You’ve got 30 days (or less – depending on when you read this) to put in a high quality proposal.

Here are a few important things to think about as you do your best to meet the deadline.

• Register online as soon as possible.  Go to the following links and complete the necessary steps to be eligible to apply online. http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp
  (Click Organization Registration and complete the steps). Only online applications will be accepted this year so be sure to register early.




• Know and understand what you are required measure.  The federal government is expanding the data to be collected by winning applicants.  Be sure to address each of the required measures in your objectives as well as you evaluations.  Visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-14731.htm for the initial announcement and overview. Click Here for the 2010 application.




• Go for the bonus points!  Be sure to include a well-outlined plan for collecting BMI data.  Your superintendent will need to be on board and signatures will be required.  However, this could be the difference between a winning grant and an application that almost wins.Likewise, gather your programming partners, like other health organizations, your food service staff or local youth organizations.  A written and signed collaborative agreement can also score you much need bonus points.

• This last tip continues to be critical to winning PEP Grants: Know your needs and be able to prove them through documentation and assessment information. In your application, clearly outline where your program can improve and how PEP funding will make those improvements. Prove that you’ve done your homework by utilizing available assessment tools like the School Health Index and PECAT. Always address local, state and national standards.

Update 6/22/10:

The Department is providing technical assistance (TA) opportunities to applicants in the form of both webinars and conference calls. These opportunities are scheduled as follows:

1. June 21, 2010 (Webinar) –information specific to SHI, HECAT/PECAT, and BMI
2. June 22, 2010 (Webinar) –information specific to SHI
3. June 29, 2010 (AM Conference Call) –general info on program and application submission
4. June 29, 2010 (PM Conference Call) general info on program and application submission
5. July 7, 2010 (Conference Call) general info on program and application submission

Additional information related to these TA opportunities will be posted on ED’s website at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/whitephysed/applicant.html.

Hopefully you’ve prepared up to this point, and already have much of the information you need to craft your winning application.  SPARK knows and understands what it takes to be a part of a winning PEP Grant proposal.  To date, more than 100 PEP grants have been awarded to organizations that chose to implement SPARK curriculum/training and equipment!

Contact a SPARK representative for a free cost proposal and for help writing SPARK into your grant submission. We want to make it easy for you to implement SPARK and improve the quality and quantity of PE/PA at your site(s).

The report, titled Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation, includes Early Childhood Education, Physical Education and Physical Activity recommendations. SPARK is already well aligned with the recommendations in this report!

Click Here for the full report.

Early Childhood Education

“Young children need opportunities to be physically active through play and other activities. Physical activity assists children in obtaining and improving fine and gross motor skill development, coordina¬tion, balance and control, hand-eye coordination, strength, dexterity, and flexibility—all of which are necessary for children to reach developmental milestones.
Preschool years, in particular, are crucial for obesity prevention due to the timing of the development of fat tissue, which typically occurs from ages 3-7…. Features of the child care center environment, including policies regarding activity and provider training, as well as the presence of portable and fixed play equipment, influence the amount of physical activity children engage in while at child care.”

• SPARK Early Childhood is designed specially for children ages 3-5 years to increase physical activity and development
• SPARK EC was one of the first large-scale, urban efforts to evaluate a comprehensive physical activity program for the 3-5 age group. The project concluded in winter 2004, and showed the SPARK EC program was very well received by the Head Start teachers, increased students’ moderate to vigorous activity levels to over 50% of class time, and improved the number of minutes children engaged in activity throughout the day.

School-Based Approaches to Increasing Physical Activity

“Schools are a key setting to focus on, given the significant portion of time children spend there. Schools can undertake a combination of strategies and approaches to help children be more active including:
- Creating infrastructure and policies that increase access to and encourage physical activity for all students;
- Collecting valid and reliable data and using analytical tools and systems to understand student needs and fitness levels, and promoting approaches that are effective in changing physical activity behaviors and, ultimately, health outcomes;
- Maintaining strong physical education (PE) programs that engage students in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 50% of PE class time;
- Providing a variety of activities and specific skills so that students can be physically active not just during class but throughout the day and year; and
- Providing qualified school professionals who are trained in teaching methods to engage stu¬dents in PE, including for students who face greater barriers to activity.”

• SPARK physical education and activity programs have been proven to increase levels of MVPA, physical fitness, motor skill development, student enjoyment of the program and academic achievement
• SPARK was recently identified as a successful model for combating childhood obesity in the report, “Fighting Obesity: What Works, What’s Promising” by the HSC Foundation. The report speaks of SPARK’s history, practice, and methods. SPARK was the ONLY program recommended for physical education AND physical activity.
• SPARK is the ONLY National Institute of Health (NIH) researched program available providing coordinated curriculum, training, follow up support, and equipment for Pre-K through 12th grade teachers.
• A Child Trends report titled “What Works for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity Among Children”, highlights SPARK as a program that has proven to increase physical activity among students.

Physical Education

“Physical Education (PE) is considered the cornerstone of a school-based comprehensive physical activity program. It provides the basis and opportunity for young people to gain the knowledge and skills needed to maintain physically active lifestyles throughout childhood and into adulthood. A quality PE program can increase student participation in physical activity, increase their physical fitness, and enhance their understanding about the purpose and methods of physical activity. Participation in daily PE is associated with an increased likelihood of participating regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activity.”

• SPARK Physical Education is an award-winning, research-based program that has been proven to increase activity levels, knowledge, skills, and fitness. SPARK elementary physical education is the ONLY nationally-disseminated program that positively affects ALL of these student outcomes:
  • Academic Achievement
  • Activity levels (moderate to vigorous surpasses 50% of class time)
  • Fitness achievement
  • Sport Skills development
  • Enjoyment of PE

• SPARK’s the only PE program that has data to show students statistically significantly increase their Fitness gram scores.
• SPARK activities can be integrated throughout the school day to help your school provide physical education daily

Nutrition Education

“More, and better, nutrition education is needed in many schools. While approximately 75% of schools require nutrition education as part of health curriculum requirements, the time spent on nutrition and dietary behavior has declined in recent years, and funding has been limited. Many teachers are not equipped with the skills and knowledge to integrate and promote nutrition education into their classroom curricula. Research has shown that nutrition education interventions, if well designed and effectively implemented can improve dietary behaviors.”

• SPARK has teamed up with Healthy Kids Challenge and Healthy Lifestyle Choices to provide nutrition and health education curriculum and training programs
• Healthy Kids Challenge is a nationally recognized non-profit led by an exemplary team of registered, licensed dietitians with many years of school, program, and community wellness experience
• Healthy Lifestyle Choices curriculum is flexible and provides a variety of scheduling and implementation options for busy elementary teachers

For optimal health, children should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) every day and do vigorous sports or exercise 3 times a week.

1. Frequently ask your child what physical activities they like to do, then help them do it!
2. Be a role model. Show children physical activity is important by enthusiastically participating in it.
3. Participate with your child (e.g., play catch, chop firewood, go on walks together).
4. Encourage your child to participate on sports teams (e.g., Bobby Sox, Little League, basketball, etc.).
5. Plan family events, including weekend getaways and vacations, that include physical activity (e.g., hiking, water sports, skiing).
6. Enroll your child in out-of-school physical activity lessons and classes (e.g., martial arts, dance, swimming, gymnastics).
7. Transport your child to places where she/he can move and play safely.
8. Monitor television viewing and video game play. Have your child “earn” time for these “low voltage” activities by accumulating minutes of physical activity.
9. Select gifts that encourage physical activity (e.g., a ball, a jump rope, a pair of in-line skates).
10. Write and speak with school administrators showing your support for quality physical education and physical activity programs on campus.

The real action came at the press conference after the summit. The Governor announced new bills and executive actions that again place California at the forefront of public health efforts to improve physical activity, eating, and obesity. There were several important policy initiatives introduced, as explained in a press release: http://gov.ca.gov/press-release/14519/. Most of the policies were designed to increase children’s physical activity! This focus on getting California kids active is very welcome. The policies cover a wide range of issues, including simplifying funding for joint use agreements, targeting Safe Routes to Schools funding to disadvantaged communities, and requiring 30 minutes of daily physical activity in after-school programs.

Of particular interest is the proposed law to require 50% of PE classes to be spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by 2013. This has been a public health objective for decades, but has never been adopted by a state. If passed, this bill could start a national trend to align public health and education goals. The goal of PE has always been to “teach through the physical” so I expect this law to help PE meet its multiple goals. Requiring 50% MVPA will stimulate teachers to find ways of teaching skills and knowledge through activity, in a way that will meet the current health needs of children.

Even when the bill passes, there is a long way to go to effective implementation. Between now and 2013, the PE community and public health advocates will need to work hard, work smart, and work together to obtain the funding needed to train teachers, adopt curricula, and develop practical accountability systems required to bring highly active PE classes to all California students. We will have to be sure that improvements are made in the low-resource schools that have the poorest quality PE now. But the effort will be worth it. More-active PE will be great for California children’s health and academic performance. This will be a big step toward defeating childhood obesity. I believe that highly-active PE classes will be seen as an improvement in quality by school administrators, parents, and legislators. Improving quality is a strong foundation for increasing PE minutes per week and bringing PE to all high school students.

Please write to the Governor and your representatives in Sacramento expressing your support for these bills that will help California children become more active and healthy. Make sure the professional and civic organizations you belong to support these bills. This is a great opportunity for California physical activity and physical education advocates, so let’s make sure the bills are passed, then work for the funding and support to implement them throughout the State. If you are not in California, then recommend your state’s leaders adopt the same, or even better, measures to improve children’s physical activity. Let’s see which state will win!

Jim Sallis
www.drjamessallis.sdsu.edu

Wendy and I flew to Atlanta to honor a friend and colleague as he transitioned from full time work to retirement; and I want to tell you about it.

Our friend is Peter Savitz, the President of Sportime – or – what was once Sportime.  You see, the Sportime we all knew and loved really doesn’t exist anymore.  Sportime used to be a separate company that served the physical education market by providing truly innovative products to students and teachers.  Today, Sportime is a product line and a part of a large company, School Specialty.  This is different, don’t know if it’s better or not, we’ll leave that to time and others to make that call.  What we know today is that the Sportime (and Fitness and Sport) catalogs we’ve all used in our careers are not called Sportime anymore, they’re School Specialty Physical Education and Recreation, and won’t be created by the same people.

So what of Sportime’s leader – Pete?  After 40 years in the industry, working with Larry Joseph to build a company from scratch, he’s hanging up his sneakers.  Under Pete’s leadership, Sportime grew to be one of the largest equipment providers to physical educators in the U.S.  Headquartered in Atlanta, Pete hired a lot of terrific staff, gave them the tools to do what they do best, and enabled their development.  Pete is one of those rare individuals that can answer almost any question related to the business.  He also made himself available to you 24/7.  Pete didn’t supervise people, he supported them.  A lot of others could benefit from his lessons on how to run a company, empower  staff to succeed, and ensure that doing right by people and watching the bottom line, are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Pete’s first SPARK act in 1989 demonstrated his generosity.  He approved the sale of equipment to our research study at a 50% discount.  This enabled us to purchase more equipment for participating schools, a very good thing.  We liked the Sportime equipment, their people, and their service, so when it was time in 1993 to begin our dissemination phase, I approached Sportime first.  Soon we reached an agreement on how SPARK would recommend Sportime equipment to our SPARK schools.  This level of partnership continued until 2002 when it was time for SPARK to transfer our licensure from San Diego State to Sportime.  That’s why for the past 8 years, I’ve been fortunate to call Pete my boss.

So, at his retirement party during this uneventful week in February, I (and a lot of others) had a chance to thank him publically.  Not only to thank him from my individual perspective, but for all of us who have been a part of our SPARK team – as Pete was.  He wasn’t just my support person, he supported everybody at SPARK.  He gave his time freely and genuinely cared about each person’s professional and personal growth.  He helped SPARK grow, and more importantly, he helped us evolve as an organization.  We’re smarter and better because of Pete.

Before Pete left, he had to watch the Sportime he built change significantly – piece by piece, person by person.  That couldn’t have been easy, but in typical Pete fashion, you didn’t hear him complain.

Pete’s work touched too many lives to mention.  Pete loves physical education and physical educators.  He is a big supporter of our profession in words and deeds.  Whether you know Pete from his support of NASPE’s Teacher of the Year program, or from his/Sportime’s contributions to your school or agency, or perhaps you had the opportunity to meet him at an AAHPERD conference, I hope you’ll make a minute to thank him for a remarkable, meaningful career.

He can be reached at pssavitz@gmail.com.

-Paul Rosengard

(This is part three in a three part series)

Q: What are some safety guidelines when an obese or poorly fit child is participating in PE class?

A: Before starting on any exercise program obese and poorly fit children should first be seen by a doctor. They can inform you of any limitations that may be required. Once they have the OK, students should begin in the light to moderate intensity levels, moving to moderate to vigorous levels as they gain fitness. Walking, for many obese children, is quite enough to increase their heart rate into their target heart rate zone. It is not only unnecessary, but unsafe, to require them to run any distance.

It is important for all children to participate at a level that is right for them. Start by teaching students how to take their heart rates to gauge intensity. Use their resting heart rate and age to compute their target heart rate zone between 60 and 70% of max. Train them to take their heart rate during activity to keep them from overexerting themselves. This gives them the tools they need to monitor their activity level and stay in a safe but beneficial zone.

Aside from walking, other activities they may enjoy include roller-blading, bike riding, dancing, swimming, and many more. It all depends on the student. It is important that all students, not just the obese, find activities they enjoy so they are more likely to continue them on their own. Being positive and supportive to the obese and reluctant exercisers is key to helping them get and stay motivated to be physically active.

Q: What are some fun activities that can be done for core strengthening in PE class?

A: Again, it’s important to note that not all students in your class will start (or end) at the same fitness level. For some of your students, completing a single curl-up seems a Herculean task where others may be able to do 75 full sit-ups with only minor discomfort. Be sure to provide several levels of difficulty for any activity you ask students to do. They can choose the level that is right for them. To promote greater improvements, encourage students to choose the level that is just beyond their comfort zone in order to overload their core.

The key here is to take your students’ minds off any discomfort by distracting them with bells and whistles. Below are a few activities to strengthen abdominals, obliques, and back muscles all wrapped up in a bundle of fun!

Sit-up Ball Exchange

Students are in pairs (of similar core fitness level) with 1 tossable. Partners in sit-up position facing each other, feet just touching; 1 partner holding the tossable. Both start in down position. Both come up at the same time and the tossable is tossed to the other partner. Both go down. Repeat.

Challenge: How many catches can you and your partner make in 1 minute?

Push-up Hockey

Students are in pairs (of similar core fitness level) with a hockey puck (or small tossable). Partners in push-up position (or modified) facing each other, hands 3’ from partner’s hands; 1 partner with the puck. Partner with puck tries to shoot puck between partner’s hands to score a goal. Defending partner may use 1 hand to block the puck. Alternate roles as shooter and defender.

Sit-up Hand-Off

Students are in groups of 5-8 (of mixed core fitness level) sitting in file lines, each in sit-up position (down position) with feet just beyond the head of the student in front of them. Lines radiate out from a hoop placed in the center. Place 5 tossables per group in the hoop. On signal, student closest to the hoop completes a sit-up and grabs a tossable from the hoop, then moves to the down position to hand it off to the next in line. Next in line must sit up to receive the tossable, then move to the down position to hand it off to the next in line. The tossable continues down the line until it reaches the last student who places it behind them when they are in the down position. First in line repeats the cycle directly after they have handed off the first tossable so there is very little rest before the next tossable needs to be handed back. Continue until all tossables are out of the hoop and at the end of the line, then reverse the hand-off so they are now moving forward and back to the hoop. When they are all back in the hoop a round is complete. To change it up for round 2, shift your 1st student 1 line clockwise and move them to the end of the line.

Challenges: How quickly can we all get the beanbags out of the hoop and back in again? Can we beat our time?

Boxer Kicks

Students are in pairs (of equal or mixed core fitness level). Partner A stands and Partner B lies supine, head near A’s feet, holding A’s ankles. Both A and B face the same direction. Partner B lifts both legs to 90° and A pushes them back down while B resists allowing their legs to touch the ground. Repeat until signal (30 seconds, then more as they get more fit), with Partner A pushing B’s feet off to R and L as well as straight down in random order. Reverse roles and repeat.

Challenge: How many times can you bring your feet up to your partner’s hands?

Push-up/Clap

Students are in pairs (of equal or mixed core fitness level). Partner B lies in push-up position and Partner A stands near Partner B’s head, A’s hands hanging above B’s shoulders. Partner B twists from the hips up and raises R hand up to clap A’s hands, then back to push-up position. Repeat to L side, again clapping A’s hands. Continue until signal (30 seconds, then more as they get more fit). Reverse roles and repeat.

Challenges: How many claps can you give your partner before the signal? Can you complete a push-up between each “clap” you make with your partner?

Q: When kids say their legs hurt after an active day, should I be concerned?

A: It all depends on what kind of “hurt” it is. If students are getting injured due to exercise that is too intense or contraindicated for them, you should be concerned and should make adjustments in activities. Remember, all students will come to you at different fitness levels and should therefore not all be required to participate at the same level. Try doing the exercises yourself! See how it makes your body feel. So many teachers ask students to do things they haven’t tried lately or ever. Being a good role model and participating in some fitness activities serves many purposes.

If, however, many of your students are slightly sore in the muscle groups that were used in a muscular strengthening activity the day or 2 before, that is more likely due to overloading those muscle groups and will result in gains in strength when those muscles heal and rebuild. This kind of sore is OK and completely normal. It should go away in a few days.

Let us know what you think of these question and answers! If your school needs to develop a healthier environment, together, SPARK and HKC offer an “Ignite a Healthy Environment” Program (Click here for more info).

Q: I hear about physical education and physical activity during the school day, are they the same?

A: No, they are not synonymous. “Physical Education” (PE) refers to a structured class taught by a Physical Education Specialist or Classroom Teacher (in instances where there are few or no PE Specialists) designed to address specific physical education standards (see below). Daily Physical education is recommended by many organizations, but is not required. There are minimum amounts of PE required by law in most states. “Physical activity” (PA) during the school day can include any structured or unstructured activities involving physical movement. This may include Physical Education class, recess, before and after-school programs, activity breaks in the classroom, jog-a-thons, dances, field events, etc. that take place at school before, during, and after the school day. SPARK encourages a combination of both quality physical education and physical activity opportunities through out the school day and week. We also have seen the importance of having a certified physical education specialist work as the champion for both PE and PA within their school community.

National Physical Education Standards from the National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE)

• Standard 1: Demonstrates competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities.
• Standard 2: Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.
• Standard 3: Participates regularly in physical activity.
• Standard 4: Achieves and maintains a health-enhancing level of physical fitness.
• Standard 5: Exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings.
• Standard 6: Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and/or social interaction.

Q: I would like to incorporate some physical activity into my classroom during breaks or free time, but I am at a loss! Could you give me a few ideas to use for my 5th graders?

A: Sure! There are so many things you could do with 5th graders to get them moving in the classroom throughout the day! SPARK divides these types of limited space activities into 3 categories – SPARK Space Savers, SPARK Plugs, and SPARK Anchors.

“SPARK Space Savers” are activities from the SPARK PE curriculum that can be adapted for limited space to keep students active during inclement weather or when the usual activity area is unavailable.

SPARK Space Saver Sample #1: Centipede Bucket Brigade (Click Here)

SPARK Space Saver Sample #2: Limited Space Circuit (Click Here)

SPARK Space Saver Sample #3: Grab the Apple (Click Here)

“SPARK Plugs” are used to quickly energize your students throughout the day. When students are not engaged, their brains will likely tune out within 10 minutes. Use these to promote readiness for learning, create excitement and overcome the effects of fatigue.

SPARK Plug Sample #1: Around the World (Click Here)

SPARK Plug Sample #2: Hand Pat Relay (Click Here)

SPARK Plug Sample #3: Odds and Evens (Click Here)

“SPARK Anchors” use movement to help “anchor” learning. Integrating other subjects with movement can be accomplished with minimal effort and maximum benefit. Use these samples as a guide to assist in creating additional support teaching the whole child, mind and body.

SPARK Anchor Sample #1: Odd Hops and Even Jumps (Click Here)

SPARK Anchor Sample #2: Sentence Detectives (Click Here)

Q: My child isn’t really very athletic. What is a good way to help him enjoy being active?

A: It is important to acknowledge that athletics and physical activity are not the same thing. Athletes are usually gifted with traits such as speed, agility, endurance, etc. needed to succeed in a specific sport or sports and choose to pursue that sport in a competitive forum. The rest of us non-athletes enjoy participating in all sorts of physical activities suited toward our tastes and physical attributes. These are usually done for reasons other than competition such as health, making friends, feeling good, losing weight, or just pure enjoyment among many. First thing to do is find out what your son enjoys. Is it hiking? Swimming? Dancing? Jumping on a trampoline? Bike riding? Jumping rope? Whatever it is, that is what he should be doing. To increase enjoyment during any activity, have your son play his favorite music or invite a friend to join him. Providing your son with support and encouragement will go a long way to promoting a lifetime of physical activity.

Q: Is warm-up and cool-down really necessary with exercise?

A: The safe answer is “Yes.” However, if your students have just come from recess or some other type of physical activity, your warm-up has probably been taken care of. The purpose of a warm-up is to increase blood flow to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments so they are ready for vigorous activity. This blood flow helps the body by making it more “elastic” and less likely to tear when overstretched or pushed too far too fast. If you don’t have much time for PE, have your students walk/jog to your activity area to warm them up during transition. As far as cool-down, it is not so much necessary as it is a great opportunity. During this time students can work on increasing flexibility through stretching exercises as well as bringing the body back to pre-activity levels to move back into the classroom. It is also the perfect time to have students demonstrate understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the performance of physical activities done in the lesson (NASPE Standard 2).

Q: What are some good motivational tools to help fit physical activity into each day?

A: Everyone has different motivations for staying physically active, although we hope that most of those motivations are centered on personal wellness. In a school setting it is important to know that research has shown a number of benefits for including more physical activity and physical education into students’ schedules. At a minimum – more minutes for PE & PA has not been shown to decrease testing performance, and many studies suggest that students are better prepared for testing and learning after physical activity. Further, new brain research shows that aerobic conditioning is very beneficial to brain development and performance. Both California and Texas have shown a direct relationship between performance on fitness tests and academic achievement test. We’re not suggesting that Test Scores should be the primary motivation for keeping children active throughout the day. However, in most schools where we have worked – academic achievement is the still the primary indicator of a school’s success. Our core belief is that staying active and physically fit can keep students mentally and emotionally balanced as well. We strive to educate the entire child for a life of success, productivity and happiness. A life free from many of the burdens brought about by diseases caused by sedentary lifestyles.

Let us know what you think of these question and answers! If your school needs to develop a healthier environment, together, SPARK and HKC offer an “Ignite a Healthy Environment” Program (Click here for more info).

Well, we thought we’d enlist the help of our partner organization, Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC), to get some advice and answers on this topic.

Q: What evidence is out there to show why it is important to teach/promote healthy nutrition?

A: Many studies show a strong link between nutrition, physical activity, and academic success. A report from Action for Healthy Kids titled The Learning Connection is an excellent resource. (Get this version of the report as a powerpoint presentation and share it with others!) The link is just what you’d expect: Students who are well-nourished perform better, and students who are not well-nourished have weaker academic performance and score lower on standardized tests.

For example, we know research has shown increased participation in school breakfast programs is associated with increased academic test scores. In fact, eating breakfast is so important all year (not just right before testing times) that it is one of our 6 core healthy behaviors for which we’ve developed a theme, Breakfast GO Power!, and lessons/ideas for everyday fun learning.

Q: If I ask parents to bring in a healthy snack, what would be some recommendations of what they could provide?

A: First, I’d have you define for parents what is considered a “healthy snack.” Then list some healthy choices as examples. Consider getting the kids’ input – they will be more likely to eat if they’ve helped choose what is offered.

Healthy Snack How-To:

• Choose snacks low in added fat and sugar – Think about More or Less! All foods fit when you choose MORE fruits and veggies and LESS sugary and high fat foods.
• Recognize a healthy portion size – Check serving size on the label, and amounts of fat and sugar per serving: items should contain no more than 5 grams of fat or sugar per serving. Measure a serving to check it out!
• Be aware of hunger levels –Are there distractions such as TV or videos while the kids will be eating? It’s easier for people of any age to keep from overeating if you eliminate distractions. Adding a little bit of protein to your snack will help kids stay full and focused.

HKC Top 10 Healthy Snack Choices
½ cup fresh fruit – with low-fat yogurt dip
½ cup vegetables – with low-fat dressing dip
5 whole grain crackers – with salsa or bean dip
1 cup whole grain cereal – with 8 oz. skim milk
3 cups popcorn – with 1 oz. nuts (10 almonds or 15 peanuts)
1 oz. low-fat cheese – with 1 thin slice lean meat and whole grain roll
8 oz. fat-free flavored yogurt – with cut-up fresh fruit added
1/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese – with pineapple chunks
1 oz. nuts (10 almonds or 15 peanuts) – with ¼ cup raisins
1 Tbsp peanut butter – with celery sticks

Q: Why is it important to eat more fruits & vegetables?

A: Less than 25% of school children (grades 9-12) and adults eat the recommended servings of fruits and veggies a day. (CDC, Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, 2007). Obesity levels are lowest among those who have high intakes of fruits and veggies.

Eating more fruits and vegetables will ensure you get a great variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed for good health. Fruits and veggies are also the only source of phytochemicals, which give them their vibrant colors, and give us special protection against diseases.

For a simple send-home activity click here and explore the “For Parents” section of our Fit and Fun Families Toolkit.

Q: Which is healthier, a burger or a salad, and why?

A: Well, it depends. We really need to look closer at serving sizes and what you might have added to them before eating them.

The burger will have more protein, but it will also have extra calories and saturated fat. Is your burger larger than ¼ lb? Does it have cheese or bacon? All of these add more calories and fat. But I put lettuce and tomato and onions on it, you say? Those healthy fixins don’t amount to even one serving of vegetables – think again.

The salad will be loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, but did you also “load” it with your favorite dressing? What about cheese, bacon bits, or croutons? If you add all these toppings, you’ve added not only calories and saturated fat, but salt as well.

Fix your salad right, or order it right, and you’ll be making the healthier choice. Get your choice of dressing on the side, and dip your fork in it before getting a bite of salad. You’ll eat less and still enjoy the flavor. Add vegetables as toppings instead of the other high-calorie choices. In this case, the salad is the healthier choice with less saturated fat and fewer calories than a quarter-pound burger. The burger, by the way, has the same amount of saturated fat as a third of a cup of ranch dressing.

Q: What is the difference between all the different types of fat (saturated, unsaturated, trans fat)?

A:
1. All fats and oils are a mixture of saturated fat and unsaturated fats.
2. Solid fats contain more saturated fats and/or trans fats than oils.
3. Oils contain more unsaturated fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Solid Fats = more saturated and/or trans fats:
Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. Some solid fats are butter, stick margarine, and shortening. Foods high in solid fats include many cheeses, creams, ice creams, ground beef, bacon, and poultry skin. Trans fats can be found in many cakes, cookies, crackers, margarines, and microwave popcorns. Foods containing partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils usually contain trans fats.

Oils = more unsaturated fats:
Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature, high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Some common oils are canola oil, corn oil, and olive oil. Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, salad dressings, and soft (tub or squeeze) margarine with no trans fats.

Choose Oils
Saturated fats and trans fats tend to raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood, which in turn increases the risk for heart disease. To lower risk for heart disease, cut back on foods containing saturated fats and trans fats.

Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated (MUFA) fats. Fish, nut, and vegetable oils are the major source of MUFAs and PUFAs in the diet. These oils do not raise LDL “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood. PUFAs contain some fatty acids that are necessary for health—called “essential fatty acids.” In addition, oils are the major source of vitamin E in typical American diets.

For more information, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

Q: What does vitamin A do for you?

A: Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes, healthy skin, and keeping your immune system strong. It is an essential nutrient, meaning your body cannot create it, so you must get it from your diet. Dark green and orange veggies have the highest vitamin A content. Choose these: broccoli, spinach, collard greens, mango, carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin.

Q: Why are some people allergic to nuts?

A: First you need to understand some allergy basics. I have an excellent resource to recommend for the answer you need, which is KidsHealth.org. According to them, “ An allergic reaction happens when someone’s immune system mistakenly believes that something harmless, such as a tree nut or peanut, is actually harmful. The immune system responds by creating specific antibodies to proteins in that food.” The following link will explain allergies, and also go into nut allergies in particular. If you need more information, let me know!
Click Here.

Q: When purchasing bread, what should you look for?

A:

• Whole Grains on the ingredient list.

1. • The key word is “whole”. It must say “whole wheat flour”, for example. Words such as “enriched wheat flour” and just “wheat flour” indicate it is NOT whole grain.
   • The first ingredient listed is present in the largest amount. If the first ingredient doesn’t have the word “whole” included, then it is not truly a whole grain bread. The front of the package may claim “made with whole grains”, but read the ingredient list carefully!

• Calories, serving size, and fiber on the nutrition label.
  • Is a serving 1 slice of bread or 2 slices? You can get whole grain breads that range from 70 calories per serving up to almost 200 calories per serving. Read carefully and know what you are getting in a serving!
  • 2-3 grams of fiber per serving is a healthier choice. Just be sure to check what the serving size is. 3 grams of fiber per slice is much different than 3 grams per 2 slices! Eating more fiber aids digestion and helps you feel full longer.

Q: How much sugar is in a can of soda?

A: There are 10 tsp of sugar or 40 grams in a 12-oz can of soda. Help kids do a Drink Think using our free downloadable activity pages.

While only several hundred people were at the 2009 PETE, those in attendance were among some of our best and brightest: George Graham of Penn State, Jackie Lund of Georgia State, Hans van der Mars of Oregon State, et. al.. It was also terrific seeing a number of University methods instructors who use SPARK in their pedagogy courses. To name a few: Martie Bell from High Point, Jack Gronholz from Martin Luther College, Dwayne Sheehan from Mt. Royal University, Zan Wang from East China Normal University in Shanghai, and Scott Townsend and Derek Mohr from Appalachian State Univ. The latter duo are former students of Lynn Housner, who was unable to attend (although he did send a videoclip introducing the closing keynote speaker, Mike Metzler of Georgia State) due to a previous commitment. Lynn is at West Virginia University and has been supporting SPARK since he attended our very first Physical Education Summer Institute on campus at San Diego State University in 1997.

I had the pleasure or presenting with Thom McKenzie (again — we recently teamed up with Jim Sallis to give a talk at San Diego State), and our lecture focused on three themes: SPARK research, dissemination, and its application for methods instructors. Click Here to see our handout.

For 11 years, I used SPARK as my required text for my methods course at the University of California, San Diego. Unfortunately, this 4 unit class, lecture and lab, did not survive the budget cuts and in 2008, the course was cancelled. Today, UCSD students that wish to become K-12 teachers (generalists) are no longer required to enroll in a single class in teaching physical education. Since approx. 90% of the elementary PE provided in CA is taught by classroom teachers (NASPE State of the Nation Report), this is impossible to justify. Then again, why do we expect busy classroom teachers to instruct their own PE when the data support qualified specialists being the best providers of quantity and quality (SPARK summary paper, American Journal of Public Health)?

Note SPARK’s position on this issue – we advocate for credentialed physical educators instructing PE at every school, every day, to every child, at every grade. We WILL continue to train generalists if they are the only ones available to provide PE to children. SPARK knows children benefit from quality PE and we will help the providers do the best job they can until their schools can relieve them by bringing in a qualified specialist.

I am happy to report SPARK was very well represented at this conference. We were in two poster sessions and another presentation – which was a surprise to me (happens a lot – others are presenting SPARK and we find out at the event itself). We were also cited and recommended by Russ Pate (Univ. of South Carolina, and one of our comrades on the TAAG project) in his keynote address on a Thurs. evening, and Mike Metzler during his plenary on Sat. night. Both major speakers (only two to address the entire assembly) at the conference stressed the themes that Jim, Thom and I have been professing for 20 years – “Health-Promoting” physical education (as Metzger referred to it). Click Here to see SPARK research collaborations and Click Here to view SPARK publications.

Health Promoting in PETE context means that University methods instructors could modify their methodology and prepare their students for new roles (read “The Role of Physical Education in Public Health” by Jim Sallis), that of being the on-campus advocate for not only quality, active standards-based PE, but a physical activity promoter, an advocate for healthy eating, and a champion of wellness behaviors. Click Here to read more about the SPARK Coordinated School Health Initiative.

I want to thank Thom for assembling a great slide set and presenting it effectively – and in record time – Monica Lounsbery from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for her presentation and support of evidence-based programs, and Nicole Smith of San Diego State and Soojin Yoo of the University of Wisconsin La Crosse for their poster presentations on the SPARK POPI (Pittsburgh Obesity Prevention Initiative) study, and our dissemination work in Clark County, Nevada, respectively.

My takeaway (what I will “rob” from this conference) is that the university world is slowly revolving to a new approach – our approach — to training undergraduate and graduate students. This is “caus de celebre’ and affirmation of our SPARK philosophy. Jim and Thom were far ahead of their time on these issues, and it’s gratifying to see the physical education academics catching on.

In conclusion? What we have robbed from PETE certainly paid Paul. And that’s good news for everyone in the SPARK family.

Speaking of SPARK Family, Click Here to read about the SPARK Family website being constructed NOW.

-Paul Rosengard