Heather Murtagh/Daily Journal Rena, left, and Mano, second graders at Brewer Island Elementary School, tackle the monkey bars during Olympic Day, the first-ever school-wide event promoting physical education.

Five-year-old Nicholas got a running start before jumping as high as he could on Friday to touch the rope strung up a few feet over his head.

It was the highest the Brewer Island Elementary School student had ever jumped. He seemed pleased with his result and the colored bracelet, symbolizing a medal, which accompanied the success.

High jump was one of five events all the Foster City students took part in during Olympic Day, the first-ever school-wide event promoting physical education in hopes of raising funds for the program. State cuts meant the Parent Teacher Association stepped up to help fund physical education for the current year. Friday’s event was the first fundraiser to cover physical education costs next year, said Principal Alice Wycke.

Festivities kicked off with a parade during which classes each proudly displayed banners and the children were led by a motorcycle police officer.

At 10:45 a.m., students rotated to participate in one of five events:  High jump, obstacle course, ball roll, relay race and tae kwon do. Completing an activity earned the students a bracelet corresponding with the Olympic rings, said PTA President Diane Miller.

Students collected pledges, either per activity or a flat donation, for their participation. Money will be collected until the end of the month to support the physical education program.

“Because of the state funding cuts, unless we help sponsor it, we won’t have physical education,” said Miller.

The $25,000 goal would cover a shortfall but not the two teachers which cost $60,000 total, said Wycke.

Wycke was supportive of the need to maintain physical education at Brewer Island. She noted 32 percent of fifth-grade students in the state, 42 percent in the district, were able to perform all six state physical education test. Students at Brewer Island fared better at 68 percent. Those skill statistics tend to remain the same in seventh grade, said Wycke.

So giving children these skills early will be a life skill and a health skill that will last the rest of their lives, she said.

Looking around the blacktop, students took the Olympic participation very seriously.

At the high jump, students lined up to jump one at a time to hit two ropes tied at different levels depending on the students’ age and height. At the tae kwon do station, children practiced a number of different jumps. The relay race left many children out of breath as they raced as fast as their little legs could go around a small track. A play structure became the obstacle course, where monkey bars proved challenging for a few students who never gave up. Lastly, the ball roll included children pushing medicine balls across the blacktop. The weighted black balls were challenging for students who struggled to move the balls in a straight line. Second graders Angelo and Priyanka were battling to get back with their balls first but both struggled to direct the large, heavy balls.

Herb Perez, owner of Gold Medal Martial Arts and sponsor of Friday’s event, wanted to promote physical activity in schools. Many children in Foster City are involved in sports outside of school, but those who are not miss out on physical education activities in school, he said.

Perez, who gained access to numerous academic and life opportunities through his sport of tae kwon do, wanted to give back to what helped him in life.

With donations being collected through the end of November, how much was raised will be known in early December.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.