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February 13, 2007
Setting a Good Example
State law required every Illinois school district to create a wellness policy for the 2006-07 school year to battle obesity and improve health habits. The mandate arrived without state funding, during a time when teachers complain that they have enough on their plates--so to speak--in trying to improve test scores and complete paperwork.
The district's wellness policy lists nutritional guidelines to be followed during school-sponsored events, encouraging the use of fruits and vegetables and noting, for instance, that ketchup, potato chips and pickled relish do not count in those categories.
The policy requires that topics such as nutrition, disease prevention and health promotion be incorporated into class curriculum. One of the more difficult directives states that food should not be used to reward pupils. That brings into question the popularity of pizza parties or candy incentives in the classroom. In the cafeteria, Doritos have been replaced with baked chips and popcorn shrimp is no longer on the lunch menu.
Across Evanston-Skokie Elementary School District 65, pupils have joined yoga clubs, planted gardens and begun drinking more water. At Lincolnwood the wellness effort started with the staff during an eight-week fitness challenge that ends March 16. A bulletin board in the teachers lounge lists eight teams of six people each who accumulate points throughout the week if they meet goals such as eating a healthful breakfast, reading for 15 minutes, exercising for 30 minutes or meeting a 25-gram daily fiber requirement.
Posted by Lisa at February 13, 2007 7:24 AM
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