STATE SECRETARY OF HEALTH SAYS DURING VISIT TITUSVILLE STUDENTS MAY BE FITTEST IN THE COMMONWEALTH

The Titusville (PA) Herald
By Tom Boyle
April 8, 2004

Addressing Titusville High School students during an assembly on Wednesday afternoon, Dr. Calvin Johnson, state Secretary of Health, said, "special things are going on in Titusville."

So special that Johnson presented Ken Winger, school district superintendent, with an award for outstanding achievements in promoting the health and welfare in the school community. Pointing to the school's physical education staff, Winger said, "This award really goes to the [members of the physical education department] over there."

As part of National Public Health Week, Johnson was on the road with other state health officials looking for examples of good health practices which to recognize. During a recent conversation with Johnson, Congressman John Peterson of Pleasantville said Titusville High School had one of the best physical education programs in the country -- one which has been chronicled in Newsweek and Time along with professional publications. Within a few days, Johnson had scheduled an appointment to visit the school, asking Peterson join him.

Johnson and his entourage arrived at the school in Gov. Ed Rendell's former campaign bus and were met by school and city leaders in the lobby area outside of the cafeteria. Minutes later, Tim McCord, physical education department chair, was leading everyone on a tour of the district's state-of-the-art facilities beginning with the auxiliary gym in the former junior high school.

"We use this [gym] for a lot of different things," said McCord. "But if you look at this old wall, that is going to be a beautiful vertical climbing wall for our students."

McCord, who recently testified about the nationally-recognized program before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee, discussed Titusville's physical education program, called P.E.4 Life, with Johnson. Working on new elliptical runner machines in the cardio-room, the students discussed the program with the dignitaries both local and state.

At the assembly Winger introduced McCord by saying that six year ago in searching for someone to take over the physical education department, he didn't want someone who would continue the status quo, but who would move the district forward.

McCord said the school had three presents for the dignitaries who had come to visit the school. The first was the P.E. 4 Life Training Manual; the second was a P.E. 4 Life T-shirt and the third was a P.E. for Life pedometer, which is an instrument that records how many steps a person takes.

"We expect 10,000 steps out of you each day," McCord said.

In discussing health, Johnson said if one looks at the country as a whole, most people don't do anything about their health, "until something happens. That's almost too late."

Johnson was impressed by the efforts the school was taking to create a health-conscious environment.
As part of National Public Health Week, Johnson was traveling throughout Pennsylvania to address public health concerns. He said he could stop at only three places on the trip and that Titusville was one that he chose to visit.

"You are all in a perfect place at which to make a difference," Johnson said. "This is not just about physical education or gym class. You are demonstrating about being physically fit. You can't all be star athletes, but you are ahead of the game. You are the fittest kids in the area, maybe in the Commonwealth."