The school district’s inaugural Wellness Week will take place the week of March 27-31 at Clarksville’s elementary, middle, and high schools. There will be special events focused on health and wellness every day Monday through Friday that week.
The upcoming event week will consist of interactive activities, field days and guest speakers.
Superintendent Tina Bennett said Clarksville Community Schools recently “recommitted to revamping its district-wide health policy and welfare plan.” At the start of the school year, the district launched a welfare committee.
“We have revised and essentially updated our previous welfare policies, added some activities and re-committed to being more mindful about promoting and modeling welfare in our district,” Bennett said.
She notes that last summer, district staff participated in “some kind of operation, let’s get moving so we don’t get stuck behind our computers.”
Employees were encouraged to participate in daily activities ranging from aerobics to basketball. This served as a “springboard” to put the new wellness plan in place.
There have been several health initiatives throughout the year and the upcoming Wellness Week fulfills the goal of a company-wide wellness activity. Each day has a specific theme related to different aspects of wellness.
Clarksville High School deputy principal Matt Pait said Wellness Week “shows them the options out there to be a little healthier.”
“We’re just trying to show them what a healthy lifestyle looks like, and [what is] one thing they can do to be a little bit healthier, whether it’s a healthy snack or more exercise or drinking water – whatever it is for them individually.”
On “Mindful Monday,” students learn about breathing techniques and participate in mindfulness activities. For elementary school students, it involves a school-wide breathing exercise. For middle and high school students, the day includes coloring mandalas, practicing guided meditation, and expressing gratitude in thank-you notes.
‘Tasty Tuesday’ focuses on healthy snacks. Elementary school students will make their own snacks, and middle and high school students will eat healthy snacks while learning about portion control.
On “Water Wednesday,” students learn about hydration, and each school distributes a limited number of Clarksville Community Schools branded water bottles.
There will be several interactive programs to conclude the Wellness Week. “Fitness Thursday” will include field day activities for the elementary school, and the Clarksville Fire Department will set up an obstacle course on the football field. For middle and high school students, programs will focus on the risks of vaping, substance use, and alcohol abuse.
Quinton Higgins, a survivor of the deadly 1988 bus crash in Carrollton, Kentucky, will talk to high school students about the dangers of drunk driving. Annie Reiss, tobacco prevention coordinator for LifeSpring Health Systems, will talk to high school students about vaping and tobacco prevention.
On “Fitness Friday,” the middle and high school students participate in a field day with the obstacle course on the soccer field. The elementary students learn about the mental benefits of exercise by participating in activities such as limbo, hula hoop, and hopscotch.
The Clarksville Parks Department will provide music for both field day events.
Bennett said she wants students to understand the importance of mental, physical and social well-being in impacting other areas of their lives.
“General wellness is so important,” she said. “It goes hand in hand with positive outcomes and education. The main takeaway will be that we continue to educate and promote the social, along with the emotional, [along] with the physical, and how all three are linked to promote overall well-being, which in turn is directly linked to better educational outcomes.”