SUHSD PE and Health Newsletter

The world keeps spinning, the bell keeps ringing, and it can be hard to stay disciplined, grounded and focused.

Despite being the shortest month of the year, February is jam-packed with opportunities to find creative ways to engage and challenge your students and yourself, especially if your routines are starting to feel stale:

• utilize some of the fantastic resources supporting Black History Month
• connect with students observing Ramadan
• learn something new by listening to the latest episode of the Distinguished Physical Educator Podcast
• help prevent substance abuse in our student population by accessing the latest Comprehensive Health resources
• focus on sensory pathways and connect with visual learners by setting up a white board to increase daily P.E. class engagement
• try a fun Super Bowl workout to keep physical activity fresh and celebrate "America's Holiday".

All of these resources and more can be found below.

February also marks the start of Fitnessgram testing. I want to thank you in advance for your efforts in assessing your students and entering their scores by the April 10 deadline. It is a monumental task that we collectively accomplish each and every year (Fitnessgram testing begins on Groundhog Day...coincidence?) and your diligence and professionalism are sincerely appreciated. Take a look at all the Fitnessgram testing details by scrolling down, or check your email. As always, please reach out with questions.

Quote of the Month:

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems.” —Gever Tulley

This February lets commit to honoring the contributions and achievements of Black Americans. Below you'll find a variety of content, lessons and activities to enrich your curriculum during Black History Month and beyond.

Health Resources

Black History Month Health Education Resources
Black History Month: Health Equity (CDC)
Black History Month: Mental Health
Black History Month: Health Pioneers
Black History Month: Health Disparities (HHS)
Black History Month: Health Equity and Disparities in Injury Control
Black History Month: African Heritage Food
Black History Month: Anti-Hunger Champions
Black History Month: Interview with Dr. John Clark (Cornell) Video

Physical Education Resources

Fun Fact Fitness: Black History Month Interactive Video
Pioneers in Sports; Black history Month Interactive Video
Black History Month: Celebrating Sports Heros Interactive Video
Education World: Teaching Black History Month;A Modern Update
NEA: African American Athletes
NEA: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Resources for Teachers
Black History PE Project

Episode #38 of the Distinguished Physical Education podcast just dropped and it is a great listen. In the episode, Sarah Fuller shares resources and strategies for inclusive physical education. Learn how to best collaborate with colleagues, leverage General Ed P.E. student power and meet the needs of everyone you serve.

https://distinguishedpe.podbean.com/e/36-sarah-fuller/

Looking for the latest and greatest? Explore some Health professional development opportunities.

Free Stanford Reach Lab Tobacco, Cannabis, and Substance Use Prevention Curriculum training

SDCOE I Choose My Future Presentation (typically presented to large groups of people)

Stanford University Webinar, Jan. 20 @ 8 a.m.: Zyn and OtherNicotime Pouches: Trends, Risks, and Action Steps for Adults Who Support Youth

Stanford University Webinar, Jan. 22 @ 6:30 p.m.: Fentanyl Overdose Awareness: Critical Information and Prevention Webinar

Please take a look at the information below regarding Fitnessgram Testing for the 25-26 school year. The process is mostly unchanged from last year.

The Basics:

• SUHSD Official Start Date is Monday, February 2.
  
• All students enrolled in Physical Education classes District-wide are expected to participate and be tested.
• The District will be using Data Insights for score reporting.
• Long-term P.E. substitutes will be given access to Data Insights and the ability to enter scores.
• Fitnessgram scores are included in every site's School Accountability Report Card (SARC).
• SUHSD Official End Date (All Scores Entered in Data Insights) is Friday, April 10.
  

Tips for Recording Scores, Entering Data and Saving Progress Using Data Insights:

• Access Data Insights here: https://datainsights.sweetwaterschools.org/php/login.php
• Review the Data Insights job aids below OR watch the YouTube video:
  • "Printing Rosters to Track PFT Scores"
    
  • "How to Input Physical Fitness Test (PFT) Scores in Data Insights"
• When entering scores in Data Insights, teachers must click Save Changes frequently. The system does not save automatically.
• Do not leave Data Insights open for extended periods without activity. If the window has been idle for more than five minutes, close it and reopen the application before continuing to enter scores.

From the CDE:

Physical Fitness Testing (PFT) protocols for 25-26 will be identical to those that were used in the 24-25 school year including:

• NOT collecting any data related to body composition (height, weight)
• NOT collecting age or gender data
• NOT using the Healthy Fitness Zones as defined by FITNESSGRAM
• Providing students with their personal fitness assessment scores
• Reporting the percentage of students who participate in each of the five required fitness assessments (aerobic capacity, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk extensor strength, upper body strength and endurance, flexibility) so they may be included in the School Accountability Report Card

Teachers are encouraged to:

• Prompt students to “do their best” on each fitness assessment so that it is an accurate measurement of their current fitness
• Utilize grade-level standards to determine how PFT scores are utilized for students to set and achieve personal health and fitness goals
• Provide testing options that are not in front of peers as needed
• Protect student privacy
• Prioritize an emotionally safe environment to avoid bullying and/or body shaming

For more information, visit the CDE PFT Webpage.

The big game is happening on Sunday, February 8th. Are you all about the competition on the field or the food on the coffee table? Click the image to check out this Super Bowl themed workout video and get your students excited for kickoff.

Need some healthy Super Bowl recipes? Check out this list of gameday snack recipes you can feel good about eating.

Looking for engaging, interactive, research-based lessons to address California Health Education Content Standards? Everfi offers a suite of Health & Wellness resources covering topics related to mental health, refusal skills, anti-bullying, and drug/alcohol prevention. These lessons include automatically graded pre and post assessments, supplemental discussion guides, and more. All SUHSD teachers can login to their Everfi accounts by following these steps or reaching out to Nadine El-Awar (Nadine.elawar@everfi.com)

Non-traditional class spaces require creative communication solutions. Physical Education teachers earn high marks for using auditory and kinesthetic learning modalities, but often struggle to incorporate reading/writing and visual sensory pathways consistently into class instruction. Enter the humble white board. There are myriad ways to utilize a white board in a P.E. class. Whether it's a full size beast permanently attached to your favorite wagon or a handheld portable rectangle with warm-up instructions leaning against the basketball hoop next to your class numbers, white boards can convey information to students that gets lost on the breeze. They're a great way to share learning targets, academic vocabulary, organizational expectations and words of inspiration among other things.

If you're looking to get started using a white board or want to improve your practice, this document provides some common headers and signs that you may want to print out and attach permanently. Make a copy of the document to customize it to your needs.

February is...Black History Month, American Heart Month

✅2/2/26: Fitnessgram Testing Window Opens

✅2/2/26 - 2/6/26: National School Counseling Week

✅2/44/26: World Cancer Day

✅2/8/26: Super Bowl Sunday

✅2/13/26 - 2/16/26: President's Day Weekend (NO SCHOOL)

✅2/14/26: Valentine's Day

✅2/17/26: Random Acts of Kindness Day/Ramadan Begins/Chinese Lunar New Year

✅2/23/26 - 3/1/26: National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Here are some ways I can offer support:

• One-on-one PLC/Department visits to discuss your experiences and needs

• Curriculum support and where to find resources

• Strategies, tools and ideas to increase student engagement

• PD for your site and department goals

Email: daniel.schroeder@sweetwaterschools.org

Location: 1130 Fifth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911

Phone: (o) 619.585.4505 (c) 619.206.3107