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| NewsSunday, August 31, 2008 6:41 PM CDT |
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Colene Hoose taking a healthier step in rewarding students
NORMAL -- Leisa Barbour’s new fifth-grade class has decided to follow in its predecessor’s footsteps and adopt a healthy lifestyle in the classroom. But they won’t be alone. Principal Ed Heineman said the whole school is taking a healthier and more creative approach when recognizing students for positive behavior and on their birthdays. “We’re moving away from candy and baked goods and high calories, fats and sugar,” he said. Instead of giving candy on birthdays, Heineman said the school has purchased pencils. “The kids are just as excited about the pencil as they were about candy,” he said. Students might get book marks or notebooks as a reward for good choices and pizza parties will be replaced with a healthier option. The change was prompted by the success of Barbour’s 2007-08 class which took The Pantagraph’s Fit Kids fitness challenge. Fit Kids is a nearly yearlong project dedicated to identifying and highlighting common-sense approaches to preventing childhood obesity and developing healthier lifestyles for children and their parents. The students decided to bring healthy birthday treats to school and Barbour eliminated pop and candy from the classroom, opting instead for water and healthy snacks. The class also took two exercise breaks each day. Their quest toward healthier eating and increased exercise was chronicled in the newspaper and online at www.pantagraph.com/fitkids. “Looking at the research in childhood obesity and the problems with sugar, fat, weight issues and diabetes, we’ve become more cognizant,” Heineman said. “What really helped (in the school’s decision) is Leisa’s class. “The kids were so excited about (the healthier lifestyle). They felt better and were more alert. It impacted them in school.” Barbour said the success last year convinced her to continue the practice of banning pop and giving only healthy treats as rewards again this year. “We’re certainly going to do walks or other activities,” she said. “I want to be a good role model for healthy living.” She left the decision on bringing only nutritious birthday treats to her new students. “I feel the class needs to buy into that,” she said before school started. After her class started the school year, Barbour had a class meeting and brought up the idea. “They’re all onboard,” she said. “They’re pretty excited about it.” E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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