Part 4 Greetings! I hope by now you’re read all 3 parts of “Grow4It!” If not, just scroll down and catch up. We’ll wait for you to come back…Welcome back! So now you know that everything we’ve done thus far has led us down this personal, professional growth path. We’ve “G”athered resources, human and otherwise; we’ve “4”mulated (formulated) our plan; and now we’re in the process of “I”mplementing it. I’ve asked people in my PLN to weigh in with …

Physical Activity in Schools - Webinar
Live Webinar Join us for a live webinar on October 9th at 9a.m. PST 
This physical activity programming in schools webinar is with Judy Lo Bianco, who is the Supervisor of Health, Physical Education and Nursing Services at the
South Orange-Maplewood Schools in New Jersey. She is also the 2013 Physical Education Administrator of the Year (NASPE).  
In addition to talking about physical activity programming,…

Children who spent more time doing moderate or vigorous physical activity during school hours did not compensate for their extra exercise by reducing their activity levels at home, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Previous research has suggested that kids have a built-in "activitystat" that regulates the total amount of energy they expend (see Reuters Health story of May 7, 2009 here: reut.rs/iGDVdO…

The many benefits of physical education continue to grow.  A recent study by the Physical Activity Council shows that students who do not receive PE are more that twice as likely to be totally sedentary outside of school.

On the other hand, students who receive Physical Education are two to three times more likely to participate in sports and be active outside of school.

Clearly what happens in physical education can have a profound effect on t…

Schools play an important role in helping children to be healthy and fit.  A fast growing body of research indicates that student wellness and academic learning go hand-in-hand.  Put simply, the benefits that can arise from proper nutrition and physical activity are a prerequisite to optimal learning and to avoiding and preventing chronic diseases.

We have put together a page of resources for schools on the topic of:  Tools for Creating a…

In 1990 the state of Georgia introduced a statewide physical education requirement.

A recent study indicates that state laws mandating physical education minutes matters. "One study of kindergarteners to fifth graders across the U.S. found that physical education (PE) classes lowered body mass index (BMI) scores and reduced the probability of obesity among fifth graders. An additional hour of gym time lowered BMI for all children in th…

Written by Zia Bossenmeyer, Vice President of Peaceful Playgrounds

School bullying is a topic that is getting lots of attention. According to the CDC it’s a major health problem. The CDC has designed tools for researchers, prevention specialists, and health educators. It appears their focus is to assist with measurement tools.
On the website you can download their guide called “Measuring Bullying Victimization, Perpetration, and Bystander Experien…

Want to know more?     Online Bullying Prevention Training – State Compliance Training 
Setting the Stage for Responding to Bullying

Johnson & Johnson Community Health Care Program


The Johnson & Johnson Community Health Care Program, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has announced a grant funding opportunity for non-profit community health care organizations implementing evidence-based, community-education programs that promote wellness and healthy lifestyle choices to prevent and reduce the impact of obesity in children.

…

Congratulations to the following 2012-2013 PEP Grant Winners!
Information from a Department of Education Press Release 7-31-2012

State Applicant Name Amount
AK Yukon-Koyukuk School District $401,525
AR Hoxie School District #46 $291,387
AZ Pima Prevention Partnership $225,527
AZ Santa Cruz Regional School District $740,073
AZ Sunnyside Unified School District -- Student Services $631,464
CA Alvord Unified School District -- Special Projects $664,…

HCC TV - Episode 3 from The Hero Construction Company on Vimeo.

TV food personality and healthy food advocate, Jamie Oliver, gives a TED Talk after winning this year's TED Prize which allows him to communicate a wish.

Jamie’s one wish to change the world is to teach every kid about food. View the 20 minute video and watch his passionate TED Prize talk about how we are slowly killing ourselves and our children with the foods we (don’t) eat.




Check out our other blogs on school nutrition:
Schools role in the …

Alarming new study indicates that children burdened with overweight and obesity were twice as likely to die before 55 compared to their thinnest counterparts. Most effected were the children with the pre-diabetes diagnosis.

The study, published Thursday in The New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed data gathered from Pima and Tohono O’odham Indians, whose rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes soared decades before weight problems became widesp…

The poster is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign against childhood obesity entitled, "Let's Move."

For a short video and components of the Let's Move Initiative visit the website.

The New York Times ran an article, Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School.

"Can something as simple as the timing of recess make a difference in a child’s health and behavior?

Some experts think it can, and now some schools are rescheduling recess — sending students out to play before they sit down for lunch. The switch appears to have led to some surprising changes in both cafeteria and classroom."

Here at Peaceful Playground…

This is a press release from the NASPE office regarding the 2011 proposed PEP Grant changes.




Obama Administration Proposes Changes to PEP Program for FY 2011

RESTON, VA, February, 2010 – In an effort to streamline the Department of Education (USDE)'s programs and increase effectiveness, the President's FY 2011 budget contains major changes to the PEP grant program. According to the USDE Website, the President's budget proposes to elimi…

Public Skatepark Grants

The purpose of the Tony Hawk Foundation is to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth. The Foundation is currently offering funding to build high-quality, public skateparks in low-income areas throughout the United States.

Awards range between $1,000 and $25,000.

Eligible organizations include public charities, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, state or local agencies, a…

Through the Sprint Character Education Grant Program, the Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students.

Deadline: February 05, 2010
Award: $5000-$25,000

Contributed by Andrea Bossenmeyer. Food/Nutrition Blogger


New York State has got a "Are You Putting On the Pounds" campaign to encourage their residents to stop drinking sugary drinks like sodas. In fact they share the statistic that drinking one can of soda every day can make you gain 10 lbs in one year. They even have a subway billboards and videos that take the fat concept literally, and are honestly quite gross to watch...See it HE…

Boston’s public schools have failed to provide any formal instruction in physical education to about 25 percent of the city’s students, despite a state law that requires physical education be taught to all students in all grades.

Boston’s failure to provide physical education to all its students has prompted the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to order a “corrective action plan’’ from the city. The plan, approved last month…