Month Newsletter

PE Internet Resources

Dear Reader,
This is a newsletter informing you of PE Resources that
could be used in and outside of the classroom. Below are
highlights of Lets Move, MyPlate, Fuel Up To Play, articles
from Live Strong and the LA Times, as well as the book
Super Simple Bend and Stretch.

Lets Move!

The website Lets Move! Was launched by the First Lady, Michelle Obama. This initiative
is completely dedicated to resolving childhood obesity. Their goal is to have children grow up
in a healthier generation. Lets Move! looks for the help of administrators, parents, and the
community to help get involved in promoting a healthy lifestyle. The website offers helpful
information on creating environments that support healthier food choices inside and outside of
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school. It also provides parents with access to healthy affordable foods as well as physical
activities that create an active child. Lets Move! runs on five simple ideas. The five pillars
consist of, creating a healthy start for children, empowering parents/caregivers, providing
healthy food in school settings, improving access to healthy and affordable foods, and creating
an increase in the childs physical activity. Within the past three decades the rates of
childhood obesity have tripled, causing one in three children to be overweight or obese. With
physical activity being replaced by technology children are becoming less and less active. Not
only is there a danger in the loss of physical activity amongst children, recent cuts to physical
education are now contributing to the prevalence of childhood obesity. Along with this,
children are now consuming 31 percent more calories, 56 percent more fats/oils, and 14
percent more sugars. As we look for a change in the way we eat, live, and exercise, lets vow
to take the Lets Move! pledge together.

Our Pledge
Its our move. Our kids need to eat healthier food. They need to be more active. We all
parents, teachers, doctors, grocers and businesspeopleneed to join together. We cant let
this generation grow up more likely to get diabetes, cancer or heart disease. Lets Move on
this crisis!
Our work! work! work! all-digital-all-the-time world isnt healthy for us or our kids. We
need ways for the whole family to band together. Parents are looking for tips and tools. To help
our kids choose good food. To help them learn that shooting hoops with friends beats shooting
aliens with a laser. Kids were meant to move!
If kids could be coaxed off computers, where would they go? Is there a park in the
neighborhood? Is there a playground nearby? Do their schools have enough sports facilities?
Where are they going to get that sixty minutes of activity needed each day? Kids need places
to move!
Our kids need to be eating healthier food. We need to help our schools and grocery
stores offer better options. More fruit, less sugar. More vegetables, less fat. More knowledge,
fewer empty calories. More cooperating to solve these problems. Lets Move together!
We believe every kid has the right to a healthy childhood. We cant let this be the first
generation in our history to grow up less healthy than their parents. The ingredientsbetter
food + more activityare clear. Lets Move isnt just noble, its a necessity. Its not just a
slogan, its our responsibility Are you with us? Lets Move!

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MyPlate

With the MyPlate website, it is clear to see a promotion in a healthy eating style. It
emphasizes the importance of what we eat and the quantity in which it should be eaten. With
the right mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, healthy living is made easy. The
website highlights the variety, amount, and nutrition needed for children and adults. It
suggests that we choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added
sugar. By making small changes to the way we eat, everyone can take action in creating a
healthy life style. While exploring MyPlate, I found links to games, activities, videos, and songs
that both teachers and families could explore. Each one provides information on transitioning
towards healthier living. The information provided for children was made easy to understand
and presented in creative ways that would appeal to the interest of children in any age group.
One tool that may be helpful for parents of growing children in the MyPlate Daily Checklist.
This simply provides a how many calories should be consumed at every age level (2-14).
Another option the website provides for adults is the ability to calculate their own calorie
intake. MyPlate is an exceptional website for children, students, adults, professionals, and also
offers information in multiple languages making it a useful tool in generating a healthy living
style.
Below are links that may serve useful to both parents and teachers:
So the first link below gives a brief overview of the purpose and features MyPlate
has to offer.
GettingStartedWithMyPlate.pdf
This link focuses on educating families about healthy food and physical activity.
MyPlateForMyFamily-Brochure.pdf
This link provides building blocks to create your own healthy eating solutions.
MyPlateMyWins.pdf
With this link you can find a personalized healthy eating guide.
MyPlateDailyChecklist_2200cals_Age14plus.pdf

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Fuel Up To Play

Fuel Up To Play 60 is a national and physical activity program launched by the National
Dairy Council and NFL. In collaboration with the USDA, Fuel Up To Play 60 encourages todays
youth to embark on a healthier journey through life. It has a strong student foundation,
committed educators, and community engagement. While browsing through the website, I
found links for Parents, Children, Educators, and Community that made physical activity and
nutrition more accessible. It also provided personal stories from children all across the nation
and even encouraged children to share their own journeys with healthy living. With the
playbook tab, ideas of having breakfast in the classroom are explored, farm to school activities
are promoted, and providing vital resources for the community on healthy eating are
presented. With the tool tab, ideas for event planning, involving others, promoting your
efforts, monitoring your progress and highlighting your successes are at the click of a button.
Just like Lets Move, Fuel Up To Play 60 offers its own pledge where people are asked to
energize their body and mind by eating healthy, being active for 60 minutes each day, and for
their own creative input on how they will achieve this pledge.
Below are links that teachers and parents could use to promote a healthy lifestyle:
This link provides ways for students, educators, parents, and community to be
involved in making healthy changes.
https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/get-involved/get-involved
This link offers schools and families tools to make healthy changes.
https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/playbooks/current-seasons-playbook
With the tools link, youll be able to find links to other websites that promote
healthy eating.
https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/tools
In this link provides success stories and options for schools/communities to share
their own stories.
https://www.fueluptoplay60.com/stories/success-stories

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What Are the Benefits of Physical Education

in School?
What Are the Benefits of Physical Education in School?
Last Updated: May 05, 2015 | By Alison Datko

It is no secret that physical activity is necessary to a person's well-being. Because children are
continuously developing physically and emotionally, they are especially affected by the benefits of
activity and inversely, the negative effects of inactivity. Educators can control the amount of exercise
a child gets at home no more than they can control his eating habits or his family situation, and
according to numerous studies, many children are neither active at home nor at school. Consequently, it
is vital that schools provide physical education programs to ensure that each child stays active. First
lady Michelle Obama's initiative Let's Move! reports that nearly one-third of U.S. children are overweight
or obese, and that schools are a key setting for kids to get their 60 minutes of play with moderate to
vigorous activity, given the significant portion of time they spend there.

Physical Health
Physical education programs in schools directly benefit students' physical health. Getting the
recommended amount of exercise combats obesity, which subsequently reduces the risk for diabetes,
heart disease, asthma, sleep disorders and other illnesses. Regular exercise also contributes to
cardiovascular health and promotes muscle and bone development. According to the National
Association for Sport and Physical Education, school PE programs should require both fitness and
cognitive assessments. In addition to participating in physical activity, students in PE learn the
fundamentals of a healthful lifestyle, the building blocks upon which they can develop into healthy,
knowledgeable adults.

Academic Performance
Though a lack of attention on PE is often justified as an opportunity to spend more time in the
classroom, studies show that physical activity contributes to improved academic performance. Regular
activity during the school day is strongly associated with higher concentration levels as well as more
directed, composed behavior. A statewide policy in North Carolina required that children from
kindergarten to eighth grade participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. A survey of school
representatives from 106 of the state's school districts reported that the most recognizable benefit of
the mandate was improved academic focus.

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Social Assimilation
Activities in PE help children develop healthful social interactions. From a young age, children learn
cooperation through group activities and form a positive sense of identity as part of a team. Such group
activities are continually important as children grow older. The International Platform on Sport and
Development states that sport has been used as a practical tool to engage young people in their
communities through volunteering, resulting in higher levels of leadership, community engagement and
altruism among young people. Sportanddev.org also notes that positive character development
through group physical activities depends on the program curriculum.

Mental Health
The benefits of PE to a child's mental health are both complex and comprehensive. Improved physical
health, academics and social interactions all contribute to good mental health. Physical activity sets the
stage for a good night's sleep, while obesity, caused in part by inactivity, is linked to sleep apnea. Sleep
deprivation negatively affects the body's immune function, aids in memory consolidation and may
cause irritability and impatience. Regular physical activity, in addition to adequate sleep, provide more
energy to participate in hobbies and interact with others.

Article Reflection
According to the article What Are the Benefits of Physical Education in School? as found
on the Live Strong website, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, school
PE programs require both fitness and cognitive assessments for children of all ages. Within the
article, it suggests that the simple participation in physical activity allows students to learn the
basic skills for a healthy life style. Physical Education has proven to be the building blocks for
students to live healthier lives as they continue to grow. With Physical Education children learn
to cooperate in group activities and begin to form a positive image of what it means to be a
part of a tea. PE has also been linked to better physical health, high academic grades, an
increase in social interaction, and an overall contributor to good mental health. When children
become active the risk of childhood obesity and Type II Diabetes decreases. However, when
children lack physical activity there has been strong links to sleep apnea, hypertension, and
other related health issues. Physical Education should be an integral part of a childs day
because it offers a way to stimulate the childs mind, preparing them to tackle the days work.

A Push for Phys Ed

A Push for Phys Ed
Increasing physical education time by an hour a week could have a significant effect on
curbing obesity among young girls.
September 13, 2004|Shari Roan | Times Staff Writer

Physical education class has long suffered from an image problem. Children often deem jumping jacks and
chin-ups boring or goofy; parents wonder if the time would be better spent on reading skills.

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But a new study makes a strong case that physical education may be the single best strategy for curbing the
nation's growing child obesity problem -- at least among girls. In the first study to evaluate the effect of P.E.
programs on kindergartners and first-graders, researchers found that increasing P.E. time by one hour per
week could lead to a significant decline in body mass index, a measure of body fat, among girls. They
projected that providing five hours of P.E. per week to kindergartners -- close to the recommended amount
-- would produce a 43% reduction in the prevalence of girls that age who are overweight. About 10% of
kindergarten girls are overweight now, but that would decline to about 5.8% with at least five hours of P.E.
per week.

The same effect on body mass index was not observed in boys, possibly because more boys are active at that
age and a larger percentage of 5- and 6-year-old girls are sedentary. The effects of P.E. on boys' weight might
be observed at later ages, suggested Rand Corp. researchers who conducted the study.

Wide variations in P.E. time were found among schools participating in the study, with kindergartners
averaging only 57 minutes per week of P.E. and first-graders receiving about 65 minutes per week.

"What is exciting about this study is that P.E. works for a large number of children," said Nancy Chockley,
president of the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation, a Washington, D.C., nonprofit
group that funded the study. "Helping these kids manage their weight from an early age is so important."

The research was conducted from U.S. Department of Education data as part of a broader, long-term study
of 11,192 children from 1,000 public and private schools who entered kindergarten in 1998. Results from the
study are published in three medical journals; the P.E. arm of the study appears in the September issue of
the American Journal of Public Health.

P.E. has become a low priority in many schools as administrators struggle to raise test scores and meet
minimum standards for academic achievement. But schools are one of the few places where child obesity
can be addressed on a large scale, Chockley says. According to the federal government, the prevalence of
obesity among children has doubled since 1980, and it has tripled in teens. More than 15% of children ages 6
to 19 were overweight in 2000.

"Schools are clearly burdened, and we can't leave [the obesity problem] all to the schools," she says. "But
schools are where the children are, and they have to be part of the solution."
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The study also examined whether obesity affects behavior and academic performance. Kindergarten girls
who are overweight were found to be significantly more likely to have behavior problems such as anxiety,
low self-esteem and acting out. Overweight children were also more likely to score lower on reading and
math tests.

But more research is needed to determine whether obesity affects school performance and behavior or
whether other factors are at work, says Ashlesha Datar, an associate economist at Rand and lead author of
the studies. "Our research suggests it's the quality of the home environment that is the most important
predictor of school outcomes," she says.

Article Reflection
In the article, A Push for Phys Ed by Shari Roan, there is a close examination of the
benefits students would reap if Physical Education was increased by an hour each week. In
recent studies that evaluated the effect of PE programs on kindergarteners and first graders,
researchers found that with an hour increase in PE instruction, there seemed to have been a
decline in the childrens body mass index and measure of body fat amongst the girls who
participated in the study. According to the article, as of 2000 over 15 percent of children
between the ages 6-19 were considered to be overweight. With Physical Education becoming
less present in school settings, the article found that there was a direct correlation between
the lack of physical activity and low test scores. As students became less active in school,
students began to do poorly on standardized tests. The article also found that when school
increased Physical Education to five hours a week, less and less children were being
categorized as overweight. The article also stated that families and school board members
should push for Physical Education in any way they could. The article made it clear how
important it was to involve parents, families, and educators in the promotion of managing
childrens weight at a young age, if they wish to continue living healthy lives as adults.

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Super Simple Bend and Stretch

Super Simple Bend and Stretch is an interactive childrens book that creates healthy and
fun activities for children to do with their body. This book is recommended for children ages
seven and up because the activities require active attention and being in tune with their body.
Looking at the first page children are told how important it is to be active because it provides
the body with energy which essentially helps the child grow big and strong. It provides
children with two options they could do to get their bodies moving and they are bending and
stretching. The book also provides five reasons to become active which I feel influence the
child to turn off the TV, computer, or phone and begin to bend and stretch. The book also
highlights information on the muscles we have in our bodies and also highlights the
importance of eating healthy. It also recommends that families get involved by creating a
Move It Chart, which is used to record how much time the child spends doing healthy
activities. Besides providing moves to bend and stretch it also asks that the reader take the
Super Simple Moves Pledge. This simple pledge askes kids to promise to be active and move
their body for one hour a day, five days a week. After agreeing to the pledge children will keep
track of their activities, ask friends and family to stay active with them, play outside three
days a week, and limit their intake of television and technology. Overall, I found this book to be
very informational for both the child and their families and is a great tool to integrate into the
classroom. Using this book to schedule in stretching breaks is definitely a great way to get
students stimulated and ready to learn or move on to the next task.

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