A big topic in schools right now is health and wellness. We know that First Lady Michelle Obama started the "Let's Move!" campaign back in 2010 because she recognized there was childhood obesity problem. Our lifestyles have changed so much. Thirty years ago, students walked to and from school more, played outside after school until supper time, had healthy, home cooked meals with reasonable proportions, and there was more time spent in physical education at school or playing sports after school.
Now look at where things are. Students get a ride to school even if they are within walking distance, playing outside has been replaced with video games, electronics, and cell phones. Families rarely sit down for a meal together and going through the drive-thru happens more in a week than eating at home. Portion sizes are out of control including beverages. It's no wonder with these changes that 1 in 3 students are obese and are at risk for major health problems in their adult life.
It's scary and it's time to make some changes which is why Mrs. Obama started her campaign. Schools are being heavily criticized for their lunches. They are being more regulated than in the past. However there are some good things going on with them. There are more fresh fruits and vegetables being offered and served to students. School lunches are not the problem with obesity in children. It's shocking to see what some kids bring in their sack lunches. I have seen lunches with fruit snacks, cookies, gatorade, and cheese crackers. Or chocolate milk, granola bars, jerky, and carrot sticks. Meanwhile a school lunch might have tacos, rice & beans, lettuce, fruit, and milk. One school lunch is not creating unhealthy children.
Living a healthy lifestyle is just that, a lifestyle. It takes more than just what we can do at school, it has to happen at home as well. So at Freeman, we are going to make some changes and will continue to do so to encourage health and wellness. Our staff participates in an EHA group (Educators
Health Alliance). This provides staff the opportunity to be part of healthy challenges like exercise, nutrition, water consumption, proper amounts of sleep, and being happier to name a few. We are in the process of changing out a vending machine that will have better, healthier choices like yogurt, trail mix, and fresh fruit. In the elementary we made a handbook change that said students were not allowed to be on their electronic devices during school hours, which included before school while waiting for the bell to ring. Last spring, the school board approved the addition of a second physical education teacher so that we could offer more PE classes to students and more often.
Another change that you may be aware of is Walking Club for the elementary. Over the summer I learned a lot about movement and the brain and how movement can affect our learning or overall activity. On Tuesday and Thursday the K-2 students are going to participate in walking club, while on Monday and Wednesday it will be grades 3-6. The PE teachers created a path around the playground for students to walk around and record the number of laps that they complete. That number goes into a chart so we can graph how far each student is going and how far the class goes over time.
As with anything it takes a while to adjust to something new. The purpose with walking club is to get kids moving and wake up the brain before the school day starts so they are ready to learn when they walk in their classroom. This is not designed to be another "chore" at school, but rather an enjoyable way to socialize in a positive way with their peers, while getting a little extra movement into their day. We appreciate support from parents, staff, and the community as we encourage healthier living with our students. If you ever want to come join us in the mornings, you are welcome to. As the year progresses we hope to implement other healthy habits with our students so be on the lookout for those as well.