Back in 2014, a group of Franklin and Grand Isle leaders, including St. Albans City School principal Cavallo, convened to try and improve their population's health, level of physical activity, and eating habits, while at the same time minimizing tobacco usage and lowering the incidence of obesity (Link to Franklin County childhood obesity statistics). This leadership group, supported by the Northwest Medical Center and the Vermont Department of health, created and funded a wellness promoting organization called RiseVT. RiseVT's purpose is to reach out to support schools, businesses and community members in making healthy life choices.
Because health promotion was already a serious goal of St. Albans City School, our institution quickly became a RiseVT gold-rated learning facility and a showcase for other schools in Northwestern Vermont starting in June, 2015. On Stewardship day, June 9th, the entire St Alban's City School population celebrated being a RiseVT gold status school. Everyone wore black and green RiseVT t-shirts and arranged themselves to form the RiseVT name in our athletic fields.
Because health promotion was already a serious goal of St. Albans City School, our institution quickly became a RiseVT gold-rated learning facility and a showcase for other schools in Northwestern Vermont starting in June, 2015. On Stewardship day, June 9th, the entire St Alban's City School population celebrated being a RiseVT gold status school. Everyone wore black and green RiseVT t-shirts and arranged themselves to form the RiseVT name in our athletic fields.
Since that date, RiseVT staff member, Jessica Frost, has been a frequent visiting instructor to St. Albans City School, working with key health-driven teachers to educate their students and help them enjoy making healthy choices. You can see pictures from our three years of partnership with RiseVT in the sections below:
RiseVT School Champions
In every school there are teachers who consider instruction in exercise and healthy nutrition a priority. There are many such teachers here at St. Albans City School with that vision. However, three teams have consistently chosen to partner with RiseVT in achieving student wellness: Travelers, Dreamers (Walsh) and the Voyagers. All have done extraordinary work engaging students in meaningful exercise and dietary learning experiences. All have used the RiseVT grade-appropriate scorecards to achieve silver or gold status. With those achievements have come RiseVT rewards with visits by Ms. Jessica Frost who comes to teach students about yoga, fruits and vegetables, sugary cereals and beverages and the joy of using human power to make tasty smoothies.
RiseVT Instruction and Rewards
RiseVT sugar in cereals and beverages learning
CEREALS: Team Voyagers are shown learning about how breakfast cereals are made appealing with the addition of sugar. Students went through the process of calculating and measuring sugar in the cereals they love. It was hoped that the typically shocking results would help shift their cereal choices towards healthier options.
|
BEVERAGES: Team Travelers are shown calculating and measuring out sugar in a range of commonly consumed beverages. Many drinks had massive amounts of sugar per unit of liquid. The students and instructors found the instruction really interesting and useful.
|
Instruction on Fruits and Vegetables
Whenever Jessica Frost comes to talk about food, her instruction is always paired with something fun like hearing a well-written food-related story or playing a game with "food" items.
|
Fun Movement, Mindfulness and Exercise Activities
Promoting exercise and helping students be ready for learning are important goals for RiseVT and St. Albans City School. Leading yoga sessions and trying out fitness activities are ways that Jessica Frost connects with our students. She always does her instruction in an engaging and respectful manner, making her a welcome presence at our school.
RiseVT bike trailer
A huge way RiseVT is making a difference in our community is by sponsoring a trailer-load of mountain bikes for use at our school each spring. With the RiseVT bikes, our students are able to receive safety instruction and perhaps learn how to ride for the first time. This instruction is critical to making biking seem like a viable option for transportation and exercise. You can learn more about biking at St. Albans City School at THIS LINK.
St. Albans City School has received a RiseVT Gold Level score once again. 2018
Link to Scorecard
A wellness committee will meet in the 2018/2019 year to determine how to best spend the $1,500 awarded by RiseVT for achieving Gold Level status.
A wellness committee will meet in the 2018/2019 year to determine how to best spend the $1,500 awarded by RiseVT for achieving Gold Level status.
In Summary
We are pleased to be partners in health promotion with RiseVT. We are grateful for their enthusiasm, expertise and financial support in our mission to optimize the health of our students.