March 2005

Quality, Daily PE Helps Maximize Academic Achievement

Quality physical education programs help students establish healthy lifestyle habits. As a result, children reap numerous physical fitness and medical benefits – in both the short and long-term.

However, the benefits of physical education and physical activity don’t stop there. Research has consistently shown there’s a distinct relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement. In particular, recent studies have determined that physical activity facilitates cognitive development. Today, there is a growing mound of scientific evidence supporting the old adage of a “sound mind in a sound body.”

Dr. John J. Ratey, a Harvard brain-research specialist, is a strong believer in physical activity’s positive impact on the brain. In fact, he believes exercise is fertilizer for the brain, calling it “Miracle-Gro.”

Moreover, a 2002 California Department of Education study found a direct correlation between higher levels of physical fitness and higher academic test scores. According to Delaine Eastin, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, “We now have the proof we’ve been looking for: students achieve best when they are physically fit.”

Students at our PE4life Institute in Naperville, IL compare very favorably with their California counterparts on the FITNESSGRAM assessment, a tool designed to evaluate overall physical fitness. For example, in Naperville, 97.1 percent of ninth graders were in the “healthy fitness zone” based on body composition testing. By comparison, only 67 percent of ninth-grade students in California were in the healthy range.

“Even more startling, in California, only 48 percent of kids met the healthy standard for cardiovascular conditioning (based on the mile run), while ours were at 80 percent,” said Paul Zientarski, PE Instructional Coordinator at Naperville (IL) Central High School. “The 2002 study correlated that the more fit the kids were, the better they performed academically. It’s a part of why our students do as well as they do – it’s a total mind, total body educational approach.”

It’s an approach that is working and parents, teachers and administrators are noticing. In fact, parents of the students at Madison Junior High School, part of the Naperville, IL PE4life Institute, voted physical education the #1 curriculum in the school. An amazing 94.1% of Naperville parents were satisfied with the PE curriculum. Additionally, Naperville counselors are currently recommending that students take their toughest academic class immediately following physical education, whenever possible.

Thomas Jefferson said, “Exercise and recreation are as necessary as reading.” He was right. We all have to remember that you can’t educate an unhealthy child and a healthy child needs to be educated on how to stay healthy.

Stay the course!

Anne Flannery
President & CEO

DuPage County Institute Coming In March

The 18th annual DuPage County Institute, presented by PE4life, will be held at Naperville North High School, Friday, March 4, 2005, 8:00 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. The day will provide many outstanding presentations regarding the development of a quality, well-rounded Physical Education, Health and Driver Education program. If you have yet to attend a DuPage County Institute, it is a day you will not want to miss. It’s also a great value, just $25 for teachers within DuPage County and $30 for those outside, payable at the door. For complete information and a registration form, visit the Naperville website or contact PE Instructional Coordinator, Paul Zientarski at 630-420-6560.

Jamba Juice Scholarship Winners Announced

The winners of the PE4life Scholarships sponsored by Jamba Juice Co. have been announced. They are, in alphabetical order, Andre Agassi College Prep, Las Vegas, Nevada; Anne M. Jeans Elementary School, Willowbrook, Illinois; Bridgemont High School & Junior High, San Francisco, California; Highline School District, Burien, Washington; Lafayette High School, St. Joseph, Missouri; Las Flores Middle School, Las Flores, California; Manual Jara Elementary School, Ft. Worth, Texas; Pioneer Middle School, Tustin, California; Turkey Creek Middle School, Plant City, Florida; and Woodrow Wilson Academy, Westminster, Colorado.

Congratulations to each of these fine schools. Their scholarships, valued at $2,500 each, will cover the cost of tuition for a team to attend PE4life Institute training. The scholarships can also be used to pay for travel, meals and lodging, substitutes for the day, or other ways the winner finds appropriate. We look forward to having each team train at the PE4life Institute and returning home with the tools necessary to establish PE4life programs in their respective communities.

Dates Set for National PE Day®

PE4life will host the annual celebration of National PE Day® in Washington, DC on May 3 & 4, 2005. Our host hotel will be the Mayflower Renaissance, site of several planned activities, including Tuesday night’s reception followed by a benefit dinner for PE4life.

National PE Day® activities in Washington, DC coincide with the SGMA PEP Rally on May 4, an intense advocacy effort on Capitol Hill led by physical education advocates from across the nation. Meetings are held with members of Congress to encourage them to support physical education in a variety of ways. The meetings feature celebrity athletes who are passionate about increasing physical education opportunities for kids. These meetings have been instrumental in increasing funding for the Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress (PEP) grant program that has awarded more than $185 million to schools since its inception. Joining us on Capitol Hill in 2004 were a cadre of celebrity athletes provided by PE4life sponsors that included Hershel Walker, Billie Jean King, Corey Everson, Clinton Portis, Tori Allen, Mia Hamm, Stacy Neuvman, Chris Byrd, and Jesse James Leija. A similarly impressive group of athletes will join us again this year.

New for 2005 will be PE4life Field Days, which will be held throughout the nation. PE teachers will host special activities on May 4th to coincide with National PE Day® events in Washington. Field Day events will include a variety of lifetime fitness activities and games. To learn more about National PE Day, click here.

Call for Award Nominations

PE4life is now accepting nominations for two of its annual awards, the "My Favorite PE Teacher Award" and the “Excellence in Advocacy Award," which is given to a person or organization that has worked tirelessly and effectively championing the cause of quality physical education on the local, state or national level. For complete information on these awards please visit the PE4life website.

Winners will be invited to attend National PE Day activities in Washington, DC, May 3 & 4.

Call for Sponsors

Businesses can gain great exposure while helping PE4life present National PE Day activities when they sponsor one or more events during the upcoming fun-filled festivities. Craig Jonas, Director of Business Development for PE4life, is currently securing underwriters for our many National PE Day events. Various levels of sponsorship are available, each offering high visibility and an excellent return on investment for the sponsor. For more information, contact Jonas at 816-472-7345.

“I cannot express to you how impressed our team was with your (PE4life Institute). During our trip home, we did nothing but talk about all the great things we witnessed at your schools. This experience has been the most powerful professional development opportunity I have ever attended in my 18 years as an educator.”

–Marla Berry, Excelsior Springs High School, Excelsior Springs, MO

NikeGO, developed by Nike, is a nationwide community program aimed at getting kids more physically active now and for the long-term. Working with superb partners like SPARK at San Diego State University, Positive Coaching Alliance at Stanford University, the U.S. Surgeon General and many others, NikeGO has launched in-school, out-of-school and advocacy programs aimed at getting kids across the U.S. off the couch. A NikeGO signature program is PE2Go, which gives classroom teachers in major US cities the training, curriculum and equipment they need to get kids active during the school day.

NikeGO has also helped thousands of kids get physically active after school and during the summer through clinics, camps, classes and playground programs; and has refurbished sports and play surfaces across the U.S. using ground-up sneakers through their NikeGO Places program. NikeGO also works with national partners such as PE4life to advocate for more P.E. in schools, and for common language, networks and a national action plan to turn around the issue of inactive, overweight American children.