Hiawatha students earn fitness award
Hiawatha Elementary School was declared “State Champions” by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, according to a news release.
This is the oldest, largest and highest-level fitness program in the country and Hiawatha has participated for many years. State Champions are recognized in all 50 states, as well as three different divisions within the state. Divisions are based on school enrollment; Hiawatha won the Illinois Division II title (200-500 students).
Beginning in March of each year, students are tested in five fitness areas: push-ups, sit-ups, mile run, sit-and-reach and sprint-shuttle run. In order to achieve the highest honors, guidelines require that all five events be scored in the 85th percentile or higher of the qualifying standards. All results are recorded and submitted for verification. In 2008-09, almost 42 percent of Hiawatha Elementary students tested earned the highest recognition, and many more missed qualifying by just one event.
The key to this success is physical education instructor Dave Cox. A 35-year employee at Hiawatha, Cox is just as enthusiastic, perhaps more so, as the day he first started, according to the release.
“My job is to light a fire under these kids,” said Cox in the release, and he makes sure that each class gets the same level of dedication, whether it’s the first of the day or the last.
In addition to the students’ efforts, Cox would like to emphasize that this achievement is possible due to the involvement of parents and the community in general. He feels the community’s culture of fitness and exercise helped set the stage for this award, according to the release.
A banner is in the works marking Hiawatha’s state championship status. Cox has intentionally designed the banner to accommodate more than one year for the award. He not only hopes to win state honors once again, but many times over.
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