All You Need to Know About Fitnesgram

All You Need To Know About Fitnesgram

Parents or Guardians,

Children come in all shapes and sizes as they grow to be a young adult. Whether they are short, tall, big, or small they can be healthy if they eat a balanced diet and exercise or play daily. Every child can benefit from regular physical activity and a healthy level of physical fitness. The Fitnessgram helps guide children to learn about their fitness levels.

Our fourth and fifth graders will be participating in Fitnessgram throughout the year. The Fitnessgram evaluates five different parts of health-related fitness: they are body composition, aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

Your child has practiced and will continue to practice

these testing components throughout their years in the CCS.

4th and 5th graders will practice and be tested on the Fitnessgram throughout the year.

Grades K-3 just practice and are not scored throughout the year.

* Below are explanations of the 5 different testing components.

1.Body Composition – (This will only be for middle school and high school students) takes height and weight to calculate the BMI **The BMI provides an indication of the appropriateness of a child’s weight relative to height. Standards are age and gender specific and they also take into account normal changes during growth and maturation. (Students will need to remove their shoes when they are weighed and measured for height.)

2.Pacer- (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) measures aerobic capacity which is calculated from the test performance, which is the number of laps completed.

Objective- to run as long as possible back and forth across a 20-meter space at a specified pace that gets faster each minute.

3.Curl –Ups(Sit-ups) - measures abdominal strength and endurance

Objective- to complete as many curl-ups as possible up to a maximum of 75 at a specified pace. Students will be on a mat making sure their head touches the mat and their fingers move back and forth on the mat across a 4.5 inch wide space as they lift their upper body.

4.Push-Up- measures upper body strength and endurance

Objective- to complete as many 90 angle push-ups as possible at a rhythmic pace.

Students will need to make a 90 angle in their elbow area and keep their back area flat.

5.Trunk Lift- measures extensor strength and flexibility for low back health

Objective- to lift upper body off the floor using the muscles of the back and hold the position to allow for the measurement.

Helpful advice

• Tell your child to just do their best and “make a goal” for themselves to improve throughout the year and the next year. We will be talking about personal goal setting in class.

• Please realize all children may be at different levels of fitness and that is okay! Being fit is a “lifetime” accomplishment. It is something we will work on throughout our life.

• This is NOT something children need to be stressed or worried over.

It is a way CCS schools evaluates a child’s fitness level at this time of their life. This does not go toward or against a Wellness Grade. It is for your child to learn about their fitness level and for you as a parent to be aware of it and help guide your child to better fitness.

Below is an example of the record sheet your child

will fill-out throughout the year during their testing.

Fitnessgram Personal Fitness Record Fall or Spring of ______

Student ______Age_____ Grade ___ Teacher ______Student ID #______