Harlem Elementary, E.F. Green, and IMPACT Early College High School were recognized as the 2023 ITT Community Challenge Salad Bowl winners for earning the most points in the GCCISD campus competition.
By: Amanda Kennington, Healthy Community Schools Coordinator
Goose Creek CISD’s School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) members want to be strategic about communicating the critical role community support and family engagement play in improving health and learning of students. In fact, the SHAC took action early in the school year by creating opportunities to connect schools and the community and supporting students and their families. The SHAC hosted subcommittee meetings and invited stakeholders to share resources and raise awareness of the importance of health and wellness. One initiative the committee promoted in support of a healthier community was the 2023 It’s Time Texas (ITT) Community Challenge, a fun eight-week health competition that encourages participants to earn points by engaging in and logging healthy activities. Goose Creek CISD has participated in the ITT Community Challenge in the past but this year was even more successful because of the support from school staff members, the GCCISD Board of Trustees, Baytown City Council, and Be Well™ Baytown who pledged to help spread the word, encourage individuals to lead healthier lives, and build a stronger, more connected community. Be Well Baytown is an initiative of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center sponsored by ExxonMobil. The mission of Be Well Baytown is to mobilize the community to promote wellness and stop cancer before it starts.
Through this year’s Community Challenge, 423 GCCISD staff members, 50 GCCISD students and 173 family and friends of GCCISD, for a total of 651 participants helped the district earn 3rd place overall within all large school districts with 2,967,250 total points. Fun fact: The person that earned the most points in our community for the past three years is a GCCISD employee who also happens to be the Chair of the GCCISD SHAC Family Engagement & Community Involvement subcommittee. The strong collaboration from our community is generating positive, long-lasting change in people’s lives.
On April 18th, the SHAC recognized the health efforts of the GCCISD employees that earned the most points during the Community Challenge. Heather Alarcon, assistant principal of Stephen F. Austin Elementary said, “I have participated in the It’s Time Texas challenge for the last few years as a classroom teacher and now as a campus administrator. I’ve always enjoyed having this method for kicking off a new year with healthy habits, but as a campus leader the challenge is a great way to unite our staff. I love talking with teachers about how they’re getting points and the healthy competition it creates!” The district awarded Harlem Elementary, Edward (E.F.) Green Junior School, and Impact Early College High School with the 2023 Salad Bowl trophy to proudly display at their campus for earning first place in the campus competition.
With the help of his Campus-SHAC, E.F. Green Junior School Principal Earnest Brooks encouraged faculty and staff to sign-up for the friendly health competition and even set aside time for students to register during their physical education classes. “Being a part of the It’s Time Texas Community Challenge has been a blast. It’s been a fun and competitive way for members of our team and school community to engage in healthier habits. It’s also a joy to celebrate one another as you claim a spot in the leaderboard!” E.F. Green was awarded the Salad Bowl trophy from the GCCISD Whole Child Initiatives Department for the second year in a row and earned an ITT 8th place distinction out of all campuses in the state of Texas! Creating these collaborative opportunities to connect schools and the community is essential to ensure all children are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.