CMSD NEWS BUREAU

9/16/2019

CMSD is well represented on this year’s list of America’s Healthiest Schools.

A dozen schools made the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s list: Almira, Artemus Ward, Clark, Daniel E. Morgan, Douglas MacArthur, Ginn, James A. Garfield, Marion C. Seltzer, Miles Park, Riverside, Robinson G. Jones and Willson. 

The Healthiest Schools program, which began in 2006, singles out schools for promoting exercise, nutrition and safety among students and staff. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation honored 355 schools in 23 states this year. (Read the news release.) 

The CMSD schools were the only ones in Ohio to earn the designation. It was the largest number of winners to date for the District, which has been active in the competition.

Marion Seltzer received the Silver award, the second highest category; the rest received Bronze. Gold, awarded to only eight schools on the list, is the highest award. Garrett Morgan High School won gold in 2016, becoming the first school in Ohio to do so.

Seltzer has out-of-school programs, activities before and after school for students, health education at all grades and a variety of programs for staff. 

Winning schools have formed wellness committees and encourage and offer options for healthy eating. Here are examples of other programs, activities and policies that earned recognition for schools. The examples represent only a portion of the strategies the schools employ and may be used by more than one school.

• Almira: The school offers classroom yoga and dance. Students ride a bike that powers a blender and makes fruit smoothies.
• Artemus Ward: Artemus Ward supplements physical activity with an after-school competition in gaga ball, a variation of dodge ball, and has partnered with the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. 
• Clark: The school participates in tastings and other events for students to promote locally produced healthy food and offers programs for staff on healthy eating and weight management.
• Daniel E. Morgan: Daniel Morgan School sponsors a Health Awareness Week every September and promotes blood donation by parents. First- and second-graders planted a garden to highlight healthy eating. 
• Douglas MacArthur: All classes have daily physical activity breaks, and students practice yoga after lunch. Parenting strategies are shared at parent meetings.
• Ginn: School nutrition staff and teachers collaborate. The school encourages and supports walking or bicycling to and from school.
• James A. Garfield: Garfield provides opportunities to improve physical fitness before and after school. The school promotes wellness programs for staff.
• Miles Park: The school provides access to exercise facilities outside of school hours and offers stress management programs for staff.
• Riverside: Riverside participates in the Cleveland YMCA's We Run This City program, with about 50 students running a 10K as part of the most recent Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon race. Eleven teachers attended a workshop to promote physical activity, including classroom “brain breaks.”
• Robinson G. Jones: Students wear pedomenters and have been taught to log physical activity. Students in the fourth through eighth grades use fitness portfolios to learn about the importance of physical activity, proper nutrition and staying hydrated. 
• Willson: Willson used a grant to build a fitness center and recently opened a meditation room. Students develop recipes for smoothies that they make with blenders and include in a cookbook.

A District wellness policy incorporates Healthy Schools Program standards to help schools vying for the awards. 

Have a story idea for the CMSD News Bureau? Email it to newstips@clevelandmetroschools.org.