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Fit To Be Taught, Vol. 56

School’s 100 Mile Club Offers Exercise, Focus

Low-cost activities that have multiple benefits are just what schools need these days. That’s why the staff at Ellis Elementary School in Belleville, Illinois, has come up with a year-long program that meets students’ physical, social, and academic needs.

Called the 100 Mile Club, the program requires students to walk daily on a half-mile track. They record their laps with the goal of logging 100 miles by the end of the school year, if not sooner.

“Now kids arrive in the morning and head right to the track,” said Ellis principal Pam Leonard. “They used to just sit on the buses until school started.”

Second- through fourth-graders are required to walk one lap before school, provided they get to school early enough; and one lap at recess. “They can walk and talk with friends, and run or jog if they wish,” said Leonard. “And if they do one lap around the track at recess, they still have time for some free play and they get a chance to talk with their friends.” A supervisor keeps track of students’ laps.

Leonard and many teachers already have noted the club’s positive impact on student behavior. Discipline referrals are down significantly from last year, Leonard said. “Teachers say the students are more settled when they come in from recess or when school starts,” Leonard noted. “They are ready to work. They notice that kids are less fidgety.”

Read the full article on Education World

Wellness News
New PE Stresses Life-Long Fitness Four Arizona school districts are using about $470,000 in combined state grants to pilot innovative physical education programs that teach kids how to stay active for a lifetime.

Law Mandates Daily Exercise A new Florida law requires children in kindergarten through fifth grade to receive 30 minutes of continuous physical education every day.

Keeping Young Kids Fit

KID-FIT is a structured physical education program designed to teach children from age 2 to kindergarten-age healthful lifestyle habits of regular exercise, healthful eating, and proper rest.

The program targets different systems of the body and teaches specific facts about each one. Children move to a fitness class for one half hour, a minimum of once per week. The fitness class is designed much like an aerobics class but geared towards preschool abilities and brain development. Age-appropriate equipment is used such as scarves, hoops, bean bags, and balls, along with popular children's music. Each class begins and ends with a brief educational message delivered by using charts, puppets, and anatomical models. Exercises are chosen according to generally accepted fitness guidelines promoted by the American Council on Exercise, AAHPERD and American College of Sports Medicine. Reference material is obtained and in alignment with organizations such as the USDA, American Heart Association, National Dairy Council, American Cancer Society, and American Psychological Association..

The KID-FIT program contains black line masters of the curriculum for easy reproduction. Children who have used the program love the games, music, and activities. Children learn more than fitness and health facts. KID-FIT is extremely interactive and helps develop good social skills including sharing, partner activities, and cooperation. Academic concepts are also intertwined into the program.

Read more about this program at: KID-FIT.

Click to learn more about Action for Healthy Kids.

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