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Rae Louie, principal at Rose Park, had wanted to participate in the Gold medal Schools program for a while and was very excited to start GMS this year. From the beginning Rose Park Elementary has been committed to health and wellness. At Back to School night the Food Bank provided dinner where healthy food samples were served and healthy recipes were handed out.
 The PTA at Rose Park put on Recess Games to teach students fun recess activities including Chinese jump rope, 4-square, and hopscotch. Students were then introduced to the Gold Medal Mile and they ran the 50 yard dash. Each class was given the equipment needed for the activities so students could enjoy these activities throughout the year.
Classes continued to receive classroom recess equipment as they as they reached destinations along the way to Hawaii. When they reached Las Vegas they received hula-hoops and at Disneyland they received basketballs. This was a great way to motivate classes to participate in the Gold Medal Mile.
Needless to say the Gold Medal Mile has been encouraged and emphasized at Rose Park. The school has collectively achieved a grand total of 34,447 miles this year. Two classes have even individually gotten to Hawaii. Other school wide Gold Medal Mile events have included a Turkey Trot, Fun Run and Grant Brower Memorial Run in memory of a teacher who taught at Rose Park.
 Even the after school program available at Rose Park got involved in health and wellness. Four days a week students from the Exercise Sport Science department at the University of Utah came and ran a healthy lifestyles class where students learned the vocabulary of an activity, received a brief lesson about the activity, then participated in the activity through practice and play. The Utah Tennis Association with support from Chevron introduced students to tennis with a six-week program. Also, twice a month student nurses gave health presentations about health related topics such as washing hands and blood pressure.
Rose Park is participating in Slow Foods where they plant, cook and sample nutritious snacks. Planning for health and wellness in the future Rose Park will be getting a green house for their plants. |
