Division of Instruction

Physical Education Communication

Aurora Frontier Students Learn About Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles

Students at Aurora Frontier K-8 were “treated” to a Love Grown Foods yogurt parfait and gained knowledge and understanding about how nutrition can promote a healthy lifestyle thanks to a collaboration between community business and schools. Maddy D’Amato, Chief Love Officer, of Love Grown Foods spent the day with students K-8 sharing expertise on nutrition, health, and food choices.

She believes, “Food should have ingredients you can pronounce because then you know what they are made of and what you are putting in your body”.

That is the basis of Love Grown Foods, a local company in North Denver. P.E. Teacher, Jennifer Handy, thought it would be a great idea to show kids real people in the community that are advocating for health. “When kids understand more about food, they can make better choices,” states Mrs. Handy.

Throughout the session students moved like brooms, emulating how fiber cleans out the digestive system. They learned how eating a healthy breakfast makes you smarter. They saw firsthand the positive and negative effects food choices can have on the human body.

In the end, not only did students leave with a healthy snack to share with friends and family, they will take with them information that will guide their choices for life. Empowering children to make healthy decisions is a huge responsibility that should be fostered by home, school, and the community. “This just warms my heart,” said Maddy as the kids crowded around her and thanked her for her expertise and sharing it with them.

LET’S MOVE IN SCHOOL 

Nearly 6,000 schools across the country, representing over four million students and 21,000 physical education teachers, have registered for www.LetsMoveInSchool.org, an initiative of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).  Developed in April 2010, Let’s Move in School supports Let's Move! , First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. Joining the AAHPERD family of national, district, and state associations in support of both of these initiatives are leading education associations, federal partners, and corporate partners in an effort to help schools coordinate physical activity before, during, and after school.

If you have not registered your school for LMIS, please do so www.LetsMoveInSchool.org

Let's Move in School Goal

To ensure that every school provides a comprehensive school physical activity program with quality physical education as the foundation so that youth will develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.

Fall Events

• Free Let’s Move in School Webinars will be held the second Wednesday of every month. To register go to www.LetsMoveInSchool.org. 
• Let’s Move in School participated in Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play on Saturday, September 24 in Washington, DC which was attended by 55,000 people.
• Let’s Move in School is participating with First Lady Michelle Obama and National Geographic Kids to break a Guinness World Record on October 11/12 for the most people doing jumping Jacks. To register go to: http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/letsjump/
• On Wednesday, October 12 AAHPERD will host its first annual Let’s Move in School Stakeholders Meeting at the Reston headquarters. 

New Action Projects

• The free online Let’s Move in School toolkit for physical education teachers is now available. Visit the website monthly to learn of ways to promote a comprehensive school physical activity program.
• The Let’s Move in School toolkit targeted to principals has been sent to over 2,500 registered schools. Let’s Move in School posters and brochures are available.
• Another new resource is the brochure called 101 Tips for Implementing a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program. 

Coming Soon

• The free online Let’s Move in School toolkit for PTAs/PTOs will be available in October.
• The free online Let’s Move in School Superintendent/School Board online toolkit will be available in October.
• Results of the 2011 Comprehensive School Physical Activity Survey will be released on October 12.

Let’s Move in School Partners

Strategic Partners: ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), and National School Boards Association (NSBA)

Federal Partner: President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition

Over 50 Organizational Supporters

Corporate Partners (to-date): Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, American Beverage Association, Hershey’s Track and Field Games, ING, Skillastics, HOPSports, PlayCore, Playworld Systems, and Speed Stacks

The AAHPERD staff has been very busy this summer developing excellent resources to help schools implement comprehensive school physical activity programs.  I thought you might like to see some of them.  We hope that you will agree that these are valuable resources and that you will want to promote these materials to your district leadership, principals and PTAs.

Attached is the pdf of the new 101 Tips for Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs. 

Have you also seen the brochure Active Kids and Academic Performance?  It’s great for parents and administrators.  http://www.aahperd.org/letsmoveinschool/upload/NASPE-AcademicsBrochureFINAL.pdf

There are also three other Let’s Move in School toolkits and all three are online (free) at www.LetsMoveInSchool.org

• Physical Education Teacher Toolkit – available now
• PTA/PTA Toolkit – available approximately Oct 1
• Superintendent/School Board Toolkit – available later in October

Lastly, I’ve attached the LMIS powerpoint about implementing a comprehensive school physical activity program in your school.

So as you can see AAHPERD and COAHPERD is committed to increasing children’s physical activity this new school year!  Join us in the MOVEment!

We would also love to hear the success stories of schools in your district who are increasing physical activity and we promise to promote them.  Feel free to share your story with me. Let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks for sharing this info!

Christopher J. Cain

C.J. Cain

Paris Elementary Physical Education

CO LMIS Chair

407-427-3808 (cell)