#HEALTHIESTSCHOOLS
AMERICA’S
HEALTHIEST SCHOOLS
THEODORE ROOSEVELT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL >> DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, CA
A school-wide ‘Eggercise Hunt’ had students
hunting for eggs that were filled with an
exercise task for students to complete.
— PAULA REYNOLDS, PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School was named one of America’s Healthiest
Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The school met stringent standards
set by the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Program for serving healthier meals and snacks,
getting students moving more, offering high-quality physical and health education and
empowering school leaders to become healthy role models. Aside from home, kids
spend most of their time at school, making schools important places to influence kids’
behavior and lifelong health habits. Research shows that healthy students learn better.
“Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School has made tremendous strides in creating a
healthier school climate over the past three years,” said Physical Education Teacher
Paula Reynolds. “The school community has created an environment where being
healthy and making healthy choices are the norm, and it’s now just the way we do
things at Roosevelt.”
This healthy school environment gives students many opportunities to be active and to
eat healthy each day. This year, the school increased their number of physical education
minutes from 200 to 300 minutes every two weeks. They have hosted a number of
1=mile fun runs for students, many corresponding with holidays such as the “Turkey
Trot” and the “Eggercise Hunt,” which have resulted in school-wide participation and
excitement. Students also participate in afterschool sports and a running team, both of
which allow competition outside of school in order to get involved with a more active
community.
2016 NATIONAL
HEALTHY SCHOOLS
GOLD AWARD
THEODORE
ROOSEVELT
AT-A-GLANCE
DISTRICT:
Desert Sands Unified
School District
LOCATION:
Indio, CA
ENROLLMENT:
574 students
This year, Roosevelt was the first elementary school in the district to offer a salad
bar to all grades, allowing students to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to their
plate each day. Fundraisers and school celebrations are now centered on healthy
food choices, reinforcing the norm at Roosevelt Elementary. Reynolds attributes the
school’s success to working with the Healthy Schools Program. “We were able to use
the Healthy School’s Program tools to create policies, make positive changes, and
set goals to improve the healthy climate on campus. Our goal to become a National
Healthy Schools Gold Award-winning school would not have been possible without the
resources provided by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.”
Learn more at healthiergeneration.org.
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