School Health Guidelines: Home Connection

Physical Education programs teach students skills and knowledge to be active for a lifetime. Quality physical education programs: meet the needs of all students, are fun, keep students active for most of the class, teach self-management and self-assessment skills, and emphasize skills for a lifetime. Physical activity also engages the brain and primes it for learning.

Parents/families can partner with schools to promote physical education and physical activity at school by:

• Supporting daily PE at school
• Volunteering for active transport to school such as a walking school bus or bike to school day
• Encouraging kids to find activities they enjoy and supporting their efforts

Resources/links:

• Walking School Bus: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/ iowansfitforlife/common/pdf/school_bus_guide.pdf
• Iowa State Parks and Rec Areas : http://www.iowadnr.gov/ Destinations/StateParksRecAreas