Melinda Smith (continued)

Melinda's sports of choice while a student at Plano Senior High School were basketball, volleyball, track (shotput and discus), and she played on softball leagues in the summer.

Melinda visited Barksdale Elementary School's fitness room this week where students rotated through a circuit of fun physical activities. Health/PE Teacher Cheryl Kool updated Melinda on the school's programs.

Among her favorite teachers who "had a positive influence" on Melinda was Diane Davey, then track coach and the longtime and current girls' soccer coach at Plano Senior High School. "Melinda is the catalyst and motivator for excellence in physical education, health and wellness," said Coach Davey. "She has charted a thorough and well planned map to fit in with the needs of our staff, students and diverse community member in Plano ISD."

Melinda is an "artist" at heart who enjoyed being the official "break through" sign maker for the Plano Wildcats Football Team when she attended the school. "I was an honored guest at the football banquet," Melinda fondly recalled. "That is a special memory." Melinda's first college pursuit was as an art major. Cartooning was her pastime. Later, as a teacher, she used cartooning in many of her classroom lessons.

Melinda is pictured with fifth graders at Barksdale Elementary School, one of six campuses to receive new, multi-functional pedometers through a grant from Presbyterian Hospital of Plano and the Plano ISD Education Foundation.

After high school, Melinda "detoured" a bit on her path to teaching. She traveled with a softball league and worked in various jobs. Once she decided to pursue her teaching degree, she enrolled in Richland Junior College where she also played basketball. She continued studies and basketball at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, eventually transferring to the University of Texas at Arlington where she earned her bachelor's degree in exercise and sports studies. When she crossed the stage at graduation, she became the first member of her family to earn a college degree.

Melinda quickly began racking up teaching awards, first earning "Student Teacher of the Year" in Dallas ISD for initiating new physical education programs for students at Gaston Middle School. Her exceptional teaching abilities followed her back home, to Plano ISD, where she taught at Mathews, Skaggs and Sigler elementary schools.

In 2002, when she took the helm at central office, she immediately formed a district leadership team of physical education and health instructors to bring the curriculum up to new levels of excellence.

Digest: What makes Plano ISD health and PE so successful?

Melinda: We have such a strong, dedicated group of health and PE teachers and teaching assistants. They make my job so easy. They welcome change. They want to be successful and take programs to the next level. And, they work closely with the athletics staff to ensure student success there. (Melinda presented on Plano ISD's health/PE curriculum at the school board's February 16, 2010, work session. View her presentation .)

Melinda is pictured with her son Logan at a recent Marathon Kids event.

Digest: How has your leadership team made a difference?

Melinda: We have a core group of leaders from across the district who wrote Plano ISD's own "Coordinated School Health Program." Only two districts in Texas have written their own state-mandated programs. The health lessons are integrated with science and social studies. The components include classroom, PE, food and nutritional services, parental, guidance and counseling and school health. I also co-chair, along with a parent, our district's School Health Advisory Committee.

Digest: What is your motto?

Melinda: "Practice what you teach." I encourage teachers to promote their programs, get involved with their schools' enrichment programs, to get involved with physical education activities outside of their schools and to model what they teach.

Digest: What is unique about being a health/physical education teacher?

Melinda: We see every student in the building. We service all students. That's the great part about our job. My feelings get hurt if students don't say it's the best part of their day.

Digest: What programs have you introduced to Plano ISD?

Melinda: I initiated the "partner challenge" concept in which students buddy up with a friend and compete in 40 or so activities on field days. They keep track of events and encourage each other through trust, responsibility and skill. They get to show off what they've learned all year at field day. I also initiated 3-on-3 soccer so that students learn more about the game by honing their skills and playing games with just six teammates. Also, campus wellness teams are a successful addition at our schools in which the campus develops goals and involves the entire family, like "walk-to-school" day or health fairs and family fitness nights.

Digest: What programs have you tried to duplicate from your great memories in the early Plano ISD health/PE programs?

Melinda: Coach Ron McNeil was my elementary PE teacher. We had what was called a "Little Olympics." This was a district event, and I'm trying to duplicate district and family involvement through this program and programs like Marathon Kids, Hoop Shoot, Speed Stack Tournaments and others.

Digest: What do you want students to take away from the Plano ISD program?

Melinda: The premise of our program is variety. We try to capture students' interest by exposing them to many activities. We have to challenge them to discover activities that they enjoy, so that they will continue those activities and build upon them throughout their lifetimes.

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Quotes About Melinda

"Melinda is a passionate advocate for quality physical education opportunities and experiences for all students. She has led or participated in many efforts to further this cause, including developing partnerships within our community and acting as a spokesperson for important legislative issues. Melinda gives endlessly of her time and effort to establish the very best physical education experience for the boys and girls of Plano ISD. She is a passionately strong advocate for building life-long habits in our students which will result in healthy life styles and interests throughout their lives."

~Susan Modisette, Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction

 

"Melinda is very dedicated and works hard for the students and teachers of this district. During the last few years, she has developed the health curriculum and is currently working on a physical education curriculum to help strengthen the programs. She has also taken time to order up-to-date equipment that can be "checked out" and used for a short time at any school. This helps the health and physical education teachers keep their programs running smoothly."

~Benjamin Pirillo, Hughston Elementary School PE Teacher

 

"Melinda has an unending passion for the health/physical education fields. She enables us to create a fun and varied yearly plan with rotation equipment and is constantly looking for new equipment and ideas to enhance our programs. We are very lucky to have her leadership in our district, not only for the staff but for the families as she heads the School Health Advisory Council and strives to keep Plano ISD in the forefront with curricular changes and technology advancements."

~Patti McAlpin, Rasor Elementary School PE Teacher

 

"Melinda's greatest gift is her passion for what she does. When she has a vision that she or her staff feels will benefit the students of Plano ISD, there "ain't no mountain high enough..." She will find a way to get it done. She has broken through barriers that physical education and health have never gone. All of this is for the benefit of our kids. The health and wellness of the students of Plano ISD are not just her job but most importantly, are her passion! She has a clear vision of how we are to move our children in a positive direction, and she goes after it with enthusiasm, heart and knowledge. She will not rest until it is done right. Because of Melinda, Plano ISD has risen to the top as a model for reaching kids through health and physical education."

~Cheryl Kool, Barksdale Elementary School PE Teacher

"Melinda's genuine concern for a decline in overall student performance led her to set a high standard of expectation for herself and her instructional staff to provide necessary tools for instruction. She has modernized and transformed an average physical education program into a model program from the elementary through senior high school levels."

~Diane Davey, Plano Senior High School Soccer Coach

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