Perry Meridian High School - Passages Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

Page 150 text:

ILJL .«!A i.lLU! The Competitioit Is Witltiii Themselves ' Good health was a value many peo- ple had and one of their most precious possessions. Understanding the body and ho Y to keep its fimc- tions working had to be a part of Perry ' s curriculum. The health and physical education department wanted to instill in its students insight and appreciation of good health habits. In a society which had an abimdance of leisure time, the department ' s goal was to pro ' ide students with an imderstanding and desire for ac- ti •ities which developed their com- pounded good health. This required students to have an understanding of their own bodies, comprehend the im- portance of physical fitness and ' itality, and have an asthetic ap- preciation of skillful athletic perfor- mances. Miss Roselyn Miurphy, health and safety, freshman girls ' physical educ- tion, and substance abuse teacher, said, One had to know the system of the body before one could expect to know what was wrong with it. Her object in teaching health was to teach students to be self-sufficient about their bodies. She continued, In health, there was more reading than most other courses, but I enjoyed teaching it because I talked about many subjects and not just one specific area. Many people took the substance abuse class with the thought that it was easy, but I thought, and many discovered, that the class was a little more complex than they imagined. The class ex- plored the nervous system, phar- macological names, family and socie- ty problems, hospital costs, and the correlations between drug abuse to child abuse and spouse abuse to crime. Miss Murphy then com- mented about the new anatomical model acquired for the health classes, It was easier to teach with the model because one saw the different sizes, textures, and whereabouts of systems and organs. She said that she hoped the students learned enough about health that they would never have been swayed by diet fads. She stated that she thought more people should have taken substance abuse, but the single class size should be kept small. Mr. James Roach, health and safety teacher, stated, Semester tests were new because the administration wanted us to give them. The teachers tried to keep updated on new surgical techniques, cures, diets, and 146 HEALTH PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Page 149 text:

judge, phychologist, and policeman all in one. I got the most pleasure out of knowing I helped someone learn something which is very reward- ing. Sometimes being on the ' teacher- side of the desk ' felt great, but it was difficult to have patience all the time. Misty McKay ' 83 found out that children learned about hfe very quickly. She liked to teach math because she helped them with their multiplication and division on a com- puter for speed and accuracy. She took this course to see if she was good at teaching and if she could per- sue it as a career. Arm Miller ' 83 pro- claimed, It felt wonderful being a teacher instead of a student especial- ly when I was covered with smiles and laughs. But still, with all the joy, it was agonizing as well; that happen- ed when I had to put my foot down or some students. Nonetheless, the heartaches and rewards were much more numerous. I took this course to have fun and gain a Uttle experience. I learned to be very patient and how to work with and learn from others. Juha Hilcz ' 83 learned to have a positive attitude which was not so easy as it looked. She hked to teach EngHsh because it had more scope for creativity and imagination for the students. Michele Perry ' 83 stated, The time it took to prepare a lesson was minimal to the pride and sense you received from it. This course gave her a better idea of what the pressures on a teacher were. She earned great respect and appreciation from her teachers. EXPLORATORY TEACHERS 145

Page 151 text:

diseases by reading the updated newspapers, periodicals, and medical journals. To help students under- stand more about the subject and cen- tralize about notetaking, we gave the students terms on the chapter to look up the definitions. This helped them while it increased their vocabulary. He commented that when one got older, certain structures start to hurt and wear and when one was young, they were not supposed to hiurt. He concluded that when one got older and gained an appreciation for his body, it was too late to learn about the body. Miss Murphy added, By state re- quirement, all Indiana high schools were required to give a one-credit, half of a semester course. This course, health and safety, consisted of various units, and they were the systems and workings of the body, alcohol and tobacco dru gs, natural and artificial disasters, and safety (first aid) units. In the safety unit, they studied first aid and had to recognize various kinds of first aid to be administered for various situa- tions. In the disaster imit, they ex- plored the various natural phenomenas that the parts of the world encountered. They studied the content and effects of drugs in that particular unit and explored the organs, glands, and canals of the body. Mrs. Jill Bnmic, freshman and sophomore gym teacher, quot d, The new gym will have furnished ust with more teaching stations and space to set up a new obstack; course. This year ' s obstacle course was a one-minute all-out nm with ten obstacles, one of which was a cargo net which was purchased. One climbed over, crawled under, and went through these various tests of agility, endurance, and speed. I thought that this was the truest test of physical fitness, a s well as a personal challenge. Freshman boys gym teacher Mr. Dick Brunoehler stated, The new gym will have more lockers and an of- fice from which teachers will look out the window and oversee what is going on in the pool. In the swimming unit, there were three levels of difficulty: beginning, intermediate, and lifesav- ing. The beginners level didn ' t have much workout. The intermediate Two gym students play water basketball, one of the pool sports that they participate In. level covered areas of lifesaving, div- ing, games, and workout. These pro- grams were associated with the Red Cross beginner and intermediate swim programs. The lifesaving level taught students how to be official lifeguards. Mr. Charles Earle, boys ' gym and adapted physical education teacher, commented, The department started to use the auxiliary gym, wrestling room, and weight room. In freshman physical education, I enjoyed the con- ditioning unit, and in sophomore gym, I liked the obstacle course. Both of these related to life-time fitness needs, and each student was com- peting against himself. Kim Aufderheide ' 83, department award winner, was selected unanimously for this honor. Mrs. Brunic said, She helped the health teachers and the girls ' sports direc- tor, was outstanding in all areas, and had a very good attitude. Becky Trieff ' 86 stated, I liked gym because I didn ' t sit at a desk, and I got blood circulating. In regular class, one built his mind and rested his body. In gym, one built his body and rested his mind. In the obstacle course, I tried to do my personal best because it was a challenge. It gave me self-satisfaction to know that I did. After he paused for more than a moment, Tom Sims ' 86 said, I felt the superb and intellectual ability of the health and safety teaching staff allowed one to thoroughly absorb the indisputable knowledge presented in this forum. HEALTH PHYSICAL EDUCATION 147