Peaceful Playgrounds Year in Review Part 2

Right to Recess Campaign Toolkit
Despite mounting evidence that kids need an outlet to blow off steam, learn to interact with others and get the exercise they need, nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess. Sept.

Peaceful Playgrounds Comprehensive Package Introduced The new Comprehensive Program Kit Package is everything you need to create and implement a Peaceful Playground at your school, church or park:

1. Peaceful Playgrounds Program Kit 2. Companion Equipment Pack 3. Recess Roll Out Stencil Set 4. Instructional Games DVD Series 5. School Set of Activity Guides 6. Striping Machine & Paint 7. Peaceful Playgrounds Site License 8. Staff Webinar: How to Have a Peaceful Playground Sept.


Fundamental Movement Comprehensive Package Introduced. * Perceptual Motor Development Guide (10 copies) * Playground Blueprint of Fundamental Designs * 41 Stencils: Letters, Numbers, Feet and Shapes * Parent Newsletters on Motor Skills Themes * Monthly Motor Skills Award Certificates * Motor Skills Checklists * Fundamental Movement Staff Development Materials * Fundamental Movement Task Cards Set * Physical Activity Exercise Cards * Fundamental Movement Equipment Pack * Complete roll out Stencil Set * Paint Machine and Paint * Program Site License Sept

CBS KLUK-TV - Appleton, WI Video
Appleton School Solves Recess Conflicts - September 2009 With children taking more ownership over the playground and really taking ownership of problem solving and conflict resolution they feel better about themselves...

Peaceful Playgrounds in Huffington Post Even Congress gets recess so why not kids? Aug.

Fox News 25 OKC, OK Video Oklahoma schools new approach to keep kids healthy and safe while at play. Aug

Grant Writing for the Beginner and Peaceful Playgrounds Overview Webinars Added. July

Schools Teaching Organic Gardening Local schools are implementing gardens which allow for hands-on-learning in a variety of educational subjects. School gardens are a fun way to expand student interest and involvement in their own education and their own long-term health care. Featured Article June

Healthy Food, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
Peaceful Playgrounds champions the efforts of individuals and organizations who actively work towards creating healthy bodies and minds. One such person we’d like to spotlight as a health advocate is Alice Waters. Featured Article May

Why Play?
Play is the spontaneous activity in which children engage to amuse and to occupy themselves. It is also a way children optimize their own brain development. Why Play? To answer that question we must first understand the importance of play. Featured Article April

Selected as a Head Start Body Start Preferred Vendor

Promoting Peaceful Play NewsDay - Melville, NY News Article
Research indicates that the prevalence of bullying in schools is increasing on a regular basis and that most bullying occurs on school playgrounds. March

Peaceful Playgrounds relocates to Lake Elsinore from Los Angeles. Increased office and warehouse space.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!

Peaceful Playgrounds 2009 : Year in Review

The 2009 year was another successful and satisfying year at Peaceful Playgrounds. In the final two days of 2009 we will share a quick overview highlighting some of our activities and services.

Ten Tips to Getting Your Grant Funded. A grant is a monetary award given by a government agency, foundation, corporation, or other entity to another body in order to plan, implement or operate a particular program or fund a particular project. Learn how to get your playground grant funded. (December- Featured Article)

Playground Forms- Equipment Checkout and Playground Report. These forms will assist you in organizing and reporting on your playground activity. This document includes Pad of 4 ready to print "Playground Report" forms and a Peaceful Playgrounds "Equipment Checkout Sheet." Dec.

Playground Trying to Eliminate Bullies Video-Channel 7 News. Nov.

Central Kitsap elementary schools bring peace to the playground. Nov.

Peaceful Playgrounds selected as model program for Champions for Healthy Kids Program. Oct.

Ohio State "Action for Healthy Schools Program" features Peaceful Playgrounds in their newsletter. "Add stencils to playground for recess and classroom use."

Peaceful Playgrounds Support Webinar added to assist schools in implementing Peaceful Playgrounds. Sign up for a future webinar. Sept.


Online Playground Supervisor Training Launched. View sample. Sept.

Can Physical Education make you smarter? Research has indicated that physical activity results in increased problem solving skills and attention skills in children upon returning to class. Which exercise is best and how long must one exercise to see beneficial changes? Featured Article Sept.

Recess Doctor Channel Added to You Tube. The Peaceful Playgrounds Program has been the focus of national radio and television news reports and is frequently featured in newspaper articles. Aug.

Keeping Kids Cool at School Principals and physical educators face daily decisions regarding children’s heat health on the playground. Children seldom complain when over heated and most children rarely self regulate. So how hot is too hot for physical activity? (Aug. Featured Article)

Peaceful Playgrounds partners with the Alliance for Healthier Generation to offer Alliance Schools free online training. Peaceful Playgrounds is a research based physical activity program aimed at getting kids physically active at recess while creating a "peaceful" environment for play.

Check back tomorrow for remainder of list.

History of Basketball

I just finished reading a blog entitled, "Don't know much about history" written by Joanne Jacobs. She is also the author of a book called, Our School.

In honor of Joanne's blog, I'll write about the history of basketball. Do you think that's what she had in mind?

Basketball was invented in 1891 by physical education teacher James Naismith at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. The assignment "to invent a new game" was issued by his boss, Dr. Luther Gulick, head of physical education at Springfield College. He generously gave Naismith 14 days to create a game to keep rowdy students occupied and fit during the harsh New England winter. What he wanted was a good game that could be played indoors and would give the boys a great workout as well.

In the beginning, basketball had only 13 rules. (Perhaps he invented a rule a day and rested on the last day.) The game was played in a gym and 9 players from each team endeavored to shoot a soccer ball into peach baskets hung up on two opposite ends of the gym. Ten years later a hole was cut in the bottom of the peach basket so that a player wouldn't have to fetch the ball from the basket after a player scored. Clearly there were no Michael Jordans or Kobe Bryants back then.

For a great historical overview of the history of basketball see the Cactus News Online article, History of Basketball.

CA Physical Education Framework RELEASED

The new Physical Education Framework for California Public Schools is out and I've attached the pdf link to download it. If you are interested in a hard copy of the document you can order it from the California Publications and Sales Office Catalog.

I am pleased that I had the opportunity to work with a group of great professionals in writing the PE Framework.

Christmas Dinner

Happy Holidays. One of my favorite Christmas songs was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary and I share it with you here today. May you light a candle this Christmas Day.

Christmas Dinner.

Christmas Dinner



(Noel Paul Stookey)

And it came to pass on a Christmas evening
While all the doors were shuttered tight
Outside standing, a lonely boy-child
Cold and shivering in the night.

On the street every window
Save but one was gleaming bright
And to this window walked the boy-child
Peeking in saw candlelight.

Through other windows he had looked at turkeys
And ducks and geese and cherry pies
But through this window saw a gray-haired lady
Table bare and tears in her eyes.

Into his coat reached the boy-child
Knowing well there was little there
He took from his pocket his own Christmas dinner
A bit of cheese, some bread to share.

His outstretched hands held the food and they trembled
As the door it opened wide
Said he "Would you share with me Christmas dinner?"
And gently said she "Come inside."

The gray-haired lady brought forth to the table
Some glasses to their last drop of wine
Said she "Here's a toast to everyone's Christmas,
And especially yours and mine!"

And it came to pass on that Christmas evening
While all the doors were shuttered tight
That in that town the happiest Christmas
Was shared by candlelight.

Peaceful Playgrounds Partners with Alliance for Healthier Generation

While childhood obesity rates increase, opportunities for students to be active have decreased. Kids are less active than ever. This not only affects their health, but also their performance in class. Physical activity programs are linked to stronger academic achievement, increased concentration and improved math, reading and writing test scores.

Peaceful Playgrounds partnered with the Alliance for Healthier Generation to offer Alliance Schools free online training. Peaceful Playgrounds is a research based physical activity program aimed at getting kids physically active at recess while creating a "peaceful" environment for play.

Peaceful Playgrounds is in approximately 8000 schools across the nation.

Head Start Programs Exceed PA and Nutrition Recommendations

A new study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine finds that the majority of the nation’s Head Start programs report doing more to support healthy eating and physical activity than is required by existing federal regulations. Head Start is the nation’s largest federally funded early childhood education program, serving one million low-income preschool students, 30 percent of whom are obese or overweight.

Study findings.

Perhaps its the support of two programs that have been in place for a few years now?
Head Start Body Start
I Am Moving I Am Learning.

Responsibility Project Film: Sportsmanship

Jan, one of the Peaceful Playgrounds Grant Writers found this heart warming video about good sportsmanship.

A true story well-worth watching and passing along.....................
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/films/player/the-home-run/

Ck out more "responsibility" films from Liberty Mutual.

Mud pies and outdoor play has its benefits

A new Northwestern University study suggests that American parents should ease up on antibacterial soap and perhaps allow their little ones a romp or two in the mud --- or at least a much better acquaintance with everyday germs.

The research suggests that inflammatory systems may need a higher level of exposure to common everyday bacteria and microbes to guide their development. "In other words, inflammatory networks may need the same type of microbial exposures early in life that have been part of the human environment for all of our evolutionary history to function optimally in adulthood," said McDade, also a member of the Institute for Policy Research's Cells to Society (C2S).


More on study.

Related Blog Posts
Why Play?

Countdown to good health.

High cost low activity playgrounds.

Classroom management key to successful teaching.

"[Classroom management] is probably one of the things that's least understandable and most complex about teaching. This is the hardest skill to master."

-- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, The Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2009.



Check out this week's LA Times article on : Controlling a classroom isn't as easy as ABC

Study finds: Fit teens are smart kids

A new study has found that the greater the cardiovascular fitness, the higher the cognitive scores at age 18.

Further, "The study found that having better cardiovascular health as a teenager was linked to not only higher scores on intelligence tests, but more education and a higher income years down the road."

The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

NH Recommendations to prevent childhood obesity

One of the recommendations that the Commission to Prevent Childhood Obesity presented to the Governor and the New Hampshire Department of Education is reinstate the Physical Education and Health Coordinator at the state level.

Click here for the additional recommendations from the commission.

PE Teacher leaves lasting impression decades later

Here's a heart warming story in light of the season.

This is an article about a good man. This is not about a rich man or a famous man or a man given to social airs.......

All Jack Anderson asked was that you paid him respect and pay attention. Jack like many coaches and educators realized early on that his influence would be far reaching. He was one of those teachers who understood,

No written word, no spoken plea,

Can tell the kids what they should be,

Nor all the books on all the shelves,

It's what the teachers are themselves. (Wooden)

To read about Jack Anderson and how his influence is still evident today, click here.

Saugus PEP Grant Showing Positive Results

By Tammy Marashlian
Signal Staff Writer
tmarashlian@the-signal.com
661-259-1234 x525
Posted: Dec. 12, 2009 8:14 p.m.
POSTED Dec. 13, 2009 4:55 a.m.

Hardly any kids were playing tether ball. There were no lines for handball.

Music was blasting pop and dance tunes, but during a recent lunch period, the blacktop playground at Rosedell Elementary School was nearly empty.

The nearly 650 students were spending their lunch racing around the school’s grassy outdoor track. It was Mileage Club time.

The program, which has caught on with a handful of local schools offering kids prizes for miles they run, is part of a greater push at changing the philosophy of physical education: Instead of focusing on competitive sports, educators want kids to simply enjoy exercise.

The program’s success has paid off and the results can be seen in the state’s annual physical fitness test given to fifth-, seventh- and ninth-grade students.

Kids at SCV schools — especially Rosedell — have improved overall, according to test results.

The tests measure six standards: aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, trunk extension, upper body strength and flexibility and categorize children by how many are in the “Healthy Fitness Zone.”

In 2007-08, 61 percent of Rosedell fifth-graders were in the fitness zone for aerobic capacity, which is tested with a 1-mile run. This year, that number jumped to 95 percent.

The Saugus school has also seen strong improvements in the other five categories, with 85 to 98 percent of students considered fit and healthy.

“It’s a huge physical exercise for them,” Rosedell Principal Cory Pak said. “A lot of them understand it’s fun to run and challenge themselves.”

The school expects to collectively hit at least 5,000 miles this year.

A fresh look at fitness
Saugus Union School District is in the second year of a three-year federal grant that trains elementary school teachers on a new style of physical education that encourages staying active rather than competition.

“It has just been very, very well-received,” said Joan Lucid, assistant superintendent of instruction and curriculum.

By the time the grant, worth almost $900,000 over the three-year period, expires, all 15 Saugus Union schools will be trained in the new style of physical fitness, she said.

The primary grades take part in activities that promote motor skills while older students play games that teach team work and keep them consistently active.

For instance, instead of playing the conventional football game, students are separated into three-person teams where students rotate throwing, hiking and running.

Students end up constantly exercising, rather than waiting for the ball to come to them, and learn the basics of the sport in a noncompetitive way, Pak said.

Pak has watched more students get involved in physical education classes.

“It’s a life-long habit that I hope we create in our children,” he said.

That attitude on the track comes into the classroom as teachers have watched their students become focused and alert during class time, he said.

And when students start to feel sluggish at their desks, Pak said it’s common for teachers to guide students through a five-minute stretch to stimulate the body.

District-wide administrators have seen an overall improvement in this year’s scores by about seven percent, Lucid said.

“We’re seeing fewer kids that are not meeting the zero of the six standards,” Lucid said.

Original Article Post.

Children and Nature Resources

Children & Nature resources
Compiled by:
Amy Pertschuk
Managing Director
Children & Nature Network
avery@hookedonnature.org.


Links To Families & Nature Resources

Children & Nature Network
www.childrenandnature.org

Hooked on Nature
www.hookedonnature.org

Nature Circles
www.naturecircles.org

Nature Rocks
www.naturerocks.org

Passport to Adventure—REI
www.rei.com/passport

Green Spoken Here—ACA
www.campparents.org/nature

NWF's Green Hour
www.greenhour.org

A Parents’ Guide to Nature Play
www.greenheartsinc.org

Wild Zones Family Play Days
www.wild-zone.net

Play for a Change Report Released

Play England has released a new report called, "Play for Change." It is a review of play, policy and practice in England. Play for a change, by Stuart Lester and Wendy Russell of the University of Gloucestershire, is published in three formats: a 270-page full research report, a 60-page summary, and a 4-page introductory briefing paper.

A copy of the report can be downloaded for free from the Play England website.

Interested in more information on play? Check out the Peaceful Playgrounds featured article on play.

Data Banks - Kids Health and Fitness

If you are writing grants and need health and fitness statistics then check out the Play Think blog by J.R. Atwood. His post on Data Mining: We've got your numbers cites two such data banks.

playthink

Exercising the mind and the body-J.R. Atwood

* Kidsdata.org offers a tremendous amount of data from all counties, cities, and school districts in California related to the health and well-being of children. Bonus: all information on the site is totally free!

* American Sports Data identifies itself as the specialist in sports participation and fitness research. While most of their reports cost money to access, they have a small collection of articles, press releases, and essays that may be worth browsing, including a report on the subsidization of physical fitness.

Don't forget about:

# KIDS COUNT Clicks: Community-Level Information on Kids

# Poverty Statistics for Every County and School District in the Country

Sneak Peek : New Peaceful Playgrounds Indoor Game Rugs

To: Peaceful Playgrounds
This is the first year that we have used the Peaceful Playground program at my school (Mountain View School, East Longmeadow, MA). It is going very well, however, as the snow finally starts to fly we find ourselves struggling to know how to keep the program running as the fields become off limits for children who are not dressed appropriately and the playground gets more crowded and covered in snow and ice.

Do you have suggestions of what to do to keep the program running during the winter months in places where it snows? What have other schools done?

Thanks,
Carrie Wallace
Principal

Carrie:
We will be putting out a newsletter with some ideas on rain/snow day activities. What timing.

Below you will find some Peaceful Playgrounds ideas to keep PP going in the winter. 1. Use tape and tape some of the games inside in a multi-purpose, hall way or gym.

2. Show the Instructional Games DVD's and teach children how to play the games. http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/dvd.htm

3. Or have students make up alternate games for some of the Peaceful Playgrounds court markings. Ie. The game long ball was invented by kids. It is a game of handball played without a wall. It is in the Upper grades game book. Have a contest and see who invents the best playground game.

These are a few ideas that come to mind. However, the newsletter tomorrow with have some additional ideas.

Although they are not ready yet, we have (in production) some of our games on rugs that are portable so that you could lay out the game rugs inside and they could be easily moved around. Coming soon.

Thanks for the inquiry,
Melinda Bossenmeyer, Ed.D.

PS Anyone with some additional suggestions please post them and we will share them with other readers.

Physiologically Why We Over-Eat.

In the December issue of Educational Leadership you'll find a great article on physiologically why we over-eat. It is called, "Finding Our Way Back to Healthy Eating: A Conversation with David A. Kessler."

Kessler points out that "forty or 50 years ago, the U.S. food industry shifted from food that was locally grown to a highly interdependent food distribution network that had many advantages in terms of cost and food safety. But now that food is so highly processed, we're able to dial in the exact amount of fat, sugar, and salt that will make us come back for more." He talks about the addictive effect of sugar, fat and salt. And combinations of fat, sugar, and salt drive consumption—they stimulate you to come back for more.

Check out complete article or listen to the podcast from the link above.

Suggested Job Interview Questions for Prospective Physical Education Teachers

NASPE provides many resources for principals and other school administrators including tools to observe and evaluate physical education programs and teachers, analyze the physical education curriculum at their school/school district, research their state’s physical education standards and strengthen school policies regarding physical education/physical activity. NASPE also provides a set of suggested job interview questions for prospective physical education teachers.

TRUCE: Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment

Toys, Play and Young Children Action Guide is now available and FREE for downloading.

This new guide is just in time for Christmas and give you pointers for choosing "Toys of Value" and "Toys and Toy Trending to Avoid." The guide also includes ideas for creating a Shoe Box Gift around different themes and suggestions for what you might include in the shoe box.

According to their website, "TRUCE is a national group of educators deeply concerned about the impact of children’s entertainment and toys on the play and behavior of children in our classrooms.

For more information on outdoor play visit our website at Peaceful Playgrounds.

WatchKnow.org — Wikipedia Founder Starts School Video Site

Larry Sanger, the co-founder of Wikipedia, has launched a new educational venture for teachers, parent, and students aged 3-18 years-old. It's called WatchKnow.org. Billed as “YouTube meets Wikipedia,” WatchKnow has so far organized more than 11,000 of the nearly 7 million education-related videos available on the Internet.

WatchKnow is both a resource for users and also a non-profit, online community that encourages everyone to collect, create, and share free, innovative, educational videos.

The Physical Education category needs additional content. Do you have a great teaching video? Why not share it with other teachers and students?



Speaking of instructional videos..... Click below to view an overview of our Peaceful Playgrounds Instructional Games Video.

Low Cost Recreational Program Brings Peace to School Playground

From Whitter Daily News
By Tracy Garcia, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/25/2009

"It's something I read about on the Internet and it grabbed my eye," said Principal Marla Duncan, who said the 575-student campus had been fundraising for years to get new playground equipment.

"But we raised money not knowing how expensive (the equipment) is, along with the installation," she said.

"And since we couldn't afford to put more equipment in, we started looking at other ways to get kids occupied here on campus."

That's when Duncan found Peaceful Playgrounds, a lower-cost recreational program that uses multicolored alphabet and number grids, lines, circles and squares to engage students in more than 100 different kinds of outdoor activities.

Kids will be able to play hopscotch, four square, around the world, pickle and volley tennis - and they'll all be playing by the same rules, which will be taught by the P.E. teacher and should help reduce conflicts between students during play, Duncan said.

"Students are also training to be peer mediators," Duncan said. "And one thing they'll learn is that when there's a conflict, you can solve it with like a rock-paper-scissors game - as opposed to name-calling, pushing and hitting.

"We're hoping this is going to make the playground more peaceful."

PEP Announcement 2010

FORECAST OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISCRETIONARY GRANT PROGRAMS FOR FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2009

(As of November 20, 2009)

This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the Department (we) has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts -- organized according to the Department's principal program offices -- and include programs and competitions we have previously announced, as well as those we plan to announce at a later date.

Note: This document is advisory only and is not an official application notice of the Department of Education. We expect to provide updates to this document starting in the first week of November in a fiscal year and continuing through the following July.
This written announcement DOES indicated that they will be soliciting new applications and not pulling from last year's last of applicants as has happened in the past.


84.215F Carol M. White Physical Education Program
Applications released-4/07/2010
Applications Due-5/21/2010
Awards Announced-7/21/2010
Yearly Grant Funding Amount-$300,000
Number of Grants to be awarded-100

Safe Schools Contact:
Carlette Huntley
Carlette.Huntley@ed.gov
Fax (202) 245-7166
Telephone (202) 245-7871

Please check back for additional information as it becomes available.

Play Nice Newsletter Released- December 09

Link to December Play Nice Newsletter. This month's newsletter provides information on:
1. The importance of Preschool Play,
2. Service Learning Project on Peaceful Playgrounds,
3. Guidelines for Healthy Preschoolers,
4. A guide to Talking About Food and Physical Activity,
5. A Move It! School Kit,
6. The debate over chocolate milk in schools, and an
7. Article on how one Washington district brought Peaceful Playgrounds to all 10 district schools through a Federal Physical Education for Progress Grant (PEP).