School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard, whose position is funded through Partners for a Healthier Community, had her first opportunity to meet with the health and physical education faculty for the Fall River Schools on January 10, 2011, at the Silvia School on Meridean Street. The meeting provided and opportunity for Ms. Picard to introduce her role in working with the teachers to explore ways of making the school curriculum more up-to-date and relevant to the physical and health educationi needs of the students. The meeting also served as a chance to describe the current Fall River Fitness Challenge that was officially launched on January 8th and to invite the teachers to find ways to involve the students in their own Challenge-type activities over the next four months. Ms. Picard introduced Community Development Recreation program director Jamison Souza who described the Challenge and suggested some of the activities that teachers had developed last year. The faculty will meet next for an all-day session with Ms. Picard on January 24th. For more information, contact Marcia Picard at the Doran School.

(Top row, left) Fall River School health and physical education teachers from the elementary and middle schools sign in at the meeting held at the Silvia School community room. (Top row center) School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard welcomes the opportunity to begin meeting with the teachers over the remainder of the school year. (Middle row, left) Henry Lord Middle school teacher Brendan Kelly asks a question as art and music department chairperson Betty Yokell listens. (Bottom row, left) Community Development Recreation program director Jamison Souza describes the Fall River Fitness Challenge and invites the teachers to come up with Challenge activities that they can do with their students after showing them a short video about the Challenge. (Bottom row, right) Talbot Middle School teacher Christine Oliveira picks up one of the bags of equipment that the Children In Balance grant was able to purchase for the Challenge last year.