Middle School PFW Classes Cultivate a Life of Fitness and Well-Being

A student in PFW class.

Take a peek inside the St. Margaret’s weight room during a Middle School personal fitness and wellness class, and one thing is clear: This isn’t a typical PE class. 

It’s designed to be much more. 

“We see personal fitness and wellness in the Middle School as a foundational building block for a life of good health and well-being,” said Patrick Bendzick, director of student wellness and athletics and the PFW department chair. “From journaling and goal-setting, to warm-ups and cooldowns, to the progression of the exercise program itself, everything is intentional. The curriculum is designed to give students the skills needed to pursue an active lifestyle, and all the value it brings.”

The Middle School PFW classes are taught by strength coach Mike Davis, assistant strength coach Randy Park and PFW teacher Makenna Henry. The class schedule mirrors the division’s sports schedule; Middle School students are enrolled in PFW if they are not playing a Middle School sport during one of the three seasons.

The class meets as a regular block, three or four times a week. Under the watchful eye of PFW coaches, students build foundational strength-and-conditioning skills in a safe and age-appropriate manner. That includes novice skill development like jump rope, stretching and basic core work, which progresses to plyometrics, individualized mobility work and more. 

Just as importantly, students are taught to put their training into context. At the beginning of class, students are given a writing prompt on a health and wellness-related topic and do a quick journal entry. During water breaks, students log their activities in TeamBuildr, an online strength and conditioning platform. They review and reflect on that data and develop an understanding of the progress they’ve made and the potential they possess. 

PFW teachers also educate students on a variety of health and wellness topics like sleep, hydration, nutrition basics and mindfulness. 

The PFW curriculum in the Middle School is part of a holistic approach to health and well-being to support students as they learn and grow at St. Margaret’s. The school’s dedication to the health and well-being of its students is noticeable throughout campus. In recent years, the school grew and reorganized its all-school counseling staff, renovated and expanded its Health Center, and invested in social-emotional learning and DEI work. Future plans for a 30,000-square-foot Student Commons—which will include a strength and performance center twice the size of the current weight room—reaffirms the school’s commitment, and will allow health and well-being programs to expand in scope. 

“This is a lifelong priority for St. Margaret’s,” Mr. Bendzick said. “We will continue to monitor research and trends for our students to learn about, practice and develop proactive healthy habits. 

“Our Middle School PFW reflects that commitment, and it is our hope that our students will leave St. Margaret’s with the skills and the desire to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”