Ben Schmauss, PE teacher at Schorr Elementary, has taken what he refers to as almost an “obsession” with finding a way to help his students and put it to work, creating several successful fitness education programs.

According to Schmauss, the wellness team at Schorr has a “communal goal of providing healthy opportunities to teachers because, if teachers have healthy opportunities, they will dispel down to the students.”

With this in mind, he has worked to create a fitness break area behind the school where teachers can break for ten minutes twice a day. The area includes four 4–squares and an eighth of a mile track. But the fitness break area isn’t just for the teachers.

“We will be working with a math specialist” to make the area not only a place to get exercise but also an “innovative curriculum area [. . .] where kids are learning about plotting a graph, diameter, radius, circumference,” Schmauss explained.

The goal of this project, Schmauss said, is to allow students to reach their greatest learning potential. “Teaching can be done by using hands and feet,” he said. “Studies show that a person learns about fifteen percent of his capacity sitting in a chair,” a number Schmauss says would increase dramatically if students were given the opportunity to have interactive, hands–on learning.

Additionally, Schmauss also believes that the key to health and fitness in children begins at home. “Family is where it’s at,” he said. “My wife and I started Weight Watchers to learn about nutrition and healthy eating, and I wanted to dissimilate healthy eating information in a very fun way to families.” And the idea of Family, Food and Fitness night was born.

Schmauss, his wife and other volunteers created a night of fitness and education. With events ranging from showing parents how to prepare quick, healthy, cost–effective meals to engaging parents and children in four fitness stations where they worked out together, Schmauss was able to bring 170 people together to focus on creating healthier lives.

“The parents that made it out that night are the heroes,” Schmauss said. “When you see a parent doing fitness next to his child, there is nothing like it. It’s a beautiful thing to see families doing fitness and being healthy together. And that made the night a complete success.”

Inspired by Todd Sisneros, Schmauss is also in the process of creating a fitness DVD for fitness homework. He also hopes to organize several more Family, Food and Fitness Nights in the months to come.

Misti R. Brock
Publications Specialist

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