�surface, this sounds like a wonderful idea. The act sets up a lot of helpful committees (that I won't detail here), establishes nutritional guidelines for all foods sold on school grounds, and requires students to have CPR training before they graduate. So far, these things seem like feasible and manageable changes to be made, even in a small school district like ours.But wait, there's more! It also requires that schools ensure that all students in K-3 have 30 minutes of physical activity daily and that those in grades 6-12 have 120 minutes of activity weekly. (The copy I read left out grades 3, 4, and 5, but I assume they were included on the original document.) I think this is somewhat manageable for elementary kids. At least with recess there is an opportunity for physical activity. (Though many kids tend to do more standing and talking than playing.) The bigger problem arises in the junior high and high school area. If kids participate in sports or are in a PE class, they're covered. If not, they are supposed to participate in "non-school" activities. (This is where the form comes in. You will need to detail what activities your child will be involved in to meet the requirement.) My question is, how on earth are the schools supposed to ensure that kids are actually doing anything outside of school? On top of that, many high school kids drive straight to a job right after classes and then go home to homework and bed. I think we can safely assume they aren't squeezing in a half-hour run on a regular basis. (Can we count "burger-flipping" as a physical activity?)Iowa's "Healthy Kids Act"
View this post on my blog: http://livingstyle.info/iowas-healthy-kids-act
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