In Praise of Public Education

So, I gave a little kudos to the homeschoolers of the family, so I thought I'd share a positive about the public education system too. Yesterday, both John and I showed up at Brayden's school at 9:45 to help 25 first graders get fitted for roller-blading. It's part of a "Fitness for Life" program in which the district has really tried to develop a p.e. program that teaches kids about activities that they could learn to do to stay active throughout their life. I'm a real believer in this, recognizing that kids need to move and cutting out their p.e. due to budget cuts could be one of the most damaging things we can do to them long term. I mean, let's face it, I don't think many adults end up dying because they don't know Greatest Common Factor, or Least Common Multiple, but I bet you can trace a whole let of deaths to never really finding something you enjoy that keeps you from being sedentary. (A quick note, this is a broad opinion and should not necessarily be traced back to how much exercise my children or myself do on a daily basis!).

So, yesterday, 6 parents showed up to outfit children in wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads, helmets, and skates all provided by the school. (The equipment gets moved throughout the school district to the different elementary schools) It was such a hoot to watch those kids circle the gym in a psuedo-Skate World, falling constantly - but falling correctly as instructed by their p.e. teacher. They even played limbo in which they skated underneath foam bars held by parents. It was a sight to see, and potentially costly - Brayden now REALLY wants a pair of roller blades for his birthday.......