Hampton middle school puts freebies to good use
Students and staff at Hampton Middle School are marching to their own beat, and burning calories together.
Through the school's health council, faculty and students organized an America on the Move campaign and logged onto the Internet to track their steps.
Twenty-three students, 15 faculty members and an entire class took on the project.
"It's all about promoting good health," said Sandy Sulkey, the family and consumer sciences teacher. "We'd have announcements every day to remind everyone to keep wearing their pedometers."
The walkers use pedometers to count their steps each day. There were boxes of them sitting in the cafeteria from a promotion from the school's food service provider. Sulkey figured out how to put them to good use.
The federal government mandates that schools offer a school wellness policy. The health council at Hampton Middle School is part of that policy. It is made up of students, teachers and parents who present ideas to promote healthier lifestyles.
Each month has had a theme since the council was formed in February -- Healthy Heart month, then National Nutrition month, and, in April, Physical Fitness month.
The council's next project will be listing healthy snacks and vending machine products for students at school, parties and dances.
Right now, Sulkey said, the school has one vending machine the students can use after school. The vending machine stocker is cooperative in putting in snacks that Sulkey requests.
One student who sticks to her healthy lifestyle is Sara Halpin, 14. She started logging her steps on March 25 and has surpassed 200,000 steps.
Sara, an eighth-grader, takes Tae Kwon Do, but doesn't consider herself an athlete.
"It feels really good," she said about the walking program. "My family encouraged me to do it. They motivated me."
She intends to continue her healthy lifestyle after the walking program is over.
That's exactly what Sulkey hopes to promote. She wants teachers to try to integrate healthier choices in their lessons so kids will think about their health.
"We all try to work together," she said. "I see all the kids in the halls. Now they brag about getting something healthy."
