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During this pandemic, it’s easy to focus on the many challenges that face education right now. In many ways, it seems we are caught in the perfect storm. However, there are aspects of the tide that we can influence. As we plan or begin to return to in-person learning, it is important that we set ourselves and our students up for success. It’s critical that we make every effort to turn this perfect storm into a wave that we can ride to move students forward, by doing some of the things outlined below.

Have critical conversations with your administrators so that you can strategically address issues BEFORE students are back on campus. Utilize guidance documents such as the California Department of Public Health Guidance for Schools and School-Based Programs, but know that there are differing positions, so it’s up to you, your department, and your administrators. Make sure you’re in agreement as to what is best for your students and community, and be consistent with your decisions.

Collaborate with colleagues to reinvent curriculum and instructional strategies. The curriculum you have normally taught and the strategies that you typically used probably will not be appropriate for in-person instruction during COVID-19. Teachers should consider:

While there are a lot of things that are out of our control right now, it is critical that we are proactive with the decisions, planning, and implementation that we can inform. Take the time to talk through both the logistics and instruction. It may make a world of difference for both you and your students. It could be the difference between capsizing in the storm, and riding the perfect wave. Cowabunga! Let’s go surfing!

Thank you for working to provide the best experience for students at the toughest time. Please do not hesitate to email or call me at 858-295-8868 if there is anything I can do to support you, your site, or your district.

Health and Physical Education Coordinator

San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE)

Based on input collected in a recent survey of San Diego County health and physical educators, the following professional learning opportunities have been added to the schedule for 2020-21. All professional learning this year will be online.

Make sure your district has a seat at the table as leaders from throughout San Diego County collaborate to discuss trends, legislation, best practices, and opportunities in health and physical education. Join us to discuss:

Get more information and register for the Health and Physical Education Advisory meeting. There is no fee to attend.

The first in a series of four professional learning opportunities on the California Health Education Framework is designed to help districts, schools, and teachers align health education programming to the new framework. Session 1 consists of one learning module and one live virtual learning event on Oct. 27, Nov. 16, or Dec. 9. It will provide an overview of the framework that includes the opportunity to:

Click on one of the date’s below to register for that Zoom learning event. Upon registration, SDCOE will email participants the link to the online module and other materials.

NOTE: Districts and/or sites that are the recipients of SDCOE Health Education Framework Mini-Grants are required to have at least two people attend each of the four professional Health Education Framework professional learning sessions. Information about the next three framework learning sessions will be shared in future newsletters and at www.sdcoe.net/hpe.

This in-depth academy helps turn passionate teachers into peer leaders with the capacity to make a difference for students. The Physical Education Leadership Academy is designed to support implementation of first, best instruction and develop teacher leaders who have the ability to impact colleagues at their site, in their district, and throughout San Diego County. The academy includes eight, two-hour sessions:

The Physical Literacy Institute is a series of six meetings that are designed to help you empower students with the confidence, competence, and passion for a lifetime of physical activity. Participants will:

Hang out with your peers across the county on the first and third Wednesdays of every month from 3 to 4 p.m. to receive the latest updates, resources, materials, and best practices in health and physical education. There is a new Zoom link to join each week. Following each hangout, from 4 to 5 p.m. we will continue to host grade-level collaboration meetings for those who would like to collaborate with others who teach the same grade span. Attendees will receive follow-up emails with the information and resources that were shared. SDCOE Hangout Notes and Resources continues to have the details on what’s been shared at previous meetings.

Access free online professional development modules such as SEL for Health and Physical Education and Aligning Depth of Knowledge to Grade Level Outcomes as part of OPEN’s Teacher Learning School.

SDCOE's Curriculum and Instruction team created distance learning units of study that teachers can download and customize. Cut and paste content into whatever learning management system is used. The units of study are integrated and include a basis in the California Physical Education and Health Education Model Content Standards. Bookmark the site as new content is added often.

Units of study include:

Check out the collection of units for all content areas at SDCOE Distance Learning Units of Study or use the SDCOE Distance Learning Guide for Health and Physical Education to gain direct access to health and physical education content.

It is intended that each teacher use the units of study as a starting point and an example of integrated curriculum. They can personalize the units to include:

OPENPhysEd.org has posted curriculum and professional learning opportunities to support distance learning. The new PE NOW project has resources for elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Make sure to watch the instructional videos featured on the webpage to maximize the effectiveness of this instructional resource. Teachers are encouraged to personalize OPEN’s PE NOW materials to include SEL strategies, meet the needs of specific populations, add their voice or face to instruction, and create rapport with and among students.

The California Healthy Youth Act (CHYA) requires that all students receive instruction in comprehensive sexual health education at least once in middle school and once in high school. This requirement is not being waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is critical that your district/school plan ahead to identify instructional materials and create a plan to make sure that appropriate (defined in Ed Code) instruction is provided to all students who missed sexual health education last year, and those who are scheduled to participate in 2020-21.

The California Department of Education (CDE) has identified distance learning resources/curricula that meet CHYA requirements.

A trailer bill was passed in September that suspends the Physical Fitness Test/FITNESSGRAM for the 2020-21 school year. However, there is some critical information that all physical educators should know:

SDCOE is accepting applications for districts and schools to receive up to $5,000 to update their health education programming. This can include any of the six content areas of the framework, such as mental, emotional, and social health, which is critical as school leaders work to support students’ needs during COVID-19.

 Complete the mini-grant application to fund the following:

All grant activities must be completed by May 31, 2021. A final report must be submitted to SDCOE that describes actions completed and implemented change(s) to health education. Please see the mini-grant application or the mini-grant informational flyer for more information.

Both SDCOE staff and the Health Education Framework leads, representing various districts, are available to provide technical assistance in the writing of mini-grants and in the implementation of grant activities. Please make sure that you have approval from your site/district administrator to apply for these funds and that they are aware of the scope of the work you plan to complete.

Visit the Chargers Champions webpage for more details. Applications went live this week, and the deadline to apply is Jan. 15.

A group of teacher leaders from throughout California collaborated to collect and vet a list of resources that are designed to support quality distance learning for physical education. Visit the Physical Education Resource Padlet for easy access to vetted resources for:

Created by a group of teacher leaders from throughout the country, Strategies for Fostering EDI in Physical Education provides links to critical information to help every physical educator best meet the needs of each and every student by focusing on language, physical/classroom space, inclusion, learning environment/class climate, and lesson delivery.

American Association of Pediatrics and the National Athletic Trainers Association released the following resources regarding youth sports. These resources may also be viable in designing students’ experiences in physical education.