Golfview Elementary gets high honor for healthy habits

Healthy habits like offering students more fresh food options at lunch and adding another 30 minutes a week to physical education has earned a Community Unit District 300 school the highest honor in a national nutrition challenge.

Golfview Elementary School in Carpentersville received a Gold Award of Distinction through the HealthierUS School Challenge, a United States Department of Agriculture initiative recognizing schools that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.

The school is the first non-charter school in Illinois to attain the award. The school will receive a $2,000 award from Let’s Move!, the initiative first lady Michelle Obama began in 2010 incorporating the HealthierUS School Challenge to raise a healthier generation of children.

“Golfview really stepped up to the challenge,” said Allison Strupeck, District 300’s supervisor of communication services. “It took a lot of work to make the comprehensive changes in nutrition education and the menus. Golfview was willing to do that.”

Over the past few years, the district has partnered with food service provider ARAMARK to enhance its menus with healthier options including more whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Examples include a turkey and cheese melt on whole-grain bread or whole grain spaghetti and meat sauce.

The students embraced the new menu items, Golfview Elementary School Principal Trish Whitecotton said.

“It was neat to see. They ate it all up,” Whitecotton said. “There were no complaints. Some of them were eating broccoli and cauliflower for the first time.”

The lunch menus are also served at the 16 other elementary schools in the district.

In addition, Golfview extended the amount of time students are involved in structured physical activities from 60 minutes per week to 90 minutes per week.

“The students just took it in stride and they are excited because they’re playing kickball with their teachers,” Whitecotton said. “They looked forward to increasing their physical activities every day.”

A ceremony honoring Golfview will be held at 1:15 p.m. Feb. 4 at the school.