Nine in 10 of Gilroy’s fifth graders are physically unfit,
according to a state fitness test.
But with the Gilroy Unified School District’s Run for Fitness
and myriad city-sponsored summer programs just around the corner,
parents have their pick of activities to get their children back on
track.
Nine in 10 of Gilroy’s fifth graders are physically unfit, according to a state fitness test.
But with the Gilroy Unified School District’s Run for Fitness and myriad city-sponsored summer programs just around the corner, parents have their pick of activities to get their children back on track.
“The Run for Fitness is a great way to get kids moving,” said trustee Rhoda Bress, who sits on the school district’s health council and plans to volunteer at this weekend’s event. “The great thing about Run for Fitness is that what the students learn during training can be continued over the summer by families.”
Although the school district is doing what it can to combat childhood obesity, the health of Gilroy’s children does not fall solely onto the schools’ shoulders, said Lillian Castillo with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department.
“We are products of our environment,” Castillo said. “It’s not just the school’s responsibility. It’s the responsibility of the parents, of the community at large to come together to promote fitness.”
According to the Public Health Department, 36 percent of Gilroy youth are overweight compared to 28 percent in Morgan Hill and 27 percent countywide. The numbers only worsen as children grow up, resulting in two of three Gilroy adults weighing in as overweight or obese, according to county figures.
Health agencies measure weight using the body mass index, which takes into account weight and height. For instance, a 5-foot, 10-inch person would be considered overweight at 174 pounds and obese at 209 pounds. A 5-foot, 6-inch person would be overweight at 155 pounds and obese at 186 pounds.
“Our population is not as fit as they should be,” trustee Tom Bundros said. “The (school) board unanimously was not happy with what we’re seeing. Having said that, we have limited influence as to what can be done. I really think the parents needs to pick up the ball.”
As the father of six grown children, Bundros didn’t allow them to watch television and limited their time spent in front of the computer when they were growing up. Instead, he encouraged them to play outside.
And that’s the way it should be, Castillo said. But a number of factors, including poverty, poor diet, unsafe neighborhoods and lack of education play into Gilroy’s expanding waistline, she said.
“I do notice that the kids are getting heavier,” Castillo said. “But if you live in a neighborhood that is not safe, parents don’t feel like letting their kids play outside.”
Every spring, all fifth, seventh and ninth graders are given the Fitnessgram, a standardized state physical fitness test. The test assesses six major fitness areas, including cardiovascular endurance, body fat percentage, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility. Last year, only 10.6 percent of the district’s fifth graders met the minimum requirements on all six of the assessments compared to 29.1 percent of fifth graders county wide. Two years ago, 16.6 percent of Gilroy’s fifth graders met the minimum requirements.
Students are required to perform a battery of tests from a timed one-mile run to curl-ups and push-ups. For example, a physically fit fifth grade boy should be able to run a mile in 11 minutes and do at least eight push-ups. A fit fifth grade girl should be able to run a mile in 12 minutes and do seven push-ups, according to Fitnessgram criteria.
“Every single child in the world should be able to score a six out of six,” said Pat Vickroy, an elementary school physical education teacher.
Luigi Aprea Elementary School Principal Rich Rodriguez agreed.
“These are standards that our children should be able to meet,” Rodriguez said.
Luigi Aprea’s fifth graders scored above the district’s average, with 14.3 percent meeting minimum fitness requirements. Las Animas Elementary School showed the highest percentage at 21.1 percent, and Eliot Elementary School showed the lowest percentage at 5.1 percent.
Though all district elementary schools must provide 100 minutes of physical education to students per week, only fourth and fifth grade students actually have face time with a physical education teacher. Kindergarten through third grade teachers must work those minutes into class time. And until the district takes a stronger stance on the importance of physical fitness, its students will continue to suffer, Vickroy said.
“They’re the ones that have to put it into action,” he said. “We may believe health and fitness is important, but just having that belief is not doing. And the district has certainly not been doing.”
But this weekend’s Run for Fitness, which is largely a product of Vickroy’s initiative, is a step in the right direction, community members said.
“Gilroy schools are definitely getting on the bandwagon,” Castillo said.
Over at Rucker Elementary School, Sylvia Hamilton, a third grade teacher and her school site’s coordinator for the run, has experienced firsthand the change in her students after weeks of training. Students who couldn’t run at first are completing the 15 to 20 minutes of daily training with ease.
The training has given some students “tremendous self-esteem,” Hamilton said. “We’ve had some amazing turnarounds.”
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Run for Fitness
Open to and free for all students
When: 7 a.m. Saturday
Where: Gilroy High School track
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BY THE NUMBERS
– 10.6 percent of Gilroy’s fifth graders met minimum requirements on all six measures of state fitness test
– 67 percent of Gilroy adults are overweight or obese
– 37 percent of deaths in Gilroy are due to diabetes, heart disease or stroke, which are correlated with excessive weight
– 36 percent of Gilroy youth are overweight
– 49 percent of Gilroy adults report participating in some form of physical activity
Source: Santa Clara County Public Health Department
