Three area schools are in the running to receive some major milk money through the Healthy Schools Makeover Contest.
Central Middle School in East Grand Forks, Schroeder Middle School in Grand Forks, and Midway School in Inkster, N.D., are among the 10 schools competing in the Show Your Spirit challenge for two grand prizes of $3,000 to spend in the cafeteria or physical fitness programs. To participate, the schools had to submit songs or cheers by Thursday with healthy living themes. The contest, for schools that participate in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, is sponsored by the Midwest Dairy Council and Cass-Clay Creamery.
Students at Central Middle School made a movie about school lunches, said health teacher Jan Baune. If Central wins, she said, they would like to buy a big-screen TV and yoga tapes or DVDs for the cafeteria.
The video by Midway students features a song about healthy foods and exercise written by two seniors. Video showed students at recess, in physical education classes and going through the school's salad bar.
"The whole thing revolves just not around food but with keeping kids active," said Roger Abbe, superintendent of Midway School.
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Midway would use the winning funds to upgrade physical education equipment, Abbe said.
At Schroeder Middle School, students created half a dozen entries, said physical education teacher Julie Homstad Hegland, including a rap.
Last spring, Schroeder used money from the Fuel Up for 60 program to start a morning waffle bar, free to all students, and a walking program which let students enter their name in a prize drawings each time they completed a lap around school grounds. If the school won the Healthy Schools Makeover money, Homstad Hegland said, they would restart those programs this spring.
Entries should be available to watch on schooltube.com by the end of next week, said Char Heer, licensed registered dietitian with the Midwest Dairy Council.
Contest winners will be announced the week of March 7.
Gulya covers education. Reach her at (701) 780-1118; (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or send e-mail to lgulya@gfherald.com .
