Summer 2006 - The member magazine of the Elementary Teachers

Photos - Catherine A. Cocchio.No more couch potatoesIt’s spring and the playground at Chatham’s Queen Elizabeth II School is alive with the steady beat ofjump ropes slapping the asphalt and the sounds of kids repeating age-old chants: “One potato, twopotato, three potato, four…”lifestyles sums up the program in a nutshell,”says physical education teacher, Dave Allin. “Anythingthat can get kids more active is beneficial.I’d definitely recommend the program to otherschools.”Each class has two 40-minutes physical educationclasses in its timetable. That and the comprehensiveintramural program mean the gymis seldom quiet. Allin, one of the driving forcesbehind the Queen Elizabeth II program, coordinatesan extensive list of intramural activitiessuch as dodge ball, crab soccer, flag football,soccer, basketball, volleyball and floor hockey. Healso oversees numerous school teams.Classroom teachers wondered how they wouldsqueeze the 20 minutes of daily activity mandatedby the province into timetables already jammedwith core subjects, EQAO test preparation, antibyCatherine A. CocchioCatherine A. Cocchio is presidentof the Greater Essex OcassionalTeacher Local and is also afreelancer writer.Once infected with spring fever, students oftenstruggle to maintain their focus on indoor learning.That is, unless they happen to attend aschool like Queen Elizabeth II, where daily activityis part of every timetable. The school won theOphea 2005 School Community Award.The entire school focuses on promoting healthierlifestyles through increased physical activityand better nutrition. It is one of five schoolspiloting an I Can Be Healthy program sponsoredby the local health unit and other communitypartners. As part of this focus, the school is reintroducingold-fashioned playground games. Itis also replacing chips and pop sold outside thegym during nutrition breaks, with healthierchoices including cheese, yogurt, ice cream, pickles,granola bars, chocolate milk and juice.“Hammering home the idea of living healthieretfo voice SUMMER 2006 19