48 TIMES • MARCH 12- mARCH 18, 2015 ‘Healthy Living’ curriculum at some Queens schools teaches students smarter nutritional choices BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected] @aaltamirano28 Students at P.S. 127 in East Elmhurst learned about protein as part of the Healthy Living curriculum launched in partnership with EmblemHealth and NYJTL. Students at some Queens schools are learning the difference a healthy meal makes in their lives, both in the classroom and at home. Youth tennis and education organization New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) and wellness company EmblemHealth have come together to build and launch a “Healthy Living” curriculum at 18 city schools to help students make smarter, more nutritional food choices. The curriculum is offered to students in kindergarten through eighth grade at schools NYJTL works with to provide yearround programs and activities through its Aces Clubs, which students take part in for three hours each day after school. The programs offer students character education, homework help, the ability to play and learn about tennis, and – most recently – healthy living education. “Looking at their faces and having young kids think about, learn about, develop a vocabulary about healthy living is very similar to developing a vocabulary about character,” said Deborah Antoine, president and CEO of NYJTL. “The kids are really getting smart about making some decisions and when they combine those new thoughts and skills with other character-building skills it becomes a wonderful way the kids begin to interact with their families.” Out of the 18 schools, seven are in Queens, including P.S. 37 in Jamaica, P.S. 42 in Arverne, I.S. 61 in Corona, P.S. 106 in Far Rockaway, M.S. 147 in Cambria Heights and P.S. 706 in Long Island City. Through the “Healthy Living” curriculum, created by a nutrition and wellness specialist, students receive lessons on food groups, exercise and the benefits of making healthy decisions. Students are also given “Bodega Buddy” clip cards that hook onto their book bags and remind them of healthy food choices they can make at their local stores for after-school snacks. The program encourages interaction between students and their families, so parents and guardians also receive a family guide providing information on how to shop at supermarkets and how to modify recipes on daily meals. “We want to be the sponsor of people taking small steps to leading healthier lives,” said David Flemister, EmblemHealth’s director of brand strategy and community marketing. “Our hope is that the students continue the behavior for a lifetime.” Third-grader Tyla Hooks, who on March 10 learned about protein with her class at P.S. 127 Aerospace Science Magnet in East Elmhurst, said she enjoys the classes and learning about healthy foods. During that day’s lesson, the students were asked to eat sardines and watched a video on the importance of protein to their bodies. “I’ve been learning about the different food groups and how healthy the foods are. They are all good and good for you,” Hooks said. Her classmate, 8-year-old Kevin Lopez, said that his favorite lesson was about making health smoothies. His favorite smoothie, which he asked his parents to make at home, was a peanut butter smoothie made with soy milk and bananas. “I like it. My favorite part is we get to try new foods,” Lopez said. “I like learning so I know which foods are healthy and which are not.” THE COURIER/Photos by Angy Altamirano Third-graders Kevin Lopez and Tyla Hooks each hold a “Bodega Buddy.” Richmond Hill star student graduating college at 19 BY SALVATORE LICATA [email protected] @Sal_Licata1 While most 19-year-olds are looking forward to finishing up their second year of college, Trivendra Persaud is gearing up for graduate school. Persaud, who lives in Richmond Hill, has been a self-motivated student ever since he emigrated from Guyana to America at the age of 4 with his parents, his brother and his sister. He went to P.S. 54 in Richmond Hill until sixth grade, which is when he pursued an education in the York Early College Academy. In the 10th grade, he enrolled in his first college credit classes, and by the time he was a senior, he had already earned 58 credits toward his higher education. “I know that hard work pays off,” Persaud said. “I always have a major focus on school work but you always have to keep that balance and have some fun.” But it is not so easy for him to keep that balance. Along with going to school up to six days a week and through the summer and winter semesters, Persaud works three days a week at a law office and volunteers his time at Jamaica Hospital two other days. He said organization is his key to getting everything done, but that along his path toward success he had to cut some ties with friends and naysayers who were holding him back. “I had to cut a lot of friends because they were pulling me down,” he said. “You know, they tell you to stop taking so many credits, to go hang out more instead of studying, but I knew I couldn’t do that. It was work now, party later for me.” Because of his determination, Persaud is set to graduate with his bachelor’s degree in psychology in the spring. He is then looking to go back to school for his master’s and become a practicing occupational therapist. He one day wants to open up his own practice and said he has always had the urge to help people, especially when they cannot help themselves. “I always think to myself, what if I was in that position?” he said. “I want to help people. I do it because I feel it should be done.” THE COURIER/Photo by Salvatore Licata Trivendra Persaud
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