When it comes to getting high school students physically active, anything and everything is on the table. This semester, Chanute High School’s PE teachers are introducing activities normally done out-of-doors.

“Many kids are not involved with scouting or 4-H, so they are lacking in outdoor experiences,” Michelle DiLisio said. “There are a lot of kids who’ve never done archery or touched a fishing pole in their life.”

Until now.

Both DiLisio and Jeff Williams took a summer class on how to teach archery. Then they added archery to the second semester curriculum.

The students learned how to handle the equipment safely, and then they practiced shooting arrows at a target from 20 and 30 feet away.

Student reaction has been positive.

“We’ve had kids ask us if we could just do (archery) the rest of the year,” she said.

“It’s fun. I get to shoot an arrow which is something I’ve never done before,” sophomore Amy Tripp said.

“I like it. It’s something different for a change,” said Anna Zinuticz.

“Something different, something new,” added Cortney Shields.

The teachers want to expose the students to even more outdoor activities.

“We just want to get them excited and to start thinking and paying attention to a variety of ways to be active for a lifetime,” DiLisio said.

Learning to ride an exercise “Trikke” will be part of the outdoor session this spring, as well as how to build a campfire, cook over a campfire, orienteering, canoeing and kayaking.

“Our goal is to do a one-day field trip that will include hiking and cooking a meal,” DiLisio said.