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Phi Delta
USPS 429-840 ISSN 0031-7217
April 2012
V93 N7
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4
Kappan
April 2012
Get thee to the gym!
This morning’s weather was lousy so
I skipped my run. That got me thinking
about some of the more poignant examples of health, fitness, and learning that
I’ve come across.
• Students are unable to use their
elementary school’s massive playing field because neighbors tore
down the fencing so
the adults can walk
across the block-long field to the
next street. The principal asked the
cash-strapped school district to
replace the fence and install
gates but that’s considered a
low priority. What’s more,
this principal knows that
several sex offenders live
in the area. Rather than
risk student safety, she allows students to play only in a small
fenced-in area close to the school
building during recess.
• Parents frequently carry two-by-fours as
they walk their children to an urban elementary school in order to fend off roving packs of feral dogs. At this school,
children are never allowed outside for
recess or P.E.
• A philanthropist who funded construction of two urban charter schools specified that none of his money could be
used to pay for student showers or a
prep kitchen. No prep kitchen means
meals must be prepared off-site and
delivered to the school. Students, especially girls, are often reluctant to get
too sweaty during gym class because
they can’t shower afterward. No surprise
that students’ top complaints about this
school are its food and feeling unclean
after gym class.
• Students at many low-performing
schools go without recess because principals believe they need extra time to
learn. Likewise, children who struggle
most in school often sit through summer
school, Saturday school, and/or afterschool tutoring while children who don’t
struggle in school are free to enjoy their
summers, weekends, and evenings.
• A kindergarten teacher keeps paste pots
locked away in a cupboard because too
many of her students try to eat the paste
because they’re hungry, and the
paste smells and tastes minty.
• A 10-year-old arrives
promptly at school by 7:30 a.m.
every day and tells her teacher
she never needs help waking up in the morning. “My
tummy wakes me up every morning,” she says proudly. Dinner is the
only meal served at her house and that
comes about 4 p.m. every day.
So, what do I take away from these seemingly random notes?
Ensuring that children eat well and are
physically active begins with parents who
are the first educators — the adults
who need to ensure that children have
balanced meals and opportunities to
play, play, play.
But, we can’t ignore the role of schools in
this effort. Nor can we ignore the growing
gap between the haves and the have-nots in
terms of health and physical fitness. Affluent
and suburban children aren’t the ones who
lack access to high-quality food and plenty of
playtime. It’s poor and urban children who,
once again, face deprivation in these arenas.
Want a few ideas to jump-start the change?
Follow First Lady Michelle Obama’s lead and
plant a garden at your school and share the
vegetables with the community. Open your
schools at nights and on weekends so adults
in your community can play basketball or participate in fitness classes. Learn which parents
are exemplary gardeners or cooks and could
share their talents with others in your school
community. Encourage parents to develop
a food co-op so they can share the expense
of buying fresh produce and then help them
learn delicious ways to prepare it. Work with
local law enforcement and animal control to
ensure that children can walk to school safely.
Invite local health providers to offer a variety
of health screenings at your school. Be a good
example of a healthy and active adult.
On this issue, it truly does take a village to
raise a healthy child. Thinking and acting creatively to address health and fitness issues will
benefit student learning. All educators should be
part of that effort today and every day. — JR
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