People who study bullying often focus on the bullies and the children they target. But now attention is turning to a long-neglected actor in this drama: the bystander. Empowering the bystander to speak up and act may be the key to stopping bullies, some experts say.

When children who see bullying speak up against it, seek help from an adult and offer support to the bullied child, they raise the overall emotional health of their school. And when c…
Daily exercise for three months can improve the brain function of overweight children, according to a new study of 200 overweight, inactive 7- to 11-year-olds that was presented this week at The Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting. "We hope these findings will help persuade policymakers, schools and communities that time spent being physically active enhances, rather than detracts from learning," said the study's lead i…
Nickelodeon has committed an additional $300,000 in awards to the Let's
Just Play Giveaway for October through December 2007. For more
information, visit www.nick.com/letsjustplay.

Let's Just Play Giveaway Sweepstakes is a unique grant-giving program
that empowers kids to partner with adults for a chance to win $5,000
awards to support fitness, recreation and nutrition programs at their
schools and community-based organization. Kids between …
The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs in the United States ever conducted. SHPPS also was conducted in 2000 and 1994 and is planned again for 2012.

Tuesday's Topic-Recess
Wednesday's Topic- Nutrition in Schools
Thursday's Topic- Class Size PE


Friday's Topic-Physical Education
Moving in the right direction............
*69.3% of elementary school…
The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs in the United States ever conducted. SHPPS also was conducted in 2000 and 1994 and is planned again for 2012.

Tuesday's Topic-Recess
Wednesday's Topic- Nutrition in Schools
Thursday's Topic- Class Size PE
Friday's Topic-Physical Education


CLASS SIZE IN Physical Education

*69.3% of elementary schools, 83.9% …
Each day this week I will review relevant information on the topics of recess, physical education, nutrition, and class size in PE as covered in the School Health Policies and Program Study research report released Friday, Oct. 19, 2007.

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs in the United States ever conducted. SHPPS also was conducted in 2000 and 1994 an…
Each day this week I will review relevant information on the topics of recess, physical education, nutrition, and class size in PE as covered in the School Health Policies and Program Study research report released Friday, Oct. 19, 2007.

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) 2006 is the largest, most comprehensive assessment of school health programs in the United States ever conducted. SHPPS also was conducted in 2000 and 1994 an…
Students zooming to class on shoes with wheels aren’t a rarity in Red River Valley schools.

But “Heelys” – the must-have sneaker of the moment for many elementary-age students – are becoming a headache for school administrators.

Safety concerns posed by the fashionable foot apparel have prompted some school districts to put a foot down, developing policies about when children can use the wheels on the shoes.

Ellen Hopkins Elementary School in Moorh…
School cafeterias are serving more whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, according to a nonprofit School Nutrition Association survey of 200 U.S. school districts. About 81% of the districts said they added healthier beverages in school vending machines and 74% reduced or limited trans fat. FoodNavigator
One of the most frequent questions that I field is: "What do you think of recess before lunch?" Below is yet another article citing the benefits.

By PENELOPE OVERTON | Courant Staff Writer
October 15, 2007


EAST HADDAM - It is early afternoon on a sunny weekday in October, and the nurses' office inside East Haddam Elementary School is nearly deserted. The three child-size cots are empty. No groaning students await comfort for ac…
By Darlene Pellechia
Thursday, October 4, 2007 Naples, Florida

Remember hop scotch, four-square and leap frog? These games of yesteryear are making a comeback on the playground at Osceola Elementary School thanks to a program called Peaceful Playgrounds, part of the school’s Positive Behavior Support Process.

According to Osceola Asst. Principal Tammie Stewart, the concept is to promote positive play and provide students with ways to intervene and/…
By KARIN SHAW ANDERSON / The Dallas Morning News
ksanderson@dallasnews.com

School recess isn't what it used to be. But it may be safer.

The playground games and equipment that many parents fondly remember are disappearing. Some schools have shortened recess in the name of academics and banned activities such as tag, Red Rover and king of the mountain as too dangerous.

Teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds are a thing of the past, too. School offici…
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By David Guo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There are maybe 30 of them between the day's first class and second, 48 from the school driveway to the church's parking lot. A good-morning jackpot of 100 lies at the front door, one student reveals, for anyone who walks there from the school bus drop point.

Hmmm. Maybe those 48 steps to Mass every Wednesday should be worth a bonus, these students at SS Simon and Jude School …
By Cheri Carlson (Contact)
Friday, October 5, 2007
Ventura County Star Newspaper

Kaity Webster had a list of new rules to learn at her Camarillo school this year, but she didn't complain when she saw what she got in return.

The fifth-grader returned to University Preparation School to find the asphalt painted with tricycle tracks, maps, and alphabet and number games — and the equipment racks stocked full of new balls, jump ropes, bean bags and…
Do You Want To Be A Rock Star?


This weekend, Toronto will be a rockin' city, as the 2007 World Rock Paper Scissors Championships cut into town.

The game of Rock Paper Scissors has been settling scores on playgrounds since long before little brothers came into existence. In fact, some say it originates back to the year 200 BC in Japan, where it was referred to as "Jan-Ken." Others say it started as an early Scandinavian pastime, while…
Polly Curtis, education editor
Monday October 8, 2007
The Guardian

Boring playgrounds could be fuelling bullying in schools, a charity warns today after a survey suggested that many parents think their child's schools lacks green space. According to one in five parents polled, schools lack proper spaces for sports, and one in six children are bored at break times.

The poll of 1,100 parents paid for by the the charity Learning Through Landscapes …
Jefferson Elementary School has seen a 42 percent decrease in student misbehaviors since they started using the Peaceful Playground Program last year.

The program is designed to reduce conflicts during recess time.

"We're very happy with the reduction in misbehaviors," principal Barb Linke said. "It's also carried over into the classroom. That's what we wanted."



Students often say, "you can't say I can't…
The benefits of regular physical activity for our health and well-being are well documented. Over the past 50 years, however, our increased dependence on the automobile, coupled with the invention of many labor-saving devices, has caused physical activity to be engineered out of our lives. It is now possible to go through an entire day without walking more than a few minutes at a time. Suburban sprawl encourages more driving, more polluting and …
By RACHEL KYLER, Florida Freedom Newspapers
2007-10-01 08:47:00
Olly, olly, oxen free! Recess is hiding at many Okaloosa County schools. With a new state mandate for 150 minutes per week of physical education, schools such as Liza Jackson Preparatory School ended any unstructured play this year. School officials say they just don’t have the time.

Assistant Principal Julie Jenzen said lawmakers mean well in implementing the law, but students need a …
Kaiser Permanente today announced the launch of "The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food Detective" (AFD), a first of its kind, free, online video game in English and Spanish that teaches children to eat healthier foods, get more active and manage how they spend their time in front of the computer and television.

Based on a popular character from Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theatre Program, the Amazing Food Detective takes…
Written by: Lane Schurr is the president of the Northern District of IAHPERD and the 2003 Illinois Middle School Physical Educator of the Year.


The big screen, the smell of popcorn and the comfort of lounging back in a theater chair is all part of the fun of "going to the movies." Like any other red-blooded American, I enjoy a good thriller or an action-packed drama, a super sci-fi and even the occasional gut-splitting comedy on the sil…
By Michelle Jana Chan
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Pick me! Pick me! The weakest children may no longer be left out of playground games. New technology may help to put kids on a more level playing field, which may in turn motivate them to learn and encourage competitiveness. Using modern artificial intelligence and robotics, new playground games can recognize a child's behavior and respond accordingly -- in real-time -- to make the game harder or…
By Jane Clifford
UNION-TRIBUNE FAMILY EDITOR
September 29, 2007

OK, you've seen your child do some things, little things really, but nagging little things. Being just a little too aggressive with younger siblings, a little too snarky on the phone about classmates, a little too intimidating with the kids in the neighborhood.

Do you continue to ignore it or do you follow your instincts and acknowledge that your child is a bully, confront your chil…