Let's Get Moving! at Pioneer Elementary School

Providing opportunities for children to replace sedentary behaviors, such as watching television, with physical activity is one of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan’s priority recommendations. Enhancing physical activity in after school programs like “Let’s Get Moving” at Pioneer Elementary offers one strategy for working toward this recommendation. Launched last spring, “Let’s Get Moving” provides a safe and active environment for students to learn about healthy behaviors including:

• The importance of exercise
• Setting and achieving a goal by increasing the number of steps taken each day
• Reducing screen time
• Healthy portion sizes
• Fueling bodies for energy

Providing fun physical activity opportunities, homework, activity-promoting incentives, and handouts for parents reinforced the messages and motivated students. Involvement of local high school and college student volunteers and collaboration with the school’s physical education teacher increased the number of activities that could be offered to participants. Due to the positive responses from students, parents, and school staff, the principal and the PTA president are continuing to offer “Let’s Get Moving” during the 2006-2007 school year.

Target Audience:  K-5 students at Pioneer Elementary in Olympia

Evaluation: The results of pre- and post- “Check Your Health” assessments completed by articipants are being analyzed. The high school and college students provided brief written feedback on their volunteer experience.

Partners: Pioneer Elementary School Staff, PTA, and parents. Volunteers from South Puget Sound Community College and Olympia High School.

Lead Agency: Dan Fortier, MA developed the Let’s Get Moving curriculum and partnered with Pioneer Elementary to offer the after school program.

For More Information:
Dan Fortier
Fit and Well for Life
360-349-8255

Walking to Wildwood Park Elementary in Puyallup

A walking audit conducted last spring at Wildwood Park Elementary identified a lack of sidewalks, paths in disrepair, and roadways that contribute to high driving speeds near the school. To address concerns raised in the audit, the school applied for a Safe Routes to School grant to fund infrastructure improvements. With assistance from the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department, the school secured a second grant from FedEx through Safe Kids USA (www.usa.safekids.org) to improve pedestrian safety through ongoing walking activities.

The school’s first Walk to School Day event was promoted at Back to School Night and during an entertaining, interactive all-school safety assembly presented by health department staff and student crossing guards. More than 300 walkers participated. Students who lived too far away or were unable to walk with parents met at a nearby park to walk as a group with Puyallup police officers, FedEx volunteers, and Wildwood staff. Families were greeted at the school by local and state elected officials, staff and volunteers, including the TPCHD's popular fruit and veggie characters.

The event has reinvigorated interest in walking among families. The PTA plans to organize several walking school buses, as well as make Walk to School Day an annual event. The school plans to launch an anti-idling campaign aimed at reducing emissions and is encouraging other schools to plan Walk to School Day events next year.

Target Audience:  Students at Wildwood Park Elementary School in Puyallup.

Evaluation: Safe Kids required a process evaluation and the school collected baseline walking data. Because this event is part of a larger effort to increase walkability and decrease injuries in Puyallup, post-surveys will be conducted after completion of the infrastructure changes.

Partners: Wildwood Park PTA, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Safe Kids Pierce County, FedEx, Puyallup Police Dept. Snacks and reflective items were provided by Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, FedEx, Clif Bars, Bicycle Alliance, and Starbuck's.

Lead Agency:  Wildwood Park Elementary partnered with Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to conduct the walking audit, secure funding through Safe Kids, and plan the Walk to School Event.

For More Information:
Suzanne Mayr
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
253-798-3765