SKY Academy


SKY Academy A tuition-free public charter school.

Erin Holloway is now a teacher at the SKY Academy. The mission of SKY Academy is to promote pre-adolescent student achievement through a rigorous infusion of wellness and fitness strategies into the learning and mastery of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards to enable students to live a healthy and productive life. Learn more about the SKY Academy. Read about the SKY open house.


Northwest Elementary KidFit Before School P.E.

"We Do More Before 9:00 A.M. Than Most People Do All Day!"

What is KidFit?

The Northwest KidFit program was a three year study of the correlation between physical activity and academic improvement in elementary students. The program is modeled after a high school study done by Neil Duncan in an Illinois high school. The Northwest/Huntington University study is believed to be one of the first in the United States to look at elementary students.

When did the activities occur?

Students took a Fall pre-test to establish a baseline for measurement. Students then participated in three 45-minute physical education classes each week for 36 weeks. A Spring post-test was then taken to gather data on the student's improvement to match with the test scores from the school year.

Where did the activities take place?

The morning physical education classes were held at Northwest Elementary School in a room setup with a variety of equipment and outdoors as weather permits. All the pre and post-testing took place at Huntington University.

Who developed the study?

Erin Holloway a former Physical Education Teacher at Northwest Elementary School coordinated the student morning P.E. class , the collection of test scores with Doug Hinthorn Northwest School Counselor and test administrator, the data collection for the physical activity pre-test and post-test by Matthew Ruiz Huntington University Professor of Exercise Science and Kinesiology, and the assistance of a Huntington University intern. All of these individuals played a vital role in the preparation of the overall study.

Northwest Kid Fit recognized
by the Indiana Health Department

The Northwest Kid Fit program was recently recognized as a "Snapshot of Success" under the Indiana Healthy Weight Initiative. Read the article (3 MB PDF).