by Tim Gillie
STAFF WRITER
The West Elementary School Lions had a goal to walk across Africa on a safari, a total of 9,000 miles, this year. The students at Ibapah School had a goal to walk 700 miles to visit Glacier National Park. Both schools ended up walking much farther than they expected.
The trips were imaginary but the distances real as both schools surpassed their goals as part of the Utah Department of Health's Gold Medal Schools program.
The awards program is progressive, awarding bronze, silver, gold, or platinum medals to elementary schools based on criteria to encourage students and staff to be active, eat healthy and stay tobacco free. There is even a platinum focus level for schools that have already earned the platinum level.
In Tooele, 13 out of 15 elementary schools participated in the program and earned a medal for the 2007-08 school year.
One school, Vernon Elementary, has been participating for five years and earned the highest level, the platinum focus award this year.
This year, Vernon students walked to the Space Needle in Seattle, a goal of 1,800 miles. To date they have walked 3,618 miles, according to Cathy Taylor, Gold Medal school mentor with the Tooele County Health Department.
In addition to continuing their bronze-, silver- and gold-level goals, to reach platinum focus level the school had to work on mental health and wellness. Vernon School used outside resources such as Valley Mental Health and the Tooele County Health Department to teach students about conflict resolution, bullying, depression, suicide, and coping with the loss of a family member or friend.
Two schools, West and Rose Springs elementaries, participated for their first time and each earned a bronze medal.
At the bronze level, schools must write a policy requiring 90 minutes of physical education per week, teach the state health education core curriculum, establish a Gold Medal Mile route on or around school grounds and establish a goal for student participation, promote safe walking routes to school, write a tobacco-free policy, and participate in the Utah School Heart Health Survey. Each level adds additional requirements.
At Rose Springs Elementary, the theme was 'Wild about Life,' said Carol Robertson, a fifth-grade teacher and the school's gold medal coordinator.
"Our school's theme is 'Wild about Learning' and we have a large mural depicting a variety of environments. We trekked across the mural to track our goal of 800 miles a week," Robertson said. "I am still adding up the total miles for the year."
Robertson said they included five-minute energizer activities in their classrooms.
"You could really see it make a difference in the classroom," Robertson said. "To get them up and get the blood flowing again, they could stay interested longer."
A Gold Medal program for junior highs will be introduced next year that will involve students in designing and implementing the program within their schools.
Tooele Junior High Principal Larry Abraham said he has not seen the criteria for the Gold Medal program for junior highs, but is familiar with the elementary program.
"We would be willing to consider the program if it helps our students get healthier," Abraham said.
tgillie@tooeletranscript.com