WCPSS Earns Federal Grant for Innovative Obesity Prevention Program
 Secretary Paige presents $1.3 million check to Superintendent McNeal and Principal Slay. |
 Secretary Paige works out with North Ridge fourth-graders. |
September 28, 2004 - Dr. Rod Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education, presented WCPSS Superintendent Bill McNeal with a $1.3 million check representing the 2004 Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) federal grant to fund physical education programs in Wake County.
"When children are unhealthy, they are not ready to learn," said Secretary Paige. "Millions of students are out of shape; many are overweight or obese. And there are many reasons why: consumption of high-fat, high-calorie foods and drinks, consumption of soda, lack of physical exercise, and too much time playing video or computer games and watching television. We can change this and we must. We can educate our children and keep them healthy."
Paige joined students in Cathy Lowry's class at North Ridge Elementary for physical education class and talked with news reporters as he announced the Department of Education would award $70 million in PEP grants nationwide, the single largest appropriation for K-12 physical education to date to help schools and school districts improve physical education programs.
In Lowry's class, Paige and her fourth- and fifth-graders went through a series of different activities - tossing a football, walking a track, dribbling a basketball and bouncing a beach ball in the air - moving quickly from one activity to another. Then Paige met in the school's media center with Superintendent Bill McNeal, Wake County Board of Education members, NC Schools Superintendent Patricia Willoughby and others. Paige talked about the importance of fitness for students and presented McNeal a $1.3 million check to boost fitness and nutrition activities in Wake County schools.
Artie Kamiya, WCPSS Administrator for Health and Physical Education Instruction, said the new PEP grant will encourage student participation in fitness activities at all grade levels. Kamiya said the three-year grant will provide four more fitness centers at WCPSS high schools, provide a range of PE activities for middle school students and create new partnerships between elementary PE teachers and classroom teachers to interest students in fitness and nutrition.
WCPSS earned the latest PEP grant for its innovative new obesity prevention program called O.P.R.A.H. - Obesity Prevention through Research-based Activity and Health. Kamiya said OPRAH will encourage lifelong physical fitness and nutrition.
"We want students to be excited about attending PE classes and interested in their own fitness and nutrition," said Kamiya. "We want to create PE classes that promote fitness for all students and help all students develop healthy lifestyles."
-wcpss-