Fitness and Health Reminders

Welcome to a new year in Fitness and Health!  I hope you and your children are enjoying a successful beginning to the school year. I want your children to have a positive experience in my class as I promote the importance of daily physical activity and healthy habits. The following guidelines may seem a little excessive or unnecessary, but my professional standards require that I act in the best interests of my students.

SAFETY GUIDELINES

1. Appropriate dress such as loose clothing, shorts, t-shirts, and warm-up suits would be most helpful. Girls should not wear dresses/skirts on the day of class in order to avoid embarrassing and awkward situations. Jewelry and watches also present a safety hazard and should not be worn. Hoop earrings, particularly large ones, can be dislodged and injury to the ear can be painful. If your child has long hair it is necessary to have their hair tied back. Many times students run into each other because they cannot see where they are going!

2. Sneakers must be worn to class. There are so many styles of athletic footwear on the market that what constitutes appropriate footwear for Physical Education classes can be confusing. We ask that students come to class with TIE OR VELCRO SNEAKERS WITH FULL FOOT COVERAGE. Slip-ons and backless sneakers frequently fall off, particularly when children are engaged in activities requiring kicking and agility.  Athletic sandals and platform sneakers do not provide enough ankle support and injuries do occur. While we appreciate the popularity of Merrells and “Mary Jane” type sneakers as an all-purpose walking shoe, we do not allow them to be worn in our Physical Education classes. We require our students to move in many ways, which require good ankle support; pivoting, sliding, jumping, kicking, landing to name a few. We do not like to ask any student to “sit out”, however, safety is the primary concern and we cannot allow students without appropriate footwear to participate. We appreciate your help in making sure your child is prepared on the day of class.

3. If your child has sustained an injury that has been treated by a physician or in an emergency room and will have restricted activity for a limited period of time (stitches, sprains, fractures, etc.), a note must be brought in from the physician stating the nature of the restrictions and when the student can resume participation in health and fitness class.  The student will not be allowed to return to health and fitness class until this note is received.  A child may be excused for a minor injury or illness, for a maximum of 1 week, with a parental note.

Karen Perry Kaplan

Schofield Fitness and Health