This week's healthy schools highlights

District 51 not biting into all of Renegade Lunch Lady’s ideas

GRAND JUNCTION – Celebrity Chef Ann Cooper (also an EdNews Parent expert and head of nutrition services in Boulder Valley schools) is coming to Grand Junction to celebrate Wingate Elementary’s new garden, but School District 51 is not planning on adopting all of her healthy school lunch initiatives. Watch this NBC 11NEWS report.

The other big deficit: Many teens fall short on sleep

Most high school students are chronically tired. They juggle school, sports, homework, chores, friends and family. Listen to this NPR report.

District 11 gets nearly $1 million to roll out health/P.E. standards

COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado Springs District 11 has received a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to assist with implementing the new state standards for health and P.E. The grant, totaling $914,958 over three years, will provide assistance in completing a “crosswalk” to compare current lesson plans to the new standards, selecting and purchasing a new curriculum, conducting an audit of P.E. equipment at each school, fulfilling equipment needs that are tied to the new curriculum, and the purchase of SOFIT software to measure the impact of this program on students’ physical fitness over time.

The grant will also pay for a half‐time coach/coordinator to manage the entire process.

Legacy Foundation gets $1.6 million to support healthy schools

The Colorado Legacy Foundation has received a three-year, $1,4 million grant from the Colorado Health Foundation to support its Health and Wellness program and a $300,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to continue work on Expanded Learning Opportunities. This funding is in addition to continued support for general operating funds given by the Piton Foundation.

The foundation takes a comprehensive and strategic approach to advancing health and wellness in public education because of the clearly established links between healthy students and staff, safe and supportive school climates and academic outcomes.

The money will be used to increase awareness among educational stakeholders of the critical link between health and academic outcomes; to convene educational leaders through face-to-face and virtual information exchange and peer learning communities; to create and disseminate health and wellness tools and resources; to reward the implementation of model school district policy through competitive grant and recognition awards; and to monitor and evaluate progress through supporting the development of assessment and accreditation tools.

Denver students run a mile a day

Kids Running America is joining forces with Johnson Elementary to make a big difference in the student’s lives by helping them cross the marathon finish line. KRA and Johnson Elementary want to show the community that they care about the health and future of their students.

With the support of the entire faculty, administration, Beacon Neighborhood Center and Kids Running America, the students have started running one mile at a time, to accrue the 25.2 miles needed until their Final Mile Event, which will be held at Johnson Elementary this month.

In order to make this possible Kids Running America, Johnson Elementary, The Denver Public School Foundation, and Kaiser Permanente have come together to ensure that each student can participate in this life changing endeavor.

Rapping to better health

DENVER – It is called Rap Cool Health and through singing, dancing and rapping, students are learning how to prevent disease and live a healthier life. With Funding from Centura Health instructors from the Rap Cool Health program are teaching students in Adams County School District 50 how to prevent and recognize some serious health issues. Watch this 9NEWS report.

Boulder fifth-graders log 600-plus days walking/biking to school

Fifth-grader Max Robson rode his bike or walked to Foothill Elementary School every day for the past five years.

When he broke his arm in fourth grade, he walked. When the temperature plummeted below zero and driving snow created blizzard conditions in second grade, he walked — carrying his bike and with tears coursing down his face. When the weather was nice, he sometimes traded his bike for a unicycle. Read more and watch the video in the Daily Camera.

 

About our First Person series:

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others trying to improve public education. Read our submission guidelines here.