Sierra House wins Let's Move! Active Schools National Award

School physical education at one time was full of jumping jacks, sit ups, pull ups and push ups. Today's physical education at schools has taken on a whole new focus, and Sierra House Elementary in South Lake Tahoe is being honored for what they do on a daily basis.

The school received recognition for their outstanding efforts in creating an active school environment under First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, Her plan is dedicated to ensuring 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools.

Only 544 schools in the country have received the Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award, the nation’s top physical education and physical activity distinction, and Sierra House has earned the award for what they accomplished last year, and what they're doing this school year.

“We commend Sierra House’s model work around enhancing physical education and physical activity opportunities and inspiring students to go from zero to sixty both in the classroom and in life,” said Charlene R. Burgeson, Let’s Move! Active Schools Executive Director. “Sierra House is leading the way in this generation-changing movement that is transforming our nation’s schools into active and healthy hubs.”

PE teacher Seth Martin will be making a presentation to the Lake Tahoe Unified School Board on Tuesday during their trustee meeting on what Sierra House does before, during and after school to keep kids active as well as staff, family and community engagement which are all prerequisites to winning the award.

We know that when young people are active, they perform better in school, show increased focus, and demonstrate higher confidence. - Michelle Obama in her letter to Sierra House.

Sierra House offers before- and after-school activities both on campus, and off. There is ice skating at the SLT Ice Arena, golf at Lake Tahoe Golf Course, Morning Milers, Ninja classes at Crossfit 6250 as well as jogging, soccer, basketball, mountain biking and other activities at school.

The typical school day starts with Move It, 20 minutes of physical activity which can include dancing, yoga, running, walking or jobbing. During the school day the teachers lead the students on "Brain Breaks," little episodes of activity to give them a break in learning which is a proven method of creating a more complete, and connected, student.

"Seth has done a great job with implementing this new focus in PE," said Principal Ryan Galles of his school's physical education teacher.

Not only does Sierra House involve the students physically, they also teach them better choices for food, both at school and at home. Gone are the previously typical bags of chips, cookies and pastries, and in their place are salads, fruits and nuts. The cafeteria offers a salad bar every Wednesday with many things grown in the school's Grow Domes. Not only do the daily lunches packed at home have healthier options, they are also more environmentally conscious and excess packaging has been eliminated.

Birthday and holiday celebrations are no longer marked with cupcakes. Parents now bring fruit kabobs or other plant based foods, read books or involve the classes with other non-food activities.

"Our parents get creative on what they do for celebrations," said Galles.

Sierra House is also being rewarded for how they involve the community and parents. Students from the South Tahoe High Sports Medicine classes present during the school's health fair and parents are taught how to prepare healthier choices at home, a fork over knife approach Galles said.