The Times Advocate, 2005-11-23, Page 11Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Exeter Times–Advocate
11
School programs promote health
By Stew Slater
SPECIAL TO THE T -A
SEAFORTH — A
well -rehearsed mes-
sage about physical
activity and healthy
nutrition continues to
be presented within
the two school boards
in Huron and Perth
counties.
And responses to
that message, in the
form of in -school pro-
grams and activities,
are gradually becom-
ing common.
For representatives
of the two counties
District Health Units,
the most recent
opportunity to deliver
the message, con-
tained in a recent
report entitled
"Healthy Weights,
Healthy Lives," came
at a regular meeting
of the Avon Maitland
District School Board
Nov. 8.
At the meeting,
Perth Medical Officer
of Health Dr. Rosanna
Pellizzari and Huron
Public Health
Supervisor Linda
Slobo related the
report's findings about
increased levels of
obesity in the two
counties, and suggest-
ed some possible
responses for school
boards.
A Health Unit -fund-
ed pilot project,
involving eight ele-
mentary schools from
both the Avon
Maitland and Huron -
Perth Catholic District
School Board, is set to
start in January 2006.
Entitled the Healthy
School Initiative, it will
provide $2,000 per
school for implement-
ing policies which
encourage greater
and more inclusive
physical activity, and
provide healthier
nutrition options dur-
ing times when food is
provided to students.
Schools in South
Huron, however, are a
step ahead, thanks to
an entirely different
pilot project funded
last year by the
provincial Ministry of
Tourism and
Recreation. And, if all
goes as planned,
schools in Huron East
could soon join the
fun.
According to Slobo,
the Vanastra
Recreation Centre has
submitted an applica-
tion to oversee an in -
school program called
Fun Fit for all Huron
East elementary
schools. It's hoped the
program will follow
up on the success of a
similar participation -
themed initiative
which ran last spring
at five schools in
South Huron.
With Fun Fit, Grade
7 and 8 students are
trained to lead co-
operative games for
younger pupils, involv-
ing physical activity.
The games stress
problem -solving and
communication, and
the level of skill and
intensity is height-
ened week by week so
children feel they've
improved as the pro-
gram continues.
"They're different
types of games from
your traditional bas-
ketball and soccer,"
explained Slobo. "And
they encourage partic-
ipation by everyone,
regardless of athletic
ability.
"If you think of
dodgeball, some chil-
dren might always get
hit by the ball right
away and then they're
out of the game, and
all they get to do is
watch the more ath-
letic kids jump out of
the way. These games
aren't like that at all."
In South Huron last
spring, Fun Fit ran for
10 weeks, three days
per week, at lunch or
recess. Slobo says
Dairy water purification testing
NOVA SCOTIA — A dairy
farm in Stewiacke, Nova
Scotia is testing several tech-
nologies to purify pond
water.
They include ultraviolet
light, aeration and water 11!-
tration.
A typical dairy cow drinks
almost a bathtub full of water
everyday.
Ponds on the farm are a
source of water regularly
replenished by rain.
This causes bacteria and
makes animals sick.
Dairy farms also use the
water to clean their equip-
ment and tanks.
The water can ruin tanks of
milk.
some schools have
continued this year,
with the Grade 7 stu-
dents from last year
still able to act as
leaders this year. And
at St. Boniface
Catholic school in
Zurich, she said Fun
Fit "acted as a real
seed for a whole
Healthy School initia-
tive," with school
E
E
administration imple-
menting other health -
promoting programs
and policies.
Another plus of the
student leadership is
that the program
doesn't take up addi-
tional staff time.
Funding for the pro-
gram must flow
through a municipal-
ly -run agency, instead
He artIn�
Community Credit Union Limited
Where membership makes the difference
of the school board or
Health Unit. That's
why the Vanastra
Recreation Centre
has submitted the
grant application for
the Huron East pro-
gram. In South
Huron, it was admin-
istered by Exeter's
South Huron
Recreation Centre.
Special Offer
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4.20%`
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