PurposeThe purpose of my proposal is to request that physical education be made mandatory in Salida Elementary School. Children do not get an adequate amount of activity during the school year. Childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States. Therefore, we need to teach children how to make healthier decisions from an early age, so that they have the tools to live a healthy lifestyle. Summary Currently, at Salida Elementary School, I do not see any physical education being taught. Children are given free time, but most children simply walk around or sit at a table. Teachers do not have physical education equipment available in their classrooms to build any type of activity. I would like to propose that Salida Elementary School begin teaching physical education on a regular basis. With each age group, the curriculum would be simple. Staff could work together and come up with easy and fun activities that grade levels could do together or separately. Teachers should also try to be good role models when it comes to the snacks and drinks they bring to class. Children believe that if their teacher drinks a soda, it's okay with them. Also, in most cases, children should not receive candy as rewards or special prizes. They should switch to stickers, erasers, pencils and markers. Have fun! However, for physical education to be part of the daily curriculum, schools would need adequate equipment. Each grade level should share recommended equipment for physical education time only. Teachers may have separate play equipment in their classrooms to use during recess. Therefore, the school district should purchase physical education equipment for each grade level. There are six grade levels on campus, from kindergarten to...... middle of paper ......ble (Figure 2) show childhood obesity rates from 2011 in children ages 10 to 17 . Obesity rates remain high among ages 2-19 and adults in the United States and did not change between 2011 and 2012 (“Childhood Overweight and Obesity Trends”). Figure 2: Map and table of 2011 obesity rates The article published in the Idaho State Journal titled, Teacher Defends IF Elementary School Physical Education Classes: State Proposal to Mandate 60 Minutes of Gym Per Week, states: “… gym classes aren't just basketball, aerobics, or even body sculpting classes. They are life lessons." Experiences Salida Elementary has academically successful staff members. Together everyone could collaborate and design a program that is motivating and exciting. We could also introduce physical education on days when there would be no need to add extra hours and classroom learning would not be affected.