WEST POINT, N.Y. (November 16, 2015) - The West Point Middle School held its first Wellness Event Oct. 27 to kick off its goal of health and wellness throughout the community.
The middle school faculty, as well as James I. O'Neill High School Junior ROTC cadets, U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School cadet candidates and other members of the community joined forces to help launch the event.
"It's a very holistic view of wellness bringing the entire West Point community together," said Michi Carl, the West Point Schools Liaison Officer. "The partnerships in education are bringing local resources into our local schools to enrich the curriculum and the educational experience of our students."
The event began with a briefing in the auditorium. After an explanation of the day's events, U.S. Military Academy at West Point head football coach Jeff Monken and head swim coach Mickey Wender spoke to the students about wellness, character and leadership. The students then went on to enjoy the day's festivities.
Throughout the day, students traveled to four stations: nutrition and healthy choices, fitness and physical activity, wellness and safety, and character development. They competed in obstacle courses, learned safety tips and participated in team-building activities at the different stations.
USMAPS Cadet Candidate Shanice Alexander volunteered at the character station.
"This is going to be my home for the next five years," Alexander said of West Point. "So I feel like it's really good to get out here and volunteer because you get to meet people that actually live where you live and have that link between community and military." Alexander emphasized the importance of competence, commitment and character not only as a future cadet, but also as a leader and someone with good character.
At her station she asked questions about character and leadership to the students "just to have them thinking," she said. "A lot of the time they haven't been exposed to something like this formally, so we want to just make it as comfortable as possible and make it a discussion."
In previous years, the event was called "Character Counts" but after doing some research, the event was expanded.
"We've collected data and realized that one of the areas that we're really trying to work on is overall health, family and community resources," said Melissa Prosperie, a teacher at the Middle School. "As we start our new wellness goal for our school, we are trying to focus on the whole child, so academics as well as their health, spirit and well-being."
Thomas Musteen is the Squadron commander of the James I. O'Neill Buffalo Soldiers Squadron, the Junior ROTC program through the high school. "This was my old middle school so I have a chance to give back, see some old teachers," he said. "I think it's improved a lot and I'd like to help it continue on that path." Musteen volunteered at the physical fitness station, hoping to lead the students by example.
"Leadership is a very large portion of JROTC and what we are," Musteen said. "I think adapting to this new situation gives us a chance to lead and having the middle school kids see us lead, the different ways it can be done, and they can possibly emulate that themselves." The students were more than happy to take leadership cues from the cadet candidates and JROTC cadets.
"It's really cool," said Harper Ray, a seventh grader at West Point Middle School. "I think an event like this is important because it's an interaction between not only the high school and the middle school, but it's also with the cadets."
Wellness and character were common themes that were evident through the day's events. More importantly, the day offered an opportunity for different parts of West Point to come together. "It's kind of just bringing our community together to share an experience with each other," Ray said. "We're definitely really lucky."
Related Links:
U.S. Military Academy at West Point website
U.S. Army Garrison West Point Facebook
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