Happy Holidays from the SPARK Team!
Wishing you and your family a SPARKtacular holiday and a happy new year. See you in 2020!- The SPARK Team (Julie Frank, Jeff Mushkin, Ryan Schissler)
A Personal Story: Importance of PE & PA for prevention & management of diabetes
In celebration of National Diabetes Month – I’m sharing a personal story with you. Purposely making it public that I have Type 1 diabetes is not something which I would have chosen to do as a child with such a diagnosis, let alone early in my professional career. However, I am proud [...]
Finding the “SPARK” in Active Transportation!
If you know me, you know I am in LOVE with bicycles and kids—actually, any wheeled vehicle that kids can spin around on and be mobile. Bicycles, scooters, unicycles all have wheels. And when you learn to ride, all have fun, freedom, and serve as a functional way for students [...]
SPARKing a Connection with Parents through Physical Education
https://www.facebook.com/JCityTNSchools/videos/2333281296991215/ Are you interested in connecting your Physical Education classes with your community? SPARK it up by inviting family members to their child’s class and have them witness firsthand what it is all about inside your gym. Physical Education looks a lot different than it did when the parents of [...]
SPARK’s 30 Year Anniversary Series, Part 3
My path to SPARK differed from those of Jim and Paul. I grew up in rural Canada where my mother was my elementary school teacher and taught grades 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously in a 2-room schoolhouse. Although she had no background in physical education, she ensured all students had [...]
SPARK’s 30 Year Anniversary Series, Part 2
In the words of that famous physical educator from the great state of Massachusetts, "Ask not, what SPARK can do for you. Ask what you can do for SPARK." When Julie approached me about writing an article in celebration of SPARK's 30th birthday, a lot of different thoughts and approaches [...]