www.pe4life.org

Happy Summer!

A lot has happened since we sent our last newsletter in March. On April 23rd we lost our dear friend and PE legend, Phil Lawler. We miss him dearly. In the same month our President & CEO stepped down and Brenda VanLengen moved into a consultation role with PE4life, only to return full force a few weeks later to serve as our Interim President & CEO. Needless to say, we’ve been busy! A big thanks to all those who have been supportive through these recent transitions!

In This Issue...

PE4life Resource Conference
Articles you should read
Funding Resources
From the blog
We want to know
Be the Beat: a great way to incorporate heart safety lessons into classrooms
Partner Profiles

PE4life Resource Conference – Register NOW and Receive the Early Bird Discount!

PE4life Resource Conference
October 4-5, 2010
Overland Park, KS

We have over 25 breakout and activity sessions planned for this two-day event.  For a listing of sessions click here.

Register or Learn More

Can’t afford to come to the PE4life Resource Conference?
We know times are tough.  Schools are facing small to non-existing budgets and some schools are even closing their doors.  No surprise that PE continues to take hits – and now professional development opportunities are squelched.

Don’t fret! We’ve put together some resources to help you seek scholarships to attend the conference. Now is a great time to seek community resources as current events are working in our favor.  Childhood obesity is a HOT topic!  Everyone, including the First Lady, is jumping on the childhood obesity bandwagon.  Brain Research – linking physical activity to academic achievement – is continually evolving and validating our jobs.  We’ve all known the value of quality physical education for some time and now it seems that others are finally starting to get it! Take advantage of this – these trending topics can be used to help get you to the PE4life Resource Conference!

Wait, there’s more good news – people actually want to help! Local businesses, foundations and concerned citizens are all looking for ways to contribute. Sponsoring your attendance at the PE4life Resource Conference is a perfect way to do so.  We’ve compiled some basic information to help get you there. Learn more. 

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Articles you should read

Have you been buried in end of the school year testing? Not to worry! We've compiled a few of the must-read articles and resouces for you to kick off your summer reading:

Naspe and the American Heart Association released their 2010 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA.

The Washington Post - A growing body of evidence links exercise and mental acuity

Yahoo News - Nintendo, American heart group join to tackle obesity

Let's Move - Our Action Plan to Solve the Problem of Childhood Obesity

CDC - The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance

For more, be sure to follow us on Twitter where we're tweetin' and retweetin' all the time!

Recent blog postings:

Time for a shout out
We’re fortunate enough to have a number of ROCK STAR physical education professionals on the PE4life team. Combined, they have well over a century of PE experience. Their programs have been recognized in media outlets, big and small. Their programs are innovative, fitness-based and let’s not forget – FUN! We’ll just say it; our Academy Directors are pretty stinkin’ cool. We think it’s time we introduce them to you, one by one, starting with PE4life Academy Training Center at Grundy Center’s very own, Rick Schupbach.

Zumba
I have been involved in some sort of physical activity my whole life. Like many fitness minded people, I have participated in sports since I was 5, and still continue to play softball and volleyball in the summer. You name the fitness class, and I have tried it (Step Aerobics, CardioKick, Spinning, etc). Not to mention, teaching physical education for 5 years, which included leading dance and aerobics classes, fitness routines, or weight training workouts. While these were all great classes, for one reason or another, I never found a fitness class as exhilarating or addicting as Zumba!

How will you be remembered?
Have you ever thought about what you’d like people to say about you at your funeral? The end of your life may not be something you want to think about, but the way you live your life will be your legacy. 

Phil Lawler - A Legend and a Friend
Phil Lawler is and will forever remain a legend in the Physical Education world. Recognized as the leader and voice in the quest for quality Physical Education, Phil believed that every child regardless of athletic ability should be given a chance to find an activity that they can embrace and enjoy for a lifetime.  His vision was the catalyst for the creation of PE4life. His passion was unmatched.  To live a life as Phil did–so devoted to the cause you whole-heartedly believe in–is admirable.

Interested in guest blogging for us? Contact Melanie Sheppard at msheppard@pe4life.org.

We want to know

What do you do over summer vacation to prepare for the next school year? Join the discussion on our Facebook page.

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Be the Beat: a great way to incorporate heart safety lessons into classrooms

The American Heart Association has a new campaign creating awareness about cardiac arrest.  The online campaign is called Be the Beat and it teaches teenagers the basics of CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).  Be the Beat provides fun and interactive games and quizzes for teens and tweens to learn how to react if someone collapses in cardiac arrest.

“Be the Beat is helping to create the next generation of lifesavers by empowering teens and tweens to act when they see someone suddenly collapse,” said Michael Sayre, M.D., chair of the American Heart Association’s Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee. “Sadly, far too many people are dying from cardiac arrest – we want this campaign to inspire people to help save lives.”

Check out BetheBeat.heart.org for:
•    The Basics: Three instructional videos that demonstrate conventional CPR with breaths, Hands-OnlyTM CPR and how to use an AED.
•    The Heart Trek Experience: Virtual tour through a 3-D animated version of the heart in which participants earn points by playing video games and taking interactive quizzes.
•    The World of Hearts: Users create unique avatars, track and compare their scores in the Heart Track Experience with other users and view profiles and testimonies of other participants.
•    Music Playlist: A downloadable playlist of 100-beat-per-minute songs (100 beats per minute is the correct rate for chest compressions during CPR).
•    Stuff: Free printable stickers, T-shirt decals and stationery, and free downloadable widgets and wallpapers.

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Speed Stacks wants to help instructors who are motivated to offer a full-fledged Sport Stacking program but are unable to generate the funds through their school, parent organization or community.  Through the PE4life/Speed Stacks Sport Pack Grant Program, you'll be equipped with all you need to provide your students with a unique and fun Sport Stacking experience that promotes fitness, motor skills, patterning, sequencing, focus and concentration, as well as hand-eye coordination and ambidexterity.  To apply, go to www.speedstacks.com and download the grant application. 

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