Published: December 15, 2008 07:12 am      

Hopkins Elementary receives grant from health department

Local News

Officials at Hopkins Elementary School hope a grant they received from the Lake Cumberland District Health Department will help motivate their children to be healthier.

The grant for $15,850 will support the school in developing a nutrition and/or physical activity program or project to be implemented in the school.

Fourth grade teacher Jennifer Coldiron said Hopkins will be using the money for a health and wellness initiative and it will give students the opportunity to take part in exercise and nutrition-type classes and activities.

“We’re especially trying to ward off obesity,” said Robin Wilson, fourth grade teacher at the school.

“Nationwide childhood obesity issues we hear about and in our own school (both) are alarming,” added Coldiron.

Shawn Crabtree, executive director of the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, noted that childhood obesity is a serious public health epidemic and that during the past four decades, obesity rates have soared among all age groups. He said since the 1970s the percentage of individuals who are overweight has tripled. Among children ages 6 to 11 that number has increased fivefold.

The executive director of the health department also said studies have shown over a 10-year period that both children and teens on average consume 110 to 165 more calories than they burn each day, which means an excess of about 10 pounds per year, per person.

“Overweight adolescents have up to an 80 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults,” said Crabtree. “If they are still obese in their 20s, the odds of premature death are between 50 percent to 100 percent.”

Coldiron and Wilson said all of the classes with the initiative will be available during the school day through their physical education class and during part of their recess time.

Students at Hopkins Elementary get two 30-minute sessions a week of physical education class.

However, Wilson said, once they implement the program they will use part of every recess for walking time. She said they will also screen students’ weight and height every nine weeks instead of just once a year like they had done in the past.

“Their target goals will be revealed to them in health and PE,” said Coldiron.

The grant will also address the nutrition aspect of wellness in health classes, Wilson explained, as materials that the school will be able to purchase will greatly supplement what they already have at the school.

Coldiron said the school plans to purchase the materials over the holiday break coming up and hope to have everything in place to begin the program soon after they return to school in January.

“It is our hope from the health department to inspire kids for a lifelong goal,” said Crabtree.

And since the materials will be sustainable, Wilson said, they will be able to continue the program after this year ends.

Crabtree said generally the health board shows favoritism to programs that are sustainable and if the program shows good results they can share the program with others.

“We live in one of the most unhealthy places in the world,” said Crabtree, “as the country ranks 45th in the industrial world and Kentucky is at the bottom of the nation. We’re just tired of being at the bottom.

“... We’re trying to inspire people to be creative about the issue,” added Crabtree.

Hopkins Principal Fonda Crawford said she appreciates Coldiron and Wilson for writing the grant after they saw the need. Crawford added that she appreciates the health department for reaching out to the schools.