Teachers provided opportunities for students to exercise more at school this past year through mini-grants from the Tooele County Health Department, a health official says.
Physical activity was a major part of school-day routines at various schools in Tooele County School District because of the grants, said Malaena Toohey, director of Live Fit Tooele County.
She said schools received anywhere between $250 to $1,200 each to buy equipment, paint playgrounds, fund fitness contests and follow through with other types of health initiatives.
“Offering indoor morning walking at the elementary schools during the winter months before school began was a very popular initiative that various schools found effective in providing an opportunity to help students prepare to sit and learn,” Toohey said.
She added a couple of schools offered incentive programs to encourage students to walk or bike to school.
“Many schools promoted brain-breaks where students got up out of their seats to move or refocus,” Toohey said. “The schools also allowed students to take walks to help before they tackled difficult subjects.”
Grantsville High School encouraged teachers to take their students on a 5-minute walk every class period.
Toohey said about 80 percent of teachers helped their students participate in daily physical fitness activities. Gyms were made available before school, after lunch or after school for basketball games.
She said many schools involved their student councils or student body officers to help with health initiatives.
One healthy event included high schools giving out Christmas oranges instead of less healthy Christmas goodies. Toohey noted that elementary schools received “active” exercise equipment to be used inside in times of inclement weather.
“Some schools borrowed the (Tooele County) health department’s nature activity circuit playground stencils and painted the school’s blacktop bright and colorful to encourage active play,” Toohey said.
She said Rose Springs Elementary went above and beyond and painted a 40-yard-dash line that students loved racing on any time they were out playing.
Nutrition was highlighted by schools that encouraged healthier classroom parties where at least one healthy choice was available.
Schools created healthy snacking policies where students brought healthy snacks from home to eat during the day or where the students were allowed to take back an uneaten fruit or vegetable from lunch to eat later in the day to curb hunger.
Grantsville High School changed what was sold at its school store to encourage healthier snacking. Copper Canyon Elementary’s student council store now offers healthier options instead of high-sugar snacks.
Schools that utilized grants from the health department during the 2016-2017 school year included: Copper Canyon Elementary, Grantsville High School, Middle Canyon Elementary, Northlake Elementary, Rose Springs Elementary, St. Marguerite’s Catholic School, Sterling Elementary and West Elementary.
Toohey said student wellness mini-grants are available for the 2017-18 school year. To inquire, go to livefittc.org and select the “contact us” tab.