Untitled Document

Fitness the Focus for Many Schools

Fitness the focus for many schools
By PETER EULER
Morning Sun Staff Writer

Fitness

Fitness will be the focus next week in area school districts as many schools are hosting various activities to emphasize the importance of physical education to their students.

Third-graders throughout southeast Kansas will be taking part in Pittsburg State University Fitness Day, an annual event that offers various activities in the effort to encourage lifetime fitness. PSU Fitness Day is part of a statewide effort called Kansas Kids Fitness Day. This year's event will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 5 in the east parking lot of the Weede Physical Education Building.

The event is coordinated by Bill Stobart, associate professor in the PSU department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

Stobart said this year's event is expected to have 950 third-graders from 23 local elementary schools. Participating school districts include Pittsburg USD 250, Frontenac USD 249, Girard USD 248, Southeast USD 247, Northeast USD 246, Fort Scott USD 234, Riverton USD 404 and Columbus USD 493.

"Here at Pittsburg State, we've always had a nice turnout," PSU president Tom Bryant, who was chair of the HPER department at the time the local event started. "We've had up to a thousand and often times, it's eight or nine hundred kids. It's an experience that I think those third-graders will never forget ... and can show them that fitness is not only good, but it's also fun."

Bryant, who also was involved with the President's Council on Fitness, which was the main force behind starting the event, said the event started with a lofty goal which comes closer to fruition each year.

"Our goal was to shoot for having a fitness day experience for every third-grader in the state of Kansas. We knew that was a hard goal to fill.

Kansas Kids Fitness Day activities across the state now serve over 17,000 third-graders annually.

Stobart said the event will have numerous stations which the students will rotate through.

"I think we'll have probably 10 to 16 activities that will really get them involved and a lot of fun and a lot of exercise involved."

Bryant said Kansas Kids Fitness Day is also an important event for the students in the HPER department students that help put on the event as well as the university.

"It's a great experience for our own students and then on the other hand, if you look at it from where I'm at right now, it's another one of those things where we're providing a service here at Pittsburg State University and one of those kinds of events where we have people on our campus," he said. ... "The more people that are exposed to campus, I think that always serves the university, but the community as well."

Along with participating in PSU Fitness Day, Girard USD 248 will also have a similar event called Super Kids Day on site at R.V. Haderlein Elementary School for all students. Haderlein's event will be spread out over three days, taking place from 12:30 to 3 p.m. each day. Kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students will participate on Wednesday, May 3, first through third-graders on Thursday, May 4, and fourth and fifth-graders on Friday, May 5.

Another focus for area schools will be the arts, as numerous schools are conducting spring concerts. The following is a list of events and times for area concerts:

* Girard Middle School Vocal and Band Spring Concert, 7 p.m., May 2, Shireman Auditorium.

* Southeast High School Spring Band Concert - 7 p.m., May 2, high school auditorium.

* Fort Scott Middle School/High School Orchestra Concert - 7 p.m. May 2 at Fort Scott Middle School.

* Northeast Junior High Evening of Fine Arts - 7 p.m. May 3 - Northeast High School Auditorium.

* Cherokee Attendance Center Spring Concert - 6:30 - 8:30 p.m (6:30 - 7:30, K-5, 7:45-8:30, 6-8) Thursday, May 4, Southeast High School gym.

* Fort Scott 2nd Annual Art and Talent Show - 6 p.m. May 4 at Fort Scott High School Auditorium.

* Lakeside Elementary School Fourth and Fifth-Grade Music Program - 7 p.m. May 4 at Pittsburg High School.

In other news:

* Pittsburg USD 250 elementary schools will be having kindergarten round-ups May1 to 4. Dates for each school are: Meadowlark, May 1; George Nettels, May 2; Lakeside, May 3; and Westisde, May 4. The round-ups are from noon to 6 p.m. each day and parents are encouraged to come to the round-up their child will attend next year, although arrangements can be made if parents have conflicts.

Immunizaton clinic and health assessment are part of the round-ups. Parents should bring a certified copy of their child's birth certificate, up-to-date immunization records and the child's social security number.

* Northeast USD 246 is expected to make numerous personnel decisions Thursday at a special board meeting, including both teaching and coaching vacancies.

* Girard Middle School, Girard High School and Cherokee Attendance Center will be having physicals for students who plan to participate in sports next year. Cherokee Attendance Center will have physicals for fifth through eighth-grade students from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 3 in the school gym. GMS and GHS physicals will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6 at the high school. Cost of the physicals are $15.

* Two Fort Scott Middle School students recently qualified for the National History Day Competition by finishing well at the Kansas National History Day Competition on Saturday, April 22. James Lipscomb and Taylor Bailey were the top two finishers in the Junior Individual Performances category, earning a trip to the national tournament, which is scheduled for June 11-15 at the University of Maryland. Lipscomb was the top finisher in the category with his presentation "FDR: Standing in the Public Eye," while Bailey was second with "A General's Stand: A Daughter's Love."

* Five members of the Northeast High School forensics team qualified for the Class 2A State Tournament, which will take place May 6 in Andale. Ryan Clark, sophomore, will compete in humorous solo acting and prose interpretation, Jake Price, soph., will compete in informative speaking and extemporaneous speaking, Ben Cole, junior, competes in prose interpretation and improvised duet acting along with junio Sam TIner, and Travis Sullins, jr., will compete in poetry interpretation.

* The Quest state semifinal match between Pittsburg High School and Wichita Southeast High School will air at two different times - on KTWU at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, April 30 and on KPTS at 10 p.m. Monday, May 22.

The Morning Sun, (www.morningsun.net) April 27, 2006