By Anna Crichton
January is the infamous month where everyone suddenly
kick starts into healthy living. They start going to the gym and cutting out
junk foods. In most cases though, this probably only lasts a grand total of two
weeks. At DRSS on the other hand, healthy living is something that is practiced
year round. Part of this is thanks to the High School Wellness and Fitness
teacher, Heather Tash.
 |
| Heather Tash is a Wellness and Fitness Teacher at the Dayton Regional STEM School |
Ms. Tash is well known around the school for her popular exercise
routines like “Tash Torture,” and helps organize things such as the annual
Walk-A-Thon. Her class consists of getting students physically active at least
twice a week, and educating them on making healthy living choices on a daily
basis. She believes that Wellness and Fitness is one of the most important
subjects that can be taught in school. If you don’t have your health, how are
you able to become a productive contributor to society?
General Health and Wellness has always been a major part of Ms. Tash’s
life. Growing up, she always wanted to be a teacher. After college, she decided to
start working at a Public Health Policy office in D.C. Though she enjoyed her
job, she still had the desire to work with children. So, after shadowing a few
teachers, she finally decided to get her teaching certificate and began her
career as a Wellness and Fitness teacher.
Being a Wellness and Fitness teacher has a lot of pros and cons that go
along with it. One of the most rewarding parts of the job according to Ms. Tash
is “getting to see the change in student’s lifestyles, and seeing them be
excited about it.” On the other hand, one of the most difficult things is
getting students to try and change their habits. Most of them are set in their
ways, and aren’t motivated to make better choices. According to Ms. Tash, the
biggest issue with teen’s health is their lack of motivation and their poor
eating choices. Part of this might be attributed to their busy schedule. Often,
they don’t find time to get physical activity, or don’t have the time to
prepare healthy meals. According to Ms. Tash, if students were to get at least
ten to fifteen minutes of exercise a day, their health would greatly improve.
One way that Ms. Tash is promoting general wellness is through the
Healthy Living Project. This is a project conducted by her 10th
grade class. Their goal is to design either a way to make better healthy eating
choices, or design some kind of fitness routine that targets a specific
audience. This year, they presented them on Exhibition night. This gave both
parents and students the chance to gain a wealth of knowledge on various
healthy living topics.
This is just one of the many projects that Ms. Tash’s students complete.
The amount of information they receive on topics ranging from diseases to food
choices is quite extensive and beneficial to their lifestyles. We can’t thank Ms. Tash enough
for keeping the lifestyle at DRSS a healthy one.
