Making Healthy Choices in 2019

By: Jennifer James, Vaughn Elementary, Frisco ISD

At Vaughn Elementary, we had our Frisco ISD Nutrition Department come out in January to help our students and staff make healthy choices in the New Year. For our kinder and 1 st grade students, they prepared a vegetable sample for students and teachers to taste while a dietitian spoke to them about nutrition and healthy eating. Our younger kiddos LOVED it and thought the vegetable sample was so yummy! For our 2 nd -5 th grade students, Frisco ISD chefs came in and demonstrated how to create a healthy vegetable stir fry recipe while... Read more

Health and Fitness Night

By: Ron Crawford, White Rock Elementary, Richardson ISD

The 3 rd Annual White Rock Elementary Health and Fitness Night was a great success! We had 19 vendors and 4 interactive performances. The theme this year was “Preventive Wellness” and the vendors reflected this theme. White Rock Elementary’s Wellness team hosted the event and planned out the details. Students had many incentives and prizes sponsored by the vendors, our PTA, and the Healthy Zone School grant.

Some of the highlights included:

Students making their own healthy snacks (21 Day Challenge/Medical City... Read more

Coy Miller Elementary Extreme Playground Makeover

By: Carrie Partain, Coy Miller Elementary, Frisco ISD

As our Healthy Zone School initiative, Miller Elementary took on a weekend community project to give our school playground and recess area an “Extreme Makeover”. By utilizing resources that were made possible by The Cooper Institute and United Way, we transformed our playground to a creative, interactive and educational space that provides enjoyment for our students during recess, physical education and after school programs. The teachers put together a unique design plan, then set up a community-wide event complete with staff,... Read more

Dr. Recess... So AMAZING!!!

By Jennifer James, Vaughn Elementary, Frisco ISD

Vaughn Elementary was so excited and pumped to have Dr. Recess come to our school on Monday, March 26th! Our students learned about recess games that promote healthy habits and an active lifestyle.

Dr. Curt Hinson, who is well-known as “Dr. Recess,” taught our Vaughn students new games that focus on keeping students active, working together in partners and as a team while having fun. His focus is on health, fitness, nutrition, and developmentally appropriate play for kids. Some of the ways that our students and school will... Read more

Sigler Chefs

By Melinda Hoover, Sigler Elementary, Plano ISD

Students at Sigler Elementary in Plano participate in an afterschool cooking club called Sigler Chefs. 2 nd through 4 th graders are chosen by their teachers to participate in this 4-week club that takes place every Friday afternoon during the spring semester. We begin each class talking about the importance of eating healthy afterschool snacks as well as what ingredients make a healthy snack healthy. After our discussion we cook/make snacks that fall under the “healthy” snack guidelines we have discussed. As a Title 1 campus, it is... Read more

Staff Wellness and Family Fitness Fun

By Juli Krepps, Donny O’Dell Elementary, Celina ISD

At O’Dell Elementary, we have dedicated ourselves to not only improving the health and wellness of our students; our focus this year is to reach out to our staff and families as well as continue to reach our students. Our “ODE”, as I like to call it, is driven to bridge the gap of information and inspiration between our school and community. We have instituted a few weekly and monthly activities, which involve accountability as well as the continued focus of overall health (including physical, mental and social health).

... Read more

Super Specials Clubs

By Carrie Partain, Coy Miller Elementary, Frisco ISD

This year Miller Elementary School is offering a new program we call Super Specials Clubs! Super Specials Clubs is an opportunity for the AMP (art, music, pe) Team to provide extensions and enrichment to our students. Each area has developed a plan to incorporate activities where students will gain additional skills and knowledge that will facilitate whole child growth. Some of the clubs we designed based on student responses are Miller Movers (dance team), Jammin' Jumpers (jump rope club), Play 60 Challenge Team (fitness and... Read more

Healthy Morning Announcements

By Carma Cameron, Akin Elementary, Wylie ISD

We at Akin are making an effort to encourage healthy choices and with that we are using our students to push the cause. Every Tuesday will be Tasty Tuesday, and on that morning the students who film our morning announcements will share a healthy nutritional choice. I am hoping that we will get videos, recipes, and examples from the students as we move forward. This is an example of our first Tasty Tuesday Announcements.

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Building Relationships from the Ground Up!

By Marcie Adame, Pathfinder Achievement Center, Garland ISD

Our mission at Pathfinder Achievement Center is to "Build Relationships." Because most of our students come to us in a state of "Fight or Flight," they have a difficult time connecting with peers and adults. At least 90% of our students are under Child Protection Services (CPS) and waiting for a permanent residence. They struggle with appropriate social behavior, anxiety, anger, and isolation.

As an advocate for community health and wellness, I am always exploring new ways to introduce individuals to activities... Read more

Fear Factor - Will you try it?

By: Adrienne Hergert, Billie Stevenson Elementary, Rockwall ISD

Billie Stevenson has been a Healthy Zone School for three years now. The beginning of our journey was the second year our campus was open. As a new school the students and I took creating a healthy environment very serious. The students and I felt like food education was going to be a key part in sustaining the healthy environment over a long period of time. With food education as the focus, Fear Factor was born.

First, our Youth Advisory Council began discussing how we could introduce new foods to students to... Read more