Uma Ramiah Photos
Second grader Bianca Espaillat
Dozens of students were inducted to a “Health Hero Wall of Fame” at John C. Daniels Schools. Since November, they’ve risen to the challenge of eating more fruits and veggies, staying physically active and getting enough sleep.
Students at the Hill neighborhood school spent the last eight weeks working on an entry health challenge as part of the Health Heroes Program, a partnership program between Community Alliance for Research and Engagement (CARE) and New Haven Public Schools (NHPS).
Students pledged to eat three fruits or veggies, exercise for an hour, and perform an act of kindness before retiring to at least eight hours of sleep each day. All parents were sent a check list, so that they could verify each day that their children met the challenge. Out of 524 students at Daniels school, 72 heroes stuck to it each day for eight weeks.
Last week, the Daniels auditorium was packed with lines of excited elementary school students waiting to be recognized for their healthy habits over the past two months.
“You are the very first health heroes in the whole school district,” said Sue Peters, senior program director for CARE. “And it’s not easy to be first.”
Second grader Matthew Mojica picks out a prize
“We know the challenge wasn’t easy,” said Peters (pictured), addressing the students from the stage of the auditorium. She stood next to bins filled with footballs, basketballs, and water bottles — prizes for the heroes.
“You really worked hard.”
The ceremony marked the end of the first eight-week phase of the program.
“We’re starting the second challenge phase now,” said Daniels Principal Gina Wells (at left in photo below), who gathered with NHPS Superintendent Dr. Reginald Mayo, Will Clark of the Board of Education and Tim Cipriano, Executive Director of Food Services for NHPS to honor the newly inducted heroes.
Wells, addressing two rows of parents sitting behind the gathered students, thanked them for their help and support. “This doesn’t just happen in school, we need parents to help,” she said.
“I know we bug you, but look how it’s paid off.”
Cipriano took the stage and promising to deliver a salad bar to Daniels. He predicted the number of Health Heroes will increase in the future. “We had 70 kids this time,” he said. “Next time it will be 200!”
Pre-kindergartener David Rivetta receives his certificate from Wells and Clark
Kaitlin Hale, a second-grade teacher at Daniels and the Physical Activity & Wellness (PAW) program coordinator for the school, read off students’ names one by one. They filed up to the stage to receive a a personalized certificate from Clark (at right in photo), a hat from their principal, and a choice of one of the three prizes from Peters.
“Parents have been really responsive to the program,” Hale said. “But a lot of why this works is because the kids are excited about it. Parents are telling me it’s the kids, really pressuring them to rise to the challenge.”
Fourth grader Audret Rivetta
After the ceremony, students took the stage to show the superintendent their jump-rope skills.
“You are all setting an example here,” Mayo told them. “You feed your mind by reading, reading, reading. But you’ve also got to feed your body.”
