Teacher wellness center at city school has goal to promote fitness, ease stress
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Left, Heather Hatfield, a FX Well personal trainer, watches as Matt Mutolo of Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, demonstrates bench jumps at the grand opening of the Teacher Wellness Center at Francis Scott Key. Scott Plank, founder of War Horse, and his wife, Dana DiCarlo, funded the center.
Beginning this year, the special education teacher will have to muster only enough energy to walk down the hall.
The first wellness center for teachers in Baltimore opened Thursday at Francis Scott Key, part of a public-private partnership spearheaded by Scott Plank, founder of the real estate and philanthropy company War Horse.
Left, Heather Hatfield, a FX Well personal trainer, watches as Matt Mutolo of Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School, demonstrates bench jumps at the grand opening of the Teacher Wellness Center at Francis Scott Key. Scott Plank, founder of War Horse, and his wife, Dana DiCarlo, funded the center. (Kim Hairston)
Officials say the effort is designed to foster health and fitness among teachers, who are relied upon as role models for students.
"A lot of the lion's share of the resources go to the kids, as it should be," said Plank. "But we thought we could deliver the same kinds of resources to teachers."
Plank said he created the 1,574-square-foot wellness center — equipped with treadmills, an Arc exercise machine, bikes, a rowing machine and more — with the goal of bringing a private-sector attraction to public school teachers.
Plank said people sometimes forget that teachers make a choice to go into a classroom instead of into corporations. He quipped that he didn't know much about being a teacher, but he does know about running a business.
"Everything is about retaining and attracting good people," Plank said.
For Piper, the wellness center signals recognition and appreciation for her job.
"It's like we work for this entity, where we're only seen as teachers," Piper said. "This acknowledges that we're people."Teacher wellness center at city school has goal to promote fitness, ease stress - Baltimore Sun:
