A Moose Jaw teacher has been honoured with a national award for her efforts to promote fitness in school and encourage kids to be active while at home.
Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) recently recognized St. Michael School teacher Malinda Strueby as a quality daily physical education (QDPE) champion. PHE Canada has featured one QDPE champion per month since September; Strueby is the featured educator for March.
QDPE provides students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and habits to lead physically active lives now and forever, according to the PHE Canada website. A QDPE program consists of balanced, planned and meaningful content taught by competent and enthusiastic educators.
“It was certainly an honour. Working with the staff and the teachers and the (school) administration, it’s very easy to deliver QDPE,” said Strueby, who has spent the past two years at St. Michael. “We have students who are very active and appreciate physical education and health … . It was definitely a collective effort of more than one person. It involved all of us.
“It’s also an affirmation that staff, students, family and community members are taking physical and health literacy as an important part of their education — that was a nice a-ha moment.”
This is the third time Strueby has been recognized in her 12-year career in this area. In 2017 the Saskatchewan Physical Education Association (SPEA) presented her with a career award for her dedication to physical education. PHE Canada also recognized her with a young professionals’ award a decade ago.
Meanwhile, PHE Canada recognized St. Michael School for the 2018-19 year as a QDPE institution. The school received one star — out of a possible four — along with a banner and plaque to honour its efforts in physical education. This was the second-straight year the school had been recognized.
It’s important to stay connected to the curriculum and current trends in physical education and health literacy, Strueby explained. She has had many different career experiences that she can communicate to students. She also feels lucky to work with students, staff and the school community who embrace QDPE.
The school’s administrative team shows great leadership since promotes a healthy lifestyle regularly, she continued. Team members coach sports and even help with intramurals, which shows that they are good role models.
Strueby embraces the curriculum’s focus on relationships, with phys-ed classes as the vehicle to achieve that. Students are encouraged to create relationships with one another, their space, their activity, and with themselves. This is connected to the other goal of phys-ed of skilful movement, where students learn physical literacy skills or basic movement patterns.
The third strand of physical education is active living, where students learn well at an early age so they can be confident and active movers, will participate, can relate to others and can be positive role models in the gym, Strueby added.
While Strueby taught in the high school system for a decade, she tells her young students today that they have physical education activities for the rest of their lives. This means their job is to go home every day and play, be active, or find an activity they like.
Being healthy ensures they will learn better since physical literacy is as important as math literacy or learning to read and write, she continued. Her job is to make moving as fun as possible so they have positive experiences for life.
She also likes to check on the students to see if they are following her advice if she runs into them at a recreational centre. The response from elementary students is usually positive; they smile, wave, give her hugs and give her high-fives.
“Activity doesn’t have to be competitive; it has to be fun and meaningful,” Strueby added. “They need to understand that moving is meaningful and a part of life and it keeps them healthy and well … and happy.”
