District Administrator's Corner

by Loren Glasbrenner,  River Valley School District Administrator  “I don’t teach gym, I teach physical education!”  These are words from a physical education teacher colleague of mine that always reminded me to respect the world of fitness, health, and physical education.  (And to be fair, I didn’t teach English either–I taught kids.) The original Wisconsin Constitution, adopted in 1848, provided for free public schools for all children and became widely established by communities by the early 1900’s.  The courses offered primarily revolved around mathematics, writing, reading and local topics, which were developed to meet the needs of the community.  Kids were given time to play outside and have a break from their desks, but schools started to develop classes specific to other subjects (such as physical activity) due to the influence of early educators John Dewey and Maria Montessori. During the early 20th century, schools eventually used these new physical education classes to take health education seriously and offered needed attention to physical health and development.  A surprising turn of events brought the physical ability of our youth to the forefront.  World War I showed that one-third of military recruits were physically unfit for battle. With this awareness, the American government decided to pass legislation to improve and require the quality of these courses.  This trend remains today as a current emphasis on overall health and fitness, but a particular awareness to stamina and endurance stems from World War II, when nearly half of the drafted individuals struggled with their physical skills testing (www.skillastics.com/2021/01/07/phys-ed-history/). Over time, physical education has been given increased time, attention, and priority in American schools.  The courses have developed and adapted.  President John F. Kennedy created a White House Committee on Health and Fitness which created needed awareness, and in 1975, additional legislation was created to monitor and prevent gender discrimination among courses and activities (jfklibrary.org).  This emphasis created the awareness needed for federal and state governments to ensure that the American youth would receive courses to help students understand the human body, improve their physical capabilities, and increase their self-worth.    The physical education curriculum at the River Valley School District is fun and challenging.  We are incredibly fortunate to have inspiring professionals teach skills designed to develop motor skills, knowledge, and behaviors for mental and emotional health and active healthy living.  Yet, phy ed class is way more than that.  “Physical education is a subject supporting learning in all academic areas as evidence affirms participation in physical education improves concentration and memory, increases problem-solving abilities, enhances social and emotional learning, and fosters positive relationships.”  (dpi.wi.gov)  Think of how many kids report that phy ed is their favorite class.  Little do they know, it’s for their own good. Nikki Berry, Taylor Jahn, Jeff Johnson, Laura Stanton, Heather Brickl, and Lisa Roelke oversee and facilitate these incredible experiences for our students.  We are thankful for their hard work.  We are fortunate to have these courses to help teach the skills and knowledge needed to sustain a healthy lifestyle.