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Simsbury wellness team reports fitness gains, pilot mile test and new safety equipment; flags elementary health time and staffing needs
Summary
Simsbury’s K–12 wellness leaders reported a districtwide increase on the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment from 47% to 61% meeting the state fitness zone standard and described curriculum pilots, new equipment and staffing shortfalls.
Simsbury’s K–12 wellness leaders told the Board of Education the district saw measurable gains on the Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment and outlined curriculum revisions, instructional pilots and resource gaps.
Amanda Rory, the district’s K–12 wellness supervisor, said the percentage of tested students reaching the state’s fitness zone standard rose from 47% in 2022–23 to 61% in 2023–24. Rory said the district identified cardiovascular endurance as the area of greatest weakness and piloted classroom practices to improve aerobic fitness.
At Squadron Line Elementary, wellness teachers piloted replacing the PACER test with a timed mile run for cardiovascular assessment and added a five‑minute running warm‑up as a standard activity in lessons. Squadron Line teacher Bridget Martina said the five‑minute runs produced strong motivation among elementary students and allowed the district to teach pacing strategies; teachers reported students who were not passing PACER were able to pass the mile run and thus perform better across the four‑part state test (aerobic endurance, curl‑ups, push‑ups and sit‑and‑reach), Rory said.
Rory and staff also highlighted other initiatives: middle and high school health curriculum updates, a new high school Health 11–12 unit focused on post‑graduation preparedness with QPR (Question‑Persuade‑Refer) suicide‑prevention training for students, and plans to pursue instructor certification so students can finish courses with CPR/first‑aid credentials.
The wellness team reported receiving a $5,000 Connecticut Department of Transportation Active Transportation microgrant. The district used the funds to commission two custom adaptive bikes from a local vendor — one housed at Squadron Line for elementary use and one at Simsbury High School for unified PE — to expand access for students with physical needs.
Staff also described challenges: elementary schools provide limited health education time (presenters said human growth and development instruction occurs only two to three days per year at the elementary level), a shortage of common planning time across buildings, and constrained professional development days because many sub days are used to staff the district’s elementary bike safety program. The wellness supervisor said a proposed 0.33 full‑time equivalent (FTE) to make a part‑time position whole was previously proposed in the budget and estimated at roughly $18,000–$20,000 on the salary scale; budget constraints prevented funding in the current year.
Board members and staff discussed substitute shortages and how substitute and building‑sub pools are prioritized for long‑term coverage. Rory and teachers asked the board for continued support for curriculum time, staffing and funding to sustain new initiatives and expand elementary health instruction.
