I was doing research for a school project that Bundles of Energy is taking on, and I came across an article about Browns Mill Elementary School in Georgia, a truly inspirational school! In 1998 school officials decided to remove pop and junk food from the school after concern about the rise in obesity. The results were that the school had been 10 years sugar-free at the time the story was written on them (in 2008). School officials truly believe that healthy food will feed the body and mind, and that this will enhance learning.
The children eat whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. They have successfully eliminated cupcakes, cookies, ice cream, and other highly processed, high sugar foods. I love this idea, because you take away the temptation of these highly sweet and addictive foods.
According to the article I came across, the kids like eating this way! In fact, the principle of the school, Sanders-Butler, stated, “one of the most requested vegetables now is broccoli”.
The interesting thing about this school is that not only have they adopted a great breakfast and lunch program, they have also created a truly holistic wellness program. In the morning the children start by exercising: they dance and do jumping jacks to music. We know that children are not getting enough exercise and so what a great way to start the day!
What about the effects of this healthy lifestyle?
According to the article:
- In the first six months of the sugar ban, disciplinary incidents went down 23 percent
- In the first years of standardized test scores, reading scores improved 15 percent
- Since 1998 the school has shown improvements in test scores, truancy rates and counsellor referrals, said Dr. Terry Huang, the director of obesity research for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
I found this story very exciting. It takes courage for a school to decide to implement a new way of life for their students. Not only are they nourishing the children so they can learn, they are also educating them on how to make healthy food choices. Truly inspirational!
Did you know that we have an educational fundraiser for schools that will help nudge them in this direction while raising much-needed funds for their intitiatives? With a 50% profit margin and an inspiring nutrition demo to kick it off, you simply must pass it along to your school!
