Dear Grade 4 Families: 

The Connecticut Physical Fitness Assessment (CPFA) is Connecticut’s annual assessment of students’ physical well-being.  Students in Grades 4, 6, and 8 are assessed annually. Using age and gender appropriate standards, four fitness components are assessed, including flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. 

Just as we ask you for support in reminding your children to practice their skills in math, reading, and writing, we are seeking your help in having your 4th graders prepare for these fitness tests. We are not suggesting that fitness testing become homework; as your children will never forgive us!  We are asking that you assist us in sending the important message that daily exercise in the identified areas is an important part of healthy living. Your children might enjoy setting (and meeting) a personal fitness goal or challenging a friend to a healthy exercise competition. We just want them off the couch and moving!

The Grade 4 students will complete the P.A.C.E.R. (cardiovascular endurance), sit and reach (flexibility), push-ups (muscular strength) and curl-ups (muscular endurance). Your children will be introduced to all of these concepts in the near future. Encourage them to share with you the highlights of what they remember. 

If you follow this link, it will bring you to our website with a collection of files and pertinent information. It has a link to videos demonstrating each assessment, as well as the audio for the assessments that require it. At the bottom of the page, there is also a link to the Standards for Health-Related Fitness Zones.  This will provide a chart for the passing scores which are currently under review by the State of Connecticut.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Sincerely,

Mr. Bourret, Ms. Colasanto and Mrs. Brum

SSES Physical Education and Health Teachers

abourret@er9.org  kcolasanto@er9.org  mbrum@er9.org