Orange County Register

November 23, 2009

By ELYSSE JAMES

Columbus Tustin Middle School students gathered Monday morning to see the fruits of their labor – $6,000 – presented to the school.

Columbus Tustin Middle School was this year's regional winner in the Governor's Challenge, which awards schools with the most physically active students.

Executive Director Kenny Rogers of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports gave Columbus Tustin a $5,000 check to be used for physical fitness equipment and a $1,000 gift card for school supplies from CVS Pharmacy.

The school is one of 11 regional winners out of 1,165 schools in the competition.

Columbus was of 92 finalists statewide along with four other OrangeCounty schools – Tustin Unified's Pioneer Middle and Arroyo Elementary, Greentree Elementary in Irvine and Beatty Elementary of Buena Park.

To win, the students had to log 30 to 60 minutes of exercise at least three days a week for a month, in addition to meeting the state physical education requirements such as running a mile, doing crunches, pushups and other exercises. The students log their hours with teachers, and the teachers add it to their entry on the Governor's Web site.

The school has three physical education teachers – Shawn Post, Steve Dunmeyer and Chad Wilson. Classes are 42 minutes each day and have 60 to 75 students per teacher, with two to three classes on the field at a time.

Points are docked from classes when students forget their workout clothes or don't participate. Parents also can participate, and can win gift certificates and other perks by logging their own exercise on the governor's Web site.

The school, at 17952 Beneta Way, has participated in the challenge the last two years, and last year won $1,000. The campus will compete again for next year's prize.

This year's Governor's Challenge Competition runs through May 31. The winning elementary, middle and high schools in the state receive new fitness centers valued at $100,000.

Information: gov.ca.gov or tustin.k12.ca.us