While most physical education classes give students strenuous activity, PE Mentors/Moving Together takes a different approach, physical education teacher Ashley Lewis, who teaches PE Mentors, said.

The class is made up of half Special School District students and half regular education students who serve as mentors or buddies in the program.

“It is not your typical PE class because we play a lot of elementary games. One day we might color, another day we might do minute-to-win-it activities,” Lewis said.

Despite the name, PE Mentors also includes activities outside of physical education.

“[PE Mentors] is also drama. [Drama teacher Michael] Swindle co-teaches the class. He brings in activities and things where the kids have to talk. Not all of our [SSD] students can talk out loud, but we do a lot of activities where they have to speak up. I think that helps them find their voices and be able to use it and talk to others,” Lewis said.

Lewis and Swindle try to keep an equal mix of PE and drama games.

“We typically try to rotate [games]. Coach Lewis will do a game then I’ll do a game,” Swindle said. “We try to alternate back and forth, which forces us to have a balance.”

To qualify for PE Mentors, regular education students must complete prerequisite physical education classes.

“PE Mentors is in the third tier of physical education classes. [Regular education students] have to do Personal Fitness and Wellness and then have another physical education class,” Lewis said. “Then they can get to PE Mentors.”

SSD student and senior Mimi Cochran has enjoyed her time in PE Mentors.

“[PE Mentors] is really fun. Coach Lewis does really fun activities,” Cochran said.

In addition to keeping the class fun, Swindle has noticed growth in his students.

“The way that class is broken up is that there are mentors and buddies, and the buddies have really started to come out of their shells. They have started to talk with people that at the beginning of the semester, they were uncomfortable around, because they didn’t really know them. They are starting to gravitate toward, associate with and connect with students that are not in their normal classes,” Swindle said.

Cochran is one buddy who has come out of her shell and developed a relationship with her mentor junior Abby Carr.

“She’s really nice and friendly,” Cochran said.

While the class goal is to empower the SSD students, Lewis believes the regular education students also gain a lot from the experience.

“I think a lot of kids sign up because they want to help and they think it’ll be good for the special education students. In reality, when they walk away from this class, they may learn life lessons of patience, including others and that SSD students] are just people with different abilities,” Lewis said.

Junior Evan Sommer is one of these students.

Sommer came into PE Mentors to help others.

“I joined PE Mentors because I enjoy helping the community and I thought it would be a fun way to help people that aren’t as privileged as me,” Sommer said.

However, Sommer has been unexpectedly changed by the experience.

“PE Mentors has definitely helped me become just a better person in general. I would say after taking the class I’m more focused on how I’m treating others. I make sure I don’t treat anybody with disrespect, which I wouldn’t intentionally do, but I’m more conscious of the actions I’m making now,” he said.

Sommer isn’t the only one who has learned from PE Mentors.

“I have started to branch out into the world of PE games. As a theater teacher, I’m not a big sports person,” Swindle said.

PE Mentors has opportunities for its students outside of Lafayette as well. On Nov. 28 and Dec. 12, they went to a bowling alley.

“Some mentors [went] with our special education students and [helped] them bowl. The second time we [went was] a competition against other schools. The mentors [were] there to help the students and guide them. That looked different for every single student involved, so it is pretty fun,” Lewis said.

But, Lewis believes the purpose of PE Mentors goes deeper than just the class itself.

“I think PE Mentors was created to help people move and be active and hopefully find something they enjoy. But I also think it was developed because I think it’s just important to understand people and give them grace,” Lewis said.