Regional winner, top five national champion, and a top 15 contestant in Worlds, Mrs. McGovern-Broesler is the Academy’s very own Irish step-dancing prodigy. The Charleston graduate majored in exercise science due to her passion for health. During COVID, she sought to take that interest further and now proudly teaches at the Academy.
“My mom is a teacher and I was always her ‘mini teacher,’” Mrs. Broesler revealed. She has always been a natural leader with an interest in teaching. Her mom always said to try something else, but the pandemic allowed the health aficionado to explore her collegiate studies further– this time as an educator. The teacher shared, “I love finding something that everyone likes that helps them stay fit and that they can take outside of class.” A class favorite is the “ring game,” created by the previous fitness and wellness teacher, Mrs. Strope, and continued by Mrs. Broesler. Many students enjoy the competition this game brings, as they throw a rubber ring over the volleyball net in an attempt to get their classmates out. If they fail to catch the ring and it lands in their space, they are out. If they do not throw the flimsy ring far or high enough and it does not go over the net, they are out. Reversely, if they throw the ring too far and it lands out of bounds, they are also out. When a student gets “out,” they must go to the other side’s “jail.” To return to their side, one of their teammates must throw the ring far enough so that the ring game’s prisoner can catch the object without any interceptions. The game ends when all of the students from one side are successfully in the jail of the others. Upon first entering Mrs. Broesler’s class, students are unfamiliar with this Academy-masterminded game, but the gym teacher encourages students to “try something even if it’s new because you never know if you will be good at it if you do not try it.” Many students have found success and enjoyment in this fan-favorite game.
In addition to fun games, Mrs. Broesler introduces the wellness side of the class through a journal every day. “Journaling is so important. You’re your own therapist,” Mrs. Broesler gushed in regard to the benefits of journaling. She finds the act significant enough that she includes a journal at the start of most of her classes. She shared, “There is so much going on in life, and it is so helpful to write things down.” She advocates to-do lists and simply journaling about daily life. Journaling is one of her favorite ways of relieving stress, as is working out–the two components that compose her class. She enjoys fitness classes and having an hour to herself without the distraction of technology. Mrs. Broesler also teaches Irish step dancing classes three nights a week and sometimes once on the weekends. Mrs. Broesler is undeniably committed to her craft and her students. Despite such a busy schedule, she ensures that every student knows their worth and that they are appreciated each and every day through encouragement in class and “hello’s” in the halls. Mrs. Broesler shared how special Saint E’s is to her, listing how important the community and students are and adding that “the history is so rich, too.” With each year at the Academy, Mrs. Broesler is amazed to find that she is always learning more about the school’s rich history. Already this year, the fitness and wellness educator found vintage Academy gym uniforms. It is safe to say that students are glad to have those uniforms stay “vintage.”
In recent years, Mrs. Broesler found her Irish step dancing match with regional, national, and world titles of his own, Ms. McGovern became Mrs. Broesler at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Many students shared their excitement in the spring of 2023, helping the then-Ms. McGovern to pick out her nails, ready invitations, and assemble party favors for the soon-to-be bride. In the fall of 2023, Mrs. McGovern-Broesler had the tough decision of deciding on what name her students should call her. After much deliberation and thought, she decided to acknowledge her married name Broesler, while allowing students to use McGovern or Broesler interchangeably. “I knew it would be hard because ‘Broesler’ is a tough name to say, but it’s been sticking,” Mrs. McGovern-Broesler observed. With this thought in mind, the fitness and wellness teacher knew that the transition would be tough on students. She reported happily that students are about “50/50” on the McGovern-Broesler subject– better than she had initially anticipated.
The Academy’s Fitness and Wellness program includes many elements in hopes that it attracts as many students as possible, thanks to the welcoming personality of Mrs. Broesler. With her various interests ranging from health to games to journaling to fitness and Irish step dance, students are bound to find something that piques their interest in this multifaceted class with its versatile teacher. With students learning about the gym teacher’s Irish step dancing skills and titles, will this be the year that Mrs. Broesler actually dances for the school on Saint Patrick’s Day?