LAPEL — The Frankton-Lapel Community Schools board recently passed policy that will allow high school students, in place of the normal physical education course, to get credit for being on a sports team, cheer team or member of marching band or guard.

“A lot of schools are already doing this. Indiana allows schools to give physical education credits for kids that play a sport or that is in the marching band in the summertime, cheer leading and guard,” Frankton-Lapel Superintendent Bobby Fields said. “(Assistant Superintendent Sterling Boles and I) met with the high school principals, and if the board passes a policy, we’d like to do it.”

Fields said students currently have to take two semesters of physical education, one credit for each semester. With the new policy, students will be allowed to earn two credits through athletic participation, marching band, guard and cheerleading.

“It will open up room in their schedule to take other electives, or APC (Advanced Physical Conditioning) instead of regular PE,” Fields said.

The policy notes that students, to earn the credits, would have to be on the team or organization from the first day of practice to the last event. On the athletic side, it is for IHSAA-sanctioned sports and does not include club sports.

Boles said Lapel Middle School did sign-ups recently to guage student interest in the new policy.

“We tried to predict how many kids would take advantage of this,” Boles said. “At Lapel Middle School, they had over 70 eighth-graders sign up to opt-out of PE. We were thinking there would be maybe 30 or 40.”

Boles said some students wanted the APC course, but a lot were taking a study hall and getting their social studies credit hours.

You can call her Miggy

The rise of focus on health during the current pandemic isn’t isolated on physical health. It includes mental health, too.

In an effort to help the mental state of students, teachers and others in the Lapel Elementary School building, they’ve added a new member to the staff.

Miggy, short for Amygdala – the part of the brain that regulates emotional process – is an in-training therapy dog of LES Assistant Principal Ben Craw

He and LES Principal Joe Bowman, accompanied by Miggy, spoke at the most recent school board meeting, praising the job of their four-legged co-worker.

“She has been an incredible part of our staff,” Bowman said. “The kids love her, but it has mostly been about adults.

“She’s an incredible addition to our school. I’ve never met a dog as chill as this dog. She just sits and does exactly what she’s supposed to do. My favorite quote was from a first-grader, “Miggy healed me with her love.”

Craw said Miggy is seven-months old. When she is one year old she will be able to get her full-credential as a therapy dog.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work with adults because they’re a little more predictable and easier to train with. (Miggy) does a great job with the kids, too,” Craw said.

“I received two Christmas presents unwrapped and the card just said, “To Miggy,” Craw shared. “It was dog treats. There was nothing for me.”

Pledge of Allegiance

Lapel Elementary fifth-grader Kane Ashton opened the meeting by leading the group with the Pledge of Allegiance.