Healthy Active Living and Learning

Healthy Active Living and Learning Theresa P. Cone, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Health and Exercise Science Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

Making It Work School Goal #3 A Coordinated Approach - The Right Team Budget Implementation - Let’s Take A Look Did It Work?

A School Goal To promote healthy eating and increase the level of physical activity as a way to help students be healthy active learners.

Why? Good health contributes to effective learning and achievement Children are present in school Children feel good about themselves Children can maintain focus Children can deal with stress

Why? Good health is the result of a comprehensive outlook that includes home, community and school The staff develops a healthy environment that includes nutrition, safety, respect and physical activity The family home encourages good nutrition and promotes increased levels of physical activity The community offers opportunities for active participation in developing a healthy lifestyle

A Coordinated Approach Comprehensive School Health Education Physical Education program Parent and community involvement School health services Counseling and psychological services School nutrition services Healthy school environment Health promotion for staff

The Right Team

Budget Ideal or Reality or Can they be the Same The Solution may Not be out of reach.

Budget Line item resources Shared resources New resources

Implementation –Let’s Take A Look A successful program that incorporated Health Nutrition Physical Activity

Healthy Hero – The “H” Bulletin Boards Pedometers Back to School Night Morning Announcements Family Fitness Logs Artist in Residence Monthly School Newsletters Walking Club In School “Family” Program Healthy Hero Players Theatre Family Fun-Challenge and Fitness Day Activities and Events

Health Heroes Lunch room visits Visit to Nurse School Assemblies and Healthy Heroes Theater Earning the “H”: Branding

Bulletin Boards F O O T P R I N T S

Bulletin Boards S T O P & G O

Pedometers 3rd grade teacher and students

Morning Announcements Be Happy and Be Healthy - Drink Water, Eat right and Exercise Get up and get active. Join Health Hero 3 today for the Thursday Walking Club at 12:45 in front of the school. Breakfast boosts brainpower. Children who eat breakfast are better able to remember information, problem solve, and think than those who skip breakfast.

Morning Announcements Wake Up and Exercise. Try stretching, jogging in place for one minute and doing ten pushups and sit ups. You will start the day feeling ready for action. Did you make your move? Check out the bulletin board in the hallway outside the gym to see what activities you like to do.

Family Fitness Logs Eat Healthy*Be Active*Be Happy*Be Healthy Free Prize to the First 25 Families that return the form by (insert date) Join in the fun during the break and take the activity challenge. Can your family find a way to be active and eat healthy each day of the break? Complete the back side of this page and write in the activity your family did and the healthy foods you ate.

Family Fitness Log

Newsletters – District/School

Take the stairs at the mall instead of the escalator. Ask to park the car at the end of the parking and briskly walk to the store. Jog in place during commercials while watching TV. Throw and catch a ball and see how many you can do consecutively without dropping the ball. Turn on an exercise video or an exercise TV show to learn new moves. Take a walk in the neighborhood and see how many different leaves you can collect. It Only Takes A Moment

Suspend a rope two feet off the ground and see how many times you can move over and under the rope in 30 seconds. Challenge a friend or family member. At the next birthday party you attend, ask to play an active outside game like tag, soccer or basketball. Get up on the dance floor and move to the music. Any kind of dancing is good for your body. Try doing 25 – 40 sit ups each day to strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. Remember to keep your knees bent and hands can be touching your shoulders instead of behind your head. It Only Takes A Moment

Family Fun/Challenge and Fitness Day Healthy Communities Healthy Youth B e Healthy A ctive S mart

Family Fun and Fitness Day • Each year Brunswick Acres School concludes the year with a celebration of our school community through a day filled with group games, individual and partner games and arts activities. The June celebration highlighted the Healthy Living and Learning initiative with a day of outside group and individual physical activities. The activities were conducted by 50 parent volunteers and the faculty and staff. Students participated in over 40 different activities that challenged their coordination, strength, cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility in addition to using their cooperation skills. The day concluded with all students and faculty participating in a variety of fun active social dances.

Assessment ?Program Impact? The planning team reviewed goals and activities along the way. Collected information/data at the end of the year from students, faculty and parents Developed Recommendations

K-1 – Healthy Snacks

K-1 – Bike Riding

1. Did you notice the healthy bulletin board in the hallway outside the gym or the healthy tips posters located throughout the school? Grades 2-5

2. Do you remember any of the morning messages read three times a week? Grades 2-5

3. Describe what you did this year to increase your physical activity. Grades 2-5

4. Describe a healthy change you made in what you eat and drink. Grades 2-5

This year the school adopted a goal to raise awareness in our students, staff and families about the importance of an active lifestyle and healthy eating. To assess the success of our goal we need to gather information from students, staff and the families. We ask that you take three minutes to complete the following survey and drop it in the survey box located in the large gym. Thank you for your help. 1. Circle the grade level(s) of your child or children: K 1 2 3 4 5 2. Were you aware that Brunswick Acres School adopted a goal this year to raise awareness in our school community about the health benefits of increased activity and healthy eating? Circle: Yes 86% No 3. Did you notice the articles on exercise and nutrition in the monthly Brunswick Acres School Newsletters? Circle Yes 94 % No If yes, were they of interest or helpful? Circle Yes 85 % No 4. Did you notice the bulletin board in the hallway or posters placed throughout the school noting tips for healthy eating and activity? Circle Yes 76 % No 5. Did your child or children mention any comments about the activities conducted at school promoting healthy eating and increased activity? Circle Yes 82 % No Any additional comments or suggestions are welcomed. You can write them here or on the back of the survey. Family Survey

This year the school adopted a goal to raise awareness in our students, staff and families about the importance of an active lifestyle and healthy eating. To assess the success of our goal we need to gather information from students, staff and the families. We ask that you take three minutes to complete the following survey and place it in Theresa’s mailbox by June 10th. Thanks for your help. 1. Did you notice the articles on exercise and nutrition in the monthly Brunswick Acres School Newsletters? Circle Yes 93 % No If yes, were they of interest or helpful Circle Yes 100 % No 2. Did you notice the bulletin board in the hallway or posters placed throughout the school noting tips for healthy eating and activity? Circle Yes 100 % No 3. Did your students mention any comments about the activities conducted at school promoting healthy eating and increased activity? Circle Yes 60 % No If yes, please share some of the comments on the back of this paper 4. Did you have an opportunity to increase the activity level of your students or make a change in their snack or lunch? Circle Yes 57 % No If yes, can you describe what you did? 5. Would you be interested in continuing with this initiative next year? Circle Yes 89 % No Additional comments or suggestions are welcomed. Staff Survey

Anecdotal Comments and Noted Changes • The office staff reported a reduction in the amount of cake and candy left in the mailroom. • Monthly faculty breakfasts included low calorie and low fat foods. • The lunch room paraprofessionals reported that the students were eating more of the fruit offered on the lunch menu. • Classroom teachers encouraged healthy snacks with parents and students. • Several classroom teachers included physical activity in the morning meeting routine. • Each grade level had available a bag of equipment for lunchtime recess. Students used the equipment for kickball, touch football, soccer and jump rope games. • Students frequently commented to the physical education teachers and the nurse that they were eating healthy foods, drinking more water and being physically active outside of school. • Cafeteria services made healthy changes to the menu.

Thank You Dear PTO Members, We want to thank you again for your generous support toward the Healthy Active Living and Learning initiative through the purchase of the pedometers. We have received the pedometers and introduced them to the second grade classes and this week to the fourth and fifth grade classes. Ms. Cashmore’s class is using a set of the pedometers daily to motivate students to become active as part of a class goal for the year. Her students walk and record their progress as part of their daily routine along with learning in all subject areas. All the students are excited about using this wonderful piece of technology and seeing what they have accomplished. During the next few weeks, the remaining classes and staff members will be introduced to the pedometers. December will bring the kickoff of the lunchtime Walking club to encourage students to be active during the winter months. Thanks again for helping us achieve our school goal to increase awareness, physical activity and promote good eating. We are making every effort to fight the obesity epidemic that has become a health issue in our nation. We want our children to be able to make healthy choices that will lead them to be successful learners and enjoy a healthy future. Physical activity and good nutrition are the best preventative measures we can all take to lower our risk for disease. We know the pedometers will help our children to begin taking a step in the right direction.

Acknowledgement • The HALL initiative was recognized as an innovative program that positively impacted the school community through the designed activities and as a result received an award, a grant and was highlighted in a district newsletter. • The HALL initiative was the recipient of the 2005 John W. Alexander Outstanding Project Award presented by the Association for Children of New Jersey. The award included $300.00 for funding future projects.

Resources http://www.kidsrunning.com/ http://www.girlpower.gov/ http://www.goactive.com/ http://www.shapeup.org/ http://www.projectfitamerica.org/ Theresa Cone (conet@rowan.edu or tscone@comcast.net)

Healthy Heroes Principal Health Hero 1 Student Awarded H’s

Healthy Active Living and Learning