• Bodies:  Nutrition & Exercise

    Our children are our future.  Understanding, supporting, and teaching our children about proper nutrition and exercise will help them lead a happy and healthy life.  Hexter has implemented the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) program, which teaches students that being healthy is fun! 

    One component of the CATCH program is EAT SMART, which provides a guideline for making healthy food choices using the “GO, SLOW, WHOA” framework.  The goal is simple: Eat more GO foods than SLOW foods and eat more SLOW foods than WHOA foods.

    GO describes foods that are whole grain, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, lowest in fat, contain no added sugar, and can be eaten daily.

    SLOW describes foods that are slightly processed and may have some added salt, fat or sugar.

    WHOA describes foods that have the highest fat and sugar.

                      
     
    Please click the following link to see a chart with a detailed list of GO-SLOW-WHOA foods: GO-SLOW-WHOA 
     
    Please click the following link for a kid-friendly chart with pictures of GO-SLOW-WHOA foods: GO-SLOW-WHOA FOR KIDS
     
    CATCH also promotes physical activity as a cornerstone to a healthy lifestyle.  Hexter is committed to providing various opportunities for students to be physically active at school.  Students participate in PE or other movement class three times a week.  Beginning in 2012-2013, we will implement a lunch system that will provide an additional 10 minutes of recess after students have finished eating their lunch, for a possible total of 25 minutes of outdoor recreation.  In addition, teachers use frequent breaks in class to allow students to stretch, breathe, and refocus their energy.  Students also spend time in our beautiful outdoor garden where they work in nature and learn about fresh, healthy foods. 
                                                         
     
    Please join our efforts for a healthier future by talking to your youngster about the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise.  Use the GO-SLOW-WHOA guidelines when planning family meals and encourage your child to do at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.  By teaching students about nutrition and exercise, we will provide them with a solid foundation early on that will enable them to make responsible choices for the rest of their lives.

    RESOURCES

    http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/

    http://www.letsmove.gov/

    http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/index.html

    http://www.bam.gov/

    https://sph.uth.tmc.edu/catch/

    http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/