This Fitness for Life: Elementary SchoolGuide for Wellness Coordinators contains everything you need to implement a schoolwide standards-based wellness program. The guide and its DVD-ROM include the following:

* Detailed steps for planning each week of the program and coordinating the efforts of classroom teachers, physical educators, other school staff, and parents

* Videos for conducting schoolwide team activities to get all students moving together

* Hundreds of printable resources, including full-color signs that reinforce wellness messages, materials to support special activities, planning and assessment tools, and newsletters

* An exploration of the program's educational foundations, including activity and nutrition guidelines; the connections between physical education, physical activity, and academics; and the obesity epidemic

* A program overview for teacher training, including a slide presentation, an interview with senior author Chuck Corbin, and handouts



About the Fitness for Life: Elementary School Program

The award-winning Fitness for Life middle and high school programs now have an elementary school companion program. Fitness for Life: Elementary School is a coordinated program that promotes wellness, physical activity, sound nutrition, and healthy lifestyles throughout your entire school. It facilitates total involvement by using physical education lessons, classroom activities and discussions, recess, before- and afterschool activities, cafeteria events, family nights, and more. The program also incorporates nutrition guidelines associated with MyPyramid and introduces the new Physical Activity Pyramid for Kids. All components work together to reinforce targeted educational themes and messages from week to week.

The Fitness for Life: Elementary School program enables you to do the following:

Teach essential health-related concepts of fitness, physical activity, nutrition, and wellness Meet local and state requirements for daily and weekly physical activity Implement easy-to-follow lessons that are standards based and developmentally appropriate Enhance academic performance and help fight childhood obesity Coordinate efforts among classroom teachers, physical educators, other school personnel, before- and afterschool program leaders, and parents Meet recommendations and standards from CDC, USDA, and NASPE, among others

With its integrated lesson plans, activities, videos, and resources, Fitness for Life: Elementary School can provide the foundation for a new coordinated school health program or greatly enhance an existing program.