Hello!

It is good to be back in touch with you. We hope your school year is going well. The beginning of the year is always interesting! Things are great here with lots of news to share. Remember, any time you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter the link to use is at the end of this newsletter.

Like we did last year, we are offering 45,000 FREE pins again. This year, however, each school that registers can only reserve up to 30 total free pins. This will allow a larger number of schools to participate which has been a goal of ours for a number of years.

We are also thrilled to announce that we have a new sponsor for the Challenge this year! The Rocky Mountain Pedometer Company is co-sponsoring the Challenge this year along with PE Central. Bonnie Hopper is the owner of the Rocky Mountain Pedometer Co. and we are so grateful she has lent her support to this wonderful program. If you wish to contact Bonnie at the Rocky Mountain Pedometer Company, Bonnie's email is "[email protected]". To inquire about purchasing pedometers for your program, call their toll free number at 877-685-9059 and their temporary Web site is located here:

http://www.pecentral.org/rmpc

Remember free pins are available only on a first come/first serve basis and the Challenge is designed for only 4th and 5th grade youngsters. If you are not able to register you can still have your students participate at no charge. You can offer the students the free downloadable certificates on the Challenge Web site (link below). You can also purchase pins later in the year as well.

http://www.pecentral.org/pecchallenge

PE Central Challenge

Sponsored by:

Rocky Mountain
Pedometer Co.

The following is an exclusive offer to PE Central Visitors from FlagHouse - Our Founding Sponsor!

To become eligible to win the $250.00 FlagHouse Equipment Package all you have to do is join FlagHouse's E-Mail Alert Service! Each equipment package contains an assortment of basketballs, volleyballs, pinnies, equipment bags and much more (not all packages contain all of these items) including FREE delivery to you! One winner will be randomly selected on a monthly basis from all individuals signing up to receive the E-Mail Alert Newsletter. Their newsletter is sent several times a month with free offers, exclusive deals and other pertinent information. No purchase is necessary to become eligible and joining their email alert system is free of charge.

http://www.flaghouse.com/go.asp?id=65

Also, be sure to check out all of the new free activity guides FlagHouse has posted on their web site:

http://www.flaghouse.com/default.asp?id=30

Healthy Steps is a 10-day walking challenge designed to get students in grades K-5 moving in schools across New York State. How far can your K-5 students, staff, and parents walk in 10 school days in the month of October? Incentives are awarded to those New York schools that record the most miles in each of four divisions. Registration ends on October 17, 2003 and the Challenge dates are form October 1 - October 31, 2003 and the last day to submit miles is November 4, 2003.

For additional program details or to register online for this event visit

http://www.nyshealthyschools.org

To request a Healthy Steps Planning Packet call 315-823-1022 or email [email protected]

We continue to add new items to our store. This month we have added a series of physical education poster sets that may come in handy if you need a poster in your office, on your gym wall, or in the hallway. Each poster set includes 5 individual posters and are 11" X 18" in size. There are 7 poster sets available and their titles are:

1. Importance of PE Poster Set
2. Character and Respect in PE Poster Set
3. Fitness Poster Set
4. On Winning Poster Set
5. On Success Poster Set
6. On Determination Poster Set
7. Health Education Poster Set

http://emerchant.aciwebs.com/stores/pecentral/ (Click on PE Posters)

These poster sets are designed and manufactured by our friends at Gym Motivators

http://www.gymmotivators.com

PE Central and the World Golf Foundation are pleased to announce the winners of the prize drawing winners from those who completed the golf survey which was posted on PE Central from Aug. 1-Sept. 5, 2003. Four prize drawing winners were drawn randomly from the over 2500 people who completed the survey and the winners are located below. Thanks to all of you who completed the survey. We are sure your responses are going to be helpful to the World Golf Foundation.

• $250.00 Winner: Tracy D., Portland, TN
• $150.00 Winner: Glenn T., Kure Beach, NC
• $100.00 Winner: Marty H., Tucson, AZ
• $75.00 Winner: Sue B., Jeannette, PA

Keep checking PE Central as we are sure to have more surveys like this posted in the near future. Thanks again to all of you who participated and congratulations to the winners!

Maybe you need an idea to use at an Open House, or an Interdisciplinary Unit that helped incorporate classroom teachers, or an After School Activity Program, or a fun Family Fitness Night idea. Well, you have come to the right place. PE Central's Best Practices Section has been around for as long as our site and it now includes 168 innovative ideas for your program. These are all searchable and you can vote for the ones you like best! Any Best Practice receiving 5 votes earns a plaque from FlagHouse and is recognized with a banner on PE Central as a Blue Ribbon Best Practice. Right now the top vote getter is entitled Building Fit Kids for Life - Fitness Portfolios which was submitted by Faye Egre, who is a physical educator at Robert W. Carbonaro School in Vally Stream, NY. Her idea has now garnered 262 votes. We invite you to take a look at all of the Best Practices on PE Central. If you have a program or practice (not a lesson idea) we encourage you to submit an idea for review.

http://www.pecentral.org/bp

http://www.pelinks4u.org/

We thought we would end with one of the recently posted Kids Quotes that appears each week on the bottom of the front page of PE Central. We hope you get a chance to submit one as they make our day! This one was submitted by Shawn Roney who teaches at Rolling Green Elementary in Boynton Beach, FL.

I was teaching a warm-up activity with my first grade class. I was telling them the importance of raising their heart rate and to constantly keep active. Near the end of the activity, I noticed one of my students was sitting down. I asked her why she was not participating and she stated, "I can't go on anymore Coach Roney! My breath is tired!"

http://www.pecentral.org/weeklyactivities/kidsay/kidsayarchivemenu.asp

  
  
Kids Quotes

Our breath (and fingers) are tired now too! Sorry this was a tad long but there is a lot going on. Thanks again for choosing to visit our site and for subscribing to our newsletter. We appreciate it! We will be in touch again soon.

Sincerely,

Your friends at PE Central