Healthy Habits Program Moves to St. Charles Schools

Correction: An earlier version of this article provided incorrect contact information for Shelby Schroeder. 

Students in two elementary schools will spend the fall learning healthy habits in an after school program.

Oasis runs the Catch Healthy Habits program in several schools each year and this year brought it out to St. Charles School District at and Schools. Children who participate in the after school Read and Reach program would participate in the Healthy Habits program from 4-5 p.m.  

The eight week program partners adult volunteers over age 50 with children in grades kindergarten through grade 5.

Each hour-long program includes a 10 minute snack, a 20 minute nutritional lesson and 30 minutes of active games.

“They are non-elimination, so they keep kids moving all the time so they can’t self-select out,” said Shelby Schroeder, who is coordinating the program for Oasis. 

Instead of playing tag and getting out, kids do a reentry task like 10 jumping jacks and then come back in and keep playing.

The program will run from Sept. 19 to the week before Thanksgiving. Training will be offered Aug. 28 and 29. Schroeder needs six or seven volunteers to help out.

“We’re flexible,” she said. “Some people might come every other week.”

Schroeder said she hopes they can expand the program further into St. Charles County in the spring. She said they are talking with the in St. Charles and O’Fallon.

The program is also a good reminder for the volunteers.

“We all need those reminders, even as adults, about how to stay healthy,” she said.

For more information on the program, contact Shelby Schroeder at sschroeder@oasisnet.org or at 314-779-9860.