Scooter races on the basketball court? An obstacle course? A teacher crawling under a chair on the football field? What’s going on here? It’s the Be Active programme.
St. Ignatius students navigate an obstacle course on the football field. |
On Thursday, 9 February, the Be Active programme, sponsored by Generali Worldwide Health Insurance, kicked off at St. Ignatius Catholic School.
The program began weeks before with posters and flyers announcing February 9 as a day of activities and information focused on exercise and healthy eating for students grades K-6.
A kids’ taskforce of 11 students helped develop materials and event ideas for the school-wide kickoff over the past few months.
On the morning of 9 February students were greeted with the surprise appearance of Be Active banners, balloons, tents and X107.1 FM live on campus to celebrate the day.
‘This is the coolest day ever,’ said one student at the sight of the decorations and sports events throughout the field.
At 11am, during an assembly about the benefits of playing every day and eating healthfully, students booed a giant cookie and cheered for vegetables.
Dr. Sook Yin and Christine Sanders of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society gave a rousing presentation about diet and exercise, and Principal Jennifer Paul-O’Donnell jumped rope to encourage students to do more aerobic exercise.
‘Our Be Active Day really exceeded our expectations,’ she said. ‘The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves trying the different events with no pressure to ‘win’, just to participate. The fact that they had fun is the most important thing. We hope they walked away understanding that being healthy can be fun and exciting and that it’s something they need to think about and act upon each day.’
The programme is educational and experiential, with materials designed and produced by students and Generali, working in cooperation with local health care providers and other health information resources.
Through a series of flyers, posters, banners, events and in-school projects, students learn over time why they need to take care of their bodies and how to do so through regular exercise and eating a good balance of foods.
In addition to the launch of Be Active at St. Ignatius Catholic School, Generali plans to support production of materials and fun related events at an additional three schools through June.
For 2007, Generali hopes to partner with other organizations to continue to introduce program materials and activities in more public and private schools. If you would like more information about the Be Active programme and how your organization can get involved, contact Jennifer Williams, programme coordinator, [email protected], or Gary Carroll at Cayman Insurance Centre, Generali’s local representative, 345-814-7236.
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