$1,000 fitness-based grant on the way to North East elementary school

Music, movement and academics will combine to produce movement and physical activites for students through a $1,000 grant.

Coach Terri Pitts at Colonial Hills Elementary School was notified in June the school will receive a Game On Grants. The grants are made possible by Action For Healthy Kids, an organization focused on mobilizing professionals, families and communities to take actions that lead to healthy eating, physical activity and healthier schools where kids thrive.

The grant will fund activities and equipment that will "stimulate fine motor skills, coordination, reflexes, cross/bilateral movement and cognitive associaton, said Pitts said. 

Portions of the grant also will help expand the Colonial Hills Community Garden with the addition of vertical garden beds.

"We will generate the benefits of physical activity with the use of Geomats, a 36-inch square labeled with numbers and letters used with a fitness-based program," Pitts said.

Pitts said that the Geomats program will be used during PE as well as Family Fitness Night, PTA Meetings, Science Night, Math Night, Reading Night and Health Night "engaging students, parents and staff."

"Eventually the students will become the teachers and lead their parents and families through the physical activity," she said. "Once mastered, we intend to take the activity to nursing homes with our students leading the activities.

Meanwhile, the expansion of the school garden will continue to be used as an outdoor classroom and as a source of food products.

"The harvested tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and cilantro from the spring harvest will be used by the cafeteria staff to make and serve picante sauce," Pitts said, adding that coleslaw would be created using produce from the fall harvest.