Gold Coast
Regional Award Winner
Regional Award Winner
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Robert J. Frank Intermediate submitted the following three essays for consideration of the Governor's Challenge Competition Grand Prize: Essay 1 - Commitment to Promoting Healthy Eating on Campus The Governor’s Challenge has motivated a systemic change on our campus to improve healthy eating for our entire learning community. An in-depth statistical examination of our student population at R. J. Frank Intermediate caused us to realize the need for extraordinary change and for that change to begin now! • 79% of students participating in our free/reduced lunch program are provided with two nutritious meals. All students participating in our STAR afterschool and athletic programs are served a nutritious snack. • We are piloting a hand sanitizing project in the cafeteria and snack lines. • While only one staff member was requested, three of our staff members currently participate on our District Wellness Committee. • Our school representatives on the District Wellness Committee made presentations to multiple staff meetings concerning food and beverage laws and the implementation of the district wellness policy. • All student vending machines have been removed from our campus. • Food items offered to students exceed or are in compliance with the state laws. • Our Physical Education teachers implement units on nutrition and the Food Pyramid. • Rather than unhealthy sales of chocolates and candies, we now use fundraisers such as garage sales, positive slogan t-shirt sales, coupon books, Smencils, recycling program, and roller skating nights. • Our partnership with local businesses provided healthy alternatives to traditional pizza sales. We now offer fruit smoothies from Blenders and locally grown berries from Driscoll Farms. • Our Health Fest included healthy cooking classes and recipes, organic food giveaways with literature from local health food markets and an organic farm. • We are establishing a school vegetable garden in collaboration with our afterschool program. “If you had told me that I would be buying strawberries instead of pizza, I would have said you were crazy!” Ramon H. Essay 2 - Support of Students’ Physical Activity and Fitness Our school community is physically active and engaged during and after school. • All students have daily PE, receiving 510 minutes of instruction every 10 days surpassing Ed. Code. • PE staff created a homework program involving parents in their children’s fitness programs. • Frank staff hosted and led district-wide trainings for educators on Fitnessgram administration and PE standards. • Field trip to California Fitness Challenge. • Students track target heart rate during exercise. • 58.9% of our staff demonstrated commitment to healthy living by offering fitness activities within and beyond their duty hours. • Sports teams/clubs are provided for all athletic levels including: three volleyball, five basketball, cross country, track, cheerleading, two softball, three soccer, climbing, tennis, flag-football, and wrestling. • Monthly Reward Activities included martial arts, the climbing wall and other campus sports. • Staff and student council offered special Governor’s Challenge activities during lunches and reward activities such as jump roping, dancing, limbo, fat-ball soccer, push-up and curl-up contests. • During state testing teachers provided yoga, heptathlon, and court games to release testing anxiety. • Welcome Nights for incoming students/parents featured a wrestling demonstration and climbing wall motivating participation in our physical fitness teams/clubs/activities. • On professional development days, staff was engaged in physical fitness activities for team building. Teachers were trained in 60 second, “Atrophy Blocker” exercise breaks. • Local businesses and non-profit organizations provided the following at Health Fest: bowling, climbing wall, fitness circuit, golf simulator, Jump Rope for Heart, fitness circuit, stationary bikes, gym passes, blood pressure checks, BMI readings, information on cancer and diabetes prevention, referrals to low-cost health insurance, t-shirts and pedometers. • Staff modeled physical fitness through activities such as Relay for Life, marathons, surfing, and the Carpinteria Relay Triathlon. “I never knew fitness could be so much fun!” Veronica D. Essay 3- Need For a New Fitness Center As a P.I. school making progress against the odds listed below, R. J. Frank is eager to use all resources made available. Some of the challenges we face are poverty, academic success, and gang violence. • Health and fitness statistics are alarming. 86.2% of our students are Hispanic. This is an ethnic group most susceptible to health problems related to obesity. 39% of these students had an unhealthy BMI. This statistic is 69% higher than the National average (NEA Today, March 2005). • 79% of our students participate in the free/reduced meal program. These families cannot afford a gym membership. This fitness center would provide an essential and free resource to improve overall health. • There are 26 documented gangs in Oxnard (Oxnard Police Department, 2008). A fitness center would offer another healthy link for at risk students and families to the community. • Only 14.6% of all 5th and 26% of all 7th grade students in our district passed all 6 components of the Fitnessgram in 2008. This constitutes the lowest and third lowest percentage out of over 17 school districts in Ventura County. This fitness center would be a critical tool to increase fitness levels. • The fitness center would be another incentive to improve behavior and academic performance (Newsweek, March 26, 2007). • The high tech, electronic nature of the fitness center would energize students to participate in physical fitness activities. • The plan would be to make the fitness center available during and after school hours with trained supervision. This fitness center and our ongoing healthy programs would boost self esteem, academic achievement, and fitness levels in addition to preventing illness and disease occurrences far too high in our community. “A fitness center at our school would be my dream come true.” Dulce G. |
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