The voting is in and two of San Bernardino City Unified School’s District schools have been named among America’s Healthiest Schools.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has released their list of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2024. Norton Elementary School and Sierra High School are 2 of 879 schools across the U.S. honored this school year. Sierra was also a 2023 honoree.
America’s Healthiest Schools is an annual recognition program that celebrates schools for implementing policies and practices to promote health and well-being. Schools are evaluated in nine areas Healthier Generation considers important to creating healthy schools.
Norton Elementary was recognized in seven of the nine areas Healthier Generation considers when evaluating schools:
- Supporting School Health Services—Enhancing school health services to support the physical and mental well-being of students by routinely conducting health screenings and addressing chronic health conditions
- Improving Nutrition & Food Access—Maximizing school meal participation, collaborating with teachers on nutrition education for students and partnering with community organizations to improve nutrition security for families
- Bolstering Physical Education & Activity—Provide evidence-based physical education and integrate physical activity throughout the school day, including students with special health needs
- Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning—Positively motivating student participation and learning and providing opportunities for students to regulate their emotions and learn from their mistakes
- Increasing Family & Community Engagement—Engaging the school community, involving parents and caregivers in supporting student success and connecting families to health and wellness resources
- Implementing Local School Wellness Policy—Promoting healthy practices through implementation of the District’s wellness policy and reviewing progress, successes and challenges
- Cultivating Staff Well-Being—Actively promoting relationship building among staff and fostering a culture of gratitude among colleagues
Sierra was recognized in six areas:
- Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning
- Improving Nutrition & Food Access
- Implementing Local School Wellness Policy
- Increasing Family & Community Engagement
- Supporting School Health Services
- Promoting Tobacco-Free School—Promoting prevention and a tobacco-free campus and supporting students in cessation efforts
For the full list of America’s Healthiest Schools 2024, visit Alliance for a Healthier Generation.