Teachers' Conference Promotes 'Let's Move' in Wyckoff Classrooms

It’s not just dodge ball and picking teams anymore.

The future of physical education and the implementation of the ‘Let’s Move Physical Activity’ initiative were the topics of a daylong conference of the New Jersey Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance held this week at Eisenhower Middle School in Wyckoff.

The conference, which attracted physical and health educators from across the state – including the seven in the Wyckoff School District – focused on how to make First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative work in the classroom. The conference included collaborative exercises for teachers and presentations from speakers like Brendan O'Reilly from the NJ Department of Education and Sue Toth, this year's NJ Teacher of the Year.

On average, the NJAHPERD hosts seven to 10 conference a month. Monday’s marked the first hosted in Wyckoff.

“This facility is wonderful, and Wyckoff was really able to accommodate our needs,” Jackie Malaska, the group’s Executive Director, said.

“And we are happy to be hosting an event up in this part of Bergen County.”

Wyckoff’s Curriculum Director Diane Schulthes, who coordinated the conference with the NJAHPERD, said she felt the event was a good complement to some of the changes in physical education happening in Wyckoff.

“It’s great to have a day here focused on phys ed teachers and their needs,” Schulthes said. “Teachers would really travel to be able to go to all of the different workshops that were here. It’s about time we brought all of these things up to our neck of the woods.”

Kris Federici, a phys ed teacher at Eisenhower called the conference a, “great way to share ideas and take new ones back to the classroom. Plus, it gives us the opportunity to stay current with all of the new curriculum changes coming down from the state.”

Wyckoff teachers, she said have recently been trained in golf and archery, and will be adding those sports to their curricula.

“It’s all about developing lifetime fitness,” Federici said.

“We are trying to figure out new ways to do that.”

One of them, Schulthes said, is a focus on interdisciplinary learning.

“There is a focus on teachers in different subject areas working together, which I think is fantastic,” she said.

Some of the content discussed at the conference will pop up as a part of the “Parent University” series, where administrators host talks with parents to share information about new school initiatives. She said she is planning one in January on fitness in schools.

Malaska said any program that promotes awareness about physical activity is in line with the NJAHPERD.

“We want to make sure kids are getting enough physical activity before, during and after school. It’s important to spread awareness about these initiatives because then educators, parents, and kids can become advocates.”