Tagged with 'physical education'

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Gabriel Ryan, School Health Blog Writer and Contributor

A couple of years ago, I was intrigued when I came across a workout video online with all the participants seated using wheelchairs, and the most enthusiastic, positive, encouraging fitness trainer I’d ever seen! I was glued to my screen. My initial feeling was shock, and I said to myself “this… is awesome, an engaging workout for people that use a wheelchair.” My feeling quickly turned to wanting to be a part of this experience and in no time, I was stretching, reaching, and moving with the music. This workout session was part of an Abilities Expo Conference. The trainer was Justin Graham with W.O.W. Wonders on Wheels. Recently, I learned that W.O.W. offers this wheelchair-friendly fitness class live online, so I signed up for a fitness pass. This was my first week participating and it was great fun! This experience prompted me to focus this month’s Access Angle on encouraging exercise and fitness for all.

The Commit to Inclusion video beautifully highlights aspects of inclusion in fitness and beyond. Great video! Commit to Inclusion is a campaign that supports guidelines and programming for people with disabilities to empower and promote healthy and active lifestyles through physical activities and nutrition. 

A few related Access Angle blogs full of ideas to learn more about fitness and creating realistic goals for yourself or children/students you work with:

• Access Angle: A Fitness Focus: The First Step to Get Started is to START – Fitness goals and websites with sections dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle for people with disabilities.
• Access Angle: Stretch Yourself to the Limit: CanDo Multi-Grip Exerciser – Multigrip resistance bands with large and small loops for easy grip

Don’t forget to incorporate hydration! In previous posts, I have written about the Giraffe Bottle Handsfree Drinking System, which I use. No matter how you hydrate, keep in mind you may need to increase your intake as you increase your activity.

School Health has numerous fitness resources and supports. Browse through the School Health website under categories such as Sports Medicine, Special Education, Early Childhood, and Physical Education to find products and ideas to support a variety of fitness goals. School Health Physical Education is your one-stop shop for all things PE, including equipment and programs for those with differing abilities. For example, the Visual Exercise System offers a variety of premade, color-coded visuals that look like real people doing real exercises. The visuals facilitate communication and provide structure in exercise programs. The Exercise Buddy Pro is also a great tool that incorporates evidence-based practices, videos, and progress monitoring. These tools can help diverse learners better participate in physical education programs and stay engaged! 

Fitness goals are different for everyone. Find an activity you love and most importantly…remember to have fun! 

School Health is proud to welcome five Special Olympics athletes to our headquarters on April 18, 2023. Nate Freeman, Ashley Jones, Katie Hajost, Sam Deveraux, and Kevin Stuercke will meet the School Health team and learn what we do to help students, staff, and communities across the country.

Learn more about the athletes below!

ABCD Funding Formula to Acquire Health and PE Funding

By: Dr. Kim Morton

Did you know hundreds of federal dollars go unspent every year in school districts? Some of the reasons include delayed access to the funds, a nationwide teacher shortage, and a desire to make the money last. 

When I served as a district health and PE coordinator for a large urban school district in North Carolina, I never bought into the common excuse made by most school leaders: “We don’t have the money.” In my opinion, school funding is not the problem. It is the allocation of it that is the greater issue. To ensure federal funding is spent on supporting the needs of students, every school or district requires a health and PE advocate. 

To help nudge my federal funding department to spend some of our district’s federal funds on health and PE, I created and applied the ABCD funding formula. In over five years, I was able to obtain over $4 million in federal funds to purchase curriculum, PE and strength training equipment, instructional resources, professional development, and hire staff to instruct summer learning sessions. 

The first step before applying the ABCD funding formula is to know exactly what you want and how much it would cost. In other words, be ready to submit product names, descriptions, and costs to your federal funding department. If you need a quote, a School Health Specialist can help.

ABCD Federal Funding Formula for Health and Physical Education Requests

Align your budget request with district messaging. Include language from your district’s strategic plan. For example, if one of your district's initiatives is to increase mental, social, and emotional goals, then be sure to explain how your budget request fosters social, emotional, and collaborative student activities.

Be sure to provide a possible budget source(s) with your request. This way, it provides guidance to your federal funding department regarding which budget sources can be used for your request. You do not need to be a budget expert, but you need enough knowledge to make it difficult to deny your request. Below are some examples of budget sources that can help you get started:

1. Title I Federal Funding provides financial assistance and program support to schools with high numbers of children from low income-families.
2. Title II Federal Funding can be spent on:
   1. Staff development
   2. Workshop expenses (this includes PE equipment and curriculum being used in the workshop training)
   3. Coaching
   4. Mentoring
   5. Recruitment
   6. Residency programs
   7. Induction program
3. Title IV-part A can be spent on:
   1. Curriculum
   2. PE and Strength Training equipment
   3. Student resources
   4. Evidence-based PD
   5. Registration
   6. Travel costs
   7. Certified salaries and benefits
4. ESSER II (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) Funds must be used through September 30, 2023, and can be spent on:
   1. Covid-19 supplies
   2. Summer learning
   3. Educational technology
   4. Supplemental after-school programs
   5. Addressing needs of low-income students
5. ARP (American Rescue Plan) ESSER III (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) Funds must be used through September 30, 2024, and can be spent on:
   1. Activities to address needs caused by the Covid-19 pandemic
   2. Implementing public health protocols
   3. 20% must address learning loss

Make it hard for them to say “No.” Give them details of your budget request (purpose and how it will be used) and connect them emotionally. You want to inform your reader, but also inspire them to take action. For example, if you are seeking to purchase CPR manikins you would want to state, “performing CPR in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.”

Identify student learning gaps and needs. Moreover, use local data to help decision makers “see” how your budget request can help address a local issue. For example, if you are requesting to purchase BRAINball™, your messaging should include how this product can increase your district’s reading and math scores. If you are requesting fitness equipment, you can pull student fitness data from WELNET® online software, indicating the percentage of students who met or did not meet fitness measurements. 

Assert Your Case

Be prepared to showcase all the evidence and support needed for how funding can benefit not only your students, but also your school and district. To ensure federal funding is spent on supporting students’ physical, mental, emotional, and social needs, it is necessary for every school or district to have a health and PE advocate who is willing to work towards meeting these goals. Contact School Health to learn more about ESSER funding.

Getting Kids Excited about Nutrition

It seems the sight of children running around a playground is few and far between. Tablets, television and video game consoles are the new slides and swings, and it is taking a toll on children’s eating habits and physical health.

The inactivity of children has turned childhood obesity into a global epidemic and according to Benioff Children’s Hospitals, media use has been identified as a main contributing factor. Studies from Benioff states children between 8 and 18 spend about 6 hours and 43 minutes a day on media devices. Limited physical activity is an obvious reason excessive screen time is unhealthy, but the ads that come with the media they are consuming can be harmful as well. Children’s media often contains ads for foods that mostly have high sugar and high fat content.

Getting children away from their tablet completely is a tough task, but being able to limit screen time by finding something more entertaining is a big first step, and that first step can be at school.

School Health can provide your schools with equipment from Palos Sports that provides unique and engaging activities in gym class. The Zone™ 3-on-3 Scooter Basketball provides a unique and fun approach to basketball that keeps students moving and engaged. The Zone™ Alien Spaceship Battle is a fun alternative to bowling with more intense competition. These activities provide a fresh new experience for kids instead of a normal game of kickball or jump rope.

What a child replenishes with after physical activity is just as important as the activity itself. FamilyDoctor.org explains the lifestyle benefits for children that eat healthy as well as what these healthy habits can prevent.

As teachers, it is important to educate your students on the benefits of good nutrition, and work to introduce them to some healthy snacks. School Health provides numerous ways to educate children on what a balanced meal looks like. The MyPlate Real Plate is a teaching aid used at mealtimes to show food groups and portion sizes for each meal.

 School Health also provides nutritional snacks and drinks to give students and athletes after physical activity. Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shakes include high quality proteins that help with workout recovery and building strength. The Clif Shot Bloks Electrolyte Chews are an edible option for workout recovery and protein, and also provide high energy for a low-calorie intake.

Helping your students understand what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle can be essential for their future and taking a fun and rewarding approach through games and engaging educational resources can make it easier for them to remember key components.