Kim and I just spent three wonderful days getting the Summer 2009 Drive 2 Fitness off to a good start at O'Donnell elementary in East Boston.
We spent the first day giving a class to each grade level (2 through 4) on the importance of the 5 daily health behaviors (getting 9-11 hours of sleep, eating 5-9 fruits and vegetables, not drinking sugar added beverages, watching less than 1 hour of TV, and being physically active for at least 1 hour.) The students' mouths dropped as we showed that there are 18 1/2 teaspoons of sugar in a 20 oz. bottle of ginger ale, they giggled as Kim got them up and moving around with a human version of "Bop It," and they came up with some pretty great alternatives to watching TV - including going to the park, playing with a pet, eating a fruit salad, and going rollerblading.
The second day was even better. On Tuesday we spent the day in the computer lab getting kids signed up on the website and showing them how they could track their behaviors online throughout the summer. They loved how they could click on "My Role Models" and check to see if their classroom teacher, their computer teacher, or even their principal was eating his or her fruits and vegetables! What was great about the second day was that while we were helping the students create accounts we were able to chat with them to explain further what counts as "1 vegetable," why drinking lots of sugar isn't very good for you, etc. and in doing so we heard comments like these:
A third grade girl told us: "I told my mom about the program and she really liked it and so we took an hour and a half walk yesterday."
A second grade boy told us: "I told my mom about the program so she gave me an extra veggie at dinner." A second boy chimed in that his mom added vegetables to some of his favorite foods without him knowing but he didn't mind at all.
On Wednesday I went to the parent council meeting to talk to O'Donnell parents about the program's goals and how it works in English and Spanish. One mother spoke up that she remembered our program from the previous year and that her son had really enjoyed it.
It was a great three days at O'Donnell! I was so impressed by the staff's dedication, the students' eagerness to learn and participate, and the parents' clear involvement in their children's education.
The second day was even better. On Tuesday we spent the day in the computer lab getting kids signed up on the website and showing them how they could track their behaviors online throughout the summer. They loved how they could click on "My Role Models" and check to see if their classroom teacher, their computer teacher, or even their principal was eating his or her fruits and vegetables! What was great about the second day was that while we were helping the students create accounts we were able to chat with them to explain further what counts as "1 vegetable," why drinking lots of sugar isn't very good for you, etc. and in doing so we heard comments like these:
A third grade girl told us: "I told my mom about the program and she really liked it and so we took an hour and a half walk yesterday."
A second grade boy told us: "I told my mom about the program so she gave me an extra veggie at dinner." A second boy chimed in that his mom added vegetables to some of his favorite foods without him knowing but he didn't mind at all.
On Wednesday I went to the parent council meeting to talk to O'Donnell parents about the program's goals and how it works in English and Spanish. One mother spoke up that she remembered our program from the previous year and that her son had really enjoyed it.
It was a great three days at O'Donnell! I was so impressed by the staff's dedication, the students' eagerness to learn and participate, and the parents' clear involvement in their children's education.
The summer is off to a great start!
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