It’s a clean sweep: All 12 schools in Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) are listed among “America’s Healthiest Schools for 2018” by Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation), a national organization that empowers children to develop lifelong healthy habits.
Beryl Heights Elementary School was prestigiously listed among the 13 healthiest schools in the U.S., earning gold-level designation – the highest honor awarded by Healthier Generation. Six RBUSD schools earned the silver-level designation and five earned bronze-level designation.
Healthier Generation annually recognizes schools across the country that successfully meet a rigorous set of health criteria. These standards include reaching or exceeding federal nutrition standards, implementing district wellness policies, providing students with at least 60 minutes of physical education per week and empowering school leaders to become role models.
“For the past 10 years, RBUSD has been at the forefront of the ‘whole child’ movement. The fact that all 12 of our schools made the list of America’s Healthiest Schools exemplifies our genuine commitment to the total well-being of our kids. It’s also a testament to our strong partnership with Beach Cities Health District, as their leadership and programs are key components of our success." - Dr. Steven Keller, RBUSD Superintendent
In RBUSD, every school has a School Wellness Council comprised of parents, students, teachers, community members and Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) representatives that sets health priorities for each school year.
Additionally, BCHD supports RBUSD in its efforts to prioritize school health with its comprehensive programming, ranging from physical fitness initiatives to planting and harvesting gardens at all eight Redondo Beach elementary schools. In 2006, one in five students in Redondo Beach was obese. That same year, BCHD partnered with RBUSD to launch LiveWell Kids, a nutrition and garden childhood obesity prevention program developed for elementary school students.
Today, (K-5th) childhood obesity rates in Redondo Beach are at just 6.4 percent, a 68 percent decline from 2006 and much lower than county, state and national levels.
LiveWell Kids curriculum is delivered in schools by 400 trained parent docents. It blends in-class exercises and nutrition lessons, mindfulness practices and garden education to introduce and instill healthy habits at an early age. In addition to LiveWell Kids, BCHD supports nutrition and physical activity in RBUSD schools through 8-Minute Morning Exercises, Walking Wednesdays and Youth Bicycle and Pedestrian Education.
To learn more about BCHD’s school health programs, visit bchd.org/schools.
