Welcome Western District IAHPERD members! I'm very sorry to have to pass along the news that we have recently lost a good friend. Bob "Bobby" Califf, President-Elect of Western District and Elementary PE Teacher in Hamilton, passed away on May 2nd after a tragic car accident.
Bobby graduated from Hamilton High School with the Class of 1979, where he excelled in athletics. He played football, basketball and baseball and ran on the track team. He also played football while attending Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo., where he was a kick return specialist. He was a graduate of Western Illinois University in Macomb. Bobby worked in health clubs in Chicago before returning to Hamilton in the fall of 1993 to work as the physical education teacher at Hamilton Elementary School. He also helped coach varsity football and was the high school baseball coach for about 10 years. Bob was an excellent teacher and coach and worked to encourage each of his students. While employed at Hamilton Elementary School, Bob was very involved in Jump Rope for Heart, which he supported every year with the elementary students. He was a member of the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (IAHPERD), and was the President-elect for the Western District. Bob was planning to host the Illinois Task Force for Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart at the elementary school this June, and was very excited about his upcoming clinic. Bob was a loving son, brother, uncle, friend and father. He especially loved every minute he spent with his son, Brock. Bob was a very special person, and will never be forgotten. God Bless you Bobby!
The workshop which was to be held at Hamilton Elementary was held at Baldwin Elementary School. As we try and move forward I'd like to say I truly enjoy being a part of an amazing organization that promotes physical education but also emphasizes the importance of those who teach physical education!! We touch the lives of so many children on a daily basis. Not only do we promote physical activity, but we also encourage our students to make healthy decisions each day. As educators, each one of you makes a HUGE difference in the lives our your students.
Best wishes and thank you for your continued support of the Western District IAHPERD and for the hard work you do each and every day in your physical education programs!
Jennifer Oitker
President
Western District IAHPERD
Childhood Obesity Epidemic Costly In Many Ways
1. The average 10-year-old girl weighed 77 pounds in 1963; today, 88. The 10-year-old boy weighed 74; today, 85.
2. A 2006 study tracking 2,000 low-income children in 20 cities found that a third were overweight or obese before the age of 4. Most at risk: Hispanics.
3. Even more than smoking or drinking, says a UCLA/Rand study, obesity triggers significant health problems and
increases health spending.
4. Children and teens consumed 110 to 165 more calories than they burned each day over a 10-year period, adding up
to 58 pounds of extra weight, according to a Harvard University study.
5. 2 percent of U.S. children eat a healthy diet as defined by the Agriculture Department.
6. "Husky" car seats were developed several years ago. More than 250,000 children younger than 6 exceeded the
weight standards for regular car seats in 2006.
7. Soft-drink consumption has increased 300 percent in 20 years and is the leading source of added sugars for
adolescents.
8. 25 percent of all vegetables eaten in the United States are french fries or chips.
9. 25 percent of all Americans eat fast food at least once a day.
10. Americans consume 20 percent more calories than a generation ago; most come from fats and oils (up 63%),
grains (up 43%) and sugar (up 19%).
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ADVOCACY:
You can find your state representative and senator and their contact numbers at www.ilga.gov
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DO YOU KNOW A GOOD TEACHER?
THEN WE NEED YOUR HELP!
At the state convention, IAHPERD recognizes numerous award winners. Do you know an outstanding individual in the professional fields of Physical, Health, Dance, Adapted or Leisure Education? Recognize these people by nominating them for Teacher of the Year (TOY). These awards are given in recognition of outstanding instructional performance for elementary, middle, and secondary school physical education as well as in adapted, dance, health, and leisure education. Elected individuals have shown their great ability to motivate today's youth to participate in a lifetime of physical activity.
An FYI; anyone can nominate an outstanding teacher. You can nominate anyone, as long as the individual is eligible for the respective award. To check requirements and perhaps nominate someone in the future, check out the applications located on the IAHPERD main web site.
To download applications for any of the awards below; click HERE
(A) Elementary Physical Educator (B) Middle School Physical Educator
(C) Secondary Physical Educator (D) Health Educator (E) Dance Educator
(F) Service Award & (G) Honor Award
Join our Mailing List:
Located now on the IAHPERD Web site: Just click on the IAHPERD Tab atop the page and click on Western District. Once you plug in your e-mail address, you'll receive periodic updates on what's happening within Western District and IAHPERD.
Notes:
If you send me someone's name and e-mail address, I will include them in our e-mails for Western District. Thanks again for visiting our web site.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Oitker
President Western District
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