Purpose: 

  • Examine best practices regarding PreK-12 health and physical education instruction to address the Bellingham Promise outcome focused on developing healthy & active individuals.
  • Meet three times a year to address issues related to health and physical education standards, instruction and assessment, and professional development needs.
  • Communicate findings to stakeholders.

Basis for Establishment:

  • To increase opportunities for teachers, principals and Department of Teaching and Learning to collectively collaborate around the development of healthy & active individuals as stated in The Bellingham Promise.
  • To create an ongoing process for addressing standards, instruction and assessment decisions, alignment and communication regarding health and physical education instruction.
  • To advise regarding needs and priorities in health and physical education.

Decision-Making Process:

  • This group will make any necessary decisions based on a consensus of those present and primarily serve in an advisory capacity to Department of Teaching and Learning and the Superintendent.

Plan of Work:

  • Understand how the Developing Healthy & Active Individuals advisory group relates to other Teaching and Learning Advisory groups and The Bellingham Promise.
  • Review recent research on best practices in health and physical education.
  • Examine current district practices in health and physical education.
  • Analyze current assessment data.
  • Examine current state, local and other related standards, assessments and instructional implications.
  • Collect feedback from staff, students and parents, as needed.
  • Recommend revised health and physical education practices for Bellingham Public Schools

2017-18 School Year – No meetings during the 2017-18 school year.

2016-17 School Year: All meetings are 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the District Office.

2015-16 School Year: Meetings are from 4 to 6 p.m. at the District Office.

  • March 18, 2016 – Agenda, Minutes
    • Establish team norms, review the scope of the work related to the Bellingham Promise and related advisory groups.
    • Describe current district health education practices, with attention to curriculum, instruction, standards, assessment, and professional development.
  • April 27, 2016 – Agenda, Minutes
    • Examine current research and best practices reports about effective health education.
    • Compare current Bellingham Schools health education offerings/experiences with needed/desired effective practices.
  • May 18, 2016 – Agenda, Minutes
    • Identify and recommend shifts in current Bellingham Schools health education practice to reflect best-practices research.
    • Develop status report for the Department of Teaching and Learning and the Superintendent.

Members

  • Rotating/staggered memberships: Three-year, two-year and one-year memberships will be established at each level, so that we can have an ongoing advisory group over time without losing momentum
  • Three elementary representatives: Nic Castona, Melanie Flink, Beth Kealy, Paula Stratman
  • Four middle school representatives: Julee Pitalo, Shannon Flory, Katie Powell and Matt Macleod
  • Two high school representatives: Darin Nolan,
  • One nurse: Barb Cummins
  • Charisse Berner, Director of Teaching and Learning – Co-chair
  • Jessica Sankey, Director of Wellness – Co-chair

Responsibilities: 

  • Communicate and make public all meeting agendas and minutes
  • Director of Teaching and Learning shares outcomes with DTL team to surface potential impact on priorities across the system.

Timeline:

  • 2015-16 school year: January – May 2016
  • 2016-17 and beyond: Teaching and Learning Advisory Group meets fall, winter and spring. Dates to be scheduled and communicated at the beginning of the school year.

Budget Implications:

  • The advisory group may recommend that a review committee be formed to address significant curricular needs.