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Cheerleaders are Athletes – Politicians are Athletic Supporters

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Oh we Californians. We’re proud to talk about our beautiful beaches, mountains, deserts and diversity, but when the topic turns to politics, we deflate like a leaky balloon.

That’s because when you google “budget crisis,” you see a big picture of the Golden State with a black hole where Sacramento used to be. California was in terrible economic shape BEFORE the great recession hit. We even heard our Governor talk about closing state parks, selling the Del Mar Fairgrounds and racetrack, and other extreme measures to make up for the revenue shortfall. California is beyond broke, we’re in debt, big debt, all the way up to the top of our surfboards.

You know the cycle. Budget woes affect schools, school budgets effect teachers and students, and if your image is the one on the bottom of the educational totem pole (read, you’re a physical education teacher) you have to tolerate yet another battery of low blows to your professional mid-section. I’m embarassed to say, that a local, former Assembly-person, Mary Salas, was the ringleader for one of the worst physical education inspired ideas since picking teams for dodgeball. She drafted and tried to pass a bill (AB 351) that would allow high school students to take band, ROTC, cheerleading, et. al, in lieu of their PE requirement.

This concept was popular with some parents and students, who unfortunately, don’t know the difference between today’s physical education (a standards-based, progressive, sequential, and evaluated course of study) and physical activity. And it became painfully obvious Ms. Salas and her staff didn’t either. Either that or the idea of upsetting some influential parents was just too hard a stand to take. I personally spoke on the phone with one of her assistants, and while he listened to reason, I was quite certain his boss’s mind was made up.

My argument? Students are physically active (at times) in band, ROTC, and cheerleading, of course; but to draw a parallel to those programs and today’s physical education is simply wrong. It’s the equivalent of allowing students to take band instead of Math (after all, in band they march in formation, count the number of instruments?) or ROTC instead of Science (wait, guns are made of metals and consist of elements don’t they?) or cheerleading instead of English (but our students read and write routines, why would we make them read AGAIN for English class?). You get the idea.

Now look, we all love giving students choices, and ROTC, band, and cheerleading in and of themselves, should absolutely be a part of every high school’s program. There is no disrespect or devaluation here, I believe ALL learning and moving opportunities are important. It’s more an apples to oranges approach when you talk about equivalent substitutes. So while I agree 100% with Patrick Henry High students Dickerson and Szabo (Aug. 15, 2010 “Cheerleading isn’t physical? Get real.”) that cheerleaders are athletes and should receive the same support and opportunities as other athletes, I’m saying, athletics is to physical education as math is to science.

And, with the CA high school PE requirement already limited to freshman year — and one more before graduation — presenting more “opt out options” represents a move in the wrong direction. Students need MORE quality physical education daily; not less. Fortunately, Michelle Obama understands the link between childhood obesity and our rising high care costs.

So, what happened to the Salas bill? Logic and reason prevailed. The bill was killed. And what happened to Mary Salas? Let’s just say, good luck Juan Vargas.

Well, California is a great place to live. We still have our budget crisis, our crazy politicians, a Governor who has trouble pronouncing our state, but that’s OK. When cornered, our people pull together, fight the madness, and do what’s best for our kids. Let’s all hope we have a few parks and pennies to leave them when our latest financial mess is behind us.

-Paul Rosengard

Tags: cheerleaders, cheerleading and physical education
Posted in CA budget crisis, California budget crisis effects on physical education, Child Obesity, PE, Paul Rosengard, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog | View Comments

Physical Education and Parent Involvement

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

Parents play a vital role in the health of their children and can strongly influence the choices they make at school. Making good choices regarding physical activity and nutritious food leads to improved student health — and healthier students are better learners. So encourage the parents of your students to play an active role in supporting a healthy school environment.

What can parents and families do? Here are a few ideas:

Provide Opportunities for Activity

Enroll their children in after school sports, classes or recreational activities
Expose them to a variety of physical activities
Identify ways to be active around your home or neighborhood

Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

Provide healthy snacks
Prepare meals with food from all of the food groups
Cook with your children

Be a Role Model

Be active regularly — and invite your child to join you
Reduce your own television and computer time
Cook more and eat out less

Monitor Screen Time

Limit the time spent each day using computers, video games and television
Avoid eating in front of the television
Provide alternate activities for children to enjoy

Advocate for a Healthier School

Daily physical education taught by qualified, credentialed physical educators — hopefully SPARK trained!
Healthier school lunches in all school environments (cafeteria, a la carte line, student body sales, etc.)
Using non-food related items for fundraisers and rewards

Tags: parent involvement
Posted in Child Obesity, PE, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, children's health, exercise, fitness, healthy neighborhood | View Comments

Coordinated School Health- Motivation for Change

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

SPARK recently completed a 2-year research study in Louisville, KY for our Coordinated School Health Initiative. Coordinated School Health is an approach to school health that improves students’ health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, schools, and communities working together.

The SPARK research study was designed to pilot our programs and research their effectiveness with elementary schools. Intervention schools were provided curriculum, equipment, and materials in addition to staff development to implement the programs. The desired outcomes of the project were to increase student physical activity levels, health knowledge and improve health behaviors. For teachers and staff the focus was to increase the quality and quantity of nutrition, health and physical education levels as well as improving their own health.

Although the results of the research project won’t be released until this fall, one of the intervention schools has used this opportunity as a springboard to making some significant additions to their school. Locust Grove Elementary has recently partnered with two local hospitals to fund a full-time nutrition education teacher and provide a weekly class for all K-5 students. In addition to adding a nutrition component to their curriculum, they have created a Minds in Motion Lab for physical activity where students will spend 10 minutes a day going through different stations to improve their coordination, motor skill development, balance, and rhythm. The goal of this program is to increase the quantity of physical activity as well as to prepare the brain for learning. Locust Grove also has several policies now in place to support the healthy school environment. The two most significant policies state that all teachers must provide 20 minutes of physical activity every day, and food is not allowed in classrooms for classroom celebrations or to be used as a reward for students.

Making these types of changes requires a commitment not only from the administration to pass the policies and fund the programs, but from the school staff to implement the policies and from the parents to support the changes. Would you like to improve your school environment using the Coordinated School Health Model? Give us a call at SPARK to find out where to start!

-Jeff Mushkin
Project Specialist/Trainer

Tags: childhood obesity, coordinated school health
Posted in PE, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, children's health, fitness, healthy school environment | View Comments

SPARKfamily.org Update 07/10: Physical Education and the iPad

Monday, July 19th, 2010

New Dynamic Rubric for iPad:

It’s mid-summer and although we’re not trying to get you back to school too soon, we do want you to be prepared when the time comes. So, we’ve added the first of our new iPad features for a handful of 3-6 Instructional Units. Check out our new Dynamic Rubrics and Class Roster templates.

Each Rubric and Roster template is given in XLS format and has been designed to look great and function well on iPad and laptops alike. Currently, we’ve posted these tools in the following units (3-6 Instructional Media Library): Aerobic Games, Chasing & Fleeing, Group Fitness, and Racquets & Paddles.

Here’s the quick-tips version on how they work:
(Numbers App is required for iPad)

Visit SPARKfamily.org and download a Dynamic Rubric and Class Roster.
Open the files in Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers.
Type student names into the Class Roster for quick cut-and-paste into each rubric. See tabs along the bottom of the spreadsheet for 8 separate classes.
Save the rubric in an organized Rubrics folder.
After names are entered into your rubric, connect iPad, select your iPad device in iTunes and select the Apps tab.
Click on the Numbers App, then click “Add…” below the Numbers Documents listing.
Choose the rubric you’d like to work with and click open.
Sync your iPad and you’re ready to work!

Look for detailed iPad tutorials this Fall in the SPARKfamily .org Resource Center.

Enjoy the rest of the summer. We’re looking forward to serving you in the 2010-11 school year!

Aaron Hart
Development Director
SPARKfamily.org

Tags: iPad
Posted in Child Obesity, PE, PE teachers, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, SPARK PE, exercise, fitness | View Comments

Physical Education vs. Physical Activity

Monday, July 19th, 2010

This week Michelle Obama hosted a live chat and took questions from the field as they announced the new look to the Let’s Move! website. This movement has been exceptional way to raise awareness and a call to action to improve the health of our families in this country.

One disturbing piece of information continues to hamper physical education successfully moving forward. The terms “physical activity” and “physical education” are often used interchangeably, yet they differ in important ways. Understanding the difference between the two is critical to understanding why both contribute to the development of healthy, active children. Think of this: Physical Activity is a behavior. Physical Education (PE) is a core subject area with a curriculum that includes physical activity.

Here is NASPE’s definition of physical activity vs. physical education: http://tinyurl.com/27j2pcv

To those of us at SPARK, and certainly to the researchers, active classes is a hallmark of quality Physical Education. A PE class in which students are standing or sitting most of the time cannot be a good PE class. PE is about teaching through the physical. The goal is to teach movement skills, teamwork, and positive social interactions, as well as improve fitness and promote the joy of movement by getting students active. Right?

What are your thoughts??

-Kymm Ballard, Ed.D

Tags: Let's Move
Posted in PE, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, SPARK PE, exercise, fitness, obesity | View Comments

Four SPARK Schools Win National Award for Healthy Schools

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Each year, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation awards the Healthy Schools Program National Recognition Award to schools around the country that have reached an important benchmark in improving the learning and working environments of students and staff.

By making significant changes in the areas of healthy eating, physical activity and staff wellness, these schools have joined a growing movement of committed individuals and organizations that are working to combat childhood obesity and foster healthier communities

This year, four schools were awarded because they implemented a SPARK program in their school!

Wilkerson Elementary School – El Monte, California

Wilkerson Elementary School has made student health a priority. They started by upgrading their physical education program by providing SPARK training for all the classroom teachers. This was supported by the purchase of new physical education equipment that would encourage teachers to implement active participation and non-competitive activities as part of physical education. The next step was to provide awareness of the value of healthy food choices, introducing students to new fruits and vegetables and the “Caught Eating Healthy” campaign which provided rewards to students that selected healthier options in the cafeteria.

North Beach Elementary School – Miami Beach, Florida

The PE department made significant changes to its curriculum this year. It was one of 40 pilot schools in the county selected to adopt and train teachers in the SPARK program of inclusive, easy to learn PE activities. In support of this change, the PTA granted the PE department $6,700 to purchase new equipment to be used for the SPARK program. Members of the school’s student wellness council came up with a way to put a healthy spin on the traditional career week this year: they invited local health and wellness experts, including speakers from the Pritikin Longevity Center, Miami Heat Basketball Team and the Coast Guard, to lead discussions and conduct hands-on demonstrations for the students, staff and community.

Cortada Elementary School – El Monte, California

Teachers were trained in the SPARK program and began incorporating more structured, active play during physical education classes. The school participates in the annual Walk to School Day as well as the California Nutrition Network which provides healthy recipes in English and Spanish. The Harvest of the Month program provides classrooms with produce for students to sample as well as materials for incorporating the food into lessons. They also offer a Guest Chef program where teachers can sign up to have a chef come in to make something special with the produce, which everyone has enjoyed.

Le Gore Elementary School – El Monte, California

Le Gore started by looking at their physical education program. After providing training in the SPARK program, the teachers are energized about PE and what was once only playtime for students has become a true physical education program. The school wellness council meets during the school site council every two months; together they plan and coordinate other activities to benefit students. By working together, they have made other significant improvements at Le Gore including replacing traditional chocolate and candy fundraisers with healthier alternatives.

Congratulations to these schools and all the others that won! You should be proud of your accomplishments and thank you for helping fight childhood obesity in this country!

-SPARK

Tags: Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Posted in Child Obesity, PE, PE teachers, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, children's health, healthy school environment | Comments Off

Joining the 2010 PEP Squad!

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Great news for all of us in the good ole’ U.S.A. this week. No, the oil is still leaking; Democrats and Republicans continue to argue; there is no peace in the Middle East. But if you’re someone who cares about healthy kids, you’re smiling from ear to ear. The 2010 PEP Grants were released!

These federal monies are available to help schools improve their physical education, and/or after school, and/or nutrition programs. You see the pattern – countering childhood obesity by increasing activity opportunities and empowering kids to make good food choices. The idea is prevention, and you know what they say about an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure? Rings true here. The cost of treating obesity related illnesses makes up a large percentage of our healthcare budget. If we can get ahead of the game by investing dollars now to prevent diseases from occurring later, we ALL benefit.

If you know a school or district that might like new curriculum materials, teacher training, equipment and more, won’t you encourage them to visit the pep grant information page and search for the information they need to apply? Submissions are due July 19th so there is no time to waste!

SPARK is proud to have already worked with more than 100 PEP winners to date! Maybe you or someone at a school you know is next? Then you can join the PEP squad and shout a cheer for quality, evidence-based physical education for every child!

Posted in PE, PEP Grant, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, children's health | Comments Off

It was 20 years ago today!

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

In August 1989 the SPARK study began, with funding from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Our goal was to create a national model of physical education designed to respond to children’s health needs. We wanted to not only get kids active, but “turn them on” to activity and build the physical and behavior-change competencies they needed to remain active and healthy.

Twenty years later, I can say we succeeded beyond my wildest expectations! The SPARK and M-SPAN studies provided some of the evidence that led The Community Guide to strongly recommend enhanced physical education as an evidence-based intervention. We now have a suite of physical activity and school health programs to help young people remain active. There is a network of talented trainers across the country who provide hundreds of enthusiastically-received trainings every year. We have shown that when teachers learn to use SPARK, they keep using it for years. Most importantly, well over 1 million children benefit from SPARK every day. I often say SPARK is the most fulfilling experience of my career.

Of course, I was just a catalyst for what SPARK has become. Thom McKenzie is the architect who built a fabulous program. Paul Rosengard is the mastermind behind the blossoming of SPARK into a powerful force for improving health throughout the nation (and hopefully, soon, the world). It is a rare combination of skills to go from being an award-winning coach to a PE innovator to directing the phenomenal growth of SPARK, while maintaining quality and our strong reputation the whole time.

Recently, the SPARK staff and the master trainers got together to celebrate SPARK’s 20^th birthday. It was a special occasion for me for many reasons. I really enjoyed paying tribute to Thom, Paul, and all the fabulous staff. It was a special treat to recognize SPARK employee numero uno, Kecia Carrasco. She was number one then, and she is number one now. We are all blessed that she is still devoting her considerable talents to SPARK. And it wouldn’t have been a SPARK party without a lot of fun activities. The master trainers led us in 3 great dances under the California sun, and I hope you get a chance to see some of the video.

With all that the SPARK team has accomplished, it is not nearly enough. While SPARK was growing, so was the obesity epidemic. It is very fortunate that we created some solutions for this problem, because concern about childhood obesity is certainly driving much of the interest in what we can provide. But still most schools do not have evidence-based activity-focused physical education. Most after-school, preschool, and recreation programs are not active enough. We have much more to do. But “with a little help from our friends” we will “come together” and SPARK the “revolution” that is needed to get every child active so they can be healthier and happier.

Jim Sallis

www.drjamessallis.sdsu.edu

Posted in Jim Sallis, PE, SPARK, SPARK Blog, SPARK PE | Comments Off

Do You Live in a Healthy Neighborhood?

Thursday, June 18th, 2009

I was recently asked to propose a short list of indicators of a “healthy neighborhood.” The list was to be considered by the San Diego Childhood Obesity Initiative, which is a wonderful coalition working hard to improve environments and policies to support children’s health. I thought others might be interested in the list, so I am sharing it here.

The items represent my understanding of likely physical or built environmental influences on diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. Many of the items are consistent with evidence. I believe the general concepts are sound, but the specific numbers and distances are best guesses. For present purposes I added a few priority indicators for healthy schools and homes.

Healthy food access

Supermarket or other source of affordable fresh fruits and vegetables within ½ mile of homes
No more than 2 convenience or liquor stores within ½ mile of homes
No more fast food than sit-down restaurants within ½ mile of homes
Community garden within 1 mile of homes
Weekly farmer’s market within 1 mile of homes

Facilities for active recreation

Park with play equipment in good working order within ½ mile of homes
Parks have walking paths
Daily youth activity programs for free or sliding scale fees in all parks
Private recreation facility with sliding scale fees within ½ mile of homes
Nearest school activity facilities is open for public use

Designing for active transport

Sidewalks on every street in neighborhood
Pedestrian aids (crosswalks, signal) at intersection with nearest busy street
Street pattern creates direct routes from homes to nearby destinations
Nearest shopping area has sidewalks and safe pedestrian crossings
Public transit stop within ½ mile of homes

Healthy school environments

Evidence-based physical education offered daily
Markings on preschool and elementary playgrounds to stimulate active play
Sidewalks, marked crosswalks, and traffic calming within ¼ mile of each school to facilitate safe walking and biking
Salad bars with multiple raw food choices daily in every cafeteria
Only healthy foods provided at school
Convenience stores and fast food restaurants are not within ¼ mile of schools
No food advertising in schools

Healthy home environments

No televisions in children’s bedrooms
Only healthy foods out on the counter for snacking
Sports and activity supplies available for both indoor and outdoor play
A bicycle or skateboard for every child

James Sallis

www.drjamessallis.sdsu.edu

Posted in Physical Activity, Physical Education, SPARK, SPARK Blog, exercise, healthy neighborhood, healthy school environment | View Comments

Rage Against the Political Machine

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

SPARK was born and bred in California, and while we’re proud of our beautiful beaches, mountains, deserts and diversity, when the topic turns to politics, we deflate like a leaky balloon.

That’s because when you google, “budget crisis,” you see a big picture of the Golden State with a black hole where Sacramento used to be. CA was in terrible economic shape BEFORE the great recession hit. Now, our Governor is actually talking about closing state parks, selling the Del Mar Fairgrounds and racetrack, and other extreme measures to make up for the revenue shortfall. CA is beyond broke – which connotates no money to spend — we’re in debt, big debt, all the way up to the top of our surfboards.

You know the cycle. Budget woes affect schools, school budgets effect physical education (PE), and politicians begin writing non-sensical legislation. I”m embarassed to say, that a local, San Diego based Assembly-person, Mary Salas, was the ringleader for one of the worst PE inspired ideas since picking teams for dodgeball. She drafted and tried to pass a bill (AB 351) that would allow high school students to take band, ROTC, (et. al.) in lieu of their PE requirement.

This concept was popular with some parents and students, who unfortunately, don’t know the difference between physical education (a standards-based, progressive, sequential, and evaluated course of study) and physical activity. And it became painfully obvious Ms. Salas and her staff didn’t either. Either that or the idea of upsetting some influential parents was just too hard of a stand to take. I personally spoke on the phone with one of her assistants, and while he listened to reason, I was quite certain his boss’s mind was made up.

My argument? Students are physically active (at times) in band and ROTC, of course, but to draw a parallel to those programs and physical education is simply wrong. It’s the equivalent of allowing students to take band instead of Math (afterall, they march in formation, count the number of instruments) or ROTC instead of Science (guns are made of metals and consist of elements) or cheerleading instead of English (students read and write routines). You get the idea.

Now look, we all love giving students choices, and ROTC and band in and of themselves, should absolutely be a part of every high school’s program. There is no disrespect or devaluation here, I believe ALL learning and moving opportunities are important. It’s more an apples to oranges approach when you talk about equivalent substitutes.

Fortunately, physical educators around the state, including Arleen Hammerschmidt, Joe Herzog, Kim Butler, Ashley Wirth, Bruce Bettey, and countless others, rallied with organizations (including SPARK and CAHPERD) to fight this bill and it’s backers.

However, in the end, logic and reason prevailed. The bill was killed — DOA! A true victory for physical education and physical educators — and our supporters in health, and other related fields.

Well, California is a great place to live. We still have our budget crisis, our crazy politicians, a Governor who has trouble pronouncing our state, but that’s OK. When cornered, our people pull together and fight the madness and do what’s best for our kids. Let’s all hope we have a few parks and pennies to leave them when our latest financial mess is behind us.