The obesity rate in the U.S. is very high. In an attempt to encourage students to make changes at home, Rincon Elementary will start a new program called Promoting Healthy Habits. The goal of this program is to promote activity and healthy eating along with understanding how important these lifestyle changes can be.

Beginning Jan. 7 , students at Rincon Elementary will have short healthy habit lessons as part of their PE classes. These lessons will include identifying healthy eating habits and activity choices along with the explanation of incentives and rewards and how to earn them. The students will then be given a sheet to record his or her progress.
For every 100 minutes of activity or 20 fruit or vegetable choices, the student will be awarded a fitness coupon and a charm for their healthy habit necklace. The charms will be an apple for healthy food choices and a Bobcat paw for their activity. Each fitness coupon will be placed in a jar for a drawing held at the end of each nine weeks for a bicycle and safety equipment.

To promote partnership between parents and the students’ well being, the parent must sign off on the log. With this signature, parents can verify that healthy choices were made.

This program is made possible by the Georgia Parent Teacher Association who was offering a grant to promote a healthier lifestyle in children.  Faculty members got together to devise a plan and complete the grant application process and were notified mid-October that they had received the grant. If you have any questions concerning this program, you may contact Tesh Pace or Laura Wood at 826-5523.