Sachem Launches Parent Wellness Program

The Sachem School District will kick off its Sachem Parent Wellness Program tonight at Sachem High School East by opening the fitness room for district parents to get some exercise. The pool will also be open for lap swimming from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Sachem Parent Wellness program is part of the $1.5 million Carol M. White PEP Grant, which Sachem received over the course of three years. According to Peter Blieberg, Sachem's athletic director, the school has used some of that money to train staff, institute new curriculum in health and physical education and to open new fitness rooms in the district's six secondary buildings.

Blieberg also stated that the district purchased four fitness trails, which will be installed at each middle school in the coming months.

After overseeing these changes, the department wanted to open the facility up to parents in the district to use the equipment and provisions free of charge. At the February 28 Board of Education meeting, Blieberg sought, and received, permission from the board to institute this new program.

The adult wellness program will run for nine weeks, for two nights per week at each high school. On Monday and Wednesday, adults can go to Sachem East. On Tuesday and Thursday, participants will head to Sachem North.

"We will open the pools for lap swimming, the weight rooms and the fitness rooms which will include spin bike classes, all free of charge to the adults within our community," Blieberg stated in an email.

The guided classes are available on a first-come first-serve basis, according to district officials, and availability of equipment is based on amount of participants. The program is open for adults only. Babysitting will not be available.

The schedule reads:

• Monday: Sachem East        7-9 p.m.
• Tuesday: Sachem North     7-9 p.m.
• Wednesday: Sachem East  7-9 p.m.
• Thursday: Sachem North   7-9 p.m.
• Lap Swimming Only. Pools will be staffed from 7:30-9 p.m.