Coach Cheryl is a first-year AmeriCorps program coordinator at the Blackstone Elementary School in the South End. She is a natural Playworks coach and has an immense commitment to making a difference in the community. Coach Cheryl is the first Playworks coach at the Blackstone to recruit a full girls' basketball team and co-ed volleyball team. Not only did they sign up, but they are eager to learn, practice, create team cheers, and play. For their hard work and dedication throughout the season, Coach Cheryl took the girls basketball team to a Boston Celtics basketball game. For some, it was their first time attending a professional game.
During the month of Feburary, Coach Cheryl actively participated in the Share the Love of Play campaign, raising more than $3,300 for Playworks. Additionally, Cheryl created a plan for success with her recess monitors. Recess monitors now engage with students in healthy play and help transition students quickly and quietly back to class. Recently, Coach Cheryl has been working with the Blackstone on a challenge from UNICEF. She has distributed “fitbit” style activity trackers for third, fourth and fifth grade students. Coach Cheryl set a goal of helping students reach 10,000 steps each day. For every 2,000 steps, a student receives a point. Each point will provide one nutritious meal for a child in a place where food is scarce. By tackling malnutrition in other parts of the world they are getting the school community fit. There are activity rewards for the class, teacher, and student who gets the most steps. Cheryl will be incorporating this new challenge throughout daily recess and individual class times.
Coach Cheryl continues to make excellent happen at her school by building a fantastic Junior Coach Program. Over the course of year, Coach Cheryl has empowered her Junior Coaches and given them the skills to learn, lead, and thrive in and out of the classroom. Coach Cheryl is committed to the Playworks Massachusetts movement. With her dedication and great passion for building a healthy community, we are confident Coach Cheryl will continue to make excellent happen throughout Massachusetts.
