Head Start Body Start Toolbox

Check out the Head Start Body Start (HSBS) March Tool Box posted by the National Center for Physical Activity and Outdoor Play within the National Association of Sport and Physical Education(NASPE). A monthly toolbox will be released in both English and Spanish and can be download from the website. Each toolbox contains a physical activity plan and a monthly physical activity calendar which shares ideas for physical activity and healthy eating.

The toolbox will regularly feature a fun activity submitted by someone in the HSBS community. This month’s Featured Activity, “Swat the Fly,” is provided by Advisory Board member Dr. Diane Craft and author of Active Play! Fun Physical Activities for Young Children.

Fit Deck Junior: Simple, Easy to Use

Fit Deck Jr is a deck of cards that shows illustrations & instructions describing 50 upper, middle, lower, and full body exercises. A nice idea for physical education teachers, coaches, and physical activity coordinators to use as a warm-up activity. Fit Deck Jr is designed for ages 5-15.

Company Founder Phil Black was a U.S. Navy Seal and U.S. Navy Seal instructor has expanded the line to include body building cards, yoga cards, prenatal exercise cards, and Fit Deck for the office.

San Francisco JROTC Marching Orders Modified

San Francisco USD engaged in a two year battle in 2006 to phase out JROTC in it's schools by the 2008-2009 school year. The School Board resolution in 2006 stated the following reasons: 1. JROTC instructors are not certified or in some cases do not even possess a degree of any kind, 2) in a healthy demoncracy the restriction of military involvement in civilian affairs is fundamental, 3) SFUSD has adopted violence prevention and conflict resolution strategies that promote no-violent behavior, 4) no other potential employer or recruiter is given such high profile, such as extensive contact with students 5) JROTC is a district funded activity that requires public funding etc.........

However, the issue is SF is far from resolved. SF Assembly members Ma and Lieu introduced legislation AB 223 this session that would require the San Francisco Board of Education to make JROTC courses available to pupils under its jurisdiction in grades 9 to 12, inclusive. Earlier this week the the provision to allow JROTC credit for physical education was stricken from the bill. California Department of Education Advisories have long proclaimed that physical education credit should not be given to extra curricular activities like cheer leading, ROTC and drill team on the grounds that students would not experience the "course of study" necessary to meet state standards in physical education.

Alice Waters: The Edible Schoolyard

">I’ve just watched the best story on 60 Minutes and can’t wait to share it with all the Recess Blog Readers! As we all know obesity is a problem, not just for our children but the nation.

One revolutionary woman, Alice Waters, has been campaigning for the cause of healthy organic eating for well over 30 years. She first started by opening her restaurant Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, CA. The Chez provides all its menu items with locally organically grown produce. The organic and farmers market movement is recently getting more attention and taking off in the main stream.

Her actions towards this movement, however, began long before “childhood obesity” was a recognizable term or epidemic. What may interest you the most in this story is a pilot program she has set up in a Berkeley middle school. It is called The Edible schoolyard. The program is designed “as an effort to bring kids into a new relationship to food," she explained. In this class the kids learn about growing food right on the school grounds. With topics such as composting, planting, weeding etc. One child who was planting in the strawberry garden, enthusiastically said that The Edible Garden was his favorite class. Not only do they cultivate the food in the garden, but they also prepare the food as part of the class. Another student commented that he tried a piece of toast with mushrooms and spinach from the garden that he prepared and was quite shocked to discover that he enjoyed the flavor!

Please take the time to watch this fabulous video about this visionary who has been passionately working to change the eating habits of people in her community, as well as the nation. She has got support and recognition from the Mayor of San Francisco, who raves about her. She’s got lofty goals for the White House and I hope she gets the opportunity to speak to President Obama about her vegetable garden goal.

Click here To watch the video clip and read the detailed transcript of the story.

March Peaceful Playgrounds Grants Newsletter

Did you receive your copy of the March Peaceful Playgrounds Grants Newsletter?

Topics covered include:
Tiger Woods Foundation Grants for Youth

Active Living and Health Eating Grant

Mailman Family Early Learning Grants.


Shade Structure Grants.

Walmart State Giving Grant for Health and Wellness.

If you need to replenish your equipment or products don't miss out on our annual Year End Sale going on now.

ABC Fitness: Activity Bursts in the Classroom

As a response to the reduction in physical activity opportunities, Dr. David Katz developed a manual which provides instruction for teachers to incorporate short bursts of activity at the beginning of each school day. ABC for Fitness can ensure that children obtain the level of physical activity that is essential for good health and well being according to the ABC for Fitness Teachers's Manual.

The ABC for Fitness Manual is free to download from his website. It includes stretching suggestions, planning for instruction, recommendations for activity burst selection by grade span and listings of other physical activity resources.

NFL Players Promote Fit Kids Act.

The Fit Kids Act would require schools, districts and states to report on students' physical activity, and to give youngsters health and nutritional information. The bill was supported by NFL playgrounds on March 19 in Washington DC. Players led the children in jumping jacks, stretching and running-in-place exercises and signed autographs in a PEP Rally of sorts to show their support of the Fit Kids Act.

The House sponsor, Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., is a former Harvard quarterback.

"It's impossible to develop a healthy mind without a healthy body, and that's what FIT Kids is all about," he said.

Marines help students train in PE during Military Day activities

A Marine gives instructions to students before a fitness rotation during Military Day at Mary Fay Elementary School on Camp Pendleton Friday, March 6. The Marines assisted students in physical training activities.

Published March 18 in the Village News for Fallbrook and Bonsall Communities.

Peaceful Playgrounds- customer feedback

Hello -- I am emailing you because despite my best intentions, I am finding it impossible to be available during the school day for these webinars (I missed last Wednesday's - Peaceful Playground one that I was registered for and can't free up an hour today for the Recess before Lunch) - I imagine that this is not a unique situation since they are geared for school employees, yet broadcast during our direct service times with students, so I'm wondering if there is a solution already in place for folks like me. My tech./media specialist suggested I email you and explain the conflicts and said that perhaps you can post it as a "podcast" (???) for me to view outside of school hours.

I would appreciate any consideration and help as I think that your topics address are vital and would love to see both if possible

Thanks
Marjorie Russell
Social Development Coordinator - Essex Elementary School

Peaceful Playgrounds Response.............
Marjorie:
We will try to tape the webinar today and send the audio file. I will also see about offering some webinars later in the day to see if the attendance changes. We are getting really good attendance with the mid-day webinars but I'm certainly open to suggestions.

Here's the link to a podcast on the topic of Recess Before Lunch which is very much like the webinar.
http://web.mac.com/mbossenmeyer/Site/Podcast/Entries/2008/4/28_PODCAST_by_Recess_doctor.html

We also have a featured article on Recess Before Lunch and a number of resources posted there as well. Please check it out. I'm sure you will find it helpful. http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/recess-before-lunch.htm

Other featured articles that you might be interested in can be found at: http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/articles.htm

Thanks for the inquiry and suggestion!

Melinda Bossenmeyer, Ed.D.
Founder/President
Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.

Past Featured Articles
Head Start Body Start in Body Building?
Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Across Nation
Bullying Prevention: Life Lessons on Good and Evil
Countdown to Good Health: 5-4-3-2-1 Go
Playground Liability: Accident or Injury
Schoolwide Discipline: What Works?
Recess is on the Upswing
Low-Cost High-Activity Playgrounds
Why Bullying Programs Succeed or Fail
Nutrition in Schools - Childhood Obesity

Announcing KaBOOM Webinars

KaBoom conducts weekly webinars on the following topics:
Intro to Imagination Playground in a BOX
Your Playful City USA Application
Intro to the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder
Getting Ready for Your Build Day

All KaBOOM webinars are free, archived and accessible anytime.

If you enjoy online learning you should also check out Peaceful Playgrounds Free Webinars.

Peaceful Playgrounds Enriching Play Environments

I recently received a response to a post stating, Why not just let children play at recess? Contrary to popular belief Peaceful Playgrounds strongly advocates for schools, "to allow children free time at recess to do what ever they choose or do nothing." I guess the misunderstanding comes from the appearance of a "structured playground." A better and more accurate way to think of a Peaceful Playground is as an "enriched play environment."

WE do not advocate structuring recess in any way. We believe that in enriching the play environment most children will choose a game or activity. We found that placing game markings were necessary because of the "out-of-sight-out-of mind principle. Most children would play a game for about 2 weeks and then forget it was an option. Painting the game marking or activity on the playground was a visual reminder of their many game choices.

SO, PLEASE, the next time someone suggests that Peaceful Playgrounds provides a "structured recess" set them straight by suggesting that we provided instead an "enriched play environment."

For more information on Peaceful Playgrounds Philosophy visit our Featured Articles Section:
Low-Cost High-Activity Playgrounds
School Recess before Lunch
Bullying Prevention: Life Lessons on Good and Evil
Head Start Body Start in Body Building?

10 Reasons to Play

Stuart Brown has released an new book on play in which he identifies 10 reasons play is important. You can check out longer descriptions of all 10 reasons that play is important in either his book, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul or from an article in US News and World Report entitled, 10 Reasons Play Can Make You Healthy, Happy, and More Productive.

1. Play is good for the brain.
2. Play teaches the use of the imagination.
3. Rough-and-tumble play teaches cooperation and fair play
4.Play teaches friendship.
5. Sometimes the best way to learn a complicated subject is to play with it.
6. Kids do better academically when they have recess.
7. Physical play delays mental decline in old age.
8. A little play can solve big problems.
9. Playing at work it not just useful its essential.
10. When we get play right, other areas of our life go better.

Peaceful Playgrounds At AAHPERD Conference

Thursday, April 2, 2009: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM

Tampa Convention Center: 10-12

Speaker:

Melinda Bossenmeyer, Peaceful Playgrounds, Los Angeles, CA

Would you like a designated outdoor teaching area for your physical education classes? Imagine a blacktop space with permanently painted physical education activities and games. Peaceful Playgrounds will reveal our new physical education stencils and games DVD's that make your job easier and the school playground more peaceful. The Second Edition Peaceful Playgrounds materials are even better than the first!

Peaceful Playgrounds Webinar : Q & A

Q: About how long is it before games need to be repainted.

A: It all depends on the climate in your area. If you live in California and its sunny and rarely rains, it will last approximately 5-7 years. If you live in Chicago, where it’s windy, rainy, snowy it could last about 3-5 years. However, one point I like to make is paint is inexpensive, and once your lines are down, it is VERY QUICK AND EASY to paint over the lines you currently have!

Q: Do you need to have separate spaces for primary and intermediate students if they are outside at the same time?

A: The answer is no, you do not have to have separate spaces but you could do so if you wanted. Each blueprint has the games spaced out in with a certain amount of space as safety zones in between games. If you follow the blueprints then you don’t need to worry about the kids out to recess at the same time. It should be noted, with lots of game choices students are typically spread out though out the game playing areas.

Q: How much is the on-site training and/or the online training.

A: The on-site training is $1450 plus travel expenses. We highly recommend the on-site training because in researching the schools that bought the programs, we discovered the schools who had an on-site training were overall happier with the program, had full staff buy-in to the idea, and implemented all five components of the program. Don’t let the travel expenses scare you either, we have trainers all over the United States. So if you live in NY, don’t worry that you’ll be paying to fly someone in from California.

The online training is $29 per course per individual. Additionally, we have special rates for schools and districts depending on the number of users.

Q: Are there any specific examples of participants resistance to change and how it is handled?

A: Usually when we discover schools are having difficulty implementing the program, there is a lack of understanding about the program and the program philosophy and/or B) the staff may need on-site training.

I also want to take this opportunity to remind site licensed schools that WE are here to help YOU. If you have any implementation questions or need any troubleshooting you can call our offices between 7AM and 4PM Mon-Fri PST or email us at support@peacefulplaygrounds.com.

Sound Body Equals Sound Mind

Texas fitnessgram test results reveal a correlation between physically fit students and academic test scores. The findings, physically fit students score better on academic performance tests, have fewer discipline problems and better attendance records come as no surprise to educators. The correlation was first identified in CA approximately 6 years ago where student test scores reveal students in healthy fitness zones on California's Fitness Testing System also performed at higher level on the state reading and math exams.

More on Texas Fitness Test and Academics.

Presidential Play Set

For those of us in the play business, a presidential swing set, while not earth shaking news, is an opportunity to remind folks that play "Is important!"

If we understand on the most basic level that play is essential to leading a happy and healthy life, it comes as no surprise that the President would give his children a swing-set. After all, he's Harvard educated.

These days parents are more likely to organized a "play date" where children are supervised by parents, or schedule their child into an organized team sport, rather than allow them to hang out in the back yard immersed in spontaneous activity to amuse and to occupy themselves.

Go Obama.

Breakfast Program Grant : Recess Before Lunch

Implementing a Recess Before Lunch Program requires that students wait longer to eat which means that breakfast is especially important. With the down turn in the economy it has been reported that more and more students are attending school hungry often times as a result of skipping breakfast.

A new grant called the School Breakfast Program grant is available through Action for Healthy Kids and the Kellogg's Corporate Citizenship Fund. The grant is aimed at increasing the number of children eating breakfast at school to start their day right.

Schools in every state meeting minimum grant requirements are eligible. School breakfast plays a critical role in addressing the epidemic of overweight and undernourished children. Research shows both educational and nutritional benefits to children who have school breakfast.

Awards will range between $500 and $2,000.

Click here to download a PDF of the grant application. Complete proposals are due to Action for Healthy Kids by Friday, April 10, 2009. More information can be found at www.actionforhealthykids.org or by contacting Sarah Titzer, director of team programs at (317) 884-0321 or Sarah@ActionForHealthyKids.org.

March Webinars for Peaceful Playgrounds

Don't miss out. Register early for the March Peaceful Playgrounds Free Webinars.

Register Now

• Grant Writing for the Beginner

Recess Before Lunch


• Peaceful Playgrounds

U.S. Playgrounds Map Stencil Winners

March Winners
The following schools have won a free U.S. Map Playgrounds Stencil from Peaceful Playgrounds.
Please contact our office to claim your prize.
877-444-9888 or email info@peacefulplaygrounds.com

School: Annoor Academy
Principal: Jalal Hamedi
City: Knoxville, TN
Submitted by: Debbie Muhammad

School: Bethel Prep Classical Christian
Principal: Rev. Robert Barber
City: Sewell, NJ
Submitted by: Kim Hiller

School: Gaston Point Elementary
Principal: Wanda Bradley
City: Gulfport, MS
Submitted by: Sheila Lewis

National Recess Week March 2-6

Schedule a Recess Event

In recognition of National Recess Week March 2-6 why not schedule a recess event?

Get kids up and get active. Perhaps schedule a "Recess Games Day." Have volunteers and teachers teach students a recess game and rotate students through age appropriate games and playground activities.

Good luck with the National Recess Week drawing. We hope you signed up for the $10,000 drawings as a result of the announcement this month in the Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Blog. Event sponsored by the Cartoon Network.

Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Landscape

New Approach New Results For years physical educators across the country have advocated for daily physical education for their students. Legislators have joined the bandwagon and passed legislation mandating physical education for most K-12 grade students throughout CA and across the nation. However, much to the dismay of physical educators, concerned parents, public health advocates and pediatricians, the education codes mandating physical education has been largely ignored. That however, appears to be changing in the nation's second largest school district, LAUSD. The City Project (a legal and policy advocacy organization), working with teachers and school officials in the Los Angeles Unified School District, are using social science and legal research to promote changes in public policy that hopefully will result in better and more equitably delivered physical education in public schools in Los Angeles, California. Tipping Point to a Physical Education Revolution Persuading other school districts to enforce physical education requirements has previously proven to be unfruitful and uneventful. But this new strategy which has played out in Los Angeles over the past year represents a thoughtful and strategic effort by key stake holders in the community and in the district has packed a powerful punch. It has leveraged the undivided attention on the part of district officials in an attempt to avoid legal action. In the world of education, a common battle cry is "What California does the nation follows." It appears that in the arena of equal access to daily physical education, Los Angeles Unified School District showing the way. Check out this month's complete Featured Article entitled: Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Landscape. Original story source: Robert Garcia, The City Project, Los Angeles, CA, USA, and Chad Fenwick, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, CA, USA, have published an article on Social Science, Equal Justice, and Public Health Policy: Lessons from Los Angeles, in the Journal of Public Health Policy (2009) 30, S26-S32.

March Play Nice Newsletter Released

Did you receive the March Play Nice Newsletter? Download your copy now.
Topics include:
*March U.S. Playground Map Stencil Winners,
*Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Landscape Across Nation,
*Study Finds Preschoolers Inactive at Play,
*Peaceful Playground's New Location: We've MOVED, and
*National Recess Week March 2-6.

There's a need to do more with less

Are you feeling the financial pinch? Do you feel like you need to do more with less? Yet, you know staff training is the key to teacher quality. Why not check out our new online learning course or free Peaceful Playgrounds Webinars? Save in travel costs and teacher release time. Peaceful Playgrounds Online Courses are on demand. Meaning teachers and staff can take them at their convenience.

Here's a link to our two online courses: Peaceful Playgrounds and Playground Supervisor Training.

Consider signing up for our free March webinars including:

How you can have a Peaceful Playground
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - 10:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!

Recess Before Lunch- 5 Steps to Success
Wednesday, March 18 2009 - 11:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!

Grant Writing For Beginners
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 10:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!