Huntington Kids Get Ready to Sweat
Huntington school kids better get ready to sweat, because this year’s physical education classes are going to be geared more toward fitness and overall conditioning than at any other time in recent memory.
With rates of youth obesity and diabetes continuing to be a cause for alarm by medical professionals, Huntington School District physical education teachers are trying to make a dent in the problem by designing lessons to maximize the opportunities for vigorous exercise.
The district’s physical education teachers have participated in a series of department meetings over the past year to discuss the need to ratchet up the fitness portion of each class. There will be more sprinting and distance running, stretching and exercising and overall hard activity. Fitness testing is also being introduced at all levels so teachers and students can track strength and conditioning levels over the year and from grade-to-grade.
“We are committed to educating our students about the importance of daily physical movement, flexibility, muscle strength and cardio, along with providing them an opportunity to participate in various activities that promote health and wellness,” said Georgia D. McCarthy, district director of physical education, health and interscholastic athletics. “Through all activities we encourage sportsmanship leadership and cooperation.”
Teachers are going to keep down time to a minimum and work to get students moving from the moment they step foot in the gym. “We want to keep the sitting and talking to the shortest time possible and use those extra minutes for vigorous exercise,” Mrs. McCarthy said.
The district is also continuing its overall wellness campaign by promoting healthy eating habits, offering healthy food choices in its breakfast and lunch programs and regularly discussing good nutritional practices with students. School menus have been revised over the past year and a group of parents and faculty members meets throughout the year to evaluate the district’s progress.
The physical education staff is also planning to reach out to other academic disciplines. “We are also going to integrate literacy through article reading, bulletin boards, activity stories and similar activities,” Mrs. McCarthy said. This interdisciplinary effort is seen as essential in an era of increased state testing and higher academic demands on students.
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