This school year Oak Mountain Intermediate was the recipient of the “Fuel Up to Play 60” grant and the Healthy Kids grant. Both initiatives emphasized the importance of good health, nutrition and exercise. The school used funds from the Healthy Kids grant to create a teacher – student after school running club.

The “Fuel Up to Play 60” grant, from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Inc. (SUDIA) and the National Football League (NFL) provided funds for activities that promoted good nutrition along with 60 minutes of physical activity a day.  SUDIA works with schools, health professionals, farmers and the public to provide them with nutritional information, research and recipes for a healthy lifestyle that includes three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day.

As part of the grant, OMIS implemented a promotion inviting local heroes to the school to support the importance of breakfast. Students anticipated this promotion once a month when a community hero served them breakfast in the cafeteria.

“Our goal was to help our students consume a healthy breakfast that in turn had a positive impact on their health, academic success and behavior choices,” said Principal Pat LeQuier.

Mystery Servers throughout the year have included North Shelby County Firemen, a Shelby County Deputy Sheriff, football players from Oak Mountain High School, the OMIS Physical Education Coaches, and even a contest between the fourth and fifth graders as Principal Pat LeQuier and Assistant Principal Sasha Hood served one morning to see which grade had the most students eating breakfast.

On May 14^th students anxiously waited at the cafeteria door to greet their monthly breakfast “Mystery Server”! Everyone was thrilled to see Shelby County Board of Education Superintendent, Randy Fuller, and Elementary School Coordinator, Rickey Darby, as the Mystery Servers.

“It was an enjoyable experience interacting with the students in the breakfast line,” said Superintendent Fuller. “Our students are encouraged to eat breakfast every morning to support them during the day.”