In the past three years, about 20 staff members, including Spellman Principal Susan Holiday, have participated in Zumba dance classes Gilliard-Arthur organized as well as morning walks with students before class. “Once you increase the health of your students, they’re here, they’re well managed, because they’re healthier,” Gilliard-Arthur said.Īnd it’s not just the Spellman students getting healthy. However, Gilliard-Arthur said 90 minutes of physical education would be ideal. Individual schools can set their own time limits for daily physical education, and the range at Spellman is 30 to 45 minutes from kindergarten through sixth grade. 17, Gilliard-Arthur asked students to break off in pairs and groups of three and four. As students learned locomotive skills such as hopping and skipping Oct. Gilliard-Arthur said part of being a good physical education teacher is showing how the class should be treated as an academic subject like English her lessons also incorporate reading and math skills. Gilliard-Arthur earned the honor in the 2010-11 school year after being observed by specialists and submitting her curriculum and research to MAHPERD. Gilliard-Arthur said she is proud of the fact Spellman is the only MAHPERD demonstration school in Prince George’s County - and only one of 11 in Maryland - meaning instructors across the state visit Spellman to learn best teaching practices from watching Gilliard-Arthur in action. “I like that she’s dedicated about physical education because some other teachers I’ve had before, they just told us to play,” Bah said. Sixth-grader Lauratu Bah, 11, of Hyattsville said she enjoys the “JAMmin Minutes” every Friday, when a few minutes of a dance song plays on the school loudspeaker and allows Gilliard-Arthur to encourage students in every classroom to get up and move. Amy Wiley, the county schools’ supervisor for physical education curriculum and instruction, nominated her for the award, which has been given out at least since the 1980s, said Elaine Lindsay, MAHPERD executive director. Gilliard-Arthur has worked in Prince George’s County Public Schools for 11 years, spending seven years at Oxon Hill Elementary School before arriving at Spellman in 2008. We try to develop the whole child and every child.” We involve everyone, and we don’t isolate, and we don’t cater, either. “I do get to see the different sides of students. “It isn’t all play,” Gilliard-Arthur said. MAHPERD, based in Towson, focuses on professional development and research for teachers such as Gilliard-Arthur, who received the award at the MAHPERD Convention on Oct. Spellman Elementary PTA Fall fundraiser Friends of the PTA and the Cheverly American Legion are pleased to invite you to the 1st Annual Halloween Party to benefit our local elementary school, Gladys. Gilliard-Arthur, 35, was named the Maryland Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Physical Education Teacher of the Year for elementary students. In 1972 she was awarded the highest honor that could be bestowed by county officials nationwide when she became the first woman elected president of the National Association of Counties.Christine Gilliard-Arthur said she knew since kindergarten she wanted to teach physical education because she loved to play.īut it was hard work before play for the Laurel woman to reach her dream of teaching students like hers at Cheverly’s Gladys Noon Spellman Elementary School, and she recently saw the fruits of her labor - an award as Maryland’s best elementary school physical education teacher. She later served as chairperson of that body, and as a member of the Prince George's County Council. In 1962, she became the first woman elected to the Board of Commissioners of Prince George's County. Before being elected to public office, Gladys Spellman was an educator in the Prince George's County public school system, president of the Prince George's County Council of PTA's, as well as chairwoman of the National Mental Health Study Center. The Baltimore-Washington Parkway, a scenic north-south highway in Maryland, is dedicated to Spellman. Her seat was declared vacant until Steny Hoyer won it in special election. On October 13, 1980, Spellman suffered an incapacitating heart attack, rendering her comatose for the final years of her life. Congresswoman who represented the 5th congressional district of Maryland from Januto January 3, 1981.
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