"After two knee surgeries and being diagnosed with a lung disease, I have had to slow down quite a bit.  When I heard about GMS in my training here at Summit Academy , I knew that this was the year that I needed to change my ways.  My knee was healing and I needed to build my lungs.  The GMS program gave me the hope and the courage to act.  I knew that if I was asking my students to be active I needed to be as well." 

"In September I decided to sign up for karate and go on walks with my friends.  I have more energy now than I ever knew was possible.  I am usually sick with bronchitis and pneumonia every winter for months at a time, often finding myself in hospitals and doctors offices weekly;  not this year.  I have been living healthy and enjoying life.  I have found the energy to be a crazy fifth-grade teacher day in and day out.  I love to jump in on my students' soccer games and find it so fun to have sprint races with them.  I also teach karate to some of the students, which has encouraged many of them to go out and seek it outside of school, furthering their own healthy living." 

"I knew at the beginning of the year that I wanted to encourage my students' success in the program.  I could never have imagined that it would give me the strength to better my own life.  I am grateful that my school has taken on the challenge and in many ways kept me out of the hospitals and in the classroom, which is where I love to be the most." 

-Jessica LeNeave, 5 th grade teacher, Summit Academy

"Oquirrh Hills Elementary students and staff are honored to be a Gold Medal School. Gold Medal Schools has given our school the opportunity to make nutrition and healthy lifestyles a part of our school day.  Students are given the responsibility to walk the Gold Medal Mile during their morning recess." 

"This year Oquirrh Hills Elementary has also started recess before lunch. This was a big change and many did not think it would work. However, teachers have noticed a change in student behaviors in the afternoon.  Students are alert, able to stay on task, do not complain about physical activity, and are not hungry.  Our school 's lunchroom staff has also mentioned that students are taking time to eat instead of rushing to get outside and play, which created lots of wasted food in the past, as well as empty tummies." 

"Gold Medal Schools is very important to us, and has attributed to our success at Oquirrh Hills in many different areas."

-Jane McClure, principal, and Tysen Fausett, school coordinator, Oquirrh Hills Elementary

"In 2004 I moved from Beehive Elementary in Kearns, Utah to Academy Park Elementary in West Valley City. I teach 6th grade and I am the school coordinator. There are three of us on the 6th grade team.

The school was not a Gold Medal School when I arrived, but I convinced the Principal to let me try and get it going at our school. Most of the teachers were not interested at first, but after watching the 6th grade and the huge improvement over a period of time, slowly but surely the other grades jumped on board with both feet. We now have over 93% of our staff committed to Gold Medal Schools."

"The numbers I share are only 6th grade numbers since that is what I teach and track. We track three things...1. Attendance, 2. Behavior, and 3. CRT Test Scores. In 2003-2004, the year before I moved to Academy Park, attendance was at 91.7 percent. Behavior during morning recess was out of control. Students were being sent home because of behavior, which meant they missed their other lessons. CRT test scores in Language Arts were at a 48 percent composite score for the 6th grade. The Math score was 57percent."

"First Year of Gold Medal Schools : 2004-2005:
1. Attendance: 93.6%, an increase, which meant more students were in class and not home sick.
2. Behavior: we started the Gold Medal Mile during morning recess. Students were walking, getting in shape, getting healthy, and not getting into trouble, which meant they stayed for the day and were taught all the lessons.
3. CRT Scores: Language Arts scores increased to 53% as a grade level and Math CRT increased to 61% as a grade level.
In conclusion, it is my belief that the Gold Medal Mile each morning, 180 days for the school year, over 50,000 miles as a school, does help increase the attendance, behavior, and CRT Tests scores. I shared this with the school and yes, most of the schools jumped on the next year."

"The 2005-2006 school year was amazing. A lot of great things happened to our school. These numbers reflect our school and not just 6th grade.
1. Attendance: as a school we improved 3.8% from the previous year, which meant 2,671 less absences for the year.
2. Behavior: more grades started walking during their morning recess, which means the students were walking about 15-20 minutes daily as a grade. There were 97 fewer citations given out during that time of day. Huge improvement. 6th grade had only two for the entire year during morning classes.
3. CRT Tests: I only have the 6th grade scores...in Language Arts we improved to 68% and in Math we improved to 73%."

"Our school is very grateful for Gold Medal Schools. It has helped us focus on so many areas that we didn't before."

-Bill Koehler, 6th grade teacher and school coordinator, Academy Park Elementary