To the Editor:
This year our school district banned morning recesses for grades 3, 4, and 5. Because we need to meet the No Child Left Behind Act’s requirements, the district believes we need to focus every available minute on academics. Naturally, I stated my disappointment with this decision, recognizing how vitally important exercise is to the mind and body. In addition to this dilemma, our elementary students have physical education only once every six days.
Earlier this year—prior to Nov. 3—I had passionate discussions with colleagues about the No Child Left Behind law. At that time, I coined the federal law the “No Child Left Without a Big Behind” Act. Then I read the article “USDA Obesity-Prevention Conference Targets Research,” (Nov. 3, 2004), and lo and behold, Dr. Tim Byers, a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Colorado at Denver, named it the same. It’s a small, but soon to be “big” world.
Betsy Massic
Danville, Pa.
