The bad news: Many recent reports lately have focused on schools eliminating recess:
- A recent survey by a Virginia group showed that one in 10 schools doesn't offer recess, defined as 30 minutes of unstructured play.
- This Birmingham News article delves into the subject and some of the reasons why, in some places, recess has fallen out of favor.
Now for the good news: Health has released its list of "America's Healthiest Schools," including a handful in the South. Five of the Top 10 were from our region. It's encouraging to read about schools that are going the extra mile to teach kids about fitness and healthy eating.
At a time when we're hearing more and more about the rise of childhood obesity and its lifelong effects, it's encouraging to learn about creative approaches to improve the health of our kids. As Health points out, the average American child spends nearly 12,000 hours in school from kingdergarten through 12th grade, a lot of time to learn lifelong habits.
Among the schools recognized:
- Florida: Miami Springs Middle has eliminated all white-flour products and serves fresh fruits and veggies instead of fried foods.
- Georgia: W.C. Britt Elementary in Snellville incorporates school gardening and farm visits into their curriculum.
- Kentucky: At Lakewood Elementary In Cecilia, each student sets an individual fitness goal in PE and learns how to monitor her progress.
- Mississippi: Amory Middle has become a national model, ranking No. 2 overall. School leaders are working to combat the state's obesity problem through creative solutions, like an on-site rock climbing wall and fitness center that offers family-friendly activities twice a week.
Kudos to the administrators, teachers, and community leaders who've come up with these innovative programs.
Has your child's school developed programs to teach healthy habits? Changed their cafeteria offerings or expanded PE?
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