Grades K-5

CATCH for K-5 focuses on coordinating four components: the Eat Smart school nutrition program, K-5 Classroom curriculum, a Physical Education program, and a Family program. The coordination of health messages between these four component areas is critical to positively impact children’s knowledge and behavior.

boy+brocolliThe CATCH Program for schools is based on the CDC coordinated school health model (as it relates to physical activity and diet) in which eight components work interactively to educate young people about and provide support for a healthful lifestyle. Recently, the CDC has expanded on the coordinated school health model to create the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. The purpose of the WSCC model is to establish greater alignment, integration, and collaboration between health and education across the school setting. Consistent with the WSCC model, CATCH builds alliances of parents, teachers, child nutrition personnel, school staff, and community partners to teach children to make healthful decisions and to create changes in the environment that support these decisions.

“At Jefferson Elementary School, we’ve adopted not just the CATCH program, but a way of thinking. The philosophy behind the program helps us to embrace as a school community the importance of healthy, active children. This ideal reaches way beyond the gymnasium and health classroom. An environment that reinforces messages of health and physical activity from classroom to classroom, hallway to hallway, school to parents and student into the community allows for children to grasp and understand the serious mission of eating right and exercising. Since adopting the CATCH program, we have seen academic scores go up, positive behavioral changes among students and a reduction in absentee rates.”
Judy Lobianco
Supervisor, Health, Physical Education and Nursing Services
South Orange-Maplewood School District

CATCH transforms the school environment and provides kids with the knowledge and skills to lead healthy lives.

CATCH K-5 has been proven to:

  • Reduce total fat and saturated fat content of school lunches

  • Increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during P.E. classes

  • Improve students’ self-reported eating and physical activity behaviors outside of school

 

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