Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD Parent's Corner, 15 Nov 2016

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From YouTube: Parents Corner - December 2016 - With Host Kathy Shaffer

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Kathy talks with Christiana Walsh, Coordinator of Health, Physical Education and Dance at AACPS, about the Importance of Physical Activities for Students.

A

B

Hi I'm Cathy Shaffer and welcome to parents corner this month. Let's talk about how our County physical education shapes up nationally many physical education programs have or are in jeopardy of being cut, as schools focus on more rigorous academics to stay competitive in our global marketplace, but, according to studies by the CDC participation in physical education class is directly linked to better academic performance and a more positive attitude towards school in general, physical activity promotes brain function and psychological well-being reduces anxiety, combats childhood obesity and increases overall energy and attention span.

B

Unfortunately, though, the CDC also reports that less than half of us high school students meet the US Department of Health and Human Services recommendations at at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity. How does our county shape up across elementary middle and high? Let's find out hi? Thank you so much for being here with us today, hi Kathy. Thank you for having me great.

C

Can you tell us a little bit about your role sure so my role is the coordinator of health, physical education and dance, so I oversee all programs under physical education, k12, health, education, k12 and dance education, k12 anything with curriculum instruction supervision. All of those sorts of things fall into my wheelhouse great.

B

And how is our physical education curriculum structured sort of? What do we do in schools? Is there certain months that you plan things around or how does that work so.

C

Sort of there's a lot of things that take and we take into consideration when we plan for physical education, like I, said it's a k-12 program, so we start in elementary school with those skills and concepts, really that help that those fundamental learner so start with motor skills, locomotor skills, throwing catching spatial awareness, general space, just kind of getting them used to their bodies and safety and building those skills that they need to be to be healthy. We talk about health concepts and things in elementary school.

C

Healthy eating, talk about you know, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, all of those things that are really a vital part of being a physically active and the individual in middle school. We sort of moved to a tactical game approach where they use those skills and concepts that they've built an elementary school and they use them in more game type situations. They may not be playing full games but they're using those skills in more authentic settings and then in high school.

C

We really move towards that fitness for life model, where we're providing opportunities for our students to engage in different things that they may want to expand throughout their lifetime. So, like I said 9th grade is ninth or tenth grade is when they take fitness for life, that's a graduation requirement and then an Anne Arundel County. We also have a point: five elective physical education requirement and we have a multiple, multiple items that they can choose from from walking wellness to team sports. We have a new course called stretcher wellness at one of our high schools.

C

We have sports medicine, so sort of taking out the physical activity piece, but really focusing on health, nutrition and the athletic piece there and.

B

You talk about milestones that the kids should be hitting. How do parents find out about those milestones and if their kids are not hitting those, is there anything that they should be doing to help augment what you're doing in school? So I.

C

Talked a little about the fitness component, so aerobic fitness help.

C

Flexibility must go strength, the muscular endurance and we start assessing those components in third grade, and we do those twice a year and a report should be sent home to parents that kind of outlines where their student is now again. This is a personal level of fitness, so it's not something that where they are judged against other students, it's where they are and those sheets will have individual activities that could kind of help help them along the way we also have.

C

Our curriculum are based on standards, so you can find a scope and sequence on the shape America website and within our website, which we're updating right now. This sure to show you what those milestones are so that you know that in you know, in kindergarten, we're talking about spatial awareness so that we, when we put our hands out, we shouldn't be touching other people, no we're talking about local motor skills, so you can practice those things at home. Great.

B

And talk to us a little bit about the dance component. Sure.

C

So all of our elementary schools typically will have a dance unit, so they'll go over dance and rhythm. You know different levels of dance and many of our elementary schools also have after school dance companies, so they will have someone. Maybe a guest choreographer come in and do a dance piece with that group, and then they will go to our County dance festivals, which we have nine of this year. In the middle school level, there are each of our middle schools. Hopefully all of them next year will have a dance program.

C

So we have a dance, six, seven, eight and also dance for the athlete. So that's the fine arts dance component. There is a dance unit in the in the physical education section, but the Fine Arts component really goes into a lot more in depth of technique, choreography performance aspects for the dance education. If I'm in high school, we have dance one, we have dance two through four.

C

We have to answer the athlete and we have dance company so again, there's in school components where there's also after school components where kids can audition to be a part of the company which would then perform at our dance festivals as well. Great.

B

National surveys obviously show that parents are concerned with the decreasing and in the programs in schools. How is a CPS addressing this and are there things that we're particularly doing to combat that so.

C

I think we're we're doing pretty well. um Could we do better and offer more physical, physical education? What I love to have it every day? Yes, but there are so many things that our kids need. So in elementary school, we offer physical education for 60 minutes so usually twice a week for 30 minutes in middle school. We offer it either every other day for 50 minutes or every third day for 50 minutes and then in high school. It's when, when you're taking a physical education course, it's either every other day at 90 minutes.

C

You know in our elementary school curriculum in RK, 1 and 2 curriculum. Right now we have incorporated a new learning block called healthy bodies and minds, move move move, which is an additional 20 minutes every day that kids participate in physical activity during their classroom. Now this is what their classroom teacher, so sometimes it's where they turn on, go noodle or they're doing a brain boost activity, but it's I think a neuronic County has really recognize the fact that movement is important. Oh.

B

My kids love it yeah.

C

Brain breaks, yeah I, would challenge you to call them brain boost. Brain.

B

Boost right now permit learning we're actually optimizing at their learning.

C

But I think we're.

B

Helps their dance moves to I to say my son has become quite the dancer. That's.

C

Awesome, that's awesome, so you know, like I, said that the classroom teacher is in charge of charger that there and the physical educator can sort of help with activities. But that's a time in the classroom where the kids are just given the opportunity to move get their sillies out. You know we have a lot of a lot of times. Our kids are asked to sit in their seats and that blood draws all the way down to they're down to their lower extremities when we really want the blood in the brain.

C

So if we're providing them, those braids boost opportunities, even if it's 45 minute intervals, we're really we're bringing that oxygen and that glucose back to the brain, which is then optimizing it to learn. Yeah.

B

That's great and I think they're what about recess too, because you hear so often discipline and schools takes away recess, which is such a great opportunity for to get the kids to get outside and play. How can parents protect to the recess time? Is there anything that we can do I can't.

C

Arana county does a good job of saying you can't take recess away. You know we were also trying to be a big supporter of recess before lunch. Research just says that sometimes before lunch, it's just gives the kids a little bit more time to to play rather than at play on that full belly.

C

You know, I, think if you hear that your child is being punished by not having recess I would call and just say, is there another opportunity for my child to you know receive this consequence and not not have that pulled away from recess time, because kids really need that free structure play that's different than physical education. That's the time for them to practice. Taking turns communicating discourse. All of those things happen. You know when they're not being instructed what to do so. They really do need that 20 minutes of recess well,.

B

I'm working on set of so much screen time. There's been a lot of studies that have come out about imaginary play and how important that is to kids. Do you have any suggestions on that? How to.

C

So I would definitely make suggestions that you limit the amount of screen time that your child has at home instead of saying: okay, let's not, let's watch a TV together, let's take a lunch or a walk after dinner. You know, let's, on the weekend, let's make some time to go to the playground or you know, go to the lake and let's walk around the lake so making physical activity a part of your family lifestyle is really important and I know that we're all busy- and sometimes it's easy, just to say, go watch a TV show.

C

But you know research is saying that that is not only increasing obesity, but it's also allowing our kids. They struggle with identifying emotions. So when they sit in front of a TV for so long they're so engaged in what's going on there. Sometimes they have a hard time communicating and disk or sing with with other people, sure.

B

That makes a lot of sense. You mentioned health education. Also, can you talk to us a little bit about the county's health program.

C

I'm sure so health education really begins in sixth grade here. For us we're trying to get it implemented in the elementary levels.

C

Right now in I talked about that healthy bodies in my move move move learning box, so we are now doing health education in our K, 1 and 2 curriculums, so they will as we're rewriting our three four and five curriculums, that's sort of where we're going to start seeing health education in those in those areas as well, but in sixth grade seventh grade and eighth grade students get it as part of their physical education program. So the physical education program is a year-long course, but health education is one quarter of that year.

C

Ok, so in health, education, we talk about communication. We talk about safety and injury prevention, disease prevention and control, family life in human sexuality, fitness and nutrition, tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. So we're trying to give kids the knowledge and the skills and the concepts so that they are aware of. What's going on in the world that can they can practice those skills and whether it be refusal or advocacy when they are challenged with difficult situations? Great.

B

um Do you have anything new plant in terms of you know, yoga meditation, that kind of stuff.

C

So more and more of our schools are taking mindfulness and meditations approaches in their classrooms. Absolutely it's really a great thing. We actually last year approved a new course at Annapolis, high school called stretcher wellness, which is has some yoga foundations. But it's more about it's more there's more than just the yoga piece, it's all about mindfulness and meditation, and you know how to live that healthy lifestyle, while keeping your your stress level at a well.

C

It's only in Annapolis high school right now, because we have a certified yoga teacher who's. Also, a certified teacher there we're hoping to expand it to other schools in our in our county, but we're trying to work through that certification process. That's.

B

Great, I love that now. If a parent was looking for more information on any of this, I know you said your website was being updated. Is there anywhere that they could go right now to find out? What's all this great stuff, that's going on.

C

I mean our website is sort of there, so you could find my email and my phone number there. Okay, but like I said the website is sort of being updated so that we have a nice new look and at that time we'll really have more information for parents to help them. You know, guide guide them in the way to provide more physical activity for their students and.

B

I would imagine they can talk to their physical education teachers in their own school.

C

Up, so that's probably the first place that you want to start. Your physical educator has a wealth of knowledge and they are really big supporters of this of being physically active so start in your school, get involved with your PTA to try to do family fitness nights or things of that nature and our office is always available to great.

B

And how about after school physical education opportunities? Are there sports things available and does that run through your office or how does that work so.

C

I partner with the office of athletic, sending off the extracurricular activities, typically come through Clayton Culp's office who's the office of athletics, but we do have a variety of different programs that we offer. After school we have girls, Laran heroes, club mighty milers. We have that dance, dance, club or dance company wish. I was talking to you about and the more we can have kids active the better. I see so I know that we have there really it's up to the school, so whatever they want to do. I'm sure is a big proponent.

C

Go to your principal and say we need more of this and I'm sure that and.

B

C

Run the program absolutely.

B

Absolutely a volunteer the more we can.

C

Have you know our teachers do a lot but I think if our parents.

D

B

Get on the ball register absolutely.

C

And do more things to promote and support physical activity. The better will be great.

B

Well, thank you so much. It just inspires everyone to get out there and get moving. Thank you. So much Kathy was close your being here today, I'm Cathy Shaffer, and this was parents corner thanks for watching.

E

Later today, on world view I'll be talking with Joe Hudson who's, the Hispanic liaison to the Annapolis police.

D

I'm corporal gamble at the an aura County police in regards to school safety. There are certain items that are not allowed in school weapons. Anything that can be construed as a weapon cannot be brought to school things like switchblades knives. Anything with the sharp point finger, nail files guns of any sort cannot be brought to school. Also, illegal drugs prescription drugs unless they are issued by the health room cannot be brought to school tobacco products of any sort alcohol. Anything of that nature is not something that you can have in school.

D