This winter, Ms. Osborne’s first grade class and Mr. Hagler’s second grade class participated in the Food, Fitness, and Fun ® program. This curriculum of six lessons on nutrition and physical activity were developed by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), a non-profit organization based in Washington, DC. As part of these lessons, elementary school students learned about the importance of healthy eating and regular physical activity to prevent diseases such as Type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and even some cancers. During the nutrition lessons, students learned about the different food groups, essential nutrients from each food group, the importance of a varied diet, and they were introduced to the concepts of portion sizes and reading food labels. By the end of the lessons, the children learned how to plan a healthy meal with foods from each of the food groups.
During the physical activity lessons, students were introduced to the three types of exercise (aerobic, strengthening, flexibility), the benefits of exercise, and they learned a variety of ways to be physically active at school and at home. Coach V with the assistance of Nurse Charles, emphasized the importance of growing up strong and healthy and learning to enjoy activity. On March 14, the teachers, students, and AIR staff gathered to celebrate the completion of the program by having the students participate in a physical activity wrap-up session, and then taste-test a variety of healthy snacks.
Implementation of the Food, Fitness, and Fun ® program at the Eagle Academy Public Charter School was made possible through the continuous support of Ms. Pinkney, Ms. Wilder, and the teachers who implemented the curriculum. The success of this program is a testament to the school’s commitment to teaching the next generation how to be as healthy as they can be through healthy eating and physical activity.
