Students Get Life Lessons on 'Healthy Futures'

How healthy are Cornwells Elementary School students?

A new program being funded through a grant aims to answer that question.

Offered through the Independence Blue Cross Foundation's Healthy Futures program, educators from the foundation would come out to the school to track students BMI, height and weight, school Principal Shawn Mark told the school board recently.

A fitness component coordinated through school gym classes and events featuring the Philadelphia Kixx soccer league is meant to help students kick unhealthy habits and move toward healthier lifestyles that the foundation sets out to achieve, including eating right, getting fit and staying well.

"The teachers support what the Blue Cross and Blue Shield folks are doing with our children," Mark told the board. "It does dovetail very nicely with our health curriculum. It’s going to complement what we’re already doing with fourth-grade."

Initially, she said the program was eyed solely for the school's fourth-graders, but has since been expanded to include the entire student body.

"Each other grade level will have at least one exposure to a lesson," she said.

Mark said permission slips would be sent to parents and an information night would be held. Health-related data would be collected from students whose parents agree to participation, but information would be kept anonymous and confidential, Mark said. 

"Parents can come out and hear directly from the healthy futures program advisors on what they’re going to be doing with the children," she said.