By Amanda Kennington, Healthy Community School Coordinator
On March 30, 2023, Highlands Elementary hosted the second Color Run as a part of the school’s CATCH Family Night Wellness Fair. Highlands Elementary School Health Advisory Committee (C-SHAC) hosts multiple opportunities throughout the school year for families to be involved with their children and have fun while promoting healthy habits such as taking a break from electronics and getting physically active.
Approximately fifteen local community organizations provided resources and health information at the event and Aramark provided healthy eating options such as cantaloupe fruit bowls and fruit kabobs.
Over two-hundred students and their family members participated in the event and many parents ran with their children in the Color Run. Highlands Elementary Hawk Council supported the event by selling individual color packets to students so they could throw powder during the Color Powder Party.
The campus PTO and local business partners sponsored the event providing safety goggles and materials used during the run activity. Based on the turnout as well as testimony shared by students and parents, the event was a huge success!
Highlands students said, “This is so much fun! I really liked my teachers throwing powder on me and I liked my teachers running around so I could throw color on them, too. I can’t wait for this to happen again next year!”
Parents stated that the event was “positive, organized and ran very smoothly, a great night.”
Physical education teacher, Coach Joel Kunz, described the event by stating, “I don’t have one favorite part. It is how the whole thing came together, C-SHAC working to make everything run smoothly, enough volunteers to throw powder at the students, more volunteers helping at the start/ finish line, and especially the smiles on everyone’s face.”
The campus implements the coordinated health program with the goal to engage families in health-promoting events throughout the school year. All K-8 campuses in Goose Creek CISD implement the CATCH program, which stands for coordinated approach to child health. Goose Creek’s CATCH program is supported by Be Well™ Baytown. Be Well Baytown is an initiative of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center sponsored by ExxonMobil. By offering this event, Highlands Elementary is showing its commitment to create and maintain a healthy environment and make the lives of its students and their families healthier.