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Greetings!
This month's newsletter points out some recent research on nutrition and physical education.
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Daily PE Reduces Obesity
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Research Spotlight
A recent study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine, found that participation in daily physical education classes
decreased the odds of becoming an overweight adult by 28%.
"The
message for policy makers is that the failure to offer physical
education is 'penny wise and pound foolish,"' study investigator Dr.
Robert Wm. Blum from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, told Reuters
Health.
"With obesity at epidemic proportions, an intervention
which appears to hold as much promise as daily physical education does
in maintaining normal weight into adulthood should be given highest
priority," Blum said.
More on physical education reduces obesity.... |
PEP Grants funded at $76 M for 2008
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The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) has announced that
$76 million in PEP (Physical Education Program) grants will be
awarded this calendar year (2008). This represents a $3 million
increase from the amount distributed in 2007.
Peaceful Playgrounds and WE Count Pedometer Walking Programs have been supported across
the nation through submission of the PEP Grant Application.
Additionally, Peaceful Playgrounds has a PEP Grant writing support page with tips, hints and language for getting your PEP Grant funded.
According
to SGMA, for the third consecutive year, Congress rebuffed the
President's desire to eliminate PEP at a time when the Department of
Education's budget was targeted for cuts.
Since the initial
PEP grants in 2001, more than $400 million in PEP grants have been
awarded to school districts and community based organizations. PEP
funds have successfully enhanced K-12 physical education and community
based organizations' physical activity programs across the country. PEP
grants are used for professional development training, equipment
(balls, bean bags etc), and Physical Education curriculum like Fundamental Movement and recess programs that increase children's physical activity levels like Peaceful Playgrounds and the We Count Walking Program which earned national recognition for After School Promising Practices. |
Schools with Wellness Coordinators Report Fewer Problems.
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Healthy Schools
Healthy schools teams in Campbell County have come up with creative
ways to fulfill the goals of the Healthy Schools Initiative. Put simply
it is someone who would lead students in activities outside of recess
and physical education class to increase their daily physical activity.
For
schools that added the wellness coordinator they are getting promising
results. Namely they are reporting increased concentration on the part
of students and fewer behavioral problems.
More on how wellness coordinators reduce behavior problems....
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Playground Supervisor Training Now Available
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"The fact that principals often experience recess as chaos
and that recess is inadequately staffed are clearly related.
More appropriate staffing and training would go a long way
toward eliminating recess-related headaches and disruptions
that spill over into the classroom environment," RWJ researchers.
Sound familiar? Online Playground Supervisor Training is now up and running. For more information http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/courses.htm
e mail Melinda@peacefulplaygrounds.com
Call 877-444-9888 for school and district discounts.
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Is weather affecting your lunch recess?
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 Peaceful Playgrounds DVD set to the Rescue.
Why not teach children playground games and rules by showing the new Peaceful Playgrounds DVD games during inclement recess when kids are trapped indoors? Take the opportunity to make good use of time which will result in both teachers and students alike learning how to play many of the exciting and constructive playground games in the DVD set.
Navigate easy-to-use menus to select instruction for game demostration of over 25 games actually
filmed being played by real students. There are games for Pre-school and Kindergarten,
Primary Grades 1-3 and Upper Elementary Grades 4-6.
These are all the games students will love, like Frog in the Sea, Scramble,
Freezeout, Number & Alphabet Grids, Four Square, and many more!
Order DVDs today.
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Kids Eating Healthy Meals
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A University of Minnesota study that appeared in the Review of
Agricultural Economics shows school lunch sales don't decline when
healthier meals are served and that more nutritious foods don't
necessarily cost schools more to produce.
The study contradicts
the findings of previous studies, which showed students preferred fatty
foods and that healthier meals cost more to make, the authors said. The
researchers analyzed five years of data for 330 Minnesota public school
districts and found the schools that served the healthiest lunches did
not see a drop in demand. The study looked at compliance with federal
standards for calories, nutrients, and fats.
While serving
healthier meals does mean higher labor costs, they're offset by the
lower costs associated with nutritious foods such as fruits and
vegetables compared to processed foods, the researchers said. However,
they acknowledged many districts needed to upgrade their kitchens and
train their staff to prepare healthier foods. Study authors also
suggested that schools using lunch program funding for incidentals
redirect that money into nutrition.
More on healthy meals...
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Sincerely,
Melinda Bossenmeyer
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc
www.peacefulplaygrounds.com
877-444-9888
melinda@peacefulplaygrounds.com
PO Box 45586
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Copyright Peacful Playgrounds, Inc. Jan. 2008 All Rights Reserved
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