Central Coast
Regional Award Winner
Regional Award Winner
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Fremont 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 Schools are in a unique position to help children learn good health practices. Here at Fremont our commitment is strong in promoting healthy eating on campus during; it’s been the one discussion and reminder at all Monday morning assemblies. We believe exercising and eating healthy go hand in hand, so we began our action plan to improve our eating habits as well as our physical heath. We are very fortunate that our District Food Services Department provides a food service program based on regular healthy lunch services and includes other healthy snacks and breakfast programs. All breakfast and lunch meals meet the nutritional standards; fresh fruits, salad, and/or vegetables are offered at every meal. Through a special grant we provide free healthy meals to all students at our school. We also have visuals posted in the cafeteria’s walls to promote and encourage healthy eating habits. Also, we have taken it a step further; Fremont has a garden club which plants vegetables and fruits. They care for them and often our students have some of our own vegetables for lunch or make their own salads or soups for their classrooms. Our club provides an environment in which students can learn to make healthier food choices for lifelong health. This year we had a special guest Assemblyman, Mr. Sam Farr visited our school and garden, and he too, was very impressed with our commitment to promoting nutritional eating habits. We continue to promote healthier choices and support our district policy for the well being of our students. Our teachers are implementing lessons and activities that promote student awareness of good eating habits, good choices and exercise plan. Many of our teachers implemented a plan which included less television and/or video games and more outdoor playing, riding bikes, and/or play sports. Many of our students kept track of the amount of time spent in both areas and graphed the end results; making them responsible for their well-being. Our teachers realize it takes planning to eat smart, so for a class parties or class rewards; their treats are now jello treats, fruit salads, granola bars, yogurt ice cream, too! Our students are being exposed to the relationship of eating healthier and exercising. The Nutrition Network Teacher visits all 3rd through 6th grade classrooms and provides lessons on “making healthy choices”. Each class has a weekly nutrition lessons, hands on garden activities. Our students share this valuable information with their parents in turn they are bringing healthier snacks to school. Our commitment for change has also extended to our parents. At all parent meetings we invite our district nutrition representatives and they have provided workshops for parents but most importantly they give parents cooking lessons, recipes, ideas, and healthy food to sample i.e. yogurt, smoothies, fruit cups, quesadillas on wheat tortillas etc... Our parents are often surprised with the taste and appreciate the ideas. Fremont has made it their priority to reach out to our parents and encourage them to develop healthier food choices for their entire families. Essay 2 - Support of Students’ Physical Activity and Fitness Commitment and support of students’ physical activity and fitness is important to the entire student body, staff, and parents—it’s our top priority. Our students, parents and staff are excited about exercising. Our teachers provide daily exercise routine that focused in targeting cardiovascular fitness; receiving 100 minutes of Physical Education instruction. During our recesses, with the commitment of our teachers we offer basketball activities, golf, soccer games, jog-walk laps and track. Our teachers are truly role models and committed—with excellent strategies to implement these classes and/or activities. We also have classroom softball leagues where difference classes compete against each other. At the end of the tournament the winners receive medals for their participation. All grades 4 through 6 have the opportunity to join organized after school sports programs such as football, softball, basketball, soccer leagues, physical fitness class and our dance folkloric group. We have over hundred (100) students participating in these programs; which has impacted their well being. Our 5th graders are trained for the State Physical Education Test. Throughout the year these students practice a variety of physical activities such as strength, sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, mile run—providing sufficient training for the test. These physical activities have encouraged our students to become more active—these changes have truly made a difference. Students seem more focused and ready to learn after exercising. Our teachers feel more alert and eager to get started, too. Students seem more confident, independent, self-controlled, and resilient. They also strive for personal achievable goals and some assume leadership roles and accept responsibilities for their own behavior and we have noticed many of our students have improved in their academic performance. We continuously encourage our students to learn new skills and games during P.E, recess and after school. At Fremont, we are proud of promoting and supporting physical fitness. Essay 3- Need For a New Fitness Center Fremont Elementary is a school of 712 students in Salinas, California. 100 percent of our student body is socio-economic disadvantaged. Fremont has a high percent of low income families therefore, hindering them from joining any extra-curricular activities. We are most certainly need of a fitness facility to exercise. Our entire school community will benefit from an on-campus fitness center. We will benefit from the facility because we will use it before, during and after school. We will also incorporate our after school activities with the fitness center which we now serve over 100 students. We also offer Saturday school and we will offer before, during and after school fitness time, too. Our fitness facility would offer our school community incredible amount opportunities to work out at school and toward a healthier life-style. Currently we don’t have a multi-purpose room; we have portable trailer that only accommodates about 100 students at a time. Our multipurpose room has been closed for the past two years due to mold. We have been told it might be 3-5 years before we get a multipurpose room. It has been a struggle because we don’t have a place to meet during inclement weather. We do not have at indoor facilities that can contain an entire class. A new fitness center would give us this opportunity. Our students are motivated and we want to keep the rhythm and momentum going. We are located on the eastside of Salinas and the nearest facilities such as the boys and girls club, YMCA, or public pool are on the other side of town. We don’t have a fitness center near by or walking distance for our students. Participating in the Governor’s Challenge has brought awareness to our student body—healthier lifestyle, healthy eating habits and physical fitness. Placing a fitness center is well deserved; it will help create an opportunity to impact our students by improving physical health thus, improving academic performance. |
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