FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT and CELEBRATION 7:45 A.M., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
St. Thomas Aquinas School
4600 Illinois St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
ST THOMAS AQUINAS SCHOOL JOINS NATION’S ELITE, RECEIVING LET’S MOVE! ACTIVE SCHOOLS NATIONAL AWARD
INDIANAPOLIS – St. Thomas Aquinas School (STA) has joined the elite ranks of schools that keep kids active, being honored with the 2016 Let’s Move! Active Schools (LMAS) National Award for its outstanding efforts in creating an Active School environment. With the honor, the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood school (St. Thomas) becomes the only school in Center Township Indianapolis and one of only four Catholic schools nationwide to receive the distinction in 2016.
Let’s Move! Active Schools is part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative, which is dedicated to ensuring that 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools. As part of the Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award package, STA received a large display banner, National Award certificate and congratulatory letter from the First Lady.
Nationally renowned for its “Walking School Bus,” St. Thomas will celebrate its LMAS National Award on NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY – Wednesday, October 5 – with an official banner-hanging at the start of school at 7:45 a.m. Media are invited to cover the event, capture photos and speak to school Principal Cara Swinefurth.
The Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award is the nation’s top physical education and physical activity distinction for K-12 schools and celebrates a school’s commitment to providing students with at least 60 minutes a day of before, during and after school physical activity. In 2016, 544 schools across the country achieved the prestigious honor.
“St. Thomas is honored to be recognized by the First Lady and Let’s Move! Active Schools for our efforts to keep our students active,” said STA Principal Cara Swinefurth. “At St. Thomas, educating the whole child and living an integrated, well-balanced life is central to our mission. Considering that many of our students walk to school every day, we can’t think of a more perfect day to celebrate this honor than National Walk to School Day.”
To earn a Let’s Move! Active Schools National Award, a school must have met significant benchmarks in five areas: physical education; physical activity before and after school; physical activity during school; staff involvement; and family and community engagement.
Small school, big honorsThe LMAS National Award is the latest in a series of honors and recognition for STA, a school of fewer than 220 students at Illinois and 46th streets in midtown Indianapolis. A U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School for its environmentally friendly programs, STA has an impressive string of achievements in both physical fitness and academics. STA’s Robotics Team last April advanced to the Vex World Championships, and in recent years it has won city titles in chess, soccer, boys’ basketball and girls’ track.
Boasting a differentiated learning program, all students participate in physical education, art, music, Spanish, library and technology, as well as daily recess. This fall, the school unveiled an elevator to ensure both floors are fully accessible to all students and families.
Why are Active Schools so important? Because Active Kids Do Better. Regular physical activity not only helps kids stay healthy and strong, but it can also lead to: higher test scores; improved attendance; increased focus; better behavior in class; enhanced leadership skills; and a lifetime of healthy habits.
“We commend St. Thomas’ model work around enhancing physical education and physical activity opportunities and inspiring students to go from zero to sixty both in the classroom and in life,” said Let’s Move! Active Schools Executive Director Charlene R. Burgeson. “St. Thomas is leading the way in this generation-changing movement that is transforming our nation’s schools into active and healthy hubs.”
This school year, in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, Let’s Move! Active Schools is excited to celebrate its National Award schools and to help more students accelerate their journey to leading a healthy, active lifestyle. In support of the Council’s #0to60 campaign, Let’s Move! Active Schools will provide school champions with continued information, resources, and inspiration needed to build healthier lives for future generations.
Find out more about Let’s Move! Active Schools at www.letsmoveschools.org.
To learn more about St. Thomas Aquinas School, please visit www.staindy.org.
MEDIA ADVISORY
What: St. Thomas Aquinas LMAS National Award Banner Hanging
When: 7:45 a.m., Wednesday, October 5, 2016 – NATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
Where: St. Thomas Aquinas School, 4600 Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN, 46208
Media Contact:
Cara Swinefurth, Principal
317-2-55-6244
cswinefurth@staschool-indy.org
