The document discusses upcoming events at a school including a fall fest, student holidays, and a 5k run. It also discusses the benefits of recess before lunch, noting that students waste less food, consume more nutrients, are calmer, and have better academic performance when recess is before lunch. The document also briefly summarizes the MyActivity Pyramid, which shows children how to divide their daily 60 minutes of physical activity among different activity categories.

1. Vol. 3, Issue 2 October 2013
Upcoming
Events
Fall Fest 10-4
5:00-8:00
Student Holidays
10-11 and 10-14
Fallen Heroes 5K Run
10-12 3:30
Red Ribbon Week
10-21 through 10-25
Recess Before Lunch
Why is recess before lunch beneficial?
According to The National Food Service
Management Institute, students tend to eat a
more balanced meal that includes fruits,
vegetables and more nutrient dense foods.
When students consume nutritious meals their
academic performance is improved.
Research shows that students:
Waste less food (as much as 27-
40%)
Consume more calcium and protein
as much as 35%
Are calmer and ready to concentrate
Have decreased discipline referrals
Have an increase in classroom time
on-task
Need less supervision in the
cafeteria
Benefits of Recess Before Lunch: Fact Sheet.
Peaceful Playgrounds. Retrieved from
http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/download/lunc
h/benefits-recess-before-lunch-facts.pdf
MyActivity Pyramid
The MyActivity Pyramid informs children that it’s
important to be physically active at least 60 minutes
every day. It shows which activities kids should be
doing to meet the “60 minute” goal by dividing it into
four categories: everyday activities, active aerobics
and recreational activities, flexibility and strength, and
inactivity. The pyramid has a very small top and
grows bigger at the bottom to represent how much of
that activity should be done.
Articles in this newsletter were created for the Centers of Excellence Project funded through private donations.
Healthy Zone School
Program Sponsors
Did You Know?
“Complete nutrition is
related to overall
health and improved
test scores at
schools”
–Vancouver Coastal Health
Promoting Wellness:
Ensuring Care
Physical Activity vs. Exercise
Physical activity and exercise are words that are often used interchangeably. Although the
two terms are very similar when talking about health and fitness, there are slight
differences.
Physical activity is any movement of the body that uses energy (i.e. swimming, taking the
stairs, walking) and is an activity that is part of your daily life. This can be household,
workplace and/or lifestyle activities. Exercise is an activity that is planned, structured and
done to improve at least one aspect of physical fitness. It is important to combine both
exercise and physical activities that are easy to maintain over a long period of time. The
key is to find activities that you enjoy doing regularly!
Why is physical activity important? It helps build strong, healthy bones and muscles while
children are growing. Having an active lifestyle can also prevent high blood pressure and
cholesterol. It can also lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes and some forms of
cancer.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2008). 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for
Americans. Retrieved from http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/.
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