Music, Spanish, and Art updates coming soon.
Physical Education w/ Ms. Karen:
January 2015:
The month of January can often be a season of setting new
resolutions in the area of personal fitness and health. I’d like to take advance
of this health-conscious season of the year to write about healthy eating and
physical activity in our children. My
year-long emphasis in PE is to BE ACTIVE and EAT SMART. Need more motivation than the New Year’s resolutions to
BE ACTIVE and EAT SMART? Check this out! It’s also good for the brain. There is
new evidence that supports healthy eating and being active are specifically good
for students in the classroom. Research
supports the following: students that
eat healthy and are physically active will be better learners in the classroom.
We, as parents and teachers, share the
same goal of supporting the link between healthy eating, physical activity and
improved academic achievement of our children at Willowwind. Let’s all BE ACTIVE and EAT SMART.
Willowwind students are learning how to EAT SMART. Evidence shows that the healthy eating is
linked to their academic achievement. It has been noted that student diet deficiencies
in food groups and vitamins are linked with low grades. By working together, we can ensure that
Willowwind students are making healthy food choices and ready to learn. In PE,
we have discussed the importance of eating healthy. EATING SMART includes daily
choosing balanced diet from all of the food groups. I have introduced Choose MyPlate as
one way for students to learn how to make decisions regarding the foods they
eat. Together, we can encourage students
to eat a variety of food every day knowing that it will benefit their physical health
and their academic performance in the classroom.
Willowwind students are learning to BE ACTIVE every day. Check out some of the evidence the CDC has
compiled that links physical activity to academic achievement:
Students who are physically active tend to have
better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g., memory), and
classroom behaviors (e.g., on-task behavior).
Higher physical activity and physical fitness
levels are associated with improved cognitive performance (e.g., concentration,
memory) among students.
More participation in physical education class
has been associated with better grades, standardized test scores, and classroom
behavior among students.
Increased time spent for physical education does
not negatively affect students’ academic
achievement.
The entire list of evidence can be found HERE.
You can help your child value activity in their lives by
BEING ACTIVE at home. Our bodies were made for movement. Whether you take a
family walk for an hour after dinner each evening, start the day with a morning
yoga session, or even include some active playtime with your kids after school,
just get moving. Park your car away from the crowds and put in a few extra
steps when running errands. Try a friendly family football game each Sunday and
teach the little ones how to throw a perfect spiral. Throw a dance party or
involve the family in acting out a scene from a book you are reading. If the
winter season seems too cold or too hectic to fit in a workout, don’t give up!
Movement in your everyday life at home makes a big difference.
I am committed to training our students in their early
years how to EAT SMART and BE ACTIVE. I can empower them with the knowledge
that living healthy improves their physical health and their academic
performance in their classroom. Most New Year’s diet and exercise resolutions from
January rarely last beyond February. However, I am optimistic and hopeful that Willowwind
students will go beyond and choose to EAT healthy and stay ACTIVE daily
throughout their lives.
Cheers to a Happy and Healthy New Year! Questions about
this or what activities we are doing in PE, contact me. Karen Robbins at karenr@willowwind.org.
December 2014:
In PE class, we have
discussed the importance of healthy eating and staying physically active every
day. Without having a school routine full of physical activity, PE, and recess,
students have an opportunity to practice making their own healthy lifestyle
decisions. In class, I challenged students to make physical activity and good
healthy eating choices over their Winter Break. I have included a fun, fitness
“gift” from me to encourage them to stay active.
On the first day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me one
minute of wall sits.
On the second day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
two burpies with a push up.
On the third day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
three power jumps.
On the fourth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
four toe touches.
On the fifth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
five high fives with friends.
On the sixth day of Winter
break my PE teacher gave to me six minutes of jump rope.
On the seventh day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
seven minutes of dancing.
On the eighth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
eight windmills.
On the ninth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
nine minutes of active play.
On the tenth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me ten
jumping jacks.
On the eleventh day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
eleven sit ups.
On the twelfth day of Winter break my PE teacher gave to me
twelve minutes of jogging.
Check out the following websites for more information.
Physical Activity Guidelines: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/
Nutrition Guidelines: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity.html
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