke quietly about the issue of bullying during dodgeball games, which he likened to something that is policed by the teachers.

"The ones who think they're being targeted – the schools already set up a process to punish bullies," said Matthew Senibaldi. "There are teachers who watch while the whole game is going on."

The School Board's decision last month gained national attention after the story was picked up by the Associated Press. The issue was raised to the district due to a parent's complaint at one of the schools related to bullying in the games.

Dennis Senibaldi said Tuesday that there was such an interest in the topic because people could relate to dodgeball.

"I don't think anybody on this board expected it to branch out like it did across the country," he said.

The other board members also backed Joanis' plan, several stood by their positions presented during the initial vote.

Vice Chairman Stephanie Wimmer said she doesn't want to get caught up in doing what is popular, but rather what is right.

She said that misinformation has been spread, and that she and her fellow board members did not ban anything in March.

"My understanding is that we took these games out of the curriculum," she said. "We're not going to grade you on them but they were not in any way, shape or form – banned."

Wimmer told the students in attendance that they can still organize a dodgeball game at recess, after school or in an open gym concept.

Fellow board member Jerome Rekart concurred, adding that neither he nor the board are concerned about mandating which activities are included within a specific curriculum.

Paul Gosselin spoke for his 11-year-old daughter Renee, who was home sick. Renee drafted a petition in her sixth grade class that saw nearly 175 signatures.

Gosselin said that the board has established a precedent where any game that receives a bullying complaint from a parent he would expect would be responded to in a similar fashion.

He added that the perception is that the School Board is "out of touch" and not doing what the constituents want.

Board member Michelle Farrell expressed her disappointment that people are talking about dodgeball in Windham while students heading toward the college level are making great strides.

School Board Student Representative Christine Carpenter echoed Farrell's concerns.

"I'm almost disappointed that with all the issues that we're facing that this room is more full for dodgeball than it was the meeting after we didn't pass teacher contracts," she said.

The original recommendation was made by district staff based on the position taken by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), which does not support human target games in a K-12 curriculum.

Windham resident Ken Eyring cautioned the board about NASPE, given that their web site features plenty of recommendations, including the elimination of relay races, elimination tag and cutting from any sports teams prior to high school.

Superintendent Dr. Henry LaBranche, who said he received a background in physical education training as an undergraduate, noted that at no time during his training was dodgeball or any human target game mentioned during discussions on "legitimate physical education activities.

LaBranche made the initial recommendation on the games last month, and stood by the decision.

He said that amidst all of the negative messages from people around the country, people in the physical education profession have also contacted him to back his choice.

"As a physical educator, I believe I made the right decision for the right reasons, as a superintendent of schools I understand that you have the right to challenge those policies and those decisions," he said.

While the board gave no timetable related to the district's second review, WMS Principal Dan Moulis urged them to let his staff provide a curriculum that meets the needs of all students.