For the Comer Bien blog series, NCLR has asked several of our partners and Affiliates to reflect on the issues raised by families in the video vignettes. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author and La Fe Preparatory School and its parent organization, our Affiliate Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, one of five organizations with whom NCLR partnered for the Comer Bien video and storybanking project.
By Cynthia Cano, Assistant Principal, La Fe Preparatory School
Clarissa, mother of one of our students at La Fe Preparatory School (LFPS) in El Paso, Texas, works very hard to teach her young children about healthy living. She wants her children to know how important good diet and exercise are—especially for low-income families living in one of America’s poorest urban communities and trying to prevent diabetes.
For a child to have the best possible opportunity to reach their maximum life potential, certain areas are critical to address. If a child’s basic needs are not being met on a daily basis, then the ability to fully flourish is jeopardized. One way to target nutrition is to focus on food intake at home and at school. Health begins with access to nutritional information to the entire family. School plays a critical role by providing physical, academic, and nutritional education.
At La Fe Preparatory School, our students participate in physical education (PE) for a minimum of one hour per day of vigorous exercise. All LFPS parents are encouraged to exercise with their children during Wellness Wednesdays. This time is set aside so that all students, staff, and parents can walk or run to music in the playground during PE. The school also emphasizes sports and fitness in its after-school program, which runs Monday through Friday. The after-school program teaches the students about living a healthy and active lifestyle through an aligned curriculum, which addresses the food pyramid, favorite family recipes that are updated with low-fat ingredients, portion control, and positive body image. All of this results in increased self-confidence for our students.
A large percentage of the students at La Fe Preparatory School qualify for the free or reduced breakfast and lunch program. Because it can be challenging for several of the school’s families to purchase high quality, nutritious foods to prepare at home, the school feels an unwavering commitment to provide each child with the best possible breakfast and lunch choices that are prepared fresh daily. The cafeteria staff is committed to do more than just provide acceptable nutritional requirements. It has gone above and beyond to create a menu that supports our dedication to health and to serving foods that reflect the community’s culture. Food education is also key in reaching out to the school’s families. LFPS Chef Randi Marshall has set up a series of educational classes to teach and model preparation of healthy foods and recipes that are easy to reproduce at home.
In addition, La Fe Preparatory School provides quality health-care services by partnering with the support of Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe, our mother organization, and its health services. All of the students at the school are members of La Fe’s clinic network and receive full health, dental, and physical screenings twice a year. Counseling services are also available to the students and their families through this phenomenal partnership, which also includes training and workshops for the entire school community.
The components mentioned above come together to create a unique, holistic approach to overall health and wellness. The philosophy instilled and followed by LFPS is a comprehensive, day-to-day approach that is essential to this community’s success in achieving physical, mental, and educational wellness for all.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made its application package prototypes for state agencies available in 33 languages on its website, an important step in improving access for families who speak a language other than English in the home. To find out whether a child in your life is eligible for free or reduced-cost school meals, contact the child’s school at any time throughout the school year.