= (Gor D> OSCR; Rue ExXS, . Students ‘must be active every day’ for lifelong benefit says retiring fitness buff By Henry Bury The Intelligencer Barbara Bleeks has been in the business of getting children ‘moving’ at an early age. The fitness buff has been, appropriately enough, a physical education teacher over much of her 24-year caree! “Physical education is extremely important today because of our inactive living style,” she acknowl- edged. “Our job in physical education is to promote a healthy active lifestyle.” And the younger the age group, the better, she added. “In the primary grades, we're setting up the right attitude toward physical activity. It’s best to get them when they’re young. It’s important for them to know that they must be ae every day and active means getting hie heart rat leeks, 54, is retiring aro the peetiogs County Board of Education at the end of Jun She said she’s fortunate in fans time out to raise a family and being in education. The ee nay native bi teaching in that city in 1 after graduating from Peterborough Teacher’: 5 Cullens She spent two years there, teach- ane S as bee ied and moved to Ottawa where she aes Grade 3/4 students and later, an intermediate girls physical education program for four years. “Ottawa was heavily oriented toward physical fit- ness and basic skills at that time,” she said. Bleeks moved to Kapuskasing and taught the intermediate physical education program. In 1971, she moved ‘south’ and began raising a family. Her id, Barry, also taught for the Hastings school \d ret ‘O years ago. In 1983, Bleeks began supply teaching for the i She’: epee on contract for the board over the ee eight year: In ‘ight ee ‘she’s been at D.R. Atkins, harnnay (where her husband was) and, for the past year, at J. Clar! anne spent those eight years in primary physi- ‘ion. “My big job at Harmony and Harry J. Clarke has been to pone the Quality Daily Physical Educa- tion pro; am, she explained, requires students to That ere gr: complet 30 minutes oes structured physical activity every QVEDUCATION 44 » paaant oe G74 Barbara ‘ moving on’ ty Henry Bury Intelligencer photo Barbara Bleeks...rolling along into retirement. “The Hastings school board has been very proac- tive in implementi ing that program throughout the schools,” she sai Bleeks’ role has been to demonstrate and give — teachers ideas on how they can put the their curric Bleeks oid. tee will remain important to her in retire eae “Tt’ll be part of my life.” One seireraent project tale will keep her and hus- band active will be construction the family’s retirement howe near Bon Echo 10 Provincial Park.