PTA pushes Stonewall to be ‘Healthy and Fit’

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, November 04, 2011

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Stonewall's PTA offered carrots and fresh roll-ups at the Health and Wellness Night kickoff of its new campaign.

Stonewall's PTA offered carrots and fresh roll-ups at the Health and Wellness Night kickoff of its new campaign.

Stonewall's PTA offered carrots and fresh roll-ups at the Health and Wellness Night kickoff of its new campaign.Taekwondo enthusiasts demonstrated practiced techniques, and children later got to try their own punches and kicks.This obstacle course was among the fun fitness games scattered throughout the school.Professionals from the community set up booths including one where the kids learned how to brush and floss properly.Research indicates that regular physical activity can improve a child's performance in the classroom.The PTA is challenging students to eat the USDA's recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and to complete 60 minutes of exercise daily.

In a lead-up to Thanksgiving, the PTA at Stonewall Elementary is rolling out its new campaign to educate students and families about the benefits of good nutrition and regular physical activity.

“We hope it brings awareness that exercise can be fun and healthy food is tasty,” said committee co-chair Adriane Polyniak, who helped with Thursday’s kickoff.

The “Healthy and Fit Stonewall” initiative, which earned a $10,000 grant from the National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles Program, launched at the school’s Health and Wellness Night.

More than a dozen community supporters coordinated fitness games and hands-on activities, staffed resource booths and talked with families about everything from portion control and sun safety to dental hygiene. Kids sampled fresh apples, checked their palms for germs under an ultraviolet light and swung tennis rackets, among other fun events.

In the next two weeks, the PTA asks that students track what they eat and what they do. The children are challenged to consume the USDA’s recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables and to complete 60 minutes of exercise daily. These are behaviors that not only improve students’ overall health but also make a positive impact on their academic performance.  

According to a study published in the April 2008 “Journal of School Health,” children who regularly eat fruits and vegetables do better in school than those with poor food habits. The research linked the diet of more than 5,000 fifth-graders to their scores on a standardized test.

Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a report that included a review of 50 research studies examining the positive correlation between school-based physical activity and improvements in the classroom.

“While childhood obesity continues to grow and one in three children is overweight, Stonewall PTA is taking action,” National PTA President Betsy Landers said in a news release. “Research shows that a child’s physical well-being has a significant effect on their learning, so we urge all PTAs and school communities to use Stonewall PTA as an example and engage families, teachers, administrators and students in creative programs that encourage the school community to be active and eat healthier.”

“Healthy and Fit Stonewall,” which continues through the spring semester, will also call for students to share their favorite fruit or vegetable snack recipe for a school cookbook and for the PTA to promote indoor recess during inclement weather by providing teachers with ideas and materials.

Polyniak, who works alongside co-chair Sarah-Ashley Solie, said they have already received positive feedback from other parents. For her part, she was happy to spearhead the campaign, saying, “As a mom, it’s good to take the initiative.”

Resources

National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles Month

16th District PTA (Fayette County Public Schools)

 

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