San Diego and Imperial
Regional Award Winner
Regional Award Winner
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Kelly Elementary submitted the following three essays for consideration of the Governor's Challenge Competition Grand Prize: Essay 1 - Commitment to Promoting Healthy Eating on Campus Kelly Elementary works collaboratively with the Carlsbad Unified School District’s Wellness Committee to increase positive school-wide awareness in regards to the Board Policy 3550 that states, “…students need adequate, nourishing food in order to grow, learn and maintain good health.” Weekly Cougar envelopes, PTA newsletters, district website links, and classroom practices all focus on leading children to make healthy choices. The implementation of the California Dairy Council’s Nutrition curriculum reinforces the importance of these healthy practices. This high interest program led one teacher to field-test curriculum for the Dairy Council. The students were so motivated by the activities, that they did further research and invited Council members in to assist in creating a clear curriculum. This involvement and commitment is evident throughout the Kelly community. The school community holds healthy nutritional choices in such a high priority that they came together with fund-raising efforts to purchase and implement a salad bar for Kelly School. The school works closely with the food services department of the district to establish the salad bar and continues to collaborate to guarantee its on-going success. Despite not having appropriate on-site refrigeration for the contents, the district has created a system with the high school to deliver the contents of the salad bar daily. Students choose the salad bar over the more notable processed lunches. In addition, those who usually would not purchase school lunches are choosing to use this resource daily. With the collaboration of parents, local Eagle Scouts, and the Kelly community, we designed a school garden, which produces non-invasive fruits and vegetables, helping students to embrace natural and organic foods. As they have invested in the garden’s success, students are proud of their efforts and are thus more encouraged to eat these healthy alternatives in this relaxing and calming atmosphere. Essay 2 - Support of Students’ Physical Activity and Fitness Kelly Elementary has been a key competitor in the Governor’s Challenge with 100% participation and completion of challenges two years in a row winning most active days for our region. This happens because in keeping with our Mission and Vision statement, Kelly School has made physical activity and fitness a top priority threaded throughout every component of the school knowing that it benefits the students physically, mentally, spiritually and socially. By hiring a qualified part-time P.E. teacher, our PTA financially supports this mission by ensuring that all students receive 200 minutes of standards-based physical education classes every 10 days, and students participate in a daily morning mileage running club to start their day off right! For the past four years all students six years old and above have participated in the Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge. As a result of this commitment, 226 students out of 411 received either Presidential or National Fitness Awards in 2009, which is an increase of 15% from 2008. Consistently collaborating, teachers and parents promote physical activity and fitness. This is evident by the fact that many not only attend workshops and health fairs but also bring back the information in order to implement it to all students. One such program was the Padre inspired exercises entitled Instant Recess. This DVD, which can be projected throughout the school, is intended to have students exercise in each classroom in order to perform better academically. Due to the removal of the antiquated playground equipment, teachers implement innovative specialized programs that accommodate the older design of our school. These include SPARKS, Playball, Fitness Fridays, Football Fridays, and lunchtime intra-mural sports. Some fitness opportunities include the annual Jog-a-Thon, Cougar Challenge Playground Tournaments, Field Day, Mini-March Madness (basketball tournament) which are successful due to the dedication of the Kelly community. Essay 3- Need For a New Fitness Center To continue the momentum we have created in support of our Mission/Vision statement for healthy choices for minds, bodies, and spirits, Kelly’s Fitness Center would support all students. While our campus enjoys a park-like setting, in inclement weather we have no enclosed facility for proper physical fitness. Our black top area is uneven and very small, our playground equipment is severely outdated, and during rainy weather this area becomes unusable due to standing water. The school lost one of its swing sets due to safety hazards presented to the children. The field is also uneven and difficult to run on. A fitness center would provide an added alternative to outdoor activities. In the 2008-2009 school year, our population increased with the addition of two Severely Handicapped classes. These students came to us with a variety of special needs that can be supported through the use of a fitness facility. The school needs to use proposition bond monies in order to be compliant with the American Disabilities Act and thus, does not have the funding to purchase new equipment. A fitness facility will give students exposure to a variety of exercise, especially to those who are unmotivated by traditional methods. For students not involved in fitness activities due to a lack of financial resources, Kelly’s Fitness Center will allow the school to support these students within their school day. Families, staff, and community members will use the facility after school, in the evenings, and on weekends to allow adults to model good fitness choices and continue to build positive working relationships. A new fitness lab will provide a forum to the entire Kelly community to learn about fitness and healthy habits-thereby giving them a foundation for lifelong healthy lifestyles. |
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