During the Jan. 11 meeting of the Holbrook Unified School District, Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich presented the district’s Healthy Holbrook Wellness Plan.
He noted that according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the common reasons for obesity include the consumption of sugary drinks and less healthy foods, the lack of daily, quality physical activity, and limited access to healthy affordable foods.
Statistics provided by Koerperich show that a sampling of the number of overweight and obese children in the district in grades kindergarten, second, fourth and seventh grades since 2013.
In 2013, statistics show that 42 percent of the district’s kindergartners were overweight and 22 percent were obese, but that dropped significantly last year with 35 percent of kindergartners overweight and 17 percent obese.
In 2013, statistics show that 47 percent of the district’s second graders were overweight and 24 percent were obese. The number of overweight children decreased slightly to 45 percent in 2017 but the number of obese children increased to 28 percent.
In 2013, it shows that 34 percent of the fourth grade class was overweight, with 26 percent of the class obese. Those rates jumped to 56 percent overweight and 38 percent obese in 2017.
Seventh graders also showed an increase with 39 percent of the students in 2013 overweight increasing to 46 percent in 2017 and 21 percent of the students obese in 2013 increasing to 25 percent.
When the current second graders were in kindergarten, 33 percent of the students were overweight indicating that 10 percent more of those students became overweight over the next two years. The number of kids who were obese two years ago was 24 percent, indicating that the number of students who are obese increased by four percent over the last two years.
The number of fourth graders who were overweight in kindergarten four years ago increased from 42 to 56 percent in 2017, an increase of 14 percent. The number of obese kids increased from 22 to 38 percent, an increase of 16 percent over four years.
The number of seventh graders who were overweight in the fourth grade three years ago has unchanged at 46 percent and the number of obese kids decreased from 26 percent to 25 percent.
The district is taking an active roll in addressing the concerns by working with the Navajo County Arizona Nutrition Network Program classroom curriculum to educate students on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The schools also implemented various programs that are grade-relevant that provide incentives to be healthy. Activities include the Healthy Holbrook Family Fun and Fitness Night, field days and athletic clubs.
A fresh fruits and vegetables program, a fitness center at the Hulet Elementary School and school gardens are also ways being used to help students. Teachers and staff are also asked to become actively involved in these programs as roll models and for the benefit of their health.
In another matter, the candidates for Mr. Roadrunner were announced. They include Tyler Christensen, Harry Edwards, Cody Keyonnie, Sebastian Luna, Cole McDaniel, Michael Querigua, Ryan Short, Gabriel Santibanez, Frankie Ulibarri and Harrison Williams.
In other business, the board:
* Approved the student wellness and community use of school facilities policies.
* Approved the 2018-19 district calendar.
* Approved Infinite Campus as the HUSD student information system for 2018-19, once pricing, training dates and implementation plan has been established.
* Approved a resolution in support of the Arizona Progress Meter in partnership with the City of Holbrook. The Arizona Progress Meter provides post-secondary attainment goals to support a world-class education for all students to be accomplished by 2030.
* Approved the support staff employment of Kendall Bakurza, bus driver; Juanita Nells, Indian Wells Elementary School substitute bus monitor; Callie Jensen, Holbrook High School special needs aide; Anna Paula LeSueur, food service substitute; Cathy Mora, food service satellite worker; Selena Benally, bus monitor and student worker; Davine Harmon, substitute cafeteria worker; and Corbin Charley, student bus monitor.
* Approved the support staff resignation of Timothy Begay, IWES support staff supervisor and lead driver; and the termination of Tiffany Nabors, cafeteria worker.
* Approved extra duty tutoring for Gypsi Gover, Bernice Gover, Jenny Smith and Kris Taylor.
* Authorized the acceptance of donations including 14 coats from Owens Livingston Mortuary; school supplies from Light on the Mountain Church for K through sixth grade; and a grant in the amount of $4,000 from Fuel Up to Play 60 for Park Elementary School.
* Approved professional leave for Annette Rothman and Jeanette Maxwell to Phoenix for the Early Childhood Special Education Summit, Feb. 15-16, at an estimated cost of $891, plus use of a district vehicle; and Ray McLaws to Glendale for the 2018 Summer Food Service Program Summit, and School Food Program Processing Conference and Food Show, Jan. 24-25, at an estimated cost of $269, plus use of a district vehicle.
* Approved expense and revolving fund vouchers totaling $528,866, and payroll expense vouchers totaling $1.4 million.
* Approved a song and dance event at IWES along with concessions as a fundraiser with estimated earnings of $2,000.
