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School In The Spotlight
Sierra Cascade
Regional Award Winner
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Grand Oaks 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
Grand Oaks School is committed to providing students the opportunity to experience the benefits of healthy eating, physical activity, and goal setting so they can progress towards their potential for learning, health and fulfilling lives, now and into the future.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said that, “The human body was designed to walk forty miles a day and hunt saber-toothed tigers”. We agree and have adopted the slogan “From sedentary to extraordinary, from active to enduring” for Grand Oaks School. This slogan is what we communicate and demonstrate to our students, parents, staff, board members and community.
Words however, are not enough. For results and improvements in the lives of students, we believe it takes action, passion and unwavering persistence towards common goals. Thus, we have taken the following steps to improve our schools nutrition and physical activity environment:
• Implemented a fresh vegetable and fruit bar for ALL school lunches.
• Implemented nutrient standard menu planning to better communicate nutrition information.
• Implemented two entrée choices in order to encourage greater lunch participation.
• Have improved campus-wide food choices to meet all nutritional requirements of legislation and our Wellness policy.
• Matt Diskin, who developed the “Kinetic Classroom”, works with Grand Oaks students to encourage them in physical activity habits.
• Patty Mancuso R.D, R.N, works with Grand Oaks Students to provide nutrition education.
• Director of Nutrition Services, Fred Schafer, has built a culture of excellence for fitness and nutrition.
We have stellar leadership and a winning attitude. Grand Oaks School free and reduced lunch rate is over 75%. Many of our students have never experienced what this fitness lab will be able to enrich their lives with. Thus, we look forward to using the lab to help our students learn better, live longer, dream bigger and grow stronger.
Essay 2 - Support of Students’ Physical Activity and Fitness
Grand Oaks Elementary School is committed to teaching to the whole child. In recent years, greater emphasis has been placed on teaching academic standards. This can result in less time for essential subjects like Physical Education. Our school has adopted a philosophy to teach smarter, without eliminating crucial areas for student growth, like physical education. We continuously search for strategies and elements that have helped our school put a greater focus on physical education.
Mr. Diskin, our grant funded P.E. coordinator, provides our teachers with excellent strategies to implement physical education classes. Mr. Diskin trains our fifth graders for the State Physical Education Test. Our fifth graders have out performed the previous fifth grade scores three years in a row. Another of his duties includes a physical challenge activity during lunch recess. Our district continues to fund his position, though the grant has ended.
Our school has taken additional steps to ensure our students are receiving adequate opportunities for physical activities:
• We employ a physical education paraprofessional.
• We eliminated 15 minutes of morning recess, replacing it with 30 minutes of daily physical education.
• We purchased equipment for all grade levels so that students would be less idle during the lunch recess.
• Students are taught a variety of physical activities game during the first six weeks of the school year—providing a foundation for choosing activities.
Our school implemented a mileage club. Students walk or jog laps, receiving shoelace charms. The charms represent numbers of completed miles. Student’s names are placed on a recognition bulletin board resembling a large oval track. As a symbol of unity, a U.S. map hangs in our cafeteria, illustrating the number of miles students have traveled ‘collectively’ spreading the message of health and fitness.
Essay 3- Need For a New Fitness Center
Grand Oaks Schools dream of a new fitness lab, would enrich our children to learn better, live longer, dream bigger and grow stronger.
G is for GRAND OAKS SCHOOL, the Eagles soar high.
O is for our OUTSTANDING school, and let me tell you why.
V is for VICTORY, we hope to succeed.
E is for EXCELLENCE, our students take the lead.
R is for READY, we will strive for the best.
N is for NEWSWORTHY, we won’t settle for less.
O is for OBVIOUS; Grand Oaks deserves to win the test.
R is for RIGOUROUS, we are ready to show.
S is for STRENGTH, just watch us grow.
C is for CHALLENGE, we have been put to the test.
H is for HOPEFUL, we will be chosen as the best.
A is for ATHLETICS, this fitness lab we desperately need.
L is for LISTENING, to our healthy plead.
L is for LIVING LIFE, as fit and healthy as can be.
E is for ENERGY, we all will soon feel.
N is for NECESSITY, “So Let’s Make a Deal”.
G is for GRATITUDE, our hearts will be full.
E is for EVERLASTING habits, through our lives we will pull.
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More Schools In The Spotlight
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| Los Angeles |
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Marvin Elementary
School of the Year |
The Grand Prize winning school in the 2007 Governor's Challenge Competition was announced September 18th in conjunction with the Council's 2007 Spotlight Award ceremony.
Thanks to support from the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, the Grand Prize winning school received a brand new physical activity center and the eleven Regional Award winning schools each received a check for $1,000 to purchase physical activity equipment.
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| Contra Costa |
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Bay Area
Regional Award Winner |
Holbrook 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
Holbrook Elementary School has a staff dedicated to the health and fitness of our students. We believe it is necessary to improve physical health in order to improve academic performance. Healthy eating habits are paramount in developing physical health.
Holbrook is committed ...
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| Monterey |
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Central Coast
Regional Award Winner |
Martin Luther King Jr. Academy submitted the following three essays for consideration of the Governor's Challenge Competition Grand Prize:
Essay 1 - Commitment to Promoting Healthy Eating on Campus
Martin Luther King Jr. Academy is an exemplary model of a healthy school. Each class participates in weekly nutrition education classes and hands on garden based learning. Through garden based learning, students are able to plant fruits and vegetables ...
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| Kern |
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Central Valley
Regional Award Winner |
El Tejon 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
El Tejon School is exceptionally committed to promoting healthy eating on campus. In the cafeteria, healthier menus and more balanced meals are being served, with more fruits and vegetables being served at lunchtime. The calorie counts on the meals served have ...
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| Riverside |
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Desert Sierra
Regional Award Winner |
Cottonwood 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
District-Wide:
Our district has adopted Student Wellness Policy BP 5030 & AR 5030 whose purpose is designed to promote the health and well being of students and to promote a lifelong healthy lifestyle with a focus on Health, Physical Education and Nutrition. ...
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| Ventura |
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Gold Coast
Regional Award Winner |
Meiners Oaks 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
At Meiners Oaks we take the job of educating our students on the benefits of eating healthy very seriously. First and foremost, we ensure that students are well nourished throughout the day by providing a healthy snack and lunch through our ...
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| Sacramento |
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Gold Country
Regional Award Winner |
Hazel Strauch 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
Hazel Strauch Elementary has realized that healthy eating has to start as early as possible which means with us. This year, we have changed many things about the way our kids eat. Junk food, soda and candy have been banned at ...
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| Los Angeles |
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Los Angeles
Regional Award Winner |
Marvin 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
Our school is firmly committed to promoting healthy eating habits. We recognize that healthy eating is perhaps the most difficult component of health and fitness. Not only do we try to reverse bad eating habits but also strive to instill healthy-eating diets ...
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| Sonoma |
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North Coast
Regional Award Winner |
Miwok Valley 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
Miwok Valley Elementary School is committed to healthy eating on campus. Roughly fifty-percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunches, so what we serve daily is an important nutritional link to our students well-being. We have enacted an ambitious ...
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| Orange |
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Orange County
Regional Award Winner |
Glenknoll 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
Recognizing the link between health and learning goals, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District had developed goals to provide nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities promoting wellness. At first Glenknoll Elementary resisted the district nudging us along. We reviewed district ...
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| San Diego |
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San Diego/Imperial
Regional Award Winner |
Pepper Drive 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
“I ate an apple today instead of Cheetos.” “I love kiwis!” This is music to our ears! Our students think about what kind of fuel they put into their bodies!! Pepper Drive teachers always look for ways to incorporate discussions on ...
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