Physical Education

—Ms. Sandra Hudson

The mission of physical education is to provide each student with the positive attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary for the development of a healthy, physically active lifestyle. With the strong evidence that indicates personal habits established in school-age children influence adult lifestyle behaviors, moderate to vigorous physical activity must be integrated into the curriculum as part of the comprehensive school health program and must be promoted as a vital link to the school's academic goals. Emphasis will be placed on integrating physical activity with the core subject areas of math, science, language arts, and social studies.

Here are a few items to remember for physical education class:

Students need to wear tie up or Velcro sneakers (please no sandals, crocs, flip-flops, boots, dress shoes or slip on sneakers) for physical education class.
Students need to bring a water bottle to class. Please make sure their name is on the bottle.
If your child cannot participate in physical education class please provide a note indicating the reason.

Girls On The Run

Downes will once again be a site for the Girls On The Run Program. The program is for girls in grades 3rd - 5th. Girls on the Run program combines training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the program are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. We are looking for girls in grades 3-5 to participate in the program. The practices will run on Mondays and Fridays from 3:00-4:15p.m. here at Downes for approximately 10 weeks.

Ms. Hudson

Cold Weather Fitness

Even though the colder, snowy weather is right around the corner, that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to indoor physical activity. However, if you are going to go outside to play this winter, here are a few simple tips that will help keep you and your family safe in the cold:

Drink plenty of water before, during and after – dehydration can still occur in the cold.
Dress in layers – choose clothing that will draw sweat away from the body and dry quickly. And if it’s wet and windy, be sure to include a layer to keep the cold air and rain out.
Protect your extremities – be sure to cover your head with a hat, insulate your feet with warm socks, and wear gloves or mittens to protect your hands and fingers.
Don’t over-do it – cold and exercise both cause stress on the body, so start slow and don’t over-do it.

If it’s still too cold to be outside, use your creativity to come up with a variety of ideas for being physically active indoors with your kids. You can create an obstacle course, act out some of your favorite storybooks, do an exercise DVD, or just turn on some music and dance! There are plenty of things to do, so don’t let the cold stop you from being physically active this winter.

Walk and Bike to School Program

We will be continuing our Walk and Bike to School program. Students who walk or bike to school will be given a punch card that they can attach to their book bag. Each time they walk or bike to school their card will get punched. After 10 punches the student will turn in their card for an incentive prize and is given a new card. The filled cards will be put in for a once a month drawing for a bike or scooter. Either prize comes with a helmet.

Ms. Hudson Named Teacher of the Year

Please congratulate our Teacher of the Year, Ms. Sandra Hudson, physical education teacher at Downes. Before she came to Downes, she taught at Kirk Middle School for over 20 years so, as you can see, she has dedicated many years to our school, our district, and our children.

While she has been at Downes, she has instituted several new and ongoing programs for the children. Recently, we held our Family Healthy Heart Night, where families learned tips on exercise and nutrition. In the fall we held our annual Walk to School where the children and parents walked from the park on Casho Mill Road to the school and then exercised on the recess yard.

A few weeks ago, she brought Dr. Hinson to our school to present a program for all of the children to learn new games and strategies for peaceful play during recess. Ms. Hudson is working with the children and staff to ensure that what we learned from this program continues throughout the year. We want to be sure that all of the children participate and are active during their time outside during recess.

Ms. Hudson has worked very closely with the CATCH program which is part of the Nemours Foundation and DuPont Hospital for Children. She has shared activities and raised awareness for all to follow a healthy lifestyle. In addition, she also coordinates the Cystic Fibrosis Walk, the TREK program, the Jump Rope for Heart, ACES Day (all children exercise simultaneously), and Girls on the Run, just to name a few.

As you can see, Ms. Hudson is well deserving of this nomination as she gives so much to our school. Congratulation, Ms. Hudson, we are so proud of you! We hope that you will go all the way and be named Christina School District's and Delaware's Teacher of the Year!

Wellness Info

John R. Downes is one of about 50 elementary schools in Delaware that has partnered with Nemours Health and Prevention Services (NHPS) to help our students be more physically active at school. Mounting evidence shows that students who are physically active have better grades and achieve higher test scores, are more attentive during instruction, and have fewer disciplinary problems and better attendance.

Through participation in the Make School a Moving Experience initiative, our school will receive support to provide all of our students with the opportunity to participate in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. We have a school plan for how to reach this goal through a combination of physical education, recess and classroom activities. NHPS will provide materials and equipment, teacher training and online resources to support our school-wide effort.

NHPS received the funding for this initiative through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. PEP grants are awarded to school districts and non-profits across the country to enhance physical education and physical activity in schools. We are excited to be one of the participating schools! To learn more, check out www.nemours.org/150minutes. All are welcome to attend our Wellness Council meetings. The next one will be held on Thursday, January 20, 3:15-4:15 in the library.