With growing concern about childhood health, Vintage Hills Elementary School Principal Carolyn Parker has made great strides to keep her students in shape. Her efforts were recently recognized by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports when she was chosen as a finalist in the annual “In the Spotlight” awards.
The awards highlight principals across the state who have made a positive impact on physical education and also include other categories such as teachers, schools, organizations and events that promote physical wellbeing. Parker was one of three principals honored during a ceremony televised on cable sports channel ESPN.
Parker has made physical fitness a top priority at Vintages Hills, making sure the school has all the equipment, training and facilities necessary for the physical education program and ensuring that students received the state-mandated 200 minutes of physical education every 10 days with classroom teachers responsible for 10 percent of the P.E. instruction. In response, the classroom teachers have created some innovative programs to integrate academic studies with physical activity.
She also brings motivating performers to visit the schools, such as world hackey sack champion and circus performer Scott Cleere, who visited the school last year and spent the day working with students. Beyond the actual P.E. instruction, Parker promotes a healthy attitude toward physical fitness on campus, serving as a positive role model by jumping rope or playing catch with students at recess. She will dance with P.E. classes and shows students she isn’t afraid to try new things, even riding a unicycle.
At a time when many schools are cutting back on P.E. and recess to create additional academic time, Parker remains committed to providing students with opportunities to be physically active. She believes students who are healthy learn better, and Vintage Hills’ Academic Performance Index score of 918 or the 1,000 point scale seems to support her conviction. Vintage Hills students also performed well in physical tests, with 46 percent earning a perfect score on the state fitness test. Statewide, only 26 percent of students achieved perfect scores.
–Rebecca Guyon
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