[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 113 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1191-E1192]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING BERWYN SOUTH SCHOOL DISTRICT 100 FOR ITS EXCELLENCE IN 
                  PROMOTING HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 2013

  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
recognize and personally congratulate Stan Fields, District 100 
Superintendent, Jim Swicionis, School Board President, as well as the 
administrators, teachers and students of Berwyn South School District 
100 for their amazing commitment to and success in implementing healthy 
school environments for their students through the promotion of 
nutrition and physical activity.
  I applaud Berwyn South School District 100 for taking bold and robust 
steps to change the way students approach exercise and nutrition. A 
clear testament to its extraordinary work is the fact that each of its 
eight schools in District 100--six elementary schools and two middle 
schools--received awards from the Healthier U.S. School Challenge 
operated by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Healthier 
U.S. School Challenge is a voluntary certification initiative by the 
federal government that recognizes schools that provide

[[Page E1192]]

innovative healthy nutrition options and physical activity 
opportunities for their students. In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama 
incorporated the Healthier U.S. School Challenge awards into her Let's 
Move campaign, awarding monetary prizes for four levels of performance: 
Bronze; Silver; Gold; and Gold Award of Distinction, the highest level. 
Berwyn South School District 100 won six Gold Awards of Distinction and 
two Silver Awards. Impressively, only 12 Gold Awards of Distinction 
were awarded in the state of Illinois, and Berwyn South School District 
100 won half of them. These well-deserved honors reflect the tremendous 
dedication of the administrators, teachers, and staff of these schools 
and of the District and its School Board to improving and sustaining 
the health and nutrition of the students and the community.
  To receive awards from the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge, schools 
must demonstrate improvements to the nutrition and physical activity of 
their students across multiple domains, including breakfast foods, 
lunch foods, nutrition education, physical education, and physical 
activity. I wish to highlight some of the changes that schools in 
Berwyn South 100 adopted to improve the health of their students. 
Perhaps the greatest achievements are the dramatic improvements to the 
nutritional quality of the school breakfast and lunch menus. Beginning 
in November 2010, the District 100 Superintendent, School Board, 
administrators, principals, and food vendor--Aramark--partnered to 
ensure that each meal served exceeds the nutrition guidelines for sugar 
and fat content set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To complete 
this task, school stakeholders met with contracted meal providers to 
eliminate high sugar options and replace them with whole grains, fresh 
fruit, and vegetables. In addition, the District instituted a 
``Breakfast in the Classroom'' program as a part of a district-wide 
policy in elementary classrooms during school hours, reducing school 
tardiness while increasing student focus. Schools further improved the 
nutrition of foods during holiday celebrations. For example, classes 
are encouraged to forgo candy during Halloween celebrations and focus 
on physical activities that celebrate the holiday and fellowship among 
classmates. Some schools also created various Parent Universities 
during the evenings that provide family-based experiences, such as 
Zumba and yoga, designed to educate and motivate the community to 
engage in physical activity. Beyond simply implementing these changes, 
the District 100 Initiative partners monitored the changes to evaluate 
the success and implementation of the initiative.
  I am deeply impressed by the committed partnership among an array of 
school stakeholders in the Berwyn South District 100 that resulted in 
such positive systemic change in the nutrition and physical activity of 
the schools. I commend the following schools and their principals for 
receiving the Healthier U.S. School Challenge Gold Award of 
Distinction: Freedom Middle School, Principal James Calabrese; Heritage 
Middle School, Principal Laura LaSalle; Hiawatha Elementary School, 
Principal Marilyn McManus; Komensky Elementary School, Principal Jeremy 
Majeski; Pershing Elementary School, Principal Marilyn McManus; and 
Piper Elementary School, Principal John Fontanetta. I also praise the 
following schools for receiving the Healthier U.S. School Challenge 
Silver Award: Emerson Elementary School, Principal Beatriz Lopez; and 
Irving Elementary School, Principal Mary Havis. I laud Superintendent 
Fields and School Board President Swicionis for encouraging and 
supporting these schools in their efforts to improve the physical well-
being of their students.
  In closing, I recognize Berwyn South School District 100 for its 
excellence in promoting nutrition and physical activity, and I praise 
its Superintendent, School Board President, School Board, 
administrators, teachers, staff, and parents for their commitment to 
improving the health of our students and communities.

                          ____________________