Deer Lakes

School District

Two Deer Lakes schools named Champion Schools by Let's Move Pittsburgh

At its annual symposium, Let’s Move Pittsburgh formally recognized Curtisville Primary Center and East Union Intermediate Center as two of its Champion Schools Award Winners

Curtisville is using its $1,000 grant to fully implement a Revamp Recess program, which creates three distinct recess zones to provide different options for structured play and provide age-appropriate equipment for its students. The school hopes that by providing safe, functional spaces and age-appropriate equipment, students will have more meaningful activity time during recess.

This is the third consecutive year in which the primary center for Deer Lakes students in grades Kindergarten through second grade has been so honored.  Previous Curtisville grants have gone to help create the school’s wildly popular Kinesthetic Lab and the Tower Garden vertical gardening system.

East Union Intermediate Center, which was named a Champion Schools Seed Grant Winner, earned its recognition after completing a School Health Index Assessment through Action for Healthy Kids.  East Union plans to use the $1,000 Champion Schools grant to increase opportunities for its students to be active. The school, which houses students in grades three through five, will purchase more physical education equipment, which will complement its existing health initiatives, which include a tower garden, smoothie tastings and their Health Connect newsletter.
Deer Lakes Superintendent Dr. Janell Logue-Belden is understandably proud of the schools’ efforts and insists that the district’s commitment to wellness is just one aspect of the district’s comprehensive approach to education.

“Child development in the 21st Century goes far beyond the traditional classroom walls,” said Dr. Logue-Belden.  “Good physical and emotional health leads to better attendance, which in turn leads to outstanding student achievement. Grants like this one allow us to demonstrate our commitment to all aspects of education.”

The grants from the four year-old program are sponsored by the Heinz Endowments.

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