Presidential fitness challenge

[zacattack]

Glad they brought it back. We did it almost every year I was in school up until I was in maybe a junior or senior in high school. Was always a huge competition between all of us.

I have two kids now and seeing many of the children they go to school with, and their parents a lot of people need to start living better, maybe this will motivate some of them.

 

[TaperPin]

Those who lean towards athletics will of course look forward to it, even find it competitive among friends, but for the other 50% of kids doing a test twice a year doesn’t accomplish anything. A fat kid hanging on the chin-up bar twice a year while the other kids laugh at him isn’t accomplishing anything. What all the kids do the other 363 days of the year is much more important. How about funding for nutrition classes and bring back fun PE. A personal health and exercise program where the kid is competing with himself to improve would work for everyone and teach a skill they can use into adulthood. Real change requires funding, which we apparently now like to keep from states, so that will never happen. A twice a year test seems like it’s just for show.

Off the topic, but I was impressed with new aviation classes in high school where they learn how to fly on flight simulators and come out ready for advanced drone flying or a good pre flight school experience.

 

[Loo.wii]

I thought the goal was to be as fit as the President...I bet I can beat him in a Big Mac challenge, I can slam a bunch of those things


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He will probably win the under 18 contest though

 

[IdahoBeav]

I think it’s largely a good thing.

The bashing on younger generations is as predictable as death and taxes. I guess it’s all in your perspective. I work daily with age groups ranging from boomers to Gen Z. You’d be hard pressed to convince me there is any significant difference across the groups. They are just different.

I work with a lot of Gen Z. My observation is that most of them regularly go to the gym and many try to eat healthy. I can't say that I observed the same from past generations.

 

[WCB]

How about funding for nutrition classes and bring back fun PE.

They don't need more funding. It is called health class. Also, the oh so great "Free" lunches and breakfast kids get is absolute trash food. Not that is was great before but a sweet roll and sugared up Apple Juice is what "funding" gets kids.

 

[Jason Snyder]

They don't need more funding. It is called health class. Also, the oh so great "Free" lunches and breakfast kids get is absolute trash food. Not that is was great before but a sweet roll and sugared up Apple Juice is what "funding" gets kids.

Even school lunches can’t escape partisan drama and stupidity.

 

[TaperPin]

They don't need more funding. It is called health class. Also, the oh so great "Free" lunches and breakfast kids get is absolute trash food. Not that is was great before but a sweet roll and sugared up Apple Juice is what "funding" gets kids.

Your views are exactly why nothing constructive will happen. Just complain what’s being done doesn’t work and they should try harder. Healthy food that tastes good is more expensive and more work to cook - just like for adults.

I’m not in la la land expecting anything will change in the lifetimes of my grandkids. Society isn’t doing public schools any favors with made up partisan bickering and parent have to be more involved than ever. What should be taught in schools will have to be taught at home by parents with the luxury of having the energy, time, and knowledge to do it, and not all do. Don’t fool yourselves for a minute to think the US has the best schools in the world, because we don’t.

 

[Slickhill]

I guess my school didn’t participate during my time. I know my dad did it when he was a kid.

I think anything that gets kids up and moving for 2 days is 2 less days they’re on their ass doing nothing and a step in the right direction.

Bottom line remains that the future of your kids is largely on you.
I don’t like how much time kids spend inside and on electronics today, that’s why my kid doesn’t have access to electronics for the most part and he and his dog are out tearing it up in the yard or riding his bike around the neighborhood or whatever because we tell him to get outside and play.
I don’t like all the curriculum at school, but I recognize that school is a good environment for learning to deal with people and making friends, working with others, and solving problems in life. The things he doesn’t have the chance to learn in school we try to teach him at home, in the shop, church, or on the ranch.
School food is not great, you can always pack a lunch for your kid or better yet teach them to do it for themselves. Or you can let them eat what they want of it for $3.50 a day and make sure they get a good meal at home for supper.

Be responsible for the folks under your roof and live the best life you can with them. Your kids only grow up once.

 

[Laramie]

A respectful competitive society sure, but we have also forgotten how to be respectful, in general.

When we grew up, if we weren't respectful, there was accountability. Now if you hold someone accountable for being an a$$, you get in trouble. My opinion won't be popular with the younger generation, but getting punched a time or two, or at least considering the possibility, growing up did society a lot of good imo.

 

[Loper]

I definitely did this in elementary school growing up. I remember never doing well on the stretch, where you sit down and stretch forward as far as possible. I was always short growing up and didn’t excel in the jump. I don’t think I ever got a patch (I think that was the prize).

Glad to see this is coming back.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m for it. I still remember doing it and running my fastest miles I’ve ever ran simply to see what I could do. We had a ex marine PE teacher who would tell the students that if you had any pride at all, you’d do the best you can. Good words to live by.

It would be great to bring those days back but it’s going to be a hard push. Kids aren’t the same these days as they were back in the 80s and 90s, PE teachers aren’t either.

 

[Yoder]

Very true. and, what is baffling, is numerous celebrity chefs/food experts such as Bobby Flay , Jamie Oliver and Rachel Ray have demonstrated that this can be reasonably achieved within a budget and yet we still continue down the same road. Jamie Oliver did a whole series on it called "Food Revolution." The current admin cut school lunch budgets back even more in March of this year. Doesn't seem that there is any foreseeable future where this situation improves.

I lived in a small town in VT for a few years. Their school had an awesome school lunch program. The school hired a third party to take care of lunch. They had a great salad bar and real food, not stuff they won't even feed to inmates. Our school taxes weren't any higher. Why doesn't our government care about our kids? It's the same thing with school shootings. One side offers prayers, the other wants to take our guns and meanwhile they do absolutely nothing to protect our kids. Instead of giving billions to other countries, how about we secure our schools and feed our children. There's no reason every school couldn't have metal detectors, I.D. badges, security systems with facial recognition and even the ability to pick out weapons using AI. It could be done in a way where kids feel safe, but don't feel like they are in prison. I know this is off topic, but it just pisses me off.

 

[mtwarden]

It would be great to bring those days back but it’s going to be a hard push. Kids aren’t the same these days as they were back in the 80s and 90s, PE teachers aren’t either.

Wait a minute, I was going to say kids aren’t the same these days as they were in 60’s and 70’s

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Wait a minute, I was going to say kids aren’t the same these days as they were in 60’s and 70’s

Yeah I’d imagine they aren’t. You’d be surprised how many kids these days are overweight and completely out of shape. They he worst part is that for many of them, they are already overweight or obese by the time they are in 1st grade.

When I was in school, there was like 1 overweight kid. Now half of them are overweight. Video games, lack of competition and and absentee parents are all partly to blame but there has also been a drastic lack in a general culture of toughness for kids these days.

 

[mtwarden]

 

[WCB]

Your views are exactly why nothing constructive will happen. Just complain what’s being done doesn’t work and they should try harder. Healthy food that tastes good is more expensive and more work to cook - just like for adults.

I’m not in la la land expecting anything will change in the lifetimes of my grandkids. Society isn’t doing public schools any favors with made up partisan bickering and parent have to be more involved than ever. What should be taught in schools will have to be taught at home by parents with the luxury of having the energy, time, and knowledge to do it, and not all do. Don’t fool yourselves for a minute to think the US has the best schools in the world, because we don’t.

hahaha...my views are based on being married to a woman who taught for well over a decade...then took a position helping low performing students get back on level and now runs that program for one of the largest districts in MN. It also comes from countless conversations with other teachers, paras, principals, etc. that don't walk in lock step with the teacher unions and dept of education in our state (and some that do).

Not sure where I said our schools were the best? or even alluded to it?

Switching out cinnabuns and sugared up juice for a healthier option doesn't take more money. Not having walking tacos as a standard lunch item is a budget buster. If they wanted to, the funds are there and can be taken from tons of B.S. programs forced on schools because liberal ass hats want to make up new tests/standards that don't help students and force schools to buy curriculum from an extremely limited number of sources (or one strangely connected to lawmakers or superintendents) at stupid prices.

I also have the view that it is the parents responsibility to raise their children including what and how to eat...not the schools'.

 

[Jason Snyder]

You’d be surprised how many kids these days are overweight and completely out of shape.

You can say the same thing about most adults.

 

[TaperPin]

hahaha...my views are based on being married to a woman who taught for well over a decade...then took a position helping low performing students get back on level and now runs that program for one of the largest districts in MN. It also comes from countless conversations with other teachers, paras, principals, etc. that don't walk in lock step with the teacher unions and dept of education in our state (and some that do).

Not sure where I said our schools were the best? or even alluded to it?

Switching out cinnabuns and sugared up juice for a healthier option doesn't take more money. Not having walking tacos as a standard lunch item is a budget buster. If they wanted to, the funds are there and can be taken from tons of B.S. programs forced on schools because liberal ass hats want to make up new tests/standards that don't help students and force schools to buy curriculum from an extremely limited number of sources (or one strangely connected to lawmakers or superintendents) at stupid prices.

I also have the view that it is the parents responsibility to raise their children including what and how to eat...not the schools'.

She would be the only teacher I’ve ever heard of that thinks schools are well funded.

I think schools should have the aim of making better more productive humans for the betterment of society as a whole, not just helping those you personally like.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

You can say the same thing about most adults.

Absolutely but I figured we all knew that and since this thread is about the presidential fitness test in schools I figured I’d avoid the obvious.

 

[Yoder]

Kids are fat because their parents suck. If your 8yr old is morbidly obese it's YOUR fault, not the school, or this generation. Parents are lazy. They just feed their kids garbage and let them sit on a game system or their phones, so they can do what they want to do instead of being an actual parent. The people that really piss me off are the ones where the parents are thin and the kids look like ticks about to pop. If the whole family is big, I have more compassion. It's an addiction passed down to the kids. Otherwise, you are just being lazy and don't want to hear your kids complain. "Here's some cheesy poofs honey".