As part of its Healthy Schools Program, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation celebrates the efforts and achievements of its members. In the attached, you will read about innovative and inspiring success stories happening in schools all across the country. We hope that your schools will also share their healthy victories in upcoming newsletters! Please read, share, print and enjoy!
Successes Featured this Month:
RWJF Follow-Up stories
Featured Resource
Student Health Educators Help Strengthen Communities
RECOVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT OF NEW ORLEANS | NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
As a way to engage high school students in school wellness councils, the Recovery School District of New Orleans has identified 25 students to serve as health educators through their high school internship program. The Recovery School District of New Orleans was created before Hurricane Katrina to allow the state to take over struggling schools. Following Katrina, most schools in New Orleans are now part of the Recovery District.
The student health educators are part of a joint venture between the Recovery School District, the New Orleans Health Department and InnerLink, Inc., as part of their STEPS to a Healthier Future program. The student interns are 11th and 12th graders interested in health careers. The interns will visit eight grade schools and an assortment of charter schools and non-profit agencies to provide 60-minute presentations on nutrition and fitness to children grades K-8. Additionally, the student interns will serve as active members of select school wellness councils across the district.
“We could not be happier about the students’ involvement,” commented Betty Jean Wolfe, chief administrative officer of the Recovery School District. “Knowledge and advocacy about health, nutrition and fitness are life long skills all adults should have. The STEPS training, as well as the students participation on the school wellness councils is an excellent way for our students to hone their skills, demonstrate proficiency and engage in community building. My hope is that our current group of student interns will become youth leaders for their families and friends on the issue of wellness and health.”
ELYRIA HIGH SCHOOL | ELYRIA, OHIO
Weight Watchers at Work™ is not an uncommon program in schools and businesses. However, Elyria High School takes the program several steps further, creating a supportive environment for staff that was conducive to weight loss by partnering with several departments in the school and district. Physical education teachers Jodie Johnson and Michelle Kirsch volunteered to provide a physical education class for staff three times a week after school with a variety of activities such as walking, weight lifting and line dancing.
Paula McCrann, treasurer of Elyria High School, had experienced progress toward a healthier weight through the well-known Weight Watchers™ program and decided it was time to bring the program to her colleagues at Elyria High School. She enlisted the support of Principal Darren Conley and contacted Weight Watchers™ International to arrange a meeting time, location and a leader to conduct Weight Watchers at Work™ meetings. When she sent an e-mail announcement entitled “EHS Reduction in Staff” to her colleagues in the building, they were at first alarmed, then intrigued, and finally, overwhelmingly enthusiastic. A total of 41 staff members signed up, and the first meeting took place on September 30, 2008.
Bill Jett, the local Sodexo foodservice director and Andrea Hammond, cafeteria supervisor at Elyria High, provide nutrition facts on cafeteria offerings so that the Weight Watchers™ participants can estimate the point value of menu items, and they make a special effort to provide appealing lower calorie options. The district’s health insurance provider reimburses $75 (approximately half) of the Weight Watchers™ registration fee to each participant who completes at least 15 weeks of the 18-week program.
Although the “Staff Reduction” program at EHS has been underway just a short time, the results have been exciting. After only one semester, the total weight loss for 41 participants was 517 pounds! A “Biggest Loser” trophy passes from hand to hand each week to honor the person who has lost the most weight that week. Weight Watchers™ leader Becky Pragg states, “This is a wonderful group. The way they support each other is awesome!”
Principal Darren Conley says the effort has had both health and financial benefits for the school. “This has really been an energizing thing for the staff. It has become more than I envisioned and has taken on a life of its own. The Staff Reduction project has made us closer as a staff and has made everyone more health conscious. It also produces healthier teachers, which means the school spends less money on substitutes.” Mr. Conley also said that the students are noticing the changes in teachers and are encouraging them in their efforts.
Other schools in the district are so impressed with Elyria High’s “Staff Reduction” campaign that four more are now considering bringing Weight Watchers at Work™ to their schools.
PERRY COUNTY SCHOOLS | PERRY COUNTY, ALABAMA
A quick look at the health data in Perry County was enough to convince Superintendent John H. Heard III that some changes needed to be made. “I knew that if we didn’t take some type of action to intervene and change lifestyles, this generation would not have the life expectancy of their parents. The incidence of child and adolescent obesity and diabetes here was among the highest in the state. To think that the quality of life of so many of our children was being adversely affected because of preventable diseases was totally unacceptable to me.”
Perry County Schools are now taking several steps to move the Healthy Schools Program forward. The district has created 30-minute radio programs and published numerous news articles concerning heath issues for staff and families. They are encouraging schools in the district to choose healthier choices for student fundraisers and are working to promote fitness and stress management for staff and faculty.
They have also appointed a Healthy School Coordinator and started district and school level wellness committees. They have moved to prohibit use of deep fryers in the cafeteria and have added healthier choices to vending machines. They offer salad every day for lunch and have purchased milk machines that make selecting milk look like the “cool choice.”
Superintendent Heard hopes that more schools in his district will earn the National Recognition Award from the Healthy Schools Program in the near future. Heard was recently named the Alabama State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (ASAHPERD) Administrator of the Year for his dedication to the health and wellbeing of his students, faculty and staff.
JFK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | WEST BABYLON, NEW YORK
“If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” the saying goes. At a time when many are concerned about the amount of time that children and adolescents are spending playing video games, JFK Elementary School has decided to embrace video game technology or “exergaming” as a way to get kids more active.
A 5th grader at JFK Elementary wrote a convincing essay which secured a $5,000 grant from Nickelodeon’s “Lets Just Play” initiative. The concept was to build a “Healthy Technology Room” where students can learn how to use the video games they love to be active. The room is for the physical education teachers to use and to incorporate into their lessons. The school also plans to allow students to use the room when the weather does not permit them to play outside. The products purchased promote games that encourage movement as opposed to some other games that promote sedentary behavior. The teachers plan on using heart rate monitors (acquired through a PEP grant) when students are exergaming to provide feedback to the students regarding their training heart rate zone.
With the grant, physical education teachers were able to acquire; 4 Wii consoles, 4 Wii FIT balance boards, 3 46” flat panel televisions, 4 Videogame controllers, 1 Playstation 2 console, 2 Nerf Sports packs, 1 HS Musical Game, 1 Disney Dance Dance Revolution and a dance pad.
Needless to say, students at JFK are excited to start playing!
CRETE MIDDLE SCHOOL | CRETE, NEBRASKA
One 8th grade health class decided if they wanted to see a change in the a la carte items that were provided they could help initiate that change. As a newly formed student wellness council with teacher Becki Deisley’s guidance, they have focused and prioritized their efforts which included offering some healthier options on the a la carte line. Their first step was to meet with Jodi Erickson, food service director, to learn about existing efforts in the school district to create a healthier lunchroom and brainstorm new ideas. They came up with a new a la carte item called granola bites which are tortilla, peanut butter, honey and granola rolled up and sliced. Staff and students love them and they leave lunch feeling full and not going back for items that contain little nutritional value.
Alan Poteet, student wellness council president said, “The school wellness council has really opened up the minds of all students and staff for the need to be aware of what we are eating and the importance of exercise. We are already an obese nation; even if we can each make small steps we can make a difference.”
A key to their success has been to work in harmony with the cafeteria staff. “The food service staff has been great to work with, from ordering the supplies needed to giving us space to store our products,” said Deisley who is the sponsor for the student wellness council.
Another big project the council includes on their priority list is a smoothie fundraiser. The wellness council has developed a recipe and makes from scratch fruit smoothies, which are sold on Friday’s during “Friday Fun Day” (end of day). Money raised will go toward a commercial size smoothie machine so that all students can have a smoothie as an option in the lunch line and can replace unhealthy options for classroom celebrations. Crete will work with Healthy Schools Program staff to make sure their products meet the Alliance’s Competitive Food Guidelines.
This is only the beginning for Crete. This winter the council intends to sponsor a “Lunch Olympics” to get their peers moving during the extended lunch period. “I am really proud of our students for taking the leadership in helping their fellow students make healthier food choices,” said Deisley.
OHRENBERGER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Building an outdoor classroom and garden where students could learn about healthy eating and how food is grown, and to provide a quiet place outside for teachers to take their students became a top priority for the Ohrenberger School Wellness Council. When they submitted their action plan and the steps for creating an outdoor classroom and garden, they had no idea the community would rally around them and help build the garden from the ground up.
The school planned on using a $2,000 mini-grant they received from the Kessler Family (funders of the Healthy Schools Program in the Boston Public Schools) to purchase raised garden beds, equipment and seeds. They expected the project to take at least a few weeks to complete with help from the school wellness council and parent council.
Earlier this fall the wellness coordinator for Boston Public Schools, Jill Carter, was approached by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care which was looking to organize a day of service for their employees and employees of the Boston Celtics. Carter connected them with the school and then reached out to other community organizations including City Year, Sports4Kids and the Boston Center for Youth and Families.
The result of this organizing was more than 100 volunteers who, in just five hours, were able to: paint 10 educational murals, create one kick-ball field, build the community garden with two apple trees, more than 45 flowering plants, three benches and four raised beds and constructed one outdoor classroom area.
While the adults were working, the kids participated in activities such as a basketball skills clinic with NBA Hall of Fame Celtic JoJo White and a dance class with the Celtics Dance Team. The school had other visitors, including one state senator, one city council member and three representatives from the Mayor’s office, stopped by to observe the progress as well.
ROSEDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL | KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
A staff survey at Rosedale Middle School revealed that what teachers wanted most in their quest to stay active and fight obesity was an onsite fitness room. The principal offered support by allocating $15,000 and an empty classroom to see this dream become a reality. School staff now report that more than half of the staff are using the wellness room either during their planning periods or before or after school.
To help students, the physical education teachers decided to give up their planning periods to keep the gym open. Now teachers can send students down for extra physical activity time during the school day. They are also opening the gym a half hour before school starts to give students another opportunity to get active before starting their day.
Rosedale Middle School has recently been selected to receive training for staff on a best-practices physical education curriculum called PE4Life and they look forward to implementing that curriculum. They have also partnered with Children’s Mercy Hospital and the University of Kansas Medical Center to develop a program and research study on childhood obesity.
ERNEST GRAHAM ELEMENTARY | MIAMI, FLORIDA
On Election Day, Ernest Graham Elementary opened its inaugural school employee wellness center in a ribbon cutting ceremony that included administration and staff. The event was an opportunity for staff to see the center for the first time since it had been under wraps prior to the unveiling. During the ceremony members from the school wellness council distributed plaques and awards to school and community members who supported the effort.
The wellness center was the result of the school wellness councils’ action plan, which focused on school employee wellness. The school wellness council worked closely with the administration and solicited feedback from other staff. They wanted to create a place where employees could participate in physical activities, or just have a place to relax.
A decrease in the student population due to another school being built in the area allowed the school to use an extra classroom for the wellness center. The room has an area for yoga and Pilates as well as an area to sit, relax and enjoy a variety of teas. The school plans on partnering with the Miami Health Department to offer workshops for staff on nutrition and stress management.
School staff and families worked on the room for three months. They were aided in their efforts by a $2,000 mini-grant from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, which funds the Healthy Schools Program in Miami. The funds helped purchase mirrors and equipment for the room and the school secured donations of books, DVDs and yoga mats. To add to the relaxing ambiance, the school hopes to build a butterfly garden right outside the wellness center that will be enjoyed by students and staff.
SPARK In Action- In and Out of School
Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary | Indianapolis, Indiana
Lauderhill Middle School | Lauderhill, Florida
Little equipment, no curriculum, chaos in the gym, and the complaint of “there’s nothing to do.” These were common problems for the children attending the YMCA afterschool care program at Rosa Parks-Edison Elementary. Knowing that something needed to change, wellness coordinator Roberta Sipe decided to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Healthy Schools Program for pilot schools by securing a $1,500 grant to purchase the SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) program. This curriculum is nationally recognized and endorsed by NASPE as one of the leading programs with quality, research-based activities.
Equipment and a storage unit were secured. The YMCA staff collaborated with the Indiana Department of Education and received training on how to implement the program. Children participate for an average of 40 minutes, three days a week in the gym and 30 to 40 minutes a week in the cafeteria/Large Group Instruction Room when the gym is not available. The amount of time spent in active play far exceeds the recommended 20 percent for an afterschool program. According to Sipe, “We knew that a problem existed but it took a grant opportunity, the right curriculum, the collaborative efforts and support of the DOE and the YMCA to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. The children are excited, energized and enthusiastic!”
Lauderhill Middle School in Lauderhill, Florida has also added a new twist to their physical education program. SPARK has been included as part of the curriculum since the beginning of the school year. Saundra Howard, a Lauderhill physical education teacher, sees how much the lessons in the curriculum have enhanced her program. “Students are playing volleyball, basketball and soccer; not just the traditional games but lead up games and fun variations instead!” Lead up games are activities that build skills that will allow them to later fully participate in a certain sport. One example would be 2 on 2 soccer-- all students get more touches of the ball due to fewer players.
Implementing the SPARK curriculum has been a positive experience for Howard as well. She said, “My physical education classes are running so much smoother now that we have enough equipment to go around.” Howard has noticed that SPARK has helped organize her large PE classes and the lesson plans have made it easy to implement new ideas for keeping kids engaged and interested in being active. “Students are not standing around waiting for their turn. All students can be engaged at the same time in non-competitive but fun activities.”
Much Needed Playground Builds Physical Activity
GLEN IRIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
The staff at Glen Iris Elementary School know how important a playground is in offering opportunities for physical activity and social development. They believed that the process of designing and building a playground would offer students an appreciation for community involvement. A playground would also allow classroom teachers the chance to work with the physical education department to increase physical activity.
Fortunately, a grant received from the KaBoom! organization gave them the funds they needed to move forward with their plans. They received additional support from the Junior League and other community members.
According to physical education teacher Sharon Smith, “Glen Iris decided to join the Healthy Schools Program to improve our students overall health and fitness. We strive to educate our children physically as well as mentally. We thought the Healthy Schools Program would be a great addition to the programs we are already doing to address health. It seemed like the perfect way to bring everything together.”
The playground, which consists of a slide, two swings, climbing walls, monkey bars and several sensory and movement components, took about six months to plan. They also included an outside education center, which will house a weather station and butterfly garden. On building day they had more than 400 volunteers who came out to help. Glen Iris students are now enjoying the fruits of their labor!
Good Food, a Community Organizer
LORING COMMUNITY SCHOOL | MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
What began as a program to teach inner-city students about healthy cooking and gardening has blossomed into a community meeting place where students, staff and community members learn lessons about plant science and where healthy foods are woven into the school’s language arts, science and math curricula. “Math comes alive even when you are baking bread,” said Starla Krause. Loring students plant the seeds and harvest many fruits and vegetables including strawberries, apples, rhubarb, corn, lettuce and broccoli. Teachers create lessons plans around reading recipes, composting, harvest timing and garden planning. Students also have a chance to move their bodies by planting, weeding, watering and harvesting the food.
The Kids Cook Classroom program, which is currently being piloted at the school with hopes for expansion is based around the school garden and maintained with help from students, staff and community members. For Starla and Robin Krause who grew up on a Kansas farm and now work in the food sciences field (Starla as a caterer and Robin as a food stylist), bringing their knowledge and passion for fresh, healthy foods to their neighborhood school seemed like a natural progression. In 2003 they approached Loring Community Schools’ Principal, Jane Thompson, and the afterschool program began.
According to Thompson, “Our students love roasted root vegetables such as beets, turnips and leeks. They have learned to season foods with fresh herbs and not to rely so heavily on salt. Students have had lessons about chickens which include a variety of live chickens. They learn about the preparation and nutritional value of eggs, and how to prepare a delicious roasted chicken dinner as a healthier alternative to frying.”
The school garden has become more than an outside classroom; with help from students and staff, the school has played host to pancake breakfasts, volunteer luncheons and garden potluck dinners which often include music and a campfire. These events inspire community members to become more involved and engaged in the school and the neighborhood.
School Wellness Coordinator Helps Tailor Healthy Support
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT | KODIAK, ALASKA
Health and wellness is a priority for Kodiak Island Borough School District, located on the second largest island in the United States. The district of 13 schools has recently hired Wendy Van Curen, the first full-time district level wellness coordinator to address the health, fitness, nutrition and overall wellness of the Kodiak students and staff. “School is a place to learn, to teach, to be active and to be safe,” Van Curen said. “Health, nutrition and fitness are important components to student and staff success.”
Shortly after getting started in her position, Van Curen enrolled Kodiak schools in the Healthy School Program. She presented the program to the school board, the superintendent and other district employees. She worked to build school wellness councils and to learn the success and challenges each school faces in creating a healthy school environment. She found support from many principals, school nurses, teachers, students and PTA members. She met with the nutrition program staff to learn how the school meals program is working to offer more whole grains, salads and low fat products to improve the nutrition of staff and students. Van Curen loves being able to interact with students, staff and administrators in order to make wellness fun, educational and a lifetime practice.
Van Curen finds each school is unique in efforts to support health and wellness to students and staff. By assessing each school individually, she is able to better tailor her work to meet each school’s needs. She sees opportunities for schools to communicate and collaborate with the district on efforts that meet the needs of all students and staff. The position was created by the Kodiak Island Borough School Board and wellness committee as part of the wellness policy to help implement the policy at the school level. Her unique position is seen as increasingly desirable by other districts in Alaska, as many schools see the benefit of creating a healthy school environment for staff and students.
Healthy changes that are currently being addressed and implemented into the schools include a “Get Moving” afterschool program at the Kodiak Middle School and Dance Dance Revolution at Kodiak High School before, after and during lunch. Students and staff are doing taste test contests in order to select healthy snacks that meet the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Guidelines, which are sold by the Kodiak Booster Club.
Play Often. Eat Well.
ST. ANTHONY CATHOLIC SCHOOL | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
After watching some middle school students using the soda machines to purchase their “lunch,” Principal Dr. John Kennedy decided that some changes needed to be made at St. Anthony’s. He was approached by some parents who were also interested in addressing the health and wellness of the students and the “Mi Vida” wellness campaign was born.
Mi Vida is an acronym for a short poem they wrote:
Mi Vida! (My Life!) stands for:
M y lifei ncludesV eggies, fruits & funi n meals with everyone,d aily walks or climbing trees,a nd learning at St. Anthony’s!
Dr. Kennedy believes that “the paths towards healthy minds, bodies and spirit are interconnected, and achieving this overall health is part of our community goals at St. Anthony’s. Increasing knowledge about the benefits of exercise and healthy eating are just some of the steps we are taking for this life-long process .”
The motto of Mi Vida is “Play Often. Eat Well.” They addressed the eating part first by removing the vending machines, changing cafeteria options and creating new policies around birthday celebrations. This semester they focused on the “Play Often” theme, with teachers involved in a pedometer challenge and students receiving ribbons for completing steps in their activity log.
St. Anthony is fortunate to have a dedicated school wellness council involving passionate parents. The entire faculty is also involved and supportive of the council. “With the focus on the faculty leading the way, we have a chance to show the children how anyone can make good wellness choices, and in fact, seven of the 34 teachers ran the San Antonio half- or full marathon with many of our parents.”
Every school has its challenges and for St. Anthony, “the cost of providing healthy, farm to table, food choices prevents us from immediately implementing the type of dining hall selections we would like. However, with the upcoming building of a new cafeteria we have the potential to create a model for healthy choices.”
Dr. Heather Sullivan, parent and Mi Vida committee member said, “It is exciting to see how little, relatively inexpensive steps can bring change to the broader community. Indeed, we have learned how essential it is to include as much of the community as possible.”
Breakfast Meets the Bus
NORTH FORT MYERS HIGH SCHOOL | FORT MYERS, FLORIDA
When school staff at North Fort Myers realized that they couldn’t get students to the cafeteria in the morning for a much needed healthy breakfast, they decided to bring the breakfast to the students. Linda Ellis, physical education teacher, and Kathleen Rose, school nurse, were concerned about the number students arriving at school without eating breakfast so they met with the cafeteria manager, Cynthia Matteo, to discuss the possibility of a breakfast program. They discovered that this had been a long time goal of Matteo’s but the cafeteria was not available in the morning as it was being used for club meetings and there was no available student supervision as all of the teachers and administrators were assigned to other locations.
It was noted that school clubs were allowed to sell donuts in the morning at the bus ramp because an administrator was assigned there to supervise students. The cafeteria manager asked for permission to send a breakfast cart there in the mornings and assigned one of her workers to manage it. With permission granted, the school wellness council started looking at selecting foods to offer for breakfast. They looked at what was available and compared items to the Healthy Schools Program school meals criteria before making their selections.
To promote the new program they put up a large banner above the breakfast cart. They asked the television production class to create some spots and they put information on electronic banners in the gym and in morning announcements. They recruited Brian Curls, the technology specialist on campus, to come up with a logo and name, The Red Knight Café. As they approached the FCAT (Florida’s state education exam), Rose did a television spot on the importance of breakfast to “Do your best on the test!”
International Walk to School Week
ALHAMBRA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT | ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA
It was hard to miss the hordes of kids walking with yellow balloons with the message “Eat Healthy, Be Active” during the morning commute the first week of October. Alhambra was one of countless school districts worldwide to participate in International Walk to School Week. Every morning, more than 300 students and community members gathered at a central location in preparation for the walk. Police officers and firefighters accompanied the ½-mile treks to ensure pedestrian safety.
Students promoted a healthy lifestyle by walking and carrying signs with messages such as “Eat Smart. Move More. Feel Great!” and “Got Breakfast?” Over the course of the week, participants cumulatively burned an estimated 50,000 calories.
The Alhambra Unified School District has participated in the walk for the past six years and they have seen an increase in the number of students who participate. They also have groups of students who walk to school on a regular basis.
RWJF Follow-Up Stories
FORREST CITY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL | FORREST CITY, ARKANSAS
Reprinted with permission from the Times-Herald of Forrest City, author Alan Smith
The Forrest City Junior High School (FCJHS) played host to U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln this morning as part of her three-stop visit to Forrest City. The visit to FCJHS was in honor of the school earning a bronze ranking from the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program (HSP), which is an effort to help students make healthier choices in their lives. Katie Jones, FCJHS principal, spoke about Lincoln’s visit.
“We gave her a tour of our PE4Life Lab, which is connected to the students’ health, and our cafeteria,” said Jones. “We spoke to her about all of the things that we are doing to make our children healthier here at the junior high school. We are very proud that our school was the only school in the state to receive recognition from the Healthy Schools Program.”
During the visit, Lincoln visited with students Avery Winston and Mary Burks. Winston, now a ninth grader, and Burks who is now an eighth grader, both visited Washington D.C. last school year with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “The trip they made was through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,” stated Jones. “They both visited Senators Lincoln and Mark Pryor in Washington to talk about making their generation healthier.”
Lincoln said that she was impressed with her visit and what the school has done to improve the health of its students. “They’ve done a tremendous amount of work here to improve the health of their students,” commented Lincoln. “This is a challenge that few people have undertaken. To a great extent they have created a very healthy culture here. “I don’t know about other people, but for me, it is difficult to change my habits,” continued Lincoln. “To teach them to make better choices and that they have the power to make better choices is very important. What they are really doing is teaching important life skills. It is impressive how they have taught these students. When they learn these things early, these skills will stick with them throughout their lives.”
Lincoln also gave her thoughts on the school and its staff. “They have a wonderful staff and administration here,” Lincoln said. “They are dedicated employees and really give a great effort to teach the students here. I’m very impressed with the school.”
Picture courtesy of the Times-Herald of Forrest City
DELONG MIDDLE SCHOOL | EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN
Delong Middle School is fortunate to have an active student wellness group that has taken the lead on making healthy changes at their school. After participating in the Student Trailblazing Project, an initiative to field-test the Step Up for a Healthier School Student Toolkit, students at Delong worked to eliminate unhealthy options from the a la carte line, introduced the “Jammin’ Minute” into classrooms and hosted taste tests to encourage healthy snacking. After two students traveled to D.C. to educate lawmakers on their efforts, they received a return visit from Wisconsin Representative Ron Kind this past May.
Representative Kind was able to join students for a “Jammin’ Minute” before enjoying lunch in the cafeteria with the student wellness group. He then headed outside where he participated in a fitness walk around the track with students. Students then encouraged him to join them in a taste testing session where they sampled some healthy food choices being considered for the menu.
Members from the student wellness group showed Rep. Kind a bulletin board they developed that compares options in the vending machines and shows which ones meet the Alliance’s Competitive Foods Guidelines. They also showed him posters they created as a spin-off on the “Got Milk” marketing campaign. They produced professional posters with pictures of students engaging in physical activity such as karate (‘Got Strength?’), ice-skating (‘Got Ice?’) and soccer (‘Got Goals?’).
WEST BOLIVAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | ROSEDALE, MISSISSIPPI
Reprinted with permission from The Bolivar Commercial, author Michael Simmons
With the help of a $25,000 grant, West Bolivar Elementary School plans to not only educate students about math and reading, but fitness as well. The school received the money from the Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation as part of Project Fit America, which is a national public charity that donates health and fitness equipment to schools.
“We’re trying to promote healthy lifestyle changes in adults, but we realized we have to start with the children,” Superintendent Henry Phillips Jr. said. “It also fits into one of our goals for the district which is to become a comprehensive health school district where the importance of health and academics go well together. A sick child is not going to be able to learn as well as a healthy child.”
The grant was used to purchase outdoor, above ground fitness equipment, as well as indoor equipment and training and for the chief instructor Gwendolyn Vaughn. “We’re ready to get our students started on the pathway of healthy life,” Latanya Calhoun, West Bolivar Elementary principal, said. “This will help educate our children about nutrition and staying healthy.”
According to Phillips and Calhoun, the kids are already excited about the new program. “They love it,” Phillips said. “Usually when you have something new, they would be a little reluctant but they weren’t.” Calhoun added, “They are really excited. A lot of the activities are not new, just that they haven’t had the opportunity to be engaged.”
Along with the fitness equipment, Calhoun said they took the health initiative one step further and eliminated junk food from the school. “There is no more candy,” she said. “Now it’s healthy foods — bananas, apples, nuts.” The school district will host an unveiling and demonstration of the equipment and the entire community is invited to attend. “This is something everyone will benefit from, immediately and in the future,” Phillips said.
SPARK
Physical education is much more than fun and games. A quality physical education program should be based on a curriculum aligned with state or national standards. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has chosen to work with SPARK to help schools enhance or improve their physical education and before/afterschool programs.
The SPARK Physical Education (PE) program was designed to teach students skills while engaging them in higher levels of physical activity. Intensive research reveals that implementation of SPARK PE resulted in higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity, increased fitness levels, increased sport skill acquisition, more enjoyment of physical education class and higher activity levels away from school.
SPARK Afterschool (AS) was designed to provide innovative games, dances and sporting activities for children ages 5-14. The SPARK philosophy: Include ALL youth, ALL youth active and ALL youth learning how to become lifelong movers.
Special Opportunity for Alliance Schools:
SPARK and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation have teamed up to offer a special discount on the SPARK program components:
Members of the Healthy Schools Program are eligible to receive a 15 percent discount and free shipping on qualified items. To receive this special offer, contact Katie Hemlin at 1-800-SPARK-PE x 2212 or email her at khemlin@sparkpe.org. Make sure you tell her you are with a Healthy Schools Program school.
For more information on how SPARK can help you meet Healthy Schools Program criteria in physical education, contact Lisa Perry at lisa.perry@healthiergeneration.orgor for before/afterschool criteria contact Michelle Owens at michelle.owens@healthiergeneration.org.
You can also visit SPARK at www.sparkpe.orgto see the different programs available, view sample lesson plans and read the research that illustrates SPARK success.
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