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Kenmore-Tonawanda schools outline expanded health, phys‑ed and athletics initiatives for 2024–25
Summary
District coordinator Lindsay Bergman told the board the Kenmore‑Tonawanda Union Free School District will emphasize skill‑based health instruction, mental‑health supports, a wellness space expansion, new grade‑span curriculum mapping, and pilot extracurriculars such as flag football and rowing.
Lindsay Bergman, the district’s health, physical education and athletics coordinator, told the Kenmore‑Tonawanda Union Free School District Board of Education on Aug. 1 that the district will expand skill‑based health instruction, deepen mental‑health work at the middle‑school level and pilot new interscholastic opportunities in coming years.
Bergman highlighted K–12 curriculum changes that replace a single high‑school final exam with a comprehensive, skill‑based advocacy project. "It can be a public service announcement, a brochure, anything," she said, describing the change as a move toward student choice and practical application.
The presentation described elementary hands‑on lessons (including a dental‑hygiene unit), Franklin Middle School’s creation of a virtual calming space for mental‑health lessons, and an expanded wellness room — now called the "fit lab" — at Hoover Elementary intended for yoga and mindfulness activities.
Bergman also outlined procedural improvements for equipment sharing across schools and plans to map curriculum by grade spans rather than single grade‑level outcomes to align with new national standards. She said the district is considering future partnerships that could allow 11th‑ and 12th‑grade students to earn college credit for physical‑education coursework.
On athletics, Bergman said the district seeks to boost participation at the modified and interscholastic levels and to broaden offerings to reach students who do not currently play traditional sports. She named flag football for girls and rowing as potential additions and described a coach‑mentoring program to support new coaches.
The board asked clarifying questions about implementation and community partnerships and thanked Bergman for the update. The presentation emphasized program expansion and procedural steps rather than immediate policy changes or new budget votes.
The board will review specific program and resource proposals as they return to the agenda for future meetings.
