Programs

Healthy Lifestyles

kids sack race photo
Are you a PTA Healthy Lifestyles Chair?  Are you a community member interested in promoting health and wellness in our schools? Sign up to receive healthy lifestyles information and important program updates by clicking the button below!
 

Research shows healthy habits learned in childhood support proper growth and development of children’s bodies and brains and promote better health outcomes in adulthood. Because good mental and physical health are linked to learning ability and because good health is a critical predictor of future productivity, it is essential that Texas schools provide students with access to learning environments that support healthy lifestyles.

Fact: Properly nourished children perform better in school-both academically and behaviorally.
Fact: Physical activity strengthens children’s bodies, minds, and self-esteem.
Fact: A good night’s sleep is essential for optimum growth, development and performance.                        
Fact: Healthy habits are best formed during childhood.

Texas PTA is committed to building healthy families and healthy communities, and believes we all have an important role to play in making sure parents, schools, and communities have the support and resources they need.

The following information will help you develop a healthy lifestyles initiative to work with parents, students, teachers, school administrators, and community members to support healthy lifestyles at home, at school and in your community.

Healthy Texas Week April 8-14, 2013

Healthy Texas Week is an annual initiative in which IT’S TIME TEXAS (ITT), together with its Founding Allies, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and H-E-B, celebrates the health of all Texans. During this week, Texans are encouraged to  eat better, move more, and live well. Healthy Texas Week will become the healthiest week of the year—uniting motivated individuals, institutions, and organizations in communities across Texas to advance the cause to make healthy the norm in the Lone Star State.

My Lunch Rocks!

Being served a healthy lunch is not the same as eating one, as parents and food service personnel know only too well.  Using cheerful stickers and colorful posters,  "My Lunch Rocks" utilizes positive reinforcement, a sense of fun and the power of parent engagement of "catch" kids eating well.  Parents hand out stickers to kids eating healthy food, whether that is applesauce, yogurt or whole grains.   Eat your carrots, get a sticker!  It is that simple, and simply effective.  Get your kit today at our online store!

 

FitKids Collaborative

FitKids is the newest healthy lifestyles initiative.  This flagship program will create a sustainable network of parents, administrators and resource providers to support effective coordinated school health efforts and realize increased student achievement.

A key component of the FitKids initiative is the FitKids Collaborative.  This innovative framework will bring together parent leaders and school representatives from nearly 40 Central Texas school districts, along with agents of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.  Access FitKids Collaborative Materials Here

 

Congratulations to our 2012-2013 Grow Your Garden Grant recipients!

  • Hewitt Elementary School PTA - Midway ISD
  • Leal Middle School PTA - Harlandale ISD
  • Pease Elementary PTA - Austin ISD
  • Leander Middle School  PTA - Leander ISD

Why Are Healthy Lifestyles Important?

Resources and information to define the need for healthy lifestyles:

Healthy Lifestyles Initiative Resources: