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Riverside Physical Education Teacher Given Midwest Post

Posted on: Friday, 4 November 2005, 21:00 CST

By Sandra Baer

Pam Castleberry, a physical education teacher for the Mad River Local School District, was appointed a representative to the Midwest district of the Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the professional organization for physical education, health and dance teachers working with students from preschool to college.

"I'm the adapted physical education chairwoman for the state organization, but this is my first appointment to the Midwest district," said Castleberry, who was appointed by the executive committee of the Ohio Association for Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

"I'm doing double duty for the state and the district."

Castleberry is responsible for planning presentation pre- workshops for the state conferences in her district, which include Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Each year, Castleberry's district committee works with one state, then rotates to the other states in succeeding years. This year the target state is Ohio, with a state conference held in the beginning of December.

Next year, she will focus on Michigan, followed by West Virginia in 2007.

"There are certain times when it's really busy like just before the conference and in early spring, when we get presenters for the next conference," said Castleberry, who has taught in Riverside for seven years.

"We have a good network because of a grant from Wright State University that allows us to send e-mails out to the teachers."

Castleberry teaches seventhgrade physical education at Mad River Middle School and also serves as the adaptive physical education teacher working with students with disabilities.

"I grew up about an hour north of Minneapolis," said Castleberry, who moved to the area with a husband in the military.

"I did my undergraduate degree at Wright State University and then got my master's degree in education at the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse."

In addition to her college degrees, Castleberry is also nationally certified for adapted physical education.

The initial certification required her to take certain college courses, work hands-on with students, hold a state office in the OAHPERD, give presentations and pass a three-hour test.

Recertification required more hands-on work, presentations and being published.

"Recertification was easier, because I didn't have to take a test," said Castleberry, an adjunct professor at Wright State University, who regularly has WSU students shadowing her and getting hands-on experience with students.

This usually is the first opportunity the students have working with students who have disabilities.

Castleberry began her teaching career in 1995, working as an adapted physical education teacher for the Greene County Educational Service Center in Yellow Springs.

For two years, she worked with students throughout the county.

In 1997, Castleberry worked for three days at the Lutheran School of Miami Valley in Dayton and drove to Dublin, a Columbus suburb, to work another two days.

She began working as a physical education teacher for the Mad River Local School District in 1999.

"I love to see the smiles on their faces when they're being successful in a regular class," said Castleberry, who works weekly with 40 adapted students and 100 seventh-grade students, and has four children of her own.

"They become part of a group and are not being isolated."

Vandalia woman gets B.A. from labor college

Diane Walsh of Vandalia earned a bachelor's degree in union leadership and administration from the National Labor College in Silver Springs, Md. Walsh was one of 107 union leaders, members, activists and staff from across the country receiving a degree at the seventh annual commencement ceremony.

"I did it for me," said Walsh, who works at the Delphi Home Avenue plant as a union representative for Local 87-L of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union.

"Two of my daughters have master's degrees and they challenged me to go back and get a degree. It was kind of scary going back."

Walsh, the daughter of Earnest and Beverly Armitage of Vandalia, grew up in Northridge, but moved to Vandalia with her husband, Rusty, 28 years ago.

She earned an associate's degree in nursing from Good Samaritan Hospital, where she worked for three years before leaving to work at the General Motors Inland Division Plant in Vandalia.

"I keep my nursing skills up by working as a paramedic in Vandalia," said Walsh, who took a one-year course to become a paramedic and has worked at the Vandalia firehouse for 24 years.

"I enjoy working for the union now, because when someone comes to me with a problem, I can enforce the contract and help iron it out and make everybody happy."

Walsh was required to spend the first six days of every term on campus in Maryland.

The rest of the term, she was able to e-mail assignments to her professors.

"I flew, because the airfare was really low from Dayton to Baltimore," said Walsh, who was able to stay in the college dorms during the six days on campus.

Walsh's daughters include twins, Melissa Dady and Nicole Walsh, who graduated from Butler High School in 1993 and Jessica Walsh, a 2004 graduate of Butler High School, who is in the nursing program at Sinclair Community College. All three attended St. Christopher School in Vandalia until eighth grade. "Between church, the fire department and work, I don't have too much time extra," said Walsh, who is active at St. Christopher Catholic Church. "The education is something I have to fall back on."

Altrusa club sponsors auction Nov. 12

Altrusa International of Huber Heights and Vandalia will be sponsoring their annual auction at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 12 at Holiday Inn North, 2301 Wagner-Ford Road, Dayton.

Altrusa is a service organization dedicated to improving literacy.

In addition to a luncheon and door prizes, participants will have an opportunity to bid on items from both an auction and a silent auction.

"Every penny of the money that we make goes to literacy programs and scholarships for students at Wayne High School and Butler High School," said Alma French, co-chairwoman of the project along with Patty Bond. "It all benefits libraries and the community."

John Seagraves, a professional auctioneer, will be auctioning off a variety of items, including a Christmas basket, china, a Mary Kay basket, a toy basket that contains registered dolls and toys, a wedding basket and a game night basket that includes games and cards.

"He really knows how to get a crowd enjoying themselves and excited," French said of Seagraves. "He has such a wonderful wit."

The event will also include a raffle for a sapphire ring, highend jewelry including 20 pieces from the Joan Rivers collection and a bake sale.

"The proceeds benefit our community projects like the back pack program for illiteracy teachers and the book program we fund at the Children's Medical Center," said French, a Huber Heights resident.

"I'm from a background of teachers, and books were always in my family, so books to me are so wonderful -- they stimulate the imagination. Working with children and reading in any capacity is exciting to me."

Cost for the tickets is $20.

For more information, call 236-6409.

If you or a friend or relative recently achieved an honor, or your club or organization has an activity that would make interesting reading, call Sandra Baer at 432-9054, e-mail her at jjbaer@aol.com or send a typewritten notice to: Neighbors, Dayton Daily News, 45 S. Ludlow St., Dayton, OH 45402. We want to hear from you.

Source: Dayton Daily News

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