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This month’s contribution is
courtesy of Margaret E. Robelee. Margaret
E. Robelee is an Elementary
Physical Education Teacher at North
Park Elementary School in Hyde Park,
New York. Margaret has been teaching
Elementary PE for 25 years and is also
the Co-Webmaster for the North Park
Elementary School Website as well as
the North Park PE website. She has served
in this Webmaster capacity for more
than seven years. Margaret has provided
several professional development opportunities
regarding technology for her colleagues,
and has been a presenter at the New
York State Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and Dance Conferences
in 2007 and 2008. In addition, she will
be presenting at the Eastern District
Association of AAHPERD annual convention
this month in Lancaster, PA. I have
seen her present on her program and
she is doing some great stuff with her
students! From her presentations, I
have incorporated some items into my
own gymnasium to make my instruction
better. I am delighted that she has
agreed to write about her program for
this issue. Please enjoy! I’m
sure you will find something to incorporate
into your own programs! - Ed
Kupiec, pelinks4u editor
HEALTHY
HEARTS 
By: Margaret
E. Robelee
Introduction
When I started my career twenty-five
years ago, I could have never imagined
the magnitude of the obesity crisis
that our students are facing today.
Nor could I have imagined the tools
and technology that are available to
us as Physical Educators today to teach
our students the value of fitness for
life. In 1985, according to the Centers
for Disease Control, New York State,
the state in which I teach had an obesity
rate of 10%-14%. In 2007, that rate
more than doubled to 25%-29%. In the
1980’s, the focus of fitness was
a minor unit in Physical Education,
not a major goal. At that time, the
fitness test of choice in my district
was the New York State Physical Fitness
Test, a performance related, not health
related fitness test. Today, the fitness
test of choice in my district is FitnessGram,
a completely health related physical
fitness test.
The transformation of Physical Education
in my career has truly been unprecedented.
In 2003, my elementary PE colleagues
and I embarked on a project to analyze
ten years worth of fitness data. We
planned to use the data and results
of this study to support the request
for more equipment and more PE time.
Our data was more astonishing than we
could have imagined. Our results showed
that only 56% of female students and
51% of male students were at or above
standards for cardiovascular fitness,
69% of female students and 60% of male
students were at or above standards
for abdominal fitness, 43% of female
students and 54% of male students were
at or above standards for upper body
fitness, and 82% of female students
and 68% of male students were at or
above standards for flexibility. Additionally,
our data showed that 40.2% of our elementary
students were overweight or obese as
determined by BMI (Body Mass Index).
Based on these conclusions, we began
to focus our efforts on improving the
physical fitness of our student population.
There are many factors that have contributed
over the years to the rise in obesity
rates in our youth, and as Physical
Educators we can not influence all of
them. We can, however, influence the
quality of our programs and the focus
that these programs take. I do believe
that it is our obligation to provide
as many opportunities as possible for
students to learn the value of good
nutrition and physical fitness. Since
the completion of that study, PE time
for grades K-2 has increased, and more
health related equipment has been added
to the PE program. In addition, I have
been fortunate enough to be able to
add a variety of programs over the past
several years to move toward the goal
of increasing student fitness and knowledge
of healthy lifestyles. These programs
have been funded through various grants
and district support. They take place
during three major areas of the student
day; Physical Education class, the school
day outside of PE class, and after school.
I will share some of these programs
with you.
Physical Education Class
Technology is used in two distinct ways
to provide motivation and feedback to
my students during PE class. First is
the use of pedometers. These pedometers
were funded by a local community grant
in 2004. I received more than $900.00
to purchase a set of thirty pedometers
and a set of pedometer books. As a result
of that initial grant, and a supportive
administration, I have been able to
provide a pedometer program to my students
on a daily basis for the last five years.
Students in grades 3-5 wear pedometers
each PE day and record their steps in
a variety of ways. Third grade students
participate in a project that allows
them to predict daily step counts, wear
the pedometers during two entire school
days, and make conclusions based on
the data that they collect. I find this
project to be valuable in several ways.
First, students are motivated to move
more as a result of wearing the pedometers,
and very often record more steps on
day two of the project as a result.
Second, students’ predictions
of daily step counts are often inaccurate.
The results of this project show students
that they are not as active during the
school day as they need to be, and motivate
students to exercise at home. Another
use of the pedometers during PE class
can be to show calorie expenditures
during exercise. One of the lessons
that I have used with our pedometers
is called the “M&M Walk”.
This lesson
can be found in Smart Stepping by
Robert Sweetgall and Robert E. Neeves,
Ph.D. Students eat one M&M at a
time and exercise to burn off the calories
equal to that one M&M (about five
calories). Students use the calorie
mode on the pedometer to show that they
have burned five calories, and are then
allowed to eat another M&M. Initially,
students think that they will be eating
many M&M’s during the PE period.
In reality, students rarely eat more
than five M&M’s. Comparisons
are then made to the amount of exercise
it would take to burn the calories in
a typical candy bar (250-300). Responses
from students at the end of this lesson
indicated that they have a better understanding
of calorie expenditure for various food
choices. Variations to this lesson could
include using nutritious food choices
such as carrots in addition to, or instead
of, M&M’s. Considerations
for food allergies must be made for
this lesson, and parents are always
notified prior to the lesson.
Second, heart rate monitors are provided
for my students to use during PE class.
During the past two years, I have been
able to double the number of heart rate
monitors available so that students
can now partner up and share one heart
rate monitor between them. I can not
underestimate the value of this technology.
I use the wrist watch type of heart
rate monitor that does not require chest
straps, and I find that after some practice
students can quickly get an accurate
heart rate reading when exercising.
I have used this technology to compare
a variety of exercises, and as a result
of using these heart rate monitors students
can feel, see, and understand the effect
of exercise and activity on the heart.
School-Wide Fit Kids Program
North
Park Fit Kids began in September,
2008, as a result of a grant from our
County Health Department. During the
spring of 2007 I established a committee
that included classroom teachers, special
area teachers, other PE staff, and our
school nurse and, based on the completion
of the School Health Index, devised
a program called North
Park Fit Kids. The goal of this
program is to increase student activity
time during the school day, and to increase
student knowledge and awareness of healthy
food choices. The grant provided $2000.00
for our program and requires both activity
and nutrition components.
We bought equipment for recess, including
soccer balls, basketballs, bats, playground
balls, jump ropes, Frisbees, cones,
bases, and skip-its that classes can
earn by accumulating points earned in
several ways. First, classes can earn
a point for “Wellness Wednesday”
if all students in a class bring in
a healthy snack each Wednesday. Our
PTA has generously provided funding
for healthy snack alternatives if students
do not bring in a healthy snack. Our
office staff is participating in the
program also, and they donate a point
to a different classroom each week.
Second, classes can earn a point on
“Fitness Friday” if all
students in the class participate in
extra activity time provided by the
classroom teacher. Many of our classes
exercise together and this component
has become quite a hit! Third, students
can earn a point for their class if
they bring in a nutritious birthday
treat as an alternative to cupcakes.
These students also earn a bracelet
embossed with “North Park Fit
Kids” which were purchased with
the grant money. The success of this
component of the program has been substantial.
Students and families have become very
creative in bringing in birthday treats.
Some of the treats that have been sent
in have included strawberry mice, fruit
ka-bobs, yogurt parfaits, homemade muffins,
and more! Finally, classrooms can earn
points by participating in bonus nutrition
or fitness lessons. For example, points
can be earned for health class or lessons
in the classroom about the food pyramid.
Classes have already earned several
pieces of equipment for use during recess
and other activity times, and appear
to continue to be motivated by the program.
Activity Outside of School
The following two programs motivate
students and families to be active outside
of school. First, our district uses
Fitness Calendars which I create each
month and distribute to each elementary
school. Calendars have two sides. One
side provides activities for students
to participate in, and the other side
is blank to allow students to create
their own calendar of activity. Students
who complete the calendar by participating
in at least three activities per week,
and have a parent signature, become
members of the “Fitness Fanatics.”
Different schools recognize students
in different ways, but in my school
students are recognized on a bulletin
board in the gymnasium, in the PE newsletter,
on the PE website, and in the school
announcements. Not only do our Fitness
Calendars provide an avenue for students
to be active beyond the school day,
they provide a way for students to be
accountable for that activity.
Second is a program called “Operation
Healthy North Park” (OHNP).
This project occurs during May to bring
attention to National Physical Fitness
Month. Students and families are asked
to exercise for at least twenty minutes
per day during the month of May. Last
year, this invitation was extended district-wide.
My school participates in Project ACES
(All Children Exercising Simultaneously),
which during the month of May serves
as a kick-off for OHNP. Sneakers for
each student are credited to OHNP as
a result of participation in Project
ACES. A letter to explain the project
and an 8.5” X 11” piece
of paper with several illustrated sneakers
are provided to each family. Students
and families fill out a paper sneaker
for each person in the family that exercises
each day for at least twenty minutes.
Sneakers are returned to school and
hung up on a bulletin board by class.
Sneakers are counted and minutes of
exercise added. This project provides
an incentive for students and families
to exercise together, and provides an
opportunity for me to “practice
what I preach” as faculty, staff,
and district administration are invited
to participate as well. In the past,
many district administrators and teachers
outside of our school have participated
in the project. Last year we collected
2, 356 sneakers which equaled at least
47, 260 minutes of exercise! A picture
of this project can be viewed at: http://www.hydeparkschools.org/NPE/healthy.html
Conclusion
I have heard it said that this generation
may be the first not to outlive its
parents. The research is clear that
children who are obese and inactive
are at a higher risk for many diseases,
including Type 2 Diabetes and high blood
pressure, at a much earlier age. Reversing
this trend should be our mission as
Physical Educators. I believe that with
hard work, creativity, and a combined
effort, we can move toward a healthier
future for our students. The legacy
we leave should be a healthy one.
If you have any questions for Margaret,
or wish to gain more information about
her program, please contact her at margaret.robelee@hydeparkschools.org
or visit her webpage: www.hydeparkschools.org/NPE/pe.html.
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