FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 8, 2017 • THE QUEENS COURIER 11 Mayor’s plan will bring gym space and air conditioning to all Queens public schools BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport Public schools throughout Queens — and the other boroughs — will be getting major improvements to help keep students cool and active. During a press conference at P.S. 81 in Ridgewood, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that by 2021 all New York City public schools will be receiving proper gym space and air conditioning in every room as part of his Universal Physical Education program. Right now, there are 76 schools in the city that lack any serious gym space for students, and another 120 that need major upgrades. Th ese numbers were unacceptable to de Blasio as he pledged to make impactful changes to the way kids learn. “My pledge is that by September 2021, every single school in New York City will have a modern, full phys. ed. capacity for our children,” de Blasio said. “And we are creating a curriculum that actually brings the modern fi rst to health and wellbeing into how we teach phys. ed.” Th e mission to provide all NYC students with properly temperature classrooms Photo caption: Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his ambitious Universal Physical Education plan at P.S. 81 in Ridgewood. and adequate gym space was a personal one for de Blasio, he said, as he saw his own two children suff er from lack of quality physical education classes and air conditioning in their schools. “Kids need phys. ed. for their bodies, but they also need it for their minds,” de Blasio Photo by Anthony Giudice said. “Th ey need it for their ability to be calm, and to focus and to learn. So my own personal experience convinced me that our school system was missing the boat for so many kids and leaving way too many kids behind. And it’s been that way for a long, long time, and it had to change.” To ensure the Universal Physical Education program makes its goal by 2021, $105.53 million in capital funding and $1.8 million in expense funding were earmarked for the program in the city’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget — which was agreed upon on Friday, June 2. School Chancellor Carmen Fariña outlined the health benefi ts of getting children into physical education at an early age: “If you look at the health issues in this country, obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, if we don’t start getting kids used to physical education when they’re young, make it part of their environment and part of who they are, then we’re not really doing right by them.” She also noted that many colleges and universities off er sports scholarships to outstanding student athletes, and having a great foundation in physical education from a young age can ready children for their future. In order to get proper gymnasiums in the schools that are currently lacking, the SCA will work to see which schools can accommodate a standalone gym in their schoolyard or nearby area, or community organizations such as a local YMCA where they can lease the space for the school. Great rates like ours are always in season. 1.60% 24-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit 1.90% 36-Month CD APY1 $5,000 minimum deposit To qualify you must have or open any Flushing Bank Complete Checking account.2 Get the complete access and control you desire with a competitive interest rate and banking on-the-go with our Flushing Bank Mobile3 app. For more information and to find out about our other great offers, visit your local Flushing Bank branch, call 800.581.2889 or visit www.FlushingBank.com. Small enough to know you. Large enough to help you. 1 New money only. APY effective April 10, 2017. Annual percentage yield assumes principal and interest remain on deposit for a full year at current rate. Minimum deposit balance of $5,000 is required. Funds cannot be transferred from an existing Flushing Bank account. Premature withdrawals may be subject to bank and IRS penalties. Rates and offer are subject to change without notice. 2 A Flushing Bank checking account with a $5,000 minimum balance is required to receive the advertised rate. Certain fees, minimum balance requirements and restrictions may apply. For new IRA and rollover accounts, the minimum deposit balance is $5,000. A checking account is not required for IRA accounts. Speak with a Flushing Bank representative for more details. 3 Flushing Bank Mobile Banking is available to all Flushing Bank online banking users. Mobile carrier fees may apply. Flushing Bank is a registered trademark
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