Jessica Love is passionate about the health of our students -- their minds, hearts and bodies. New this year to our school, Mrs. Love teaches physical education (PE) to all of our students, from pre-K to eighth grade. She graduated in 2005 from Towson University with a degree in elementary education.

“I’ve always loved working with kids, and I’ve always wanted to be a coach,” Love

said. “PE is the way to have the best of both worlds.” Love played field hockey and lacrosse in high school, and division 1 field hockey in college. “I was very inspired by my high school coach. She was a good leader and someone to look up to,” Love said, adding that her coach was a mentor who helped her apply for college.

Love believes that sports and physical activity do more than keep the body healthy. “I did better academically when I was playing a sport,” she explained. “You feel better when you are exercising and eating right. That’s important for your overall health and academic life.”

Love hopes to teach her students that being physically fit is not just for PE class. She emphasizes maintaining a healthy life style. “I want them to understand that they need to be exercising three times a week at least 30 minutes a day to keep their hearts healthy,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be sports. Help rake the leaves or walk the dog. Even if you don’t want to play sports, being physically active throughout the week is important.”

Love has a special reason for being passionate about heart health. Her one-year-old son Jake was born with congenital heart disease and had surgery when he was eight days old. “The doctors are keeping an eye on him. We are thankful that he is doing so well,” she said.

Teaching Skills While Making Exercise Fun

Love’s PE curriculum differs according to the age of her students. For pre-K to second grade, she focuses on basic movement -- kicking, throwing, jogging, and running. Students practice those skills with different activities. In grades three to five, students continue working on skills as she introduces different sports, but not necessarily full-court versions. PE for grades six to eight is more focused on sports, and Love expects to add some of her favorites. She taught a field hockey unit in the fall and hopes to add lacrosse in the spring.

Not all of Love’s “sports” are traditional. Scooter hockey is a favorite. Students sit on small, wheeled scooters and propel themselves across the court with their feet. They use foot-long foam field hockey sticks to try and hit a wiffle ball into the net. Castles, created by last year’s PE teacher Joe LaHood is also popular. Teams build castles out of cups, and then try and knock each other’s castles down by throwing soft balls. “Making exercise fun is one of the best ways to get students excited about it and keep them doing it,” Love added.

Mrs. Love and her husband joined our parish this summer after moving to Silver Spring. Her husband’s family all attended school here, and Mrs. Love has participated in St. John’s Youth and Family retreats through the years with friends and family. Her husband, Patrick, is a music teacher at The Heights School. They have three children, Thomas, age 4; Sarah age 3; and Jake age 1. Thomas attends pre-K here at SJE.

We welcome Mrs. Love to our school and wish her much success.