MIDDLETOWN ? Cobb Mountain Elementary School was awarded a $1,000 check for physical physical fitness equipment Wednesday by the California Governor”s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
The school was the only elementary school in six Northern California counties to be a front-runner in the Governor”s Challenge Competition.
The challenge is a competition among all K ? 12 schools in California. It offers cash prizes to be used for physical fitness equipment and incentives for students and teachers.
Students must be active for 30 to 60 minutes a day at least three days a week for a month in addition to regularly scheduled physical education classes, according to the Governor”s Council Web site, www.calgovechallenge.org/challenge.
“We”re going to use it (the money) for balls ? soccer balls, basketballs, volleyballs, and we need to get indoor balls for our multi-use room,” Cobb Mountain Elementary School principal Tracy Skeen said.
Skeen added that the school held a school-wide, walk-run on Thursdays. “It all came together and all the teachers got involved. Not only would our students participate, but we had young siblings and parents come to do it as well, so it was a whole community thing,” Skeen said.
Schools can compete for one of 11 regional awards worth $5,000 each, and then for the grand prize, a fitness center worth $100,000. Schools qualify by having either the most students or the highest percentage of students complete the challenge, and then by submitting essays to the council. Cobb Mountain Elementary had the highest participation for an elementary school in a Northern California region that included; Lake, Sonoma, Napa, Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties.
“Last year, Cobb Mountain (Elementary) had 100 percent (of the students) complete the challenge, and we expect that they will again this year,” executive director for the California Governor”s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Kenny Rogers said.
Rogers presented the check and a banner honoring the school as one of 50 “champions for fitness.” Cobb Mountain Elementary is still in the running for the regional and grand prizes, he said.
Rogers said there is a correlation between physical fitness and academic performance.
“Fitness helps improve focus, self esteem ? we find that at the schools that have participated, there are fewer referrals to the nurse, attendance is up, school spirit is up and teachers are noting that they are having an easier time teaching when kids are being active more,” he said.
“There is still plenty of time for other schools to participate as well,” Rogers said. The 2008 competition ends April 30. For more information about the program and how to participate visit www.calgovechallenge.org/challenge.
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