What if a high school class could balance traditional instruction and the freedom to work at your own pace? Blended Wellness does just that. Open to students who have completed PE and Wellness I and II, Blended Wellness earns students half a physical education credit while mixing classroom instruction with independence and self-management.
The program was launched three years ago by physical education teacher and department chairperson Courtney White. It is designed to prepare students for wellness beyond high school.
“We’re kind of selling the idea that in real life, you’ve got to figure out when you’re going to get your workouts in on a busy day, and that could be in the morning, it could be in the afternoon, it could be whenever, as long as you get it done,” White said. “That’s kind of how life works. It’s not necessarily like school, where you have a set schedule.”
Due to the class being very independent, White sets up health and wellness concepts for students to review and complete assignments about in Google Classroom. To keep students active during the class, activity requirements are created.
“The students have to get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week,” White said.
White found this number from studies by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which stated that a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise is required to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This is not always easy to accomplish, though. Junior Vivian James experiences these challenges during the class.
“The biggest challenge is figuring out how to fit it into your schedule to work out consistently,” James said.
Associate principal for curriculum and instruction Keith Palz expected hurdles to come with the new class. Palz views these challenges as opportunities to build independence and time-management skills.
“The long-term vision for this class is to foster a lifelong commitment to wellness, and the skills necessary to do so,” Palz said. “This approach shifts the focus from a structured, in-school PE requirement to developing the self-discipline and knowledge needed for personal wellness.”
The vision for Blended Wellness is already resonating with students in the class. Senior Kelley Crowley sees the class as a way to extend the concepts of PE beyond high school.
“I think students can learn good workout habits that will stay with them the rest of their lives,” Crowley said.
Blended Wellness pushes students to manage their time and fitness. Beyond meeting fitness requirements, the class aims to teach students a new way to view health after high school.
“I want kids to understand that it’s not designed to get out of something. It’s designed for you to see health and wellness in a different way,” White said.
