Miami Springs Principal Makes a Big Impact
Miami Springs Middle School, Miami, Florida
It’s lunchtime on Friday at Miami Springs Middle School, which means one thing to the kids pouring into the cafeteria: Pizza Day! With slices served on whole wheat crust and alongside broccoli or salad, even the pizza has become a part of the school’s new healthy menu, inspired by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools program.
Miami Springs, which has a mostly Hispanic student body, is implementing innovative solutions to improve the health of students and faculty. The engineer behind the changes is Principal Gail Quigley, who was inspired to get involved after learning about the prevalence of childhood obesity at the Alliance’s Healthy Schools Forum in July 2006. Since then, she has worked with the cafeteria staff to provide nutritious meals, including breakfast options, which now include low-sugar cereals and only low-fat milk. Dr. Quigley has also negotiated the school’s beverage contracts so that they comply with the Alliance’s Beverage Guidelines.
In addition to ensuring that all food and beverages make the grade, Dr. Quigley is also encouraging exercise by stepping up opportunities for students to get involved in physical activity before and after school, including a before-school walking club in a nearby park. During lunch, the school now offers aerobics demonstrations and encourages students to play ball on the patio after they’ve finished eating. The school has received a donation of 1,800 pedometers and is tracking the distances each student walks.
Dr. Quigley has been pleased with the success the program has had. “In all the years that I’ve been an educator, this is the one thing I really feel is going to make a difference in the life of every student.”