Buhler School District earns Governor’s HealthySchool Award

Through innovative programs to help students make healthy choices, the Buhler School District (USD 313) in Reno County has earned Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ HealthySchool Award.

The district will receive the honor Wednesday and is the 12th Kansas school district to earn this recognition, which is part of the HealthyKansas initiative.

“Making healthy choices early helps lead to longer, healthier lives.  The teachers, administrators and staff of the Buhler School District have demonstrated great leadership in encouraging students to choose to eat healthier, exercise more and avoid tobacco,” said Sebelius.

Buhler High School along with Union Valley, Buhler Grade School, Obee and Prosperity elementary schools will all be recognized for their efforts.  Recognition ceremonies will be held at each school beginning with Union Valley Elementary School at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 29 and continue into the afternoon.

Each school will receive a Certificate of Recognition from the Governor and a HealthyKansas flag to hang in their building. Since the HealthySchool award was initiated in May 2006, 96 Kansas schools have been recognized.

Along with other initiatives, the district has implemented innovative health programs during the past three years through local partnerships and as a member of the Coordinated School Health Program, jointly administered by the Kansas Department of Education and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

These efforts include:

• Implementing a tobacco-free policy for the district;
• Buhler High School students producing a DVD in consultation with the Kansas American Academy of Pediatricians and a local pediatrician to help teach elementary school students the importance of getting daily fruits and vegetables into their diet along with one hour of physical activity each day;
• Union Valley Elementary creating the “Panther Path” a two-lap to the mile walking path on their playground.  Students who walk the path get to deposit a marble in a jar and when the jar becomes full, students hold ”health parties” with students, faculty and community members. The path is used by the 547 students in the school;
• Obee, Prosperity and Buhler Grade schools having 137 staff members engage in “Choose 2 Lose” – a 10-week nutrition and activity program which resulted in 816 pounds lost among those participating; and
• Two hundred fifth grade students at Obee, Prosperity and Buhler Grade schools participating in the HABITS (Healthy Alternatives and Bodies Increase Thinking Skills) for Life Project to provide students with skills, knowledge and resources to make better informed and healthier choices about their nutrition and physical activity needs and responses.

HealthyKansas is focused on encouraging children in schools, adults in the workplace and seniors in their community to make simple, but powerful lifestyle changes, including:

• Increasing physical activity to 30 minutes a day, five to six times each week;
• Eating healthy, including eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and
• Avoiding tobacco use.

Governor Sebelius launched the HealthyKansas initiative in November 2004 as a comprehensive effort to control health care costs, improve the quality of health care and raise awareness of the dangers of obesity in children and adults.

To learn more about how you can make healthy changes or to complete an online pledge, log onto www.healthykansas.org

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