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Forty Two Schools Win National Nutrition Award
OLYMPIA — December 4, 2012 — A total of 42 schools in nine districts recently won national awards for improving the health of their students.
The awards were administered by the HealthierUS School Challenge, a voluntary certification initiative for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.
The awards are based on how the schools:
- improve the nutritional quality of the foods served,
- provide students with nutrition education, and
- provide students with physical education and opportunities for physical activity.
“I want to thank all these schools for their hard work and their commitment to student health,” said Randy Dorn, superintendent of public instruction.
Four levels of awards are given: bronze, silver, gold and gold of distinction, with increasingly stringent criteria for each level. Each award comes with a monetary prize: $500 for bronze; $1,000 for silver $1000; $1,500 for gold; and $2,000 for gold of distinction. Schools receiving a HUSSC award commit to meeting the criteria throughout their four-year certification period.
The 42 awarded schools, each which received bronze awards, include:
Chehalis School District
Cascade Elementary School
Olympic Elementary School
R.E. Bennett Elementary School
Ephrata School District
Columbia Ridge Elementary School
Grant Elementary School
Kennewick School District
Amistad Elementary School
Canyon View Elementary School
Cascade Elementary School
Cottonwood Elementary School
Eastgate Elementary School
Edison Elementary School
Hawthorne Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School
Ridge View Elementary School
Southgate Elementary School
Sunset View Elementary School
Vista Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
Westgate Elementary School
Meridian School District
Irene Reither Primary
Ten Mile Creek Elementary School
Nooksack Valley School District
Everson Elementary School
Nooksack Elementary School
Sumas Elementary School
Onalaska School District
Onalaska Elementary School
Onalaska Middle School
Riverview School District
Carnation Elementary School
Cherry Valley Elementary School
Eagle Rock Multi-Age School
Riverview Learning Center
Stillwater Elementary School
South Kitsap School District
Burley-Glenwood Elementary School
East Port Orchard Elementary School
Hidden Creek Elementary School
Manchester Elementary School
Mullenix Ridge Elementary School
Olalla Elementary School
Orchard Heights Elementary School
Sidney Glen Elementary School
South Colby Elementary School
Sunnyslope Elementary School
Yakima School District
Robertson Elementary School
To qualify for an award, each school must submit a formal application and meet basic criteria set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Schools must:
- Participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and be a Team Nutrition school;
- Offer reimbursable lunches consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and meet US Department of Agriculture nutrition standards;
- Support the local wellness policy efforts of the school district; and
- Meet or exceed HealthierUS Challenge criteria established for:
- Average daily participation in the NSLP;
- Nutrition standards for meals and competitive foods and beverages;
- Nutrition education; and
- Physical education and activity.
The HealthierUS School Challenge – a part of the FNS – is a voluntary national certification initiative for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. Among other functions, it supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Campaign by helping schools raise healthy children.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington state. Led by State School Superintendent Randy Dorn, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at (360) 725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200.
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CONTACT:
Nathan Olson
OSPI Communications Manager
(360) 725-6015
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