Middletown Middle School
Middle 7-8
100 Martha Mason Street
Middletown, Maryland 21773
Submitted by Christy K.
1. What is your school doing right now to stay healthy?
Middletown Middle School staff and families recognize the benefits of physical activity for better health and better school performance. Our students enjoy physical education classes every other day, and they love their instructors. Students also have two co-curricular activities (clubs) twice weekly including health and fitness, the arts, humanities and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). After lunch, students walk the track for 10 minutes. Approximately 75 percent of the students engage in extra-curricular exercise, from organized team sports to individual sports and yoga. This year, the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) started a Healthy Lifestyles program. We are working with the 6th grade life skills classes introducing them to community members with different fitness activities and making nutritious dishes. In September, families got recipes for healthy, tasty meals using leftovers.
2. Why does your school need help to do more?
Our track is used by students and the community to exercise, even though it is sixty years old with cracks, gouges and grass growing through it. Things started with a student who went to the new principal with an idea to have a Fun Run to start a repaving project. Our current parents, teachers and students agreed it was time to do something so everyone would benefit. The youth running club coach says every year that their excited new members turn away once they see the track's unsafe condition. The PE department chair sadly admits to them that the track simply serves as a warm-up location or boundary for games inside of the field because it is not safe. It’s not safe for our wheel-chair students to use either! We know we have something special. Not many middle schools even have a track. We use it EVERY DAY, even though it is unsafe.
3. How do you think your school could put $10,000 to good fitness use?
The reality is our school system has no money to fix our beloved track. The current parents, staff, students and community members have set into motion a project to make our middle school track safe again by planning activities and fund drives for donations, entering contests and applying for grants. The question is not will we raise the necessary $50,000, but when. We are determined and have momentum. We started at the end of August asking for donations and selling magazine subscriptions. We’ve raised $5,000! There’s been an unexpected benefit - a new group of parents and community members are becoming enthusiastically involved in the school and PTSA! The ultimate prize will be a smooth track that more youth can run, walk and learn to ride their bike on – safely! It is a chance for everyone to develop a healthier lifestyle.