Sample Email to DCPS About Lack of Daily Physical Excercise

For contact information for who to send it to, please see my contact info posting here.

Dear Superintendent Pratt-Dannals,

I am the parent of a Chimney Lakes Elementary School student and I wanted to express my concerns about the lack of physical activity that our children get and the trend to recommend testing for such things as ADD, ADHD or other behavorial problems when a child is a bit too active in the classroom.

First, I want to highlight an alarming trend. Over the last 10 years, Florida schools have decreased the time allocated for physical education while increasing the time that kids spend sitting in the classroom.

Across the country and right here at home, childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In 2007 research showed that 33% of Florida’s youth were obese. Researchers suggest that the childhood obesity epidemic is largely due to a decline in regular physical activity and a diet that is high in empty and fat-laden calories.

According to the American Heart Association, a lack of regular physical activity can hurt a child’s academic, social and emotional development. Research shows that healthy children learn more effectively and achieve more academically. Experts agree that increasing physical activity is the most important component of any program designed to combat childhood obesity, yet many Florida schools have cut back on PE programs as well as any sort of physical exercise time, even though it is mandated by the Don Davis Physical Education Act that they receive 30 consecutive minutes of physical exercise per day.  At Chimney Lakes Elementary the children do not get a “recess” on days that they have resource, which includes art, music and media center time.  During these resource periods (with the exception of P.E. class) the children are immobile and therefore are not getting the mandated 30 consecutive minutes.

We must give Florida youth the opportunity to live healthy lives by providing them with more education on the importance of nutrition and the opportunity to be active in a quality PE program.

Therefore, we ask that you put a system into place that holds the schools accountable to get the students active for no less than the mandated 30 consecutive minutes each day.

Thank you,