FSMS students learn healthy living habits

Fort Scott Middle School is taking steps to teach students how to have healthier lifestyles.

According to FSMS school nurse Pam Brown, the middle school has formed a Wellness Committee that addresses the health and wellness of the school's students and staff. As part of this program, the school has applied for and received a $1,000 Healthy Habits for Life Grant, which was funded by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation.

Brown said she has joined forces with the school's physical education teachers in addition to the nutrition and foods teacher. Through this program, the school is encouraging students to maintain healthy habits, which include better exercise and nutrition.

The school's healthy habits promotion will include various activities which will advance a student's understanding of what living healthy means first hand. In physical education the students will be provided an opportunity to participate in a roller blading unit. Part of the grant funds have been used to purchase new safety equipment for this unit, such as elbow and knee pads. The safety equipment that the school was using had become warm and unsafe. Brown said that roller blading can stay with the students through the majority of their lives.

"Roller blading is a lifelong sport for fitness," she said.

This activity will allow teachers to show the students that not only can exercising help keep their bodies healthy, but it can also be fun.

In the students' nutrition and cooking classes, students are being taught how to cook healthy foods. A portion of the grant money will be used to purchase crock pots and counter- top grills for healthy recipe preparations in the classroom. They will be taught to compare the nutritional value of meals using different cooking methods, Brown said.

"Students would be involved in learning about the fat content of different kinds of meat and what fat is measured after cooking by grill and skillet. Many students are cooking small meals and snacks at home and our goal will be that they choose these healthier cooking options as adults and reduce their cardiovascular risk," a statement provided by Brown said.

Brown said the schools received a portion of a district-wide grant from the Kansas Coordinated School Health program which totaled $3,000. A portion of the grant was used to fund the school's faculty and staff wellness fair. This year, Brown said that the school district should be receiving $1,500. This year's funds will be used for nutrition education in all buildings throughout the district.

Healthy Habits for Life grants were awarded to thirty-five school nurses or program administrators from across the state. The grants, which distributed about $35,000 this fall were issued for the specific purpose of promoting healthy lifestyle choices.

In order to receive the Healthy Habits for Life grants, school officials had to fill out a grant application, which specified the reasons the school was seeking the grant. A detailed budget showing how the requested funds would be spent was required as well.