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It’s October 31st (2010) and the hallways of Fleetwood-Bawden Elementary School in Lethbridge are teaming with vampires and “Voldemorts,” pirates and princesses, monsters and mimes.
Assistant principal Teresa Loewen is hard at work; she’s on the hunt in the hallways and classrooms for a Halloween cupcake, a rice crispy square or a sweet treat of some kind, so she can give it to a local school bus driver in thanks for their excellent work. The “problem” is that her school-wide search leads only to fruit plates, veggie trays, cheese and cracker plates, and popcorn; there’s nary a cupcake in sight!
Laughing at her futile search, Loewen says, “I’m amazed at how far we’ve come. Five years ago, I would have been able to offer the bus driver something other than carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. But not anymore!”
Loewen’s laughter, however, cannot mask the pride in her voice. The substitution of fresh, real food for sweet treats at the students’ Halloween parties is just one example of the school’s success in promoting healthy living to its students.
First Steps: Forming the Healthy Schools in Action Committee
Several years ago, parents and teachers alike began to notice, and become concerned about, student inactivity, “junk food” lunches, and the use of unhealthy snacks as motivators or learning rewards.
Prompted by these observations, the school community—teachers, parents, and administrators—met to figure out how, at the school level, they could encourage students to make healthier lifestyle choices.
From this initial meeting, in a partnership between the school and the Chinook Health Region, the Healthy Schools in Action Committee was formed. The group assessed the state of students’ nutritional and physical well-being, and identified needs and strategies for the upcoming year. They decided that students’ needs would best be met through a comprehensive approach, implementing a variety of health-based initiatives over a period of time.
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Physical Wellness
Guided by the committee’s recommendations, teachers and administrators began to implement a number of school-wide initiatives that focused primarily on physical wellness.
For example, students participate in the Health Hustle every morning.
- If the weather is good, the Health Hustle brings the entire student body outdoors for 10 minutes or so of walking, running, or playing.
- If the weather is poor, students exercise and dance in school hallways with music playing over the intercom.
- “The Health Hustle is one of our most popular activities,” says Loewen. “Students love the fun of it and teachers say students are more ready to learn when they’ve had a chance to be active.”
Other exciting new initiatives include:
- Barrel of Fun Fridays: approximately 25 activity bags contain equipment and instructions for games that can be played easily in classrooms or hallways, such as ring toss, skipping, and foam bowling.
- Activity videos: once a week, the Health Hustle is replaced by in-class use of aerobics or yoga videos.
- Healthy Living Mentoring Project: students from two local schools have visited Fleetwood-Bawden to learn about the Health Hustle and Barrel of Fun initiatives. Then Grades 4 and 5 ambassadors from Fleetwood-Bawden traveled to these schools to help them implement the programs.
Nutrition Awareness
By 2008, says Loewen, physical activity had become “a part of the daily routine” at Fleetwood-Bawden. So the Healthy U Committee (which took the place of the Healthy Schools in Action Committee) decided to build on the success of these programs by adding nutrition awareness to its slate of health-based initiatives.
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Again, the guiding philosophy was to introduce a variety of programs—all emphasizing the importance of healthy eating—over an extended period of time.
- For example, the hot lunch program was revamped: no more pop, no more chocolate milk, and plenty of healthy options such as whole wheat bread, fruit smoothies, and fresh vegetables.
- As well, the school got rid of its pop and juice machines to encourage students to drink more water.
Parents and the school council have been appreciative and supportive of the Healthy U Committee initiatives. Minnie Alexander, chair of the school council, believes that her son is benefitting from the way home and school are working together to create a healthy community. “As a parent,” says Alexander, “I can tell my son almost anything; but when the teachers say it, it’s gospel.”
The role of parents is particularly noticeable on Fruit Fridays, which happen once a month. Two parents visit each classroom, giving students and teachers the chance to sample a piece of fruit and learn a fruit fact. The school council pays for, prepares, and delivers the fruit. “We make it fun for the students,” says Alexander. “We dress up in silly costumes—last month I was an apple and another parent was a banana—and teach the kids about healthy eating.” Treats, not Sweets!
Central to the nutrition philosophy at Fleetwood-Bawden is the idea that a “treat” does not necessarily mean something sweet to eat. A few years ago, classroom parties centred around sweet treats, and learning incentives and rewards often involved candy or desserts.
Now, if a teacher wants to reward the class for behaviour or performance, the “treat” might be a longer recess, time to play outside, or a trip to the nearby skating rink or swimming pool. Sugary prizes have morphed into healthier rewards.
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Wellness Fund Grant Fuels Program Growth
In 2009, with the goal of enhancing and formalizing its many healthy school initiatives, the Health U Committee received a grant from Alberta Healthy School Community Wellness Fund to hire a health coordinator for Fleetwood-Bawden.
For an eight-month stint, from September 2009 to June 2010, the health coordinator enhanced existing strategies, heightened awareness of the importance of healthy living, worked with the Healthy U Committee to devise new initiatives, solicited parents’ healthy living ideas, and spearheaded the school’s involvement at a Healthy and Active Schools Symposium, which took place in Lethbridge in February, 2010.
Loewen is thrilled with the health coordinator’s accomplishments: “Because of the health coordinator, our programs have flourished. In addition, we have an incredibly supportive staff, so I know the momentum will continue.”
Looking Ahead
With active living and healthy eating initiatives well underway, Fleetwood-Bawden has turned its eyes to a third dimension of healthy living—mental well-being.
Acknowledging the challenges in this area, Loewen says, “Increasing school wellness is not an easy task. But given the strong connection between wellness and learning, school wellness is a challenge that has to be addressed.” Whatever the future brings, it’s clear that students, parents, teachers and administrators have momentum on their side, including a strong track record of teamwork and boosting the physical wellness of students – proof positive that there's nothing sweeter than a healthy school!
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