School & Family Magazine Newstand Arlington Nov/Dec 2017 | Page 25

Fueling Play at Ellis
By Kenneth Perkins
Cody S. was an eighth grader at Young Junior High when he was
chosen as a Fuel Up to Play 60 Ambassador – a select group of
student leaders who champion wellness in their schools, working
with administrators and cafeteria staff to make healthy changes.
“It might sound corny, but it teaches life lessons,” Cody said of
Fuel Up to Play 60. “It taught me how to eat healthy and to stay
away from junk food and sodas. If there’s one thing I want to
make sure these kids get, it’s that.”
Cody was at Ellis Elementary for the presentation of a $10,000
NFL Hometown grant for the AISD and also for the unveiling of
a Play 60 stencil design at midcourt of the school’s new outdoor
basketball court. The grant, presented by the Dallas Cowboys,
Fuel Up to Play 60 and Dairy MAX, is for the district to continue
Fuel Up to Play 60 initiatives, which includes the exercise stencil
designs like those at Ellis. Other stencils adorn different parts of
the school sidewalks, prompting students to exercise.
“I’ve already seen the kids move along according to the stencils,”
Ellis Principal Keith Boyd said. “Students who used to walk
along there are now moving.”
That’s the idea. Fuel Up to Play 60 is about getting kids to
exercise at least an hour a day. The program emphasizes the
importance of fueling young bodies with not only exercise but
also nutritious foods so they can have the energy to go outside
and play.
“We spend far too much time on video games,” Cody said. “And I actually like video games. But you can’t do
that for hours and hours. You need to get outside and move your body.”
Assistant Superintendent of Administration Michael Hill was in attendance for the unveiling along with
representatives from Dairy MAX, one of the main sponsors along with the Dallas Cowboys organization.
Cowboys mascot Rowdy showed up to lend his antics, as did a pair of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who
went through some of the exercise paces with the students.
Matthew Wolf of Scot-Tex Dairy in Scotland, Texas, addressed the students, asking them whether they had
milk that morning for breakfast.
“It’s important,” he said. “Eat breakfast. Drink milk. Stay away from those carbonated drinks. It all adds up.”
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