Scarlett School Spring 2010 Update
The Project Healthy Schools (PHS) ten activities at Scarlett started in mid-January and finished in April. A big thanks goes out to the teachers and University student volunteers that taught the activities! Below are some pictures from our “Rainbow of Color” lesson where students make a fruit and vegetable salsa.
In other news, the Scarlett School Health Team is still in transition, trying to find the right fit at the school. If you are interested in being part of this group, which works on creating a healthy school environment, please contact Lindsey Mitchell at lseyfert@umich.edu or 975-7440.
March was National Nutrition Month and daily announcements for healthy eating tips were read over the loudspeaker and put in the e-notes communications. Also in March was the Scarlett Winter Carnival. Many games and activities were available for students and their families. Project Healthy Schools was there with a Healthy Jeopardy game, a jump rope contest, and air-popped popcorn!
Students who had parental consent participated in a health screening in April. This screening included cholesterol (optional), blood pressure, height, weight, a fitness test and a behavioral survey. Results will be mailed home to parents in the summer.
An upcoming event is the Fun Fair in June, organized by PTSO, and featuring many physical activities for students. Scarlett won a 3rd place award in the Healthy School Environment Recognition Program (HSERP) from the state of Michigan.
Scarlett School
The Project Healthy Schools (PHS) activities start at Scarlett the week of January 11th. The PHS kickoff was in early November and between then and January, the sixth grade students participated in two PHS gym class activities, circuit training and a boot camp class! The kids did well with both and definitely got their heart rates pumping!
Over the next couple of months the kids can look forward to:
- Creating PHS slogans
- Sampling a Balanced Choice lunch from the cafeteria
- Learning about healthy beverage choices
- Doing an exercise experiment
- Making fruit and vegetable salsa
- Developing healthy advertisements
And more!
In other news, the Scarlett School Health Team has merged with the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) via Health Place! Everyone is excited about joining efforts and getting more students involved in school wellness at Scarlett. Meetings will be every other Friday, starting January 15th!
Have any questions about Project Healthy Schools or the School Health Team? Contact Lindsey Mitchell at lseyfert@umich.edu or 975-7440.Scarlett website summer update
What Happened with Project Healthy Schools at Scarlett in 2008-2009?
- 186 sixth graders received PHS education and activities. 42 eighth graders were screened in the spring as part of a two-year follow up and also completed a health behavior questionnaire.
- A combination of PHS staff, two parents and five University of Michigan students taught the ten weekly PHS activities in the sixth grade advisories.
- A tracking competition was held over three weeks, where students logged their minutes of physical activity, as well as their fruit, vegetable, and healthy beverage intake. Mr. Strempek’s advisory accumulated the most points from the tracker so they celebrated with a smoothie party! As the winning advisory they also kept the Project Healthy Schools trophy and received pedometers.
- PHS visited the sixth grade PE classes twice in the fall. The first time included doing a fun circuit that focused on different types of exercises: relay races and jump rope for cardio, yoga for flexibility and dyna-bands and loops for strength. The second was a boot camp style class.
- PHS contributed to the end of the year Fun Fair with popsicles (a low-calorie treat!), water and staffing.
- The Scarlett School Health Team continued to meet over the course of this year. The biggest accomplishment was passing a two part school-wide health philosophy through Scarlett’s leadership team:
- For staff as well as adults visiting Scarlett, remember the phrase “Teach wellness.”
- For staff, other adults visiting the school, and students- “Live wellness.”
Look for more communication in the fall about this philosophy! We are really looking forward to using these statements as guidance for creating a healthier school environment at Scarlett. A special thank you goes out to Mr. Strempek and Mr. O’Neal.
- Other accomplishments of the School Health Team include the Fall Fun Run and the breakfast dance.
Have a safe, fun, and active summer! I look forward to another great year at Scarlett.
In Good Health,
Lindsey Mitchell, MPH
Scarlett PHS Wellness Coordinator
June, 2009
Lots happened this spring! Check back in July for more details.
February, 2009
Scarlett Winter Update ‘09
Many fun things are happening with Project Healthy Schools at Scarlett! First, the weekly activities started in the 6th grade advisories in January. Parents, University of Michigan students, and Project Healthy Schools staff all teach these activities in the classrooms.
So far the kids have:
- Learned about the PHS program goals.
- Tasted a Balanced Choice lunch from the cafeteria while reviewing MyPyramid.
- Sampled milk and found out how to make healthy beverage choices.
- Tried different physical activities to get their heart rates pumping.
- Made the ever-popular fruit and vegetable salsa.
The kids also tried out some fun PHS activities in their PE class back in December. They used dyna-bands and loops, tried yoga, did some fun cardio moves, and even went through a boot camp class!
Second, great things have happened with the Scarlett School Health Team over the course of the year. Check it out what the team has done:
- Helped with fall fun run.
- Lobbied to keep the refrigerated healthy vending machine.
- Held a vending machine survey so the kids could have a say in what is stocked.
- Held a breakfast dance so kids got active before school.
- Presented at a school leadership team meeting to encourage a healthy school environment.
- Are currently working on creating an online healthy Scarlett cookbook, composed of healthy party recipes from Scarlett families.
- Are currently planning to have a healthy table(s) at the Winter Carnival.
Are you interested in learning more about the health team or getting involved? Contact Lindsey Mitchell at lseyfert@umich.edu or 975-7440.
PHS Health Screenings
PHS will again be conducting health screenings in the spring with students who were screened as 6th and 7th graders, as long as they have turned in an informed consent. E-notes and newsletter announcements will be sent out when the date of the screening has been determined. Results will be mailed to the students’ homes in the summer like in previous years.
Free the Children Update
The Free the Children club, part of English as a Second Language and Geography clubs, recently had a visit from Stephanie Tan of the Toronto Free the Children office. Stephanie conducted a workshop with the club in the afternoon on Tuesday, February 3rd and helped the kids focus on some ideas to work on for the rest of the year. The students had fun and even got to make fruit sushi! The club will continue to raise money and awareness for Equador during the course of the year.
January, 2009
Project Healthy Schools is back for the third year at Scarlett! The program is designed to teach sixth grade students about physical activity and nutrition. This is what the kids can expect this year:
- A kickoff assembly in October to get the kids excited about the program!
- 10 fun, hands-on activities that start in January and are taught in the advisory classes!
- A friendly tracking competition with prizes where kids log their minutes of physical activity and fruit, vegetable, and healthy beverage choices at lunch!
- two visits to the PE classes to teach the kids about flexibility and strength training!
- Events at the school-wide Fun Fair at the end of the year to encourage physical activity!
More updates on these activities will be provided throughout the year!
Health screenings will take place in the spring for those eighth graders who have parental consent to partake in the screening. More information will be sent out regarding the screening date closer to the spring.
For 8th grade parents of students who participated in the PHS health screenings in 6th and 7th grade
If you have not already done so, please return the informed consent you received in the mail. This consent allows your student to continue receiving the free health screening in eighth, ninth and possibly 10th grades. You can either send the form to the MFit office in the pre-stamped and addressed envelope that was included with the form, or return the form to the main office. Regardless of whether or not you would like your student to continue receiving the screening, please return the form with your chosen level of participation indicated. If you have lost your form and need a new one, or have any questions or concerns, please contact Lindsey at lseyfert@umich.edu or 734-975-7440. Thank you!
Free the Children Update
The Free the Children club, part of English as a Second Language and Geography clubs, will start meeting again on Tuesdays from 3-4! This club helps students learn leadership skills and social action tools. The students in the club are involved in both local and national issues and are ready to make changes in the world around them! Any Scarlett students who are interested can join the group and look forward to workshops, volunteering, fund raising and taking action! Long Le, a representative from the Free the Children organization, will be visiting Scarlett on September 30 to do activities with the Free the Children club.
