What are schools doing to help keep kids active?

The current interest in children’s physical activity and fitness is laudable.

Schools in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board are pleased to play their part. All elementary schools, on those days when students have no physical education classes, offer 20 minutes of physical activity. They offer extra-curricula activities in the lunch hour and after school. They offer inter –school competitive sports. There are wonderful coaches and volunteers who assist in these endeavours. All elementary schools take part in the cross-country track meet, the track and field meet and the swim meet in which participation rather than competition is stressed.

A few elementary schools are able to offer daily physical education classes to all students, often because of their facilities. Some have won provincial awards for their emphasis on health and fitness. The new schools being built by the board all have large double gyms, which will make daily physical education classes easier to provide.

Mindful of the importance of physical activity for children our fields are made available to the City, at no cost, during the summer months. Our schoolyards are accessible to the public to use any playground equipment. We also provide 15,000 hours of free gym space to the City in return for some access to pools and ice time so that gyms are available for community use after school hours.

The school system is doing its part. However, the whole community shares the responsibility for producing active and fit young people.