Healthy School Team Success Stories
Healthy School Team Leaders (HST) are charged with selecting projects that suit the needs of their school’s students and staff, so projects vary widely. The Winter Park Health Foundation provides financial support for team leadership and mini-grants for projects and activities. Here are some of the HST success stories from Winter Park Consortium schools during the 2008-2009 school year.
Winter Park High School Main Campus
At WPHS, one of the highlights was the Florida 220 smoking cessation program. The HST worked with the Student Government Association to engage every student and teacher on a Monday and Tuesday of one week in a mystery that was revealed on Wednesday. Teachers wore black shirts with “Florida 220” printed on the front. Teachers had signs up and announcements were made calling attention to the mystery number 220. On Wednesday, as students walked on campus, they were greeted by 220 empty pairs of shoes lined up. They were also faced with the banner “Every 3 days 220 people die in Florida due to Smoking Cigarettes.” During lunch, representatives of the American Cancer Society handed out information and brochures on smoking cessation.
Winter Park 9th Grade Center
HST leaders here were most proud of the series of boot camps they hosted this year called the Get Fit Challenge. The program included fitness and nutrition sessions and was open to anyone. The one-time project was so popular the HST offered it five times. Everyone participating saw results in weight loss, inches lost, strength and endurance gains, etc., according to the HST. One student who has asthma even saw an increase in her lung capacity because of boot camp sessions.
Another success was the Relay for Life event. Fifty-three students helped plan and participate in the event and nearly $4,000 was raised through a variety of activities, including three-on-three basketball games on campus. A majority of the students participated in the event throughout the entire evening and increased their awareness of cancer-related issues.
Glenridge Middle
The Glenridge HST helped host a school wide health fair featuring student-led projects on healthy living and activities. The HST also sponsored a “Closet of Care” through which breakfast was provided for Glenridge students known to be homeless.
Maitland Middle
HST members helped host “Self-Propelled,” the school’s First Annual After-School Bike Ride. Stations were set up along the route with various safety demonstrations and activities presented by the Maitland Police Department. The school’s HST also had success with a spin club for faculty members.
Aloma Elementary
Aloma’s HST launched a “Walk ‘n Roll” program to encourage students to walk or roll to school on the second Wednesday of each month. It was designed to improve the fitness of students, as well as decrease traffic and air pollution. It also hosted a 12-week Biggest Loser weight loss competition for staff.
Audubon Park Elementary
At Audubon Park Elementary, the Healthy Expo and the Healthy School Week activities were success stories. During Healthy School Week, students received prize tickets for healthy eating and activities and for promising to stay away from drugs and for helping others. The prizes awarded were sports-related. The Health Expo held during the middle of the week, included the participation of a wide range of businesses ranging from Sweet Tomatoes restaurant to Harwood Dance Studio
Brookshire Elementary
Brookshire’s most successful activities included the before- and after-school clubs—for running, jumping rope, swimming, dancing, the performing arts and Girls on the Run-- providing healthy physical activity for children. The culminating activity—the first annual swim meet for the swim club-- was an especially positive event.
Cheney Elementary
Cheney Elementary took great pride in staging its Healthy School Field Day which included events to encourage healthy lifestyles. This’ year’s event included Geo-Fitness, karate and yoga activities. The HST hopes to spark student interest in activities they can enjoy for a lifetime.
Dommerich Elementary
The Dommerich HST found great success in supporting training for teachers in “the responsive classroom approach” that emphasizes students' social and emotional development as well as academic growth.
Hungerford Elementary
The nutrition program is one of Hungerford’s most successful activities. Students learn to read food labels, learn about the food pyramid and the dangers of too much fat and sugar. Students also make salads and decorate the room like a restaurant. In addition, the students bring in canned foods to read the food label, and then the cans are distributed to the needy.
Lakemont Elementary
Lakemont had success with its running club—for teachers, parents and students—as well as its walking and health awareness clubs. Also popular was the Mobius Climber Fitness Trail, an event in which students worked on upper body strength on exercise equipment.
Lake Sybelia Elementary
The HST’s running, walking and jogging promotions have been most popular at Lake Sybelia. The before school running club is very popular, as is participation in the annual Fast Start Track and Field Invitational and the Smile Mile run. Some of the school’s older students are now entering Track Shack events as well