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January 13, 2007

St. Pat’s takes big steps to promote healthiness

By Sue Loughlin

TERRE HAUTE — When celebrating birthdays, students at St. Patrick’s School can no longer bring in cupcakes, doughnuts or ice cream.

Instead, they must take a healthy snack to share with classmates.

The school has made other changes as well.

Using candy or other food as a reward for behavior or as a class incentive is no longer allowed.

Fast-food meals are no longer allowed in the cafeteria, and soft drinks are no longer allowed in the building.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has adopted a wellness policy for its schools, as required by both the federal government and state law.

“We’re mandated by the Archdiocese to follow their policy, but we had to write our own procedure on how to implement it,” said St. Patrick’s Principal Julie Bowers.

The Archdiocese policy is “a little more specific than Vigo County [School Corp.] policy,” she said. For example, it specifically says that “soft drinks may not be brought to school.”

Archdiocese policy also states that schools will discontinue the practice of using candy, soft drinks or food snacks as a reward for academic performance or good behavior.

“At the beginning, I think it was a shock. We did hear some grumbling from parents and kids,” Bowers said. “Overall, it has been accepted and it’s been a real positive thing for us.”

Other highlights of the policy followed at St. Patrick’s include:

n Students are no longer kept in for recess as a consequence for inappropriate behavior or to complete their work.

n Snack time will only occur for students in kindergarten through grade 3. Parents are asked to send healthy snacks.

For birthdays, the school suggests such treats as fat-free or sugar-free pudding, carrot sticks, 100 percent fruit juice, ice bars, low-fat pretzels or fruit.

The policy does have some flexibility. “We do have a character award ceremony and kids have pizza once a month,” she said.

The school has celebrations at Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Halloween when it will allow more traditional sweet treats.

Bowers has heard opinions on both sides of the issue.

Some parents have been disappointed they can’t bring fast-food or cupcakes for a child’s birthday. “Overall, our parents are very pleased we’re trying to build healthy eating habits and modeling those within the building,” Bowers said.

The school’s parent club has been learning about good, healthy snacks and how to prepare them. Recently, the parents heard from a representative of the Vigo County Health Department, who talked about healthy snacks and recipes.

Students say they are adapting to the new healthy-food focus.

Fourth-grader Brayden Edwards says he misses the cupcakes that some students would bring in to celebrate a birthday, but he understands the reasons for the changes, which will help students be healthier.

Fourth-grader Olivia Sacopulos said it’s important for students to start eating healthier at an early age. If they develop poor eating habits now, when they grow up, “They’ll gain weight a lot faster.”

She prefers healthier foods. Eating junk food “makes me feel junky,” she said.

Logan Dinkel misses some of the birthday treats of old, but he also likes some of the healthier ones, including grapes and bagels.

The tough, no-junk-food policy is aimed at preventing kids from becoming overweight, he said. If people are obese, “They will be lazy and won’t exercise,” Dinkel said.

On Monday, parent Toni Callahan took a fruit pizza to school to help celebrate her daughter’s birthday. Her daughter, Olivia, is in first grade. The treat included cream cheese fruit dip and plenty of fruit.

When the new policy first started, “I didn’t think I’d like it. I thought it would be hard to figure out snacks,” Callahan said. Healthy snacks can be more expensive and take more time to prepare.

She takes a snack twice a month for one child’s pre-kindergarten class. She might take string cheese and crackers or 100 percent fruit pops.

While the school’s policy is strict, “I’m kind of happy now,” Callahan said. “They are looking out for the wellness of children, and there is so much obesity. It’s a good program.”

Sacred Heart of Jesus School has implemented a walking program as part of its focus on wellness, said Principal Sister Terri Boland.

Sacred Heart doesn’t serve school lunches, but it does have access to free milk for qualifying students through the National School Lunch Program.

The school encourages students to bring nutritious lunches, and many are doing so, Boland said. Students are eager to bring fresh fruits and vegetables so that scraps can be used for composting and to feed the school’s red worm wigglers.

At Community Christian School, students learn about nutrition, good eating habits and exercise as part of the curriculum, said Principal Cathi Myers.

Dean May, who with his wife, Tammy, home-schools the couple’s children, said home schooling “is a grass-roots movement, with very little orchestrated from the top down.”

The Mays are regional representatives for the Indiana Association of Home Educators.

Typically, home-school families have a much more pro-active concern for health-related issues, Dean May said. “They are not just willing to accept what health authorities say is good and necessary. They research things out for themselves.”

Home-school families may participate in food co-ops to purchase organic foods in bulk or other items.

The Mays have a countertop grain mill and make their own whole wheat bread, he said.



Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

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