Osborn Elementary School in Turlock was recently announced as one of the top 10 schools in California for the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness.
The 2011 Governor’s Challenge Competition calls on California schools to promote physical activity for 30 to 60 minutes a day, at least three days a week.
As of April 26 of this year, Osborn students and teachers had logged 75,980 days of physical activity ranging from 30 to 60 minutes. The number is currently seventh best in California and second-best in the “Gold Country Region,” behind Waterford Middle School in nearby Waterford.
An active day is a day which a Governor’s Challenge participant is physically engaged for at least 30 minutes in activities like basketball, soccer, volleyball, biking, swimming, hiking and even walking.
The Governor’s Council and the Coca-Cola Company have teamed to award Challenge winners, as many as six schools in the California, with $100,000 Live Positively Fitness Centers. The awards pay for the design, delivery and installation of brand new, age-appropriate fitness equipment.
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, a long-time proponent of physical fitness, relayed the importance of fitness in schools.
“Research shows that physically active students are in better health, have greater confidence and self-esteem and perform better academically,” he said in a recent statement.
The challenge is scheduled to end May 31 and winners will be announced in September.
School to change names
The Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees approved a name change proposal for Osborn Elementary School at its Tuesday board meeting.
Osborn Elementary, a school that specializes in teaching and speaking both English and Spanish, will become Osborn Two-Way Immersion Academy. The name change will occur immediately but will gradually take place on signage and documents.
In 2009, the TUSD Board of Trustees approved a proposal to transition Osborn from a neighborhood school to a magnet for the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program.
According to Osborn Principal Ed Ewing, the name change will benefit the school because then the campus can be easily identified as a specialized school in TUSD.
“Two-way immersion is a term that refers to the fact that students of two language backgrounds (English and Spanish) are working together to acquire both languages,” said Ewing, “Academy refers to part of our highest aspiration of preparing our students to excel academically.”
To contact Jonathan McCorkell, e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com , or call 634-9141 ext. 2015.
