Students' fitness shaping up

Students in Solano County are doing their part to beat the rising trend of obesity by staying physically fit.

Recent physical fitness test results released by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell showed an overall increase in fitness from last year, but indicate a need for improvement.

Still, some school districts fared better than others in six areas of fitness.

Leading the charge were the Dixon and Vanden districts. In Dixon, 60 percent of seventh-graders and 36 percent of fifth-graders passed the six areas of the fitness tests. In the Vanden district, 41 percent of ninth-graders passed.

Students in the fifth, seventh and ninth grade are tested every year in cardiovascular endurance, percentage of body fat, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance and overall flexibility.

"It's very important that students are aware of how to stay physically fit because obesity has increased," said Colleen Turner, seventh-grade department chair of physical education at C.A. Jacobs Middle School. "If you get them to exercise now and enjoy it, it becomes part of their life."

Even when the students aren't taking the state standardized fitness test, according
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to Turner, they're preparing all year long.

"That way they know they can do it on their own," she said. "They know what's going on and are aware of what they need to do to pass."

The tests include running for one mile to test for cardiovascular endurance and doing push ups to test upper body strength.

"It really isn't just about the tests," Turner added. "We can only hope that we're reaching the kids that aren't deemed athletic so that they know they can still be physically fit."

Students in the Vacaville School District are also doing what they can to improve physically.

A little more than 30 percent of the students in the three grades tested passed.

"We're always looking to improve," said Marcia Rooney, the Testing Assessment administrative coordinator. "The more exercise the better."

Rooney said the school district is helping students make better choices when it comes to health and wellness activities and the foods they eat.

"By eliminating sugary foods we're encouraging good choices," she explained.

Rooney also encourages teachers and parents to lead by example to motivate students to be more active.

"If the adults do it, the children will follow," she said, adding, "For a child to be healthy and strong, they should have "homework" for PE just like any other class."

The results for individual schools, districts, counties and the state are available at the department of education's Web site at www.cde.ca.gov.

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