ERIC Number: EJ787289
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jan
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-6439
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Shape up Somerville: A District Tackles Childhood Obesity
Cluggish, Sarah; Kinder, Gretchen
School Administrator, v65 n1 p12-17 Jan 2008
Walking today through Somerville, Massachusetts's Winter Hill Community School during school hours differs markedly compared to just a few years ago. Gone are the greasy potato chips and chocolate-chip cookies from the a la carte offerings in the cafeteria. Missing are the late morning fundraisers when children would fill up on cupcakes and other sweets before lunch. Banished are the student rewards of candy in the classroom. Today children in all Somerville public schools can eat an unlimited amount of whole fruit at breakfast and lunch. Teachers frequently request Vegetable of the Month taste tests delivered to their rooms from the cafeteria to integrate into their math, science and/or social studies lessons. This article describes how Somerville alters the culture of its schools, as well as the standard routines in the cafeteria, to teach lifelong lessons about eating well and staying healthy.
Descriptors: Obesity, Eating Habits, Nutrition, Child Health, Public Schools, Urban Schools, Health Programs, Intervention, Program Implementation, Change, Health Promotion, Wellness
American Association of School Administrators. 801 North Quincy Street Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22203-1730. Tel: 703-528-0700; Fax: 703-841-1543; e-mail: info@aasa.org; Web site: http://www.aasa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A