What does an English teacher know about sports? A lot, apparently. I recently sat down with Mr. Fuller to discuss physical literacy. As one of the Capstone teachers, he has been researching this for over a month now and had knowledge to impart.
He is not a physical education teacher, but he has noticed the way academics can be impacted by physical activity: "It's all connected," he says, "We have academic success, physical health and mental-emotional health; they all affect each other." But school is too focused on just one facet: academic success. "We've been studying the benefits of physical activity and we know it can improve your brain. We just need a way to make it effective and accessible to students." To have success in all three areas of life, "...the three areas need to work together. If we don't support one area, like mental or physical health, other areas can be negatively affected, like academic success."
As of right now, students can graduate without taking any school-based physical activity courses or participating in sports in grades 11 and 12. I asked about his opinion on making PE classes mandatory for grade 11 and 12 students. "Yes," he responded, "I think it should be required." He has noticed that "a lack of physical activity among students is becoming a health issue in Canada. We need to promote the health of our students."
Then he went on to talk about the drop off zones that are currently being planned for Sentinel. "Other schools have them. There are elementary schools with markings on the ground: 300m or 150m. It lets them know how far they need to walk." He thinks drop off zones will be useful as long as they're implemented effectively, since "students need to want to use the drop off zones. If the zones are used, we can have more physically literate students." And the advantages of drop off zones don't stop at physically literate students. "We can kill two birds with one stone. The zones will reduce traffic while increasing students' physical activity." And we all know what traffic is like at Sentinel.
The drop off zones are still in development. However, the teachers are hoping to unveil them in April. In the meantime, check out this quiz to figure out the best way for you to get fit (or stay fit)!
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