As we begin a new calendar year, many of us make our infamous New Year’s Resolution, and many times as adults, one of those resolutions is to eat healthier and to lose weight. Health and nutritional habits usually are established as you grow up and are often based on what you may have been taught in elementary or middle school.
The New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District takes this responsibility very seriously and our five physical education teachers establish this as a major goal on a daily basis. Physical education is no longer just sit ups, pushups or jumping jacks. Our physical education teachers make physical fitness and healthy lifestyles a major goal of their curriculum. As a team of five members, they encourage students to make the right choices in what they eat, how much they eat and what types of activities they need to be involved in terms of exercise.
Our physical education teachers have incorporated the use of technology and consistent movement in their classes on a daily basis. In addition to the traditional calisthenics in our schools, they incorporate many forms of modern dance in their units such as dance sambas, square dancing, pop dancing and line dances, which are all part of our current plan. At the NHP Road School, Terence Davis and Kerri Rudd have used technology from Dance, Dance Revolution, Wii Fitness and Just Dance Samba. Specialty skills such as circus skills have also been used at each school for different grades each year.
Students at Hillside Grade School began the 2014-15 school year with a “Cruise Into a New Year” theme, created by physical education teacher, Janet Bayer. The gym was decorated and transformed into the deck of a cruise ship, the “HG PE.” When students boarded the ship, they all participated in a dance activity. Physical education students were invited on board. Once on deck, passengers were able to participate in activities like shuffleboard, limbo, ping pong, yoga by the pool and exercising in the on board fitness center. There was even an excursion trip for salmon fishing while the ship was docked in Alaska.
Students at Garden City Park School focus on throwing and kicking skills in units on football and soccer with a heavy emphasis on fair play and sportsmanship. In grades three through six, all students must run a mile for developing a healthy heart. At GCP our students participate in physical activities using money and integration of math skills to fitness skills.
Each physical education teacher stresses the importance of making “good choices,” when it comes to eating and snacking. Teachers have continually emphasized selecting fruits and vegetables over fatty snacks and foods on a daily basis. They have also stressed the importance of balancing a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise each day as a healthy
alternative to video games and television viewing. Whatever the issue, we want our students healthy. Our physical education teachers use their skills curriculum as the basis for service to others. They have included activities such as Jump Rope for the Heart, Turkey Trots and themed activities such as haunted gyms and winter wonderlands planned by Lisa Innella at
Manor Oaks as a way of building skills and stamina in physical activity while having good old fashion fun.
One aspect that all of our physical education teachers do an excellent job in is planning cooperative and competitive field days every spring. Students have a great time and yet they push their limits of physical endurance in the activities they participate in.
All activities are designed to make students feel successful at all or our schools. If students get frustrated or are not picked for a team or become embarrassed in the ability to perform a physical education task, then they will not choose physical activity as a recreational choice later in life and, as a result, will not be a fit adult who leads a healthy lifestyle.
So let’s get out there today, as a family, and walk to a store, school or just do a physical activity together so we can all stay fit.
