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School Wellness Weekly
May 5, 2023
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Celebrating National Physical Fitness & Sports Month
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May is National Physical Fitness & Sports Month (opens in new window), a time to celebrate physical activity and its role in promoting healthier, happier students and school communities. Regular physical activity and sports—anything that gets our bodies moving—are important not only for physical and mental health: research also shows that students who are physically active and fit do better in school. Physical activity can:
Children and teens should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day, according to national guidelines. If that sounds like a lot, remember that it doesn’t have to be done all at once! New York City public school students have multiple options for movement before, during, and after the school day. See the DOE Citywide Wellness Policy (opens in new window) for more information on these and other requirements and opportunities:
This month, we highlight three thriving CHAMPS programs in which students participate in fun, safe, and supervised physical activities before and after school. Read on to learn how a successful CHAMPS program in the Bronx has taught hundreds of students life-saving swimming skills, and see new photos from a CHAMPS volleyball program and the new CHAMPS Unified Bocce Ball program.
(Image credits: Photographs by Krisanne Johnson. Graphic by Office of School Wellness Programs.)
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Champion Spotlight: A Focus on Swimming at West Bronx Academy for the Future (10X243)
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“Swimming, and sport in general, is a healthy choice for improving life.”
-Coach Raluca Gruin
PE teacher Raluca Gruin has been leading a CHAMPS swimming program for grades 6-8 students at West Bronx Academy for the Future for more than 15 years. As part of its aquatics program, the school also offers certified lifeguard training and on-the-job experience for teenage students. We recently spoke with Raluca to learn more about her commitment to physical activity and swimming.
What do you enjoy most about participating in the CHAMPS program?
Coaching students and engaging them in extracurricular aquatic activities is not only a personal joy but a mission. I can engage the complete individual, making it possible for the students to feel respected, included, encouraged and motivated to perform to their highest potential. We aim to increase the number of young people who learn how to swim properly and are knowledgeable about water safety and can apply those skills to prevent drowning. CHAMPS programs have already given us over 15 years of this wonderful opportunity.
What continues to inspire you?
My absolute desire is to help people have an active life, staying fit and healthy, teaching everyone how to keep safe and how to experience the ultimate enjoyment of being active. Sports and swimming allow young performers to learn many life skills. Getting everyone involved is exactly what continues to motivate me and keeps me happy!
If you could share with other teacher-coaches the secret to developing a successful CHAMPS program, what would it be?
The secret lies in being knowledgeable about the sport one is coaching/teaching, and being immensely passionate about it. This positivity is contagious. Adding a huge dose of fun and humor makes the learning experience unforgettable. To mention a few ingredients in a successful program: dedication, compassion and hard work in planning and designing new activities. Some of my tips are:
- Be prepared for participants of any ability to take part.
- Set clear expectations.
- Introduce several checks for understanding.
- Develop necessary modifications for each activity to ensure safety.
- Allow participants to choose activities.
- Give multiple praise and feedback.
- Always end a session with a fun and high peak activity.
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How is your school community engaged in your CHAMPS swim program?
We are truly a big aquatics family, from welcoming parents and family members to preparing and decorating the facility, hosting events, hiring lifeguards, encouraging students and coming to support them. I also train 15 to 25 teenagers every year to become lifeguards. Our in-school trained American Red Cross certified lifeguards are scheduled for lifeguard duties as a community service period. They accumulate credits and job experience.
Principal Morales and the custodial manager ensure that the swimming facility is always ready for regular daily operations. AP Kisha Anthony posts the CHAMPS program flyers and makes announcements during town hall meetings. Guidance counselor Reyna Familia advertises the CHAMPS program in the newsletter and visits classes to recruit students.
What are some life lessons students learn from participating in a swim program?
Swimming provides fundamental benefits and groundwork for important acquired life skills such as time management, confidence, being a team player, awareness of unsafe situations, and learning to enjoy movement. Swimmers learn to balance their practice time/workouts and schoolwork. Students learn how to achieve goals that they worked hard to accomplish: This is a huge factor in increasing self-esteem and self-confidence. Additionally, students are learning how to be team players: they practice active listening, learn how to communicate with others when they feel under pressure, and learn to be aware of others' needs.
How has your CHAMPS program impacted your students or school community this year?
Every year the CHAMPS swim team presents a water show, a display of shallow and deep-water skills combined with elements of gymnastics and dance choreographed on a set of music. Our February 2023 show was the first in-person event after the pandemic, and we welcomed over 80 family members and friends as fans. We are organizing a culminating event in June for students and family members: the World's Largest Swimming Lesson™ (opens in new window) in collaboration with the World Waterpark Association. Everyone is welcome to participate and advocate for teaching swimming as a way to save lives.
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Bump, Set, Spike at Washington Heights Academy’s (06M366) CHAMPS Middle School Volleyball Program, led by Coach Jeffrey Marra. |
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Last month, the DOE launched a new CHAMPS Unified Sports Bocce Ball program (see the April issue of School Wellness Weekly (opens in new window)). Check out the program at Elizabeth G. Leary (22K207) in Brooklyn, led by coaches Patricia Giannini and Shavon Reid.
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Does your school have a CHAMPS program? Promote physical activity this month by sharing your photos of students participating. Use #CHAMPSMovesinMay on Twitter and tag us!
(Image credits: All photographs by Krisanne Johnson. Graphics by Office of School Wellness Programs).
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NYCDOE Unified Soccer Team to Represent Team USA in Berlin, Germany
Congratulations to New York City’s own City Hawks soccer team at District 75’s M721 for being selected to compete with the United States national team at the biannual 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany, June 17 - 25.
The City Hawks Unified Soccer team has participated in Special Olympics for more than a decade with increasing success at the local, state, national and international levels, most recently going undefeated and winning the gold medal for New York at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida. The City Hawks have established a culture of inclusion for students with disabilities in New York City, and we are proud that they are representing the United States in this June’s international event. Meet the team (opens in new website) at the Special Olympics website.
(Photo credit: Yuki Yamada. Manhattan’s P.S. M721 Unified Soccer team at CitiField during New York City Football Club game on Saturday, April 15. Team coach Joe Stewart did the coin toss.)
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Parents and Teachers: FREE Physical Fitness & Sports Month Resources
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For Grades 6-12: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug-Use Prevention Resources
Access the middle school and high school Health Education Scope and Sequences on WeTeach NYC for guidance on teaching students about the dangers and potential harms of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug-use.
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Building the Wellness Community |
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Edible Schoolyard: Free Webinar on Teaching Nutrition
Tennis Opportunity: Mayor Dinkins Cup 2023
New York Junior Tennis & Learning will host a free, interscholastic tennis competition, the Mayor Dinkins Cup (opens in new window), for students in grades 3-12 at The Cary Leads Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx, June 10 to18. Registration is open through May 29, at 6:00 p.m.
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High School Students: Work Out for Free This Summer at Planet Fitness—and Get a Chance for a Scholarship!
Planet Fitness is offering free summer memberships for high school students May 15 through August 31. Any student age 14 to 19 can register in person or online, with parent/guardian consent for anyone under 18. Teens who register can help win a grant for their school and participate in a video contest for a chance to win a scholarship. To pre-register for the pass, visit the High School Summer Pass Program 23' page (opens in new window).
(Image credits: top image: Edible Schoolyard; bottom image: Planet Fitness)
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What’s fentanyl? A synthetic opioid that’s now the most common synthetic drug involved in overdose deaths in New York City. You can’t taste it, smell it, or see it when it’s mixed with other drugs. Check out the resources below to learn how you can raise awareness in your community on May 9, Fentanyl Awareness Day, and beyond.
Parents and school staff: Register for a free webinar (opens in new window) on May 9, “What Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl Poisonings and Overdoses,” to learn about substance use, mental health, and the impact of illicit fentanyl on teens.
More Resources for Substance, Vaping/Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention:
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