Gold Medal Schools helps shape one school's fitness program
As a school whose parents, teachers, board members, and administration strive to offer our children the best, we have had to become creative in making sure that our kids stay active and healthy. It was fabulous to stumble upon the state’s Gold Medal Program, a program that has set the foundation for fitness, health awareness, and wellness in our school.
Truly, the Gold Medal Program has become the core of our fitness program. We have created excitement among the students to run and keep fit. The kids do their laps and compete for “feet” awards monthly, (each child gets a key chain and when they run 5 miles, they get a foot award to add to their chain), they hang their feet on their binders and backpacks proudly. The teachers have been terrific role models as they have run along side the students.
It is terrific to be able to provide a curriculum with such great fitness and academic balance. It is AWESOME to be a Gold Medal School.
-Angela Fehling, Gold Medal Chairman, Summit Academy
Physical activity increases for McMillan Elementary School students
I have seen wonderful changes in the students of our school as they have become more aware of their physical fitness. We have had a lap course added to our playground for the students to walk/run daily. There have been students come to me during their recess time and ask if they can practice their push-ups, pull-ups, curl-ups, and even run in the gym when the weather is bad outside. Many students stop in our hall to check out our map tracking where we have made it to so far. They are always amazed each month to see how their steps turn into laps, the laps turn into miles, and when added all together, take us such great distances as we travel our way around the world.
Our staff has also enjoyed the wellness programs we have completed. We have all become more aware of the amount of physical exercise, the amount of steps we take, and the amount and choices of fruits and veggies we have in a day.
The Gold Medal Schools program is a great tool that has benefited everyone in some way.
-Kim Montrone, School Coordinator, McMillan Elementary
Students at Liberty Elementary prefer non-food incentives
Since Liberty has been involved with the Gold Medal Schools program, we have experienced a number of subtle positive changes that have added up to make a big difference for our students and our school. Many teachers take part in a year-round weight management program, and they enjoy trying the different colors of fruits and vegetables as part of our annual Savor the Spectrum contest. Students also have the opportunity to try new healthy foods each day at lunch through our new fruits and veggies bar. Further, we have found that the majority of our students actually prefer non-food incentives; in fact, they can't wait to earn a token for our prize machine and, at only 25-cents each, tokens are a far more cost-effective option than candy bars. Students also love walking the Gold Medal Mile before and after school, at recess, and during the day with their teachers and friends. The number of miles that we have walked together as a school has increased by roughly 50% per year over the past two years. I just can't say enough good things about the program!
-Connie Amos, Principal, Liberty Elementary
Why 4th grader Maya M. Tatton likes the Gold Medal Schools program
I like the Gold Medal Mile because it gets your heart pumping. Another reason is because it gets you strong and healthy for the future. Gold Medal Mile is awesome, it’s fun and you get active. The whole thing is great for your body, health, and your whole life. If we didn’t have Gold Medal Mile we probably wouldn’t be as active as we are now.
Every Tuesday and Thursday at lunch resess, we get the opportunity to run as many miles as we can or want to.
-Myah M. Tatton, 4th grade student, Howard R. Driggs Elementary
Mariam Kergaye likes that the Gold Medal Mile teaches her teamwork
For me, my sister would say that I’m really lazy. This program has helped me achieve my goal of being heart healthy and active. Running has let me get my legs to develop for later in life programs. One word can sum up what Gold Medal Mile has taught lots of people and that word is Teamwork. We’re going to need to teach others teamwork and you can only do that by learning it yourself. That is why we need this program. That’s why us Drigg’s Dragons are doing it. Drigg’s Elementary School has made it all the way with this program. Go do Gold Medal Mile and be heart healthy with us all. That’s all that we all love to do.
-Mariam Kergaye, 4th grade student, Howard R. Driggs Elementary
Farmington Elementary students are motivated to be physically active
Farmington Elementary chose to participate in the Gold Medal Schools Program starting with the bronze level in the 2008-2009 school year. We began implementation with having students walk during first recess in order to earn foot tokens. It was amazing to see the level of enthusiasm and interest that students had in earning the foot tokens. Within our first few months of implementation we had several students earn their 50 mile token, and have already had one student earn his 100 mile token! Beginning in March, we held grade level challenges on a weekly basis to see which class could earn the most miles. Our students are highly motivated to be active during recess! We look forward to continuing to encourage students to be healthy and active.
-Bryan Dan Tesch, Principal, Farmington Elementary
Gold Medal Schools is an invaluable and irreplaceable program
As the Healthy Lifestyles Supervisor for the Davis School District one of my responsibilities is to oversee the K-12 physical education and health education programs in the district. In a time when childhood obesity and other health related issues are decimating our young people in record numbers, I consider Gold Medal Schools to be an invaluable and irreplaceable program to encourage activity and healthy lifestyles in our elementary age students.
I see the Gold Medal Schools program as one of our most valuable tools in educating our young people about the multiple benefits of activity and proper nutrition. Now is the time, and Gold Medal Schools is certainly one of the processes by which we, working together can reverse the current trend of obese children and set our students on a path to a healthy, productive, and enjoyable life.
-Steven R. Lindsay, Healthy Lifestyles Supervisor, Davis School District |
In 2004 I moved from Beehive Elementary in Kearns, Utah to Academy Park Elementary in West Valley City. I teach 6th grade and I am the school coordinator. There are three of us on the 6th grade team.
