Blue Cross donates $1,500 to Belgreen
First graders at Belgreen High School have been focusing on their health, and thanks to a “Healthy Habits” unit implemented at the school, their efforts paid off on Thursday.
Jeff Adams, community relations manager for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, presented BHS Principal Steve Pounders with a check for $1,500 for the dedication the school has shown in educating their students on the values of health and nutrition.
“This is just a reward we give to schools who are reinforcing health and nutrition, and in this case it was through reading,” Adams said.
BHS reading coach Dr. Michell Lane compiled a unit that each first-grade teacher taught in their classrooms. The unit included books on different health-related topics and activates for the students to complete.
Lane said they started the unit on Dr. Seuss Day, so the first book they chose was “Green Eggs & Ham,” and they used the book to illustrate the importance of eating a variety of foods.
Students also read “Gregory the Terrible Eater” when studying how to choose healthy foods, “The Hungry Caterpillar” when learning about the five servings of fruits and vegetables they should have each day, and “The Busy Body Book,” which explained important body parts and the connection between physical activity and nutrition.
BHS physical education teacher Susan Crittenden said the money from the health grant would allow the school to purchase some new P.E. equipment in addition to purchases for their reading program.
“Physical education is an important part of keeping kids healthy and it’s good the children are learning that,” Crittenden said.
First grade teachers Lisa Miller and Jennifer Oliver said they could already see how the unit has affected their students.
“For the yearbook, they usually ask the kids what their favorite food is, and most of them say pizza or something like that,” Oliver said. “After Dr. Lane brought them a variety of new fruits to try, they now all say their favorite food is star fruit.”
“I will watch my students counting out their servings of fruit and vegetables at lunch because they learned it was important to have five everyday,” Miller added. “Hopefully this is something that will stick with them all their lives.”
“The approach [Belgreen] took to educate the students about proper nutrition was so creative, and I just have to tip my hat to them,” Adams said.
