Megan Coleman, an instructional aide at Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science in Kenai, has always tried to limit the screen time of her fourth grade daughter, Brooklyn, and first grade son, Easton.

That’s no longer possible now that most Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools, including Kaleidoscope, are at 100% remote learning due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases in the area. The central peninsula needs 52 cases per 14 days to be at high-risk level and was at 692 cases in the last 14 days as of Saturday.

“They’re now sitting long periods of time in front of the screen,” Coleman said of her daughter and son, who are both enrolled at Kaleidoscope. “I know firsthand as a parent working with kids, that leaves them feeling mentally foggy and irritable. It leaves some kids feeling depressed.”

That leaves district physical education teachers like Todd Boonstra, who is at Kaleidoscope, an important challenge.

“The main goal and purpose of PE teachers is getting kids to be active, especially in this time when we’re all on the screen all the time,” said Boonstra, who is in his seventh year at Kaleidoscope. “Some kids try and limit screen time, but they’re probably on screens more than what is good for them.

“It’s more important than ever to get them to do stuff.”

Boonstra said in general, and in normal times, elementary school students in the district have PE two or three times a week. That goes to every day in middle schools, then tapers off in high school.

Bailey Beeson, a 2012 graduate of Kenai Central High School who has been teaching physical education at Kenai Middle School since 2019, said she currently does two 30-minute Zoom meetings with students per week.

“We expect the kids to be engaged and do the workout,” Beeson said. “We can’t require kids to have their cameras on, though, so who knows how many are taking part.”

Beeson also said she can give workouts all week long on the online learning platform Canvas.

“Who knows who is filling it out and who is doing the assignment just to get the grade?” she said. “There’s a really big challenge there.”

For Boonstra’s students, PE is not even a required subject during 100% remote learning.

New strategies for getting kids moving

Without the usual carrot of evaluation and grading to get students moving, PE teachers like Boonstra and Beeson have had to get creative.

One method is letting everybody know how important motion is during stressful times when locking the hips, shoulders and eyes in the position needed to view a computer only adds more stress to the body.

“They are sitting there all day staring at a screen,” Beeson said. “They need to get out and get active to reduce depression.”

Boonstra said he lets all the teachers in the building know when his workout Zoom sessions will be so teachers can encourage the students to join in. In his years at Kaleidoscope, Boonstra had already emphasized to teachers the importance of physical activity by showing them pictures of brain activity before and after physical activity.

“These kids are more engaged and ready to learn when they’re active,” Boonstra said. “The teachers already know that.”

Another strategy is to get the parents involved, not only to assure kids do activities, but also because parents are under the same stresses as children and have brains that respond similarly to activity.

“There’s been times I add in a challenge to get family members to do the workout,” Beeson said. “I hear feedback that families like that. It gives the whole family something to do together.”

Coleman said seeing her kids doing Boonstra’s workouts has spurred her to action.

“I absolutely think adults are in the same boat kids are,” Coleman said. “When the kids are online and grabbing canned goods, I think to myself I need to be doing the same thing.”

Throwing kitchen shelves at the problem

Grabbing canned goods?

That’d be the third strategy. In order to get buy-in from the kids, a daily dose of situps and pushups is not going to cut it. Boonstra and Beeson have had to get creative with interesting workouts students can do around the house.

Beeson created a slideshow teaching kids how to play basketball, using a sock as a basketball and a laundry basket.

“I’ll do silly, goofy things trying to keep them active without getting too bored all of the time,” Beeson said.

Boonstra said he is fortunate that his wife, Kelli, also is a physical instruction teacher. Kelli teaches at Soldotna Montessori Charter School, which is for kindergarten through sixth graders.

“I think I’m lucky to have Kelli to bounce ideas off of, and I think a lot of the time she comes up with better ideas than I do,” Boonstra said.

Both of the Boonstras had top-level cross-country ski careers, with Todd appearing in three Olympics. The two then taught in the Bush for four years in Tununak and nine years in Galena.

Those influences are apparent on Kelli’s Google Classroom page. One of the lessons has pictures of various animals, along with their tracks in the snow. Kelli suggests a student take a sibling or parent, go out and find some tracks, then see if they can be identified.

“That’s a good one,” Todd said. “I think I’m going to steal it.”

Kelli also has suggestions for a game of tag in the snow and for an outing for skiing, skating or walking at Sport Lake, where she said ice fisherman said the ice is 6 to 8 inches thick.

“I’ve seen depression in many kids,” Coleman said. “I’m definitely thankful we have Todd and his way of looking outside the box to help get kids that physical activity they need.

“He’s not just saying, ‘Go run a lap around the house.’ He’s putting in the work and effort to make it fun and engaging so they want to come back.”

Coleman is a big fan, even if it means her kitchen shelves get raided from time to time.

“The kids were going to the pantry to grab canned goods to use those as weights,” Coleman said. “I went and looked at the computer to be sure, and that’s what Todd was asking them to do.

“The kids were so excited. They thought that was the coolest thing.”

There’s no substitute for the real thing

Despite success stories like this, Coleman, Boonstra and Beeson said there is no substitute for having kids in school.

“I can tell you my kids are mentally and even physically more exhausted at the end of the day than they would be if they were attending school and getting much-needed breaks for fresh air, PE and social interaction,” Coleman said. “Every Friday, the week has absolutely taken a toll.”

Coleman said that her children’s teachers are all doing a great job of being creative to keep children engaged, but there is only so much the teachers can do.

“I’m hopeful we can get the kids back to in-person school for their mental health and for learning,” Coleman said.

Boonstra also would rather have the kids in school. He gave the example of a unit he did on disc golf. Boonstra said he assembled all the instructional materials online, but there is no substitute for actually being there and helping a student toss a disc.

“It’s always nice to see the kids in person,” Boonstra said. “I can teach a lot more effectively when I’m with the kids.”

Beeson said students are missing out on more than PE these days. Beeson also was coaching basketball at the middle school level. All middle school and high school sports also have been halted due to high levels of COVID-19 cases in the area.

Students are missing out not only on basketball skills, but on other skills, as well.

“I really think kids right now are losing the sense of how to be social,” Beeson said. “They’re probably building up anxiety if they’re not used to being around other kids. It’s not good for them.”

Beeson said some local organizations like Kainos Strength and Conditioning for stepping up and offering creative ways to keep kids active.

“I definitely can’t wait until this is over,” Beeson said. “During this crazy time, we’re all trying different methods of teaching and trying to get kids active.”