RHAM Health and Physical Education Department

Mission Statement:

Regional School District Number Eight (RHAM) Health and Physical Education is committed to the optimal development of every student. The Department believes that for students to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental, and social success, we need to create positive, safe, and health-promoting learning environments at every level, in every setting, throughout the school year.

Research shows that two components, good nutrition and physical activity (before, during, and after the school day) are strongly correlated with positive student outcomes. Less-than-adequate consumption of specific foods including fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, is associated with lower grades among students. [i],[ii],[iii] In addition, students who are physically active through active transport to and from school, recess, physical activity breaks, high-quality physical education, and extracurricular activities – do better academically. [iv],[v],[vi],[vii] There is extensive evidence that physical activity during the school day results in improved concentration and attention, reduced stress and better classroom behavior. Furthermore, there is a significant indication that increasing or maintaining time devoted to physical education helps academic outcomes including grades and standardized test scores. [iv]

[i] MacLellan D, Taylor J, Wood K. Food intake and academic performance among adolescents. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 2008;69(3):141–144.

[ii] Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Dixon LB, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Correlates of inadequate consumption of dairy products among adolescents. Journal of Nutrition Education. 1997;29(1):12–20.

[iii] Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Resnick MD, Blum RW. Correlates of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents. Preventive Medicine. 1996;25(5):497–505.

[iv] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2010.

[v] Singh A, Uijtdewilligne L, Twisk J, van Mechelen W, Chinapaw M. Physical activity and performance at school: A systematic review of the literature including a methodological quality assessment. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2012; 166(1):49-55.

[vi] Haapala E, Poikkeus A-M, Kukkonen-Harjula K, Tompuri T, Lintu N, Väisto J, Leppänen P, Laaksonen D, Lindi V, Lakka T. Association of physical activity and sedentary behavior with academic skills – A follow-up study among primary school children. PLoS ONE, 2014; 9(9): e107031.

[vii] Hillman C, Pontifex M, Castelli D, Khan N, Raine L, Scudder M, Drollette E, Moore R, Wu C-T, Kamijo K. Effects of the FITKids randomized control trial on executive control and brain function. Pediatrics 2014; 134(4): e1063-1071.

15 Change Lab Solutions. (2014). District Policy Restricting the Advertising of Food and Beverages Not Permitted to be Sold on School Grounds. Retrieved from http://changelabsolutions.org/publications/district-policy-school-food-ads.