Illahee Elementary Empowers Kids To “Take Charge Of Their Own Health” At Ceremony

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Sept. 17, 2014 - PRLog -- Camas, WA – September 17, 2014. Illahee Elementary School, a top-rated K-5^th grade public school in the Evergreen School District, will dedicate their new fitness path to the students and community at a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for 10:00 am Tuesday, September 23^rd. This is one step of many the school is taking to give their students the knowledge and resources to make better choices necessary to improve their own health and fitness levels.

. Last year, test results revealed only 27% of the school’s fifth graders met the “Health Fitness Zone” Standard in all four fitness test areas and only 77% met the standard for the PACER (http://youtu.be/_XJAtUKjxk4).  Illahee School parents, teachers and administrators were aware of the critical link between good health and fitness levels and a student’s academic performance.  They looked for programs to encourage the student body to get moving and formed a task force to raise $38,000.00 needed to build a 1/5 mile fitness path because the school didn’t have any means for students or faculty to walk or run on a surface that was weather indifferent.

As part of the enhanced focused on fitness, Erin Lucich, Principal of Illahee Elementary, along with Anne VanLaeken, the Physical Education Teacher, and the staff created the following challenges:

To the kids: Taking ownership for the choices they make that affect their bodies.
To the parents: Reinforcing kids and giving them the tools to make these good choices for their physical and mental health.
To corporate and community organizations: Providing support and resources to enable these families and local schools to include making healthy choices in their manifesto.

“One of my top objectives is to partner with parents to enable our kids to make their own daily decisions about food and exercise,” says Erin Lucich, Principal of Illahee Elementary. “I believe that we need to equip kids with the information and tools they need to make it possible for them to make healthy choices.”

“25 years ago, students were accustomed to running fast and for long periods of time,” says Anne VanLaeken, Physical Education Teacher at Illahee Elementary. “Now, there are students each year who cry in fear because they are so unfamiliar with the feeling of their hearts beating fast and  of being out of breath.”

Parents, school administration, teachers and corporate sponsors in partnership find ways to motivate and reward kids for getting active. With the completion of the fitness path, the school task force will shift focus and look for companies like Nautilus Inc., who was the primary sponsor for the fitness path, to maintain ongoing programs such as the “Marathon Club” which has been created to keep kids using the path during recess, PE, and before and after school. The school will continue host their student and teacher Walking Group and use the path to host events like the PTA’s “Fun Run”. Other programs include updating their Raven Spirit Garden, launching a “Green Thumbs” club and initiating   projects and teaching programs through their newly created nutritional steering committee to raise nutritional awareness in the students.

Built in 2001, Illahee Elementary (http://www.evergreenps.org/schoolinfo/ilh/Pages/default.aspx) hosts over 700 students and is located at 19401 S.E. 1st Street, Camas, Washington.