Success Stories Vol. 23

As part of its Healthy Schools Program, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation celebrates the efforts and achievements of its members. 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!    

Replacing Chairs with Fitness Balls 

ORCHARD VIEW INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL  |  MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA
Story reprinted with permission from writer Jillian E. Kesner and the Journal News. Photo taken by Ron Agnir.

Dottie Pownall's classroom has been called the "ball room" ever since she purchased fitness balls for her 27 students last month to be used in place of traditional desk chairs. Pownall's class at Orchard View Intermediate was conducting a class science fair project on ways to help students learn when they came across an article about a study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, which indicated that the use of fitness balls improves students' concentration, creates less classroom noise and helps students become more fit.

Pownall applied for a $400 instructional improvement grant from Berkeley County Schools and started using the balls December 15, 2008. Pownall, who has been with Berkeley County Schools for seven years, said using the balls helps strengthen stomach muscles, improves posture and helps keep kids focused. She gives students a choice of using a regular desk chair or the fitness ball.

Melissa Crowley, key communicator at the school, said students choose whether or not to use them each day based on what they're wearing or if they aren't feeling well and don't feel like bouncing. "They choose to sit on it," Crowley said. "Having the option is really cool to them."
Pownall said there are rules for the balls. Students must keep their feet flat on the floor and they cannot kick or throw the balls. "They're excited to sit on the balls," Pownall said. "They're more focused, pay attention better and they're happier."

Moving helps keep students from fidgeting and stimulates brain activity, she added. Anna Slayden, 10, of Martinsburg, said that sitting on the fitness balls keeps her focused. "It's a lot comfier than normal chairs," Slayden said. Nia Blackman, 10, of Martinsburg, said that using the balls is fun. "We can bounce," Blackman said. "It keeps us focused and gives us good posture. It's better than the chairs, because in the chairs you can't bounce and when you sit back it hurts your back."

The balls are fun and give kids more room, making it not as cluttered, said Zach Marshall, 10, of Martinsburg. Crowley said some of the teachers are all for implementing the new seats in their own classrooms, while others are skeptical. "I think it's an awesome program," Crowley said. "It gives them an opportunity to move a little and it's still legal." Allowing students to bounce lets teachers to focus on other things in the classroom instead of constantly telling students to sit still.
"The kids love it," she said.

Crowley, who has a daughter in second grade at Rosemont Elementary, said she is excited for her daughter. "I can't wait until she gets here," Crowley said. "I think it will help." Pownall said that whenever she has a substitute coming in, she takes the balls out and lets another classroom use them. So far, at least one other classroom is hoping to purchase balls for their classroom. "The principal seems pleased," Pownall said. "She's been very supportive."

SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT  |  SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

For the past eighteen years, School Nutrition Director Marsha Landstreet has dreamed about finding a more comprehensive educational tool on school meals for parents to use. She wanted to be able to communicate nutritional values of all foods offered in a way that would allow parents to see cost and nutritional information for any combination of selected foods. With funding and support from Coordinated School Health, Shelby County is now the only district in Tennessee with a “Virtual Café."

The Virtual Café is an online tool which allows parents to see what is offered every day, help their children select what might be a healthier meal and to have a record of what types of meals their children have selected in the past. There is an added feature that allows parents or school nurses to select appropriate food choices for children with special diets, such as those with diabetes.

The school worked with a company called Nutri-Link to develop the site and it took about five months to develop and test the site. When the site was ready the district sent letters to the parents to tell them about the new tool. An added incentive for parents to go online was that they could also now use an electronic payment program to purchase the meals for their children. Landstreet has also spoken at PTA meetings to get the word out about the Virtual Café.

Landstreet continues to think about ways to improve the tool. In the future she would like to have a place for users to leave comments and a way to compare the school meal options to fast food options and other commercial products. She said, “I’m proud of our Virtual Café because it not only gives users more control and more choice, it gives them the power of making a decision. Besides, it is pretty cool.”

SCHOOL FOR ARTS IN LEARNING  |  WASHINGTON, D.C.

“When we meditate, we are peaceful,” said Ti’maeus Copeland, a 4th grade student who is learning yoga as part of a new program at the School for Arts in Learning (SAIL) Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. His principal, Terry Bunton, wanted to find a way to increase the amount and variety of physical activity options for his students and believed that introducing yoga into the classrooms would teach students the importance of “maintaining the whole person,” with its focus on physical strength as well as mental stamina.

Bunton received a grant from the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education to implement yoga in class for all students at this K-7 school. The school is working with a group called Yoga Knows which provides a yoga consultant who trains the school staff on yoga instruction for students. Yoga Knows also provided about 40 mats and blankets for the school to use. Although some teachers were initially hesitant about taking on the role of yoga instructor in addition to their other responsibilities, Bunton says he has seen a shift in attitudes from the teachers who are enjoying it. They have also observed that the yoga sessions help create a calm classroom environment.

An added benefit for teachers is that since each class has two teachers, one teacher can lead the yoga session while the other enjoys more class planning time. Copeland said he enjoys the weekly one hour yoga sessions, because his class gets to move around and have fun. He said, “My favorite part of yoga is meditating and the warrior pose.”

MARION INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL  |  MARION, SOUTH CAROLINA

Students, community partners and the School Health Improvement Program Committee at Marion Intermediate School recently took the lead in increasing the health awareness of parents, staff, students and community members. Students, under the direction of their teachers, developed and presented exhibits focused on healthy eating and physical activity. Community health partners also provided relevant information and health screenings.

This experience provided the opportunity for students to be actively engaged in the research, development and presentation of an exhibit to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Frances LeGette, 4th grade teacher, said, “Not only was it enjoyable, but it was a great learning experience for students. The students were active participants in a worthwhile activity.” One 4th grade student, Nomari Swinney, said, “I have learned so much about eating healthy and exercise and I have been able to teach my family why it’s important.”

The 4th grade students and teachers selected a project topic relating to the effects of proper nutrition on overall health. Topics included reading nutrition labels, demonstrations of exercises for families to do at home, healthy snack recipes with demonstrations, meal planning, etc. They had six weeks to work on the project. A health department nutritionist provided them with free handouts and other educational tools, such as test tubes of salt showing the amount of salt required by our bodies versus the amount of salt contained in different foods. Students showcased their research during parent teacher night and the community was invited through an ad in the local paper. They also offered free blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol screenings conducted by a medical educational team supervised by a physician. Another physician provided a presentation on diabetes.

Marion Intermediate has had an active School Health Improvement Program Committee for a number of years lead by the school nurse, Karen Scruggs. The committee sponsors numerous health activities annually, working diligently to improve the health of students and staff.

Participant evaluations indicated that as a result of this event, 92 percent learned more about planning healthy meals and 86 percent learned ways for their family to be more physically active. Additionally, 93 percent reported they now want to improve their eating habits and be more physically active. An average of 86 percent of the teachers rated the effectiveness of student participation in the event as “excellent” in increasing student health knowledge and skills, integrating health and other content areas, and as a cooperative learning experience.

OWSLEY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL  |  OWSLEY COUNTY, KENTUCKY

According to the 2000 United States census report, Owsley County, Kentucky has less than 5,000 people and the median income for a household is the third lowest in the nation. It is a challenge to come up with opportunities for physical activity, as there are no health clubs, gym space is at a premium and activities like skating, bowling and gymnastics are a 45-minute drive over hilly terrain.  

However, Owsley County has a dynamic duo in Sue Brunk, school nurse and health educator, and Charolette Thompson, food service director. The two worked together to bring new afterschool programs to the school that will help keep kids off of the couch. The afterschool program which runs from 3-5pm now has a 30-minute physical activity component in addition to a healthy snack. The students vote on what kind of activities they would like to participate in. 

They are also offering a cooking class which helps high school students create simple and healthy recipes out of whatever ingredients they have available. Brunk said it is important to give students these skills since, “Schools do not offer Home Ec anymore and we have several kids who go home to a house that maybe has one hot plate. How are they going to meet their nutritional needs with that? Here they can practice what they can do with the food that is donated to us. Many of these students are given food backpacks to take home to supplement the food they have there.”

To kick-off the new program, they brought the community together for an event called “Game On.” Game On! The Ultimate Wellness Challenge, is an Action for Healthy Kids resource designed to motivate schools to put their wellness policies into action. The event provided students with a series of challenges that encouraged physical activity and good nutrition. They also hosted a health fair where community partners shared information on food, nutrition, drugs, alcohol and tobacco and they provided BMI and blood pressure screenings. 

Brunk set up a station called, “Let’s Talk,” where she described in detail the new afterschool programs that she would be offering. Sue emphasized to students that, “the choices you make today affect your tomorrows.” She had them take time to write down some wellness goals and said, “I can’t choose your goals for you, but I can inform you on how to get there.”  

With funding from the Action for Healthy Kids-Kellogg’s Team Grant Program, Kentucky Action for Healthy Kids has provided Owsley County with $6,000 to help create a healthier school environment. They are using these funds to help implement their action plan which, in addition to the new afterschool programs will address school employee wellness and more physical activity for students. Melinda Turner, superintendent of Owsley County schools was named Rural Superintendent of the Year last year from Action for Healthy Kids for her support of school health initiatives. 

STERLING ELEMENTARY  |  STERLING, ALASKA

Fresh produce is a real treat in Alaska and now, thanks to the Sterling Elementary PTA, 6th grade teacher Teri Diamond, Nurse Betty Miller and their school wellness council (SWC), students are now able to explore a new fresh fruit and vegetable each month. Wellness has always been a priority for Principal Christine Ermold so she gave full support to the newly formed SWC to find more ways to get fresh produce for students. 

The PTA provided a grant to the SWC of $450 to purchase the fruits and vegetables. Parent volunteers work with a few students to wash, cut and prepare the produce for distribution. Teachers welcome the healthy snack break and opportunity to let students try a new fruit or vegetable. The students research information about the foods online and information is shared with families along with healthy recipes in the school newsletter.
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In addition to the samples, the SWC also plans on sponsoring a monthly “salad day.” Volunteers and students will provide the side salad at lunchtime. Diamond said, “We thought initially about charging, but we felt that many of the students we are trying to expose to these salads may not have money. Therefore we are going to offer the salads for free for now, and continue to look for donations. Each month we are going to feature a new and tasty salad, and hopefully this will follow through into the homes.”

Diamond is excited to provide fruit and vegetables to students. “Fresh produce is such a treat and it is so fun to see how students respond to trying a new fruit or vegetable they have never tasted before. Sterling PTA is very committed to helping the school staff create opportunities for students to eat healthy. Promoting fresh fruit and vegetables to students and staff is a huge step in creating a healthy school.”

LINDSEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  WARNER ROBINS, GEORGIA

A letter from the Principal at Lindsey Elementary: 

Once the holidays were over, there was a strong voice from our teachers that everyone had really “put on the pounds” this year. There was some discussion about this diet or that diet and which one would be the best for teachers as they discussed what to do about how ‘our clothes were somehow shrinking.’ 

So I threw it out there…why don’t we have our own Biggest Loser contest? We thought we’d give a go and I hoped that we’d have some participation. We scheduled a meeting after school for all who were interested. I, for one, thought maybe we’d have a few takers. Trust me when I say that there were no reindeers in the media center, but 40 staff members who were already talking it up and seemed ready to get started! It only took a few seconds to “pick” teams and we were off and running!

We decided that our school nurse would have weigh in each week and she would be the only one to actually see the results. She would report out the tally of pounds lost. Those who wanted to participate could throw a little money in the pot with the grand prize going to the person who had the highest percentage of their body weight lost. It has turned into afternoons of “team” exercise and a great deal of accountability between teammates.

Now we are sharing healthy recipes, watching what we eat and enjoying some friendly competition along the way! Our lunchroom manager Slim Johnson is cooking more healthy and nourishing meals and keeping the teachers abreast of their caloric intake at lunch each day. The most important thing this activity has done for this school is establish a common bond that I never knew existed here. It gave the teachers a chance to share and develop friendships that we so desperately needed beyond the everyday pressure of classroom instruction. And in a setting like ours, the highest poverty school in the county, we needed this easy way to come together as a faculty. I am so glad we did this! On a personal note…I am getting into pants I could not wear before Christmas. Ten pounds gone and looking to shed more!

Sincerely,
Anthony Lunceford
Principal and Red Team Captain 

Moving Lunch and Bodies in Nebraska

FREDSTROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

Observing students racing through lunch in order to have more time to play at recess inspired PE Teacher Kenny Cope to approach their administrator about moving recess to before lunch. “It took us about a year to get the schedule changed but once we set our minds to it, our coordinator, who is primarily in charge of the daily schedule, took the idea under her wing and made it happen” said Cope.

Cope believes that the key to success was the coordinator seeing the value, buying into that value, and being creative with the scheduling. Staff members at Fredstrom say that the results have been amazing. The kids are eating more food and drinking more milk, which results in more nutritional value to the student diet and less waste. In addition, recess problems are resolved before class time starts.

Amber Tiefenthaler, first grade teacher at Fredstrom advises teachers at other schools to “Push to have recess first! It has been a huge success for us and truly worth the time and effort! It is beneficial to the students, as well as the teachers, for maximizing class time. Recess before lunch is the way to go!”

STODDARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  BEATRICE, NEBRASKA

Staff at Stoddard Elementary School decided to create a twist to their staff walking program. Rather than walking just for themselves, each is walking to support a scholarship given to a Beatrice graduate pursuing a career in the field of wellness. Each staff donated $25.00 and in exchange they get to wear “active wear” and tennis shoes to school on days that they participate in the staff walking program. “Staff and students walking together at noon and recess sets a positive example to be physically active,” said Sue Sindlar, a school wellness council member. So far they have raised about $350 for the scholarship fund.

Teacher Boot Camp

BLUE LAKES ELEMENTARY  |  MIAMI, FLORIDA

Sore muscles are just what the teachers at Blue Lakes Elementary were hoping to experience when they decided to organize a staff boot camp. Although many had not engaged in much physical activity since high school, some New Year’s resolutions and raised awareness of health and wellness in their school prompted them to look into ways to help them start living healthier lives.

Twelve teachers joined together to start the boot camp program back in January of this year. They found a local trainer to come out three days a week after school to “whip them into shape.” They all pitched in to cover the cost. The staff started with jogging around an obstacle course and then the trainer began adding squats, lunges and intensifying the workouts. Each workout is different in order to create muscle confusion and build endurance. Sometimes they do drills and other callisthenic exercises as if they are in the military. Sometimes they incorporate resistance bands and jump ropes into their workouts. They plan on using funds from a local grant to purchase more equipment for the group.

The program was very difficult for many at the beginning. Some found they could not jog all the way around the field at first but now they are all able to run the course without stopping. Rachel Justiano said, “I look forward to every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday because I get to spend time with my fellow coworkers and we do something good for ourselves. We’re so proud of each other.” 

Marta Garcia said, “I am extremely proud of the perseverance and enthusiasm demonstrated by our boot camp troopers! Even though they can hardly move…they have been a great inspiration to all of us!”

Staff Take Wellness Pride on Parade

SCOTT LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  MIAMI, FLORIDA

Staff and administrators at Scott Lake are committed to their theme for the year, “The Scott Lake Family is academically and physically fit.” They have started doing a school wide “Energy Burst” session daily during the morning announcements. The Principal wrote a chant with movements about the school and students and staff enjoy doing that together each morning. Every Friday they kick off the weekend with a “Fine Friday” walk where they all walk together for ten minutes before the school day ends.

The staff is also committed to working to improve their own health. Fourteen members participated in the Weight Watchers at Work® program and lost a total of 168 pounds over twelve weeks. They are now starting an afterschool fitness program for staff, taught by a staff member.
To demonstrate this strong commitment to health and wellness to the community the staff joined together for a staff “Fitness Parade.” They walked and chanted around the school and through the community where parents and other community members cheered them on.

How Does Your Cereal Stack Up?

HERBERT HOOVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  LANGHORNE, PENNSYLVANIA

Herbert Hoover Elementary is trying to send a message to students about the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and they are building cereal box sculptures in the lobby to help raise awareness. In January the school focused on educating students about cereal and grains. 

Students were treated to a free and healthy cereal sample when they got off of the bus. They were also encouraged to bring in empty cereal boxes where classes looked at nutritional labels and focused on the amount of sugar in the cereals. The sugar ranged from zero grams per serving in oatmeal to 15+ grams in some popular sugar-laden choices. They used tubes of sugar to show students how much they were really consuming, just in one serving of cereal. They reminded students that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that if they miss breakfast at home they can always eat in the school cafeteria for just $1.  

Schools Lead by Example to Inspire All

WASHINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  |  CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY

When Washington Elementary School joined the Healthy Schools Program in September 2008, Jacqueline Brown, school nurse, faced significant challenges. She struggled to motivate fellow staff and community members to join their school wellness council. However, when she shared a resource from the Healthy Schools Program Resource Database to help people maintain their weight through the holiday season she experienced what she describes as a “mindset shift” in her colleagues.

The North Carolina “Eat Smart, Move More--Maintain, Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge” is a free, six-week challenge that provided participants with tips and ideas to help maintain their weight through the holiday season. Brown disseminated the “Maintain, Don’t Gain” weekly newsletter to the entire school staff in November and continued to spread the message of healthy lifestyles, finding supporters who started to come out of the woodwork.

Since the challenge, several staff members have joined the school wellness council and they have been busy pursuing a number of ideas. They started by creating a school walking program, no small task in an area where people do not feel safe walking outside. PE Teacher William Wagner offered to help by mapping out a one-mile route within the school. Using hallways and stairs he created a path for people to follow with tape. They created walking logs so staff could chart their progress.

According to Wagner, “I believe that we all have to do is model physical activity in our school and motivate staff and kids through our own healthy behavior. It’s all about setting the example.” Brown adds, “You have to believe in the power of making healthy changes to your life in order to inspire others, which is what we are working to do here at Washington.” Since November, Brown herself has lost 30 pounds and “feels great!” 

PYNE POYNT MIDDLE SCHOOL  |  CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY

With a desire to lead by example and inspire the staff at Pyne Poynt Middle School, Anetra Coleman, school nurse, and her wellness council got to work. The first step was to survey the staff to find out what health and wellness activities they would be interested in participating in. As a result, the “Walk it Out” and afterschool line dancing programs were created.

“Walk it Out” is a walking program for those who prefer to workout individually. Without a safe place to walk outdoors, the school cafeteria is made available during the day for staff to walk as many laps as they can. A chart is displayed for all staff to document how many laps they are performing each day, and those participating have been charting the date, time, name and number of laps faithfully, which has served as a great motivational tool. At the end of the month, Coleman collects the chart to see who the walking champion of the month is and recognizes this individual for their efforts.

According to Coleman, the line-dancing program has really “taken off.” Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday after school, Brenda Blake, special education teacher, energizes and invigorates the staff in a one-hour line-dancing workout. This program has become a huge success as staff members have expressed their newfound motivation to take on a healthy lifestyle. According to staff member and line dancing participant Frances Gill, “The wellness program has become an important part of my life. It lets me focus on me. Getting back to exercises and eating properly has given me more energy, and working out with colleagues not only affords me the opportunity to get to know them better but it’s also a lot of fun.”

“The staff wellness programs are a great outlet for our staff members who are all feeling tremendous stressors and pressures with testing and the craziness of our every day. So far, we’ve seen great success with what we are doing in staff wellness and are encouraged and inspired to grow our program and engage everyone,” said Coleman.

Healthy Fundraiser Provides Valuable Health Screening

WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL  |  WARRENTON, NORTH CAROLINA

Instead of selling cookies or wrapping paper, the Health Occupation Student Association at Warren County High School decided that they would try to raise money for their club by providing a valuable service to the community- blood pressure screenings.

They set up their equipment at a high school basketball game in hopes of a large crowd. After taking the blood pressure they shared the results with the participants and shared additional information on how to prevent high blood pressure by making healthier choices. The health occupational teacher, Maggie King, was onsite to provide supervision of the students during the fundraiser. 

Schools CATCH a Great Afterschool Program

LAWTON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT  |  LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

In order to implement an effective afterschool program throughout the district, staff at the Lawton Public School District knew they needed to find a program that would keep students, staff and families engaged. They believe that they found that program in the CATCH Kids Club, a physical activity and nutrition education program designed for elementary aged children (grades K-5).

Deputy Superintendent Linda Dzialo said, “Thirteen elementary schools in Lawton have extended day programs. Using the CATCH program for these students allows us to focus on good nutrition and the importance of active movement. Research tells us that a fit student is a more able learner. We believe that this focus on eating better and moving more will pay dividends in our children’s health and academic performance.”

Thanks to a partnership with Lawton Public Schools, Comanche County Healthy Department, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Oklahoma City County Health Department, Cameron University and the Southwest Fit Kids Coalition, all extended day staff were given extensive training on the implementation of the program as well as how to lead physical activity for the children. 

“It was exciting to see our teachers laughing and having a lot of fun at the CATCH training. This is exactly what we are now seeing with the students as well. Games and activities that are both fun and aerobic are at the focus of this afterschool program,” said Dzialo.

Parental involvement contributes to the effectiveness of positive changes in eating and physical activity behaviors, and the family component reinforces this involvement. In the CATCH Kids Club parental involvement is encouraged through CATCH Curriculum Home Letters. All home letter materials are in English and Spanish.

With regards to funding, partnership and planning have helped the district save money. Students from Cameron University volunteer to come to the school sites and assist the teachers with the afterschool program. The school district provided the funding for the activity box and nutrition manual and equipment from the physical education department was utilized for the physical activity component. 

TEAM NUTRITION RESOURCES A TO Z 

Since 1946, the National School Lunch Program has provided financial support and federally purchased commodities to help schools serve nourishing, well-balanced meals to children. Many schools have also joined the School Breakfast Program to offer morning meals that help children be ready to learn. 

Recognizing the need for resources to support these programs, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) created Team Nutrition, a network of public and private partnerships of parents, teachers, food service staff, health and education groups and the food and agricultural community. These partnerships come together at the community level through the Team Nutrition Schools Program.

Team Nutrition Resources A to Z is a comprehensive listing of all the resources available through USDA’s Team Nutrition Program. This online collection of resources is subdivided and searchable by the intended audience including foodservice professionals, educators, parents and childcare providers. 

Access this collection of free resources at the USDA Team Nutrition website. From here you can access valuable resources including brochures, posters, nutrition education materials, training and technical assistance manuals and classroom materials appropriate for the elementary, middle and high school levels.  While most of the materials are available in English only, many are also provided in Spanish. The resources are viewable online and often can be downloaded in PDF format. Schools have an additional option of completing an online order form to request multiple copies of posters, brochures and other collateral materials available on the site.