Brookside Elementary School in Oak Park is a finalist in the 2010 Governor’s Challenge Competition, a yearly contest that promotes increased physical activity and improved nutrition among California’s youth.

The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports sponsors the competition.

Brookside was among five schools chosen as finalists in the Gold Coast region. Three Oxnard schools and one Santa Barbara school are also finalists. Statewide, 127 schools were chosen out of 2,649 applicants.

The grand prize will be awarded to 11 schools, which will receive new fitness centers valued at $100,000. Another 11 schools will be awarded $5,000 for new physical education equipment.

For a school to be considered as a finalist, its students had to demonstrate that they were physically active for 30 to 60 minutes a day at least three days a week, not counting exercise done in physical education classes.

Principal Debra Burgher said all students at the school successfully completed the challenge.

Although many children easily met the requirements through extracurricular sports, including basketball, soccer and baseball, Burgher said that walking or riding a bike to school also counted. Some parents who ordinarily drive their children to school dropped them off a few blocks away so they could get in a little extra exercise.

To encourage students to get their bodies moving, Burgher said teachers sent home a fitness activity log so the students could track their activity for March. P.E. coaches Rachel Harshfield and Wendy Doheney motivated students as well.

Burgher also credited Toni Caruso, the school’s PTA president, with helping the kids meet the challenge.

“She really knows how to get everybody involved and excited,” Burgher said.

March has been Brookside’s fitness month for years due to the school’s participation in the Dole Great Race, which attracts thousands of runners to the area each year and raises funds for local schools. This year Brookside earned first place in the race, which earned the school $20,000.

In March the school also observes Fitness Warrior Week. Throughout the week, teachers, coaches and PTA members offer kids various challenges during recess and lunch.

As far as improving nutrition, Brookside has undergone many changes in what students eat, at least at school.

“Healthy eating is huge in our district,” Burgher said.

The school formed a partnership with the California Health and Longevity Center last summer to redesign the lunch menu for the district.

“It just revolutionized the kinds of food we’re serving,” Burgher said.

In addition to serving lunch items like chicken pesto panini’s, whole-wheat pita sandwiches, turkey chili, and peach cobbler with oatmeal, the district is committed to serving food with as few additives as possible. Fresh herbs grown in an organic, solar-powered greenhouse at Oak Hills Elementary School are used to spice up lunches.

If Brookside wins the grand prize, Burgher says she would prefer to use the money for outdoor fitness stations available to the entire community.

If the school wins $5,000, Burgher proposes buying sun shades to help combat the heat on the school’s blacktop. She would also like to install a softer surface on the blacktop to prevent scrapes and bruises.

Oak Park Unified School District Superintendent Tony Knight said the district takes a “holistic view of each child.”

“In order to achieve in school and be successful, we need to ensure that our students are healthy, which includes being well-nourished and physically fit,” Knight said. “We have transitioned to a program that focuses on serving meals prepared here rather than frozen, defrosted, heated meals that were once served. Instead, our staff prepares the food fresh, and we are able to ensure that there are no additives and preservatives.”

“It’s not just about academic achievement, which we do well,” Burgher said. “No child is too young to learn about an active and healthy lifestyle—especially when it tastes good and is fun.”