FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Balanced School Day promotes improved learning, more activity, healthy eating
June 9, 2005, Belleville, Ontario—The format of the school day will change at three schools in September. They will be piloting a new approach to school through the Balanced School Day schedule.

The Balanced School Day is an alternative to the traditional day of having morning and afternoon recesses, and a lunch hour. The Balanced School Day divides the day into thirds with two 40 – 45 minute nutritional breaks in between. It is based on the theory that academic achievement is enhanced with the alignment of proper nutrition, effective exercise, and consistent teaching and learning sets. For students, the Balanced School Day means longer periods to eat and engage in physical activity, and larger blocks of time with fewer interruptions for lessons.

“The Board gives full support to piloting the Balanced School Day,” remarks Judy Edgar, Chair of the Board. “This approach has had positive effects on school climates in other boards in Ontario. With the Balanced Day, there is less pressure to hurry children along to get outside or eat their lunch. We are optimistic the Board will see an improvement in behaviour on the yard and overall improvement in the school climate, similar to what other school boards have experienced,” she adds.

School administrators were invited to submit applications to be part of the pilot project after consulting with their school communities. The three schools selected to be involved in the Balanced School Day pilot project are:
• Susanna Moodie Elementary School
• Tweed-Hungerford Senior School and S.H. Connor School
• Tyendinaga Public School

“Factors such as the amount of support for the change, the number of students who stay at school for lunch, the number of teaching staff at the school, and bus schedules were considerations in evaluating the applications,” remarks the project’s leader Nancy Popovich. “For the Balanced Day to be successful, it has to be a good fit for the entire school community—the students, staff, parents and volunteers.”

Education Centre employees, school administrators, and the Hastings & Prince Edward Counties Health Unit have worked together to develop guidelines for parents to help make good decisions about packing healthy snacks.

The Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board has 54 schools serving 18,400 students, employing 1,070 teachers and 705 support staff. The Board covers a wide geographical area of 7,221 square kilometres bordered by Maynooth to the north, Deseronto to the east, Prince Edward County to the south, and Quinte West to the west.

For information, contact:
• Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, (613) 966-1170, or 1 800 267-4350, ext. 2354