InterviewwithJocelynFlores

byMykaelaBarnes,AlanaHey,andJoshLundblade
HighTechElementaryNorthCounty
November6th,2014

JocelyncurrentlyworksacrossallthreeschoolsattheHighTechNorthCountycampus.She
istheOutreachCoordinatorforNorthCounty,leadsPadresUnidos,andcollaborateswith
directorsonvariousprojects.WeinterviewedJocelyntolearnaboutherviewsonPhysical
Educationinschoolsandwhatshethinksisbestasaparentofayoungelementaryschool
student.

Interviewer:
So,justanoverviewoftheprojectwerefromMrs.Cochransclassandwerein11thgrade.
So,um,kindoflikewhatwesaidintheemail,itsahealthproject.So,inHumanitieswere
lookingatPhysicalEducationinschools,specificallyatHighTechHighs.Um,eachclassis
assignedadifferent,likegroup.Solikestudents,parents,teachers,andwehaveparents.So
wehadtoknow,like,howparentsfeelaboutthesituationandwhattheirthoughtsare.So
thatswhyweaskedtointerviewyou.Sotostartwhatgradesareyourchildrenin?

Jocelyn:
SoIonlyhaveone,uh,girl,andshesinkindergarten.

Interviewer:
Here?

Jocelyn:
Here,uhhuh.Idohave,um,siblingsattendingHighTech.Umoneisasenior.AndthenI
haveanieceandanephewin,um,tenthgrade.

Interviewer:
Anddotheyplayanysportsoutsideofschoolorwithintheschool?Andifsowhat?Andhow
manyhoursofexercisearetheygetting,approximately?

Jocelyn:
So,forexample,formydaughtershedoesntplayanysportshereattheelementary.Iknow
thatknowtheyoffer,um,activitiesafterschool.Forexample,soccer,taekwondo,and,uh,

someartclasses.Butshedoesnttakeanybecauseshesalreadydoingsomeexercise
outsideschool.Soshe,um,goestoagymnasticsclasstwicea,uh,twiceaweekandthen
shealsodoesfolkloricodance,also,um,twiceaweek.SoprobablyIcansaythat,withina
weekshegetsabout5hoursofexercise,likeum,realexerciseactivities.Andso,formy,um,
sisterand,um,nieceandnephewtheydoplaysportsat,um,HighTechHigh.Um,they,my
niecewasjustinvolleyballandshesgonnaplaysoccer.Mynephewsalsoplaying,um,
soccer.Andthenmysisterplayed,um,volleyballlastyear,um.Rightnowshesnotplaying
anysportsbecauseofcollegeapplicationsandshesgettingalittlestressedaboutthat.But
um,inotherwords,yeah,our,um,myfamilydoestakeadvantageoftheopportunitiesoffered
here.

Interviewer:
SohavetheyeveraskedwhyP.E.isntofferedhereoreverseeminterestedin,kindof,
havingthatavailableinschool?

Jocelyn:
Yeah,actuallytheyhave.Um,soforexample,my,um,myfamilythatattends,um,thehigh
schooltheydogetquestionedalotofthetimeastowhywedonthaveaP.E.classhere.Um,
uh,mydaughter,shestooyoung,shedoesntknow.But,uh,asshegetsoldershewillbe
startingtoaskherselfthesamequestion.

Interviewer:
Howmanyhoursofphysicalactivitydoyouthinktheyshouldhaveandhowmuchshouldthey
haveinschool?Howmuchofthatshouldcomeoutofaschoolday?

Jocelyn:
So,uh,probablyIcansaythatatleast,um,anhoureverydaywillbebeneficial.Iknowthat,
um,doctorsrecommendatleasthalfanhour.Butifwecanhaveanhouronadailybasisat
leasthereinschoolthatwouldreallybebeneficialtoeveryone.

Interviewer:
SodoyouthinkP.E.hasaneffectonchildrenandhowdoyouthinkthateffectwould
happen?

Jocelyn:
Um,yeahIdefinitelythinkthatitdoeshaveaneffect,um,onthem.Notonly,um,when
theyreat,umsomethingthatIvenoticedisthatwhenmydaughter,um,doesheractivities,
afterwardsshefeelsbetterandshesreadytodo,uh,andbeengagedinotheractivities.As
myself,whenIgohikingorwhenIdo,uh,justwalkscauseIusuallydontexercisemuch,butI
doliketogoonhikesandwalkonthebeach.SowhenIdothat,Idoget,uh,adifferent
feeling.IalsodoZumba,uh,andwhenIdoZumbaIalsoget,um,energizedandImreadyto
engageinotheractivities.

Interviewer:
SodoyouhaveanyexperiencewithP.E.inschools?Like,didyourniece,didtheygotoany
otherschoolsbeforeHighTechthathadP.E.?Anddidtheyhaveanyexperienceswiththator
no?

Jocelyn:
Actuallytheydid,soforexample,um,mynieceandnephewcamefrom,uh,elementary
schoolinEscondidoandtheydidofferP.E.classonadailybasissotheywouldjustdo,um,
someregularactivitieslikerunning,um,playingbasketball.Andasformysistershecameto
HighTechwhenshewasattendingsixthgradeat,uh,middleschoolinEscondidoandthey
alsohad,uh,P.E.there.

Interviewer:
SoshouldHighTechHigh,alltheHighTechHighs,haveadifferentapproachtophysical
activity?Withwhatwehavenow,likeourhighschoolyoujusthavesomeelectivesthathave
physicalactivity,butitsnotrequired.Doyouthinkweneedtochangethatandhowdoyou
thinkwewouldgouponthat?

Jocelyn:
Um,whatIfeel,personally,isthatyes,weneedtohave,uh,aactualcourseorclassthatis
notanelective.Aclassthatis,um,thatstudentsneedtotakeonadailybasis.Um,because
notonlywearestartingto,um,getthemengagedintophysicalactivity,butwerealsotrying
togetthem,uh,inaculturewherewhentheyhavetheirownkidstheyllbereadytohave
thoseactivitiesongoing.Ifwestartfrom,from,um,attheirmiddleschool,elementary,orum,
highschoollevel.

Interviewer:
Andwhatdoyouthinkthose,um,coursesshouldinclude?Soactivitywise,andmaybehealth
wise?Doyouthinkitshouldteachaboutdiet,uh,maintainingahealthylifestyle,thatkindof
thing?

Jocelyn:
Yeahdefinitely.Ithinkthat,uh,frommyexperience,whenIattended,uh,middleschoolhere,
wewouldonly,uh,run,anddolike,um,differentkindsofexercisesbutweneverhad,likea
nutritionalclassthatwillguideusbetterastomaking,uh,betterdecisionswhenitcomesto,
um,healthyhabits.Soyeahdefinitely.Ithinkthatwillbeagreatum,agreatum,addonto
thisactivity.

Interviewer:
Howdoyouthinkthatphysicalactivitycanimproveachildsmentalhealthifitcanatall?

Jocelyn:

Definitely,likeIhadmentionedbeforeI,somethingthatIveexperiencedpersonallywithmy
daughter,withmyself,isthatwhenwedoanyphysicalactivity,um,whenweredonewere
readytoengageinotheractivitiesandwhenwedontexercisewefeeldown,wefeelthatwe
dontwanttodoanything,thatweare,youknow,ititdoesmakeadifference.

Interviewer:
Soshouldschools,um,beresponsibleforstudentshealthinsomeway?

Jocelyn:
YeahIbelieve,um,thattheapproachthatourschoolalreadyhasisgreat,butIalsobelieve
that,um,makingsurethatstudentsarereadytogotocollegeandtheyreontherightpathto
gotocollege,thatwillalsobehandonhandasto,um,havingthestudentsgoouttoa
collegeoruniversityinagoodhealthcausewedontwanttosendourstudentsreadytogoto
collegeand,um,lateronhavingthemhave,uh,um,haveaconsequence.Maybediabetes,or
have,uh,leukemia,orother,um,thingsthatmaydevelopfromnothaving,um,good,um,
healthyandphysicalactivityhabits.

Interviewer:
Asaparent,howcouldyoubeinvolvedwithgettingtheschooltoimprovethephysical
education?

Jocelyn:
SoIdoknowthat,um,HighTechHighoffersparentsalotofvoice,soIbelieveifparents
reallywantthistohappen,um,itmighthappen,itsjust,wejustneedtohaveaplan,havea
strategy,andbereadyto,um,toexposethat,um,planandandstrategiestotheupper,um,
peopleontheorganization.

Interviewer:
Perfectthatwasgreat,thankyou!

AnalyticMemo:
Jocelynsinterviewwasveryinformativeinregardstoherpersonalbeliefstowards
PhysicalEducationandtheeffectsofphysicalactivity.Someofwhatshesaidisinformation
wecouldhavereceivedfromasurveyorquestionnaire.Jocelynspersonalexperienceswere
helpfulaswellforustofurtherunderstandingherthinking.Wegroupedourcodesintothree
maincategories:Data,Experiences,andOpinion.
ThetexthighlightedasDataincludeinformationthatiscriticaltoourstudy.Weneeded
toknowcertainthingsaboutJocelyninordertofurtherunderstandherpersonalopinions.
JocelynhasmultiplefamilymembersthathavepriorexperiencewithP.E.Herniece,nephew,
andsisterallwenttoschoolsthatofferedtraditionalP.E.classes.Sheexplainedthatthese
classesconsistedofvariousactivitieslikeplayingsportsgames(basketball)orrunning.We
alsolearnedthatmostoftheexerciseJocelynsdaughterreceivescomesfromactivitiesthat
takeplaceoutsideofschool.ThismadeusrealizethatJocelynsfamilyisjustoneofveryfew

whostepuptoexerciseontheirowntime.Still,thereisnoopportunityforJocelynsdaughter
todoactivitiesshelikes(i.e.taekwondo,dancing)duringschool.
OurnextcategoryisExperiences.Jocelynwasverydescriptivewithwhatherfamily
doestoimprovetheirhealth.Jocelynclaimsthateachtimeherdaughter,andherself,
exercises,shefeelsmorerefreshedandisreadytoengageinotheractivities.Jocelynalso
toldusabouthowherschoolhadaP.E.classthatincludedrunning,butshewasnevertaught
abouthowtohavehealthyeatinghabits.Shequotes:formydaughter,shedoesntplayany
sportshereattheelementary.Ifshedid,shewouldhavethatrefreshedfeelingatschool
everyday.
ThemostimportantsectionofourcodingisOpinion.Jocelynbelievesthatyouth
shouldhaveatleastanhourofexerciseeverydayinordertostayinshapeandsothatthere
willbenonegativeeffectontheindividual.WhatIfeel,personally,isthatyes,weneedto
haveanactualcourseorclassthatisnotanelective.JocelynwantsanactualP.E.class,not
justanelective.Inaddition,thisnewcourseshouldincludehealthlessonsforthestudents.
JocelynstatedthatwhiletheapproachHTHhasnowisgood,shethinksitcouldbealot
better.Jocelynquotes:makingsurethatstudentsarereadytogotocollegeandtheyreon
therightpathtogotocollege,thatwillalsobehandonhandastohavingthestudentsgoout
toacollegeoruniversityinagoodhealth.
So,aftercarefullylookingoverthedata,wecanconcludethattheHTHcommunity
needsaphysicaleducationclass.Fromtheopinionsofonemother,andthedatashownfrom
experiences,physicalactivitycanandwillbenefitthestudentsacademicperformance.
Everyonecouldhavethatrefreshedandreadytoengagefeelingafterexercising,allwhile
preparingthemselvesphysicallyforcollegeandthefuture.