Mr. Matt Belles - Keeping kids active in schools

It was great to hear how The Charlotte Mecklenburg School District is meeting the challenges faced by our students today. While the conditions of obesity and being overweight are on the rise, and the alloted time for physical education is in many cases on the decline, it is our children' educational life which is being challenged. There are many studies which verify that movement, and more of it, help students inprove in their cognitive abilities. But all too often, schools, principals and districts are under pressure to spend more time on academics to improve test scores. Let's applaud those schools willing to have their students take physically-active brain breaks during the day, have their children go out to actively play, and give them the extra time they need to meet their students' physical education needs. Getting our students to be proficient movers AND developing the skills necessary for a healthy, active lifestyle will only help our children to become successful, productive and healthy members of society.