Participating Schools
Project Healthy Schools – a community/University of Michigan Health System collaborative – is now at 13 locations, including U Prep and U Prep Science and Math in Detroit, Corunna Middle School, in Owosso Bryant Elementary School and St. Paul's Catholic School, East and West middle schools in Ypsilanti and all five Ann Arbor middle schools. After upbeat and engaging kick-off events in the fall, the sixth graders participate in educational activities and environmental changes throughout the year.
All sixth grade students participate in ten 20 - minute, weekly classroom activities. View an activity (PDF). The activities provide a hands-on and fun learning experience focusing on one of the program's five goals:
- eat more fruits and vegetables
- exercise at least 150 minutes per week
- eat less fast and fatty food
- make better beverage choices
- spend less mindless time in front of a computer or TV screen
During the year, Project Healthy Schools teams up with the sixth grade physical education teachers to present special events, highlighting flexibility and stretching, strength training or aerobic activities through yoga or Pilates, jumping rope, loops, bands or balls, boot camp exercises or relay races.
A Healthy Habits Challenge (PDF) gives students a chance to put what they have been learning into action. Students track their daily minutes of activity the first week, followed by a week of checking on their lunch-time fruit, vegetable consumption and then they track what beverage they drink at lunch time for a week. The class at each school that has the most icons is awarded the Project Healthy Schools trophy and is eligible to have a smoothie or popcorn party. Classes with a specific participation level qualify for a drawing for prizes such as Frisbees, Borders gift cards or an iPod. A special thanks to Borders for donating the gift cards.
This year sixth graders at any Ann Arbor middle school and at participating Corunna and Owosso schools could sign up for a heart - healthy screening, with the consent of a parent or guardian. The screening includes:
- blood pressure measurements
- height and weight measurements
- 3 minute fitness test
- finger-poke cholesterol/lipid and glucose screening
- eating and activity survey
The results are not shared with the sixth graders, but parents/guardians are sent a letter with the results. Additionally, sixth graders complete a questionnaire about their eating and activity patterns. This allows us to determine if their behavior has changed after the educational activities. These students, along with participating ninth graders in Ann Arbor, and Ypsilanti 7th and 8th graders will be included in a follow-up screening in the spring of, 2010.
Parents
Visit the Parents Page to get lots of information about healthy lifestyles!
