In addition to being the largest elementary school district in the state and home to nine California Distinguished Schools, the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) can now also claim to be San Diego County’s first Live Well, San Diego! school district.
On Wednesday, the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) awarded the Chula Vista School District the distinction in recognition of the district’s commitment to improve the health and well-being of its students.
“I am honored and excited to recognize the Chula Vista Elementary School District for the incredible work they are doing to be a healthy, safe and thriving school district,” said Chairman Greg Cox, County Board of Supervisors. “This district is a role model for school health and wellness, both locally and nationally.”
In 2010, the County of San Diego launched Live Well, San Diego!, a 10-year initiative to improve the health, safety and well-being of residents. An important goal of the initiative is working with school districts to promote healthy lifestyles for the students and families they serve. The CVESD schools will display a printed logo at each campus to highlight the partnership with Live Well, San Diego!
“Schools are the one place where there is an intersection of children, youth, families, communities, and businesses,” said Nick Macchione, HHSA director. “Chula Vista Elementary School District’s adoption of the Live Well, San Diego! initiative will result in more opportunities to work together in support of the health and well-being of the students and their families.”
CVESD is an active member on a number of health-related programs and coalitions in HHSA’s South Region. In 2005, the district implemented the Healthy Eating Active Communities initiative to reduce childhood obesity. The district is a founding member of the Healthy Communities South Region (HCSR) Live Well, San Diego! Leadership Team and a leader in the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality Healthy Weight Collaborative.
In 2010 and 2012, CVESD administered a unique project to measure the height and weight of every preschool through sixth grade student within the school district. The data from the project has served as a reference point for community planning related to health and recreation.
“There is a well-documented link between health and student achievement,” said CVESD Superintendent Francisco Escobedo. “Healthier students perform better academically.”
CVESD is the largest elementary school district in California with 44 schools, serving approximately 28,500 students. In April 2012, the district was awarded the San Diego County Public Health Champion Award for the South Region.
