FROM STAFF REPORTS

CHELSEA – Forest Oaks Elementary School has been selected as a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Be Healthy School and will be awarded a $10,000 grant, according to a press release from the Shelby County School System.

The funds will be used to offset the costs of a playground addition at the newly constructed school, which is scheduled to open in October.

The Be Healthy Schools Grant Program is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and reinforces the company’s commitment to help prevent childhood obesity, according to the press release. The program was recently expanded for the 2013-2014 school year, more than doubling the available grant money to $250,000. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to 25 schools serving students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and are used to fund the implementation of school-based health and wellness programs.

Forest Oaks Elementary Principal Dr. Resia Brooks said she felt her school’s E2: Eat Right and Exercise wellness initiative was a great fit for the grant program. In her application letter, Brooks said, “As we ready for a new school year in a new school, we will fully implement our own Eat Right and Exercise program called E2 (E squared). Developed as a life skills initiative to promote physical fitness and healthy eating habits, our motto is: ‘Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Happy Kids.’ We feel strongly that E2 will empower students both in and out of school, educating a generation so that they may, in turn, educate others.”

The grant will allow Forest Oaks Elementary to add playground equipment for its 800 students in kindergarten-fifth grade. Along with the grant, Forest Oaks will receive a banner to display on campus in recognition of their selection as a Be Healthy School.