Farmingdale’s Albany Ave. School

Farmingdale’s Albany Ave. School

making health kids’ First Choice

When Albany Avenue’s Shared Decision Making Team sat down earlier this year to figure out what it could do on behalf the youngsters in their building, Joanne Acton thought that standing up would be better. Better yet, she thought, what if they got everyone to move around a bit more?

"There has been a lot in the news about childhood obesity becoming an epidemic," Acton recalls, "and I thought we could try to do something that would help our kids lead healthier lives."

Thus the Healthy Choices program was born. Its goal is to make youngsters more aware of what their bodies need to work at their best—"eating better, hydrating themselves, exercising more," says Acton.

The first step in the program was getting the youngsters to understand that every step they take is good for them. To bring the point home, Acton and the others mounted a map of the United States in the school’s lobby and challenged the students to "Walk Across America." While the actual New York to California trek wasn’t possible, the children did their own version, designed specifically to their grade level, using the perimeter of the playground as their cross-country route.

In January, the Team is bringing in a well-known mime who will illustrate in his unique, theatrical way how children can stay healthy. There is also talk of a future poster contest and other efforts to continue the program through the year which draw attention to more physical activity and less time with video games or computer instant-messaging.

The Shared Decision Making Team is confident that the Healthy Choices program will benefit Albany Avenue’s youngsters on many levels, in both the long and short term. As statistics show, obese children face many health threats, ranging from high blood pressure to sleep apnea, and more than 70 percent grow to be overweight adults. Acton also makes a more immediate point.

"If children aren’t eating properly and exercising enough, they will be lethargic," says Acton. "Tired kids have trouble paying attention in class and learning."