Welcome to Desert Foothills PE!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome to the beginning of a new school year. This is a great time to emphasize the importance of physical education in your child’s education which is vital to his or her health and wellness. Children should accumulate 60 minutes of physical education per day.

We have all heard the statistics that the percentage of overweight youth has more than tripled in the last 25 years partially due to increased interest in sedentary activities such as television, computers and video games. A reduction in physical activity as well as an increase in caloric intake has contributed to an obesity epidemic.

We are often asked the difference between physical activity and physical education, so let me take a moment to explain. Physical activity is bodily movement of any type and may include recreational, fitness and sport activities such as jumping rope, playing soccer, lifting weights, as well as daily activities such as walking to the store, taking the stairs or raking leaves. A variety of physical activity opportunities are vital to children’s growth and development. Please remember that all physical activities are not equal.

The cornerstone of a child’s physical activity in schools is physical education. School physical education programs offer the best opportunity to provide physical activity to all children and to teach them skills and knowledge needed to establish and sustain an active lifestyle. Physical education teachers assess student knowledge, motor and social skills and provide instruction in a safe, supportive environment. Your child will be participating in developmentally appropriate activities that will help increase their physical competence, self esteem and joy of being physically active no matter what their physical abilities may be. By enhancing your child’s physical activity education, I am certain we will be able to help your child enjoy a lifetime of physical activity and good health.

As a parent you can encourage your child to engage in more physical activity after school and on the weekends. Playing with your child will not only motivate them to be more active, but it will increase your own personal physical activity; that is a win-win situation.

I look forward to an exciting, productive and healthy school year and look forward to meeting you. Thanks for visiting my classroom site. I hope you will find the information and resources useful. Always remember that I'm just a phone call away, if you have any questions or concerns.

Respectfully,

Coach Scanlan