Healthy Lifestyles
The PTA is committed to improving the overall health and well-being of students and families across the country because we know living a healthy lifestyle is a key component to our students' ability to thrive.
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The PTA offers educational resources and engagement opportunities that empower students and families to make better-informed healthy decisions for a healthy body, healthy mind, and healthy earth.
Healthy Bodies
The PTA has collected a variety of parent resources you can use to make good health choices for your family. These resources will contribute to being physically healthy by maintaining a healthy diet and staying active.
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Additionally, the PTA gets involved with activities and programs that promote and support healthy lifestyles, including:
Family Fitness 4 α Cause
The school hosts a program called Family Fitness 4 α cause (FF4αC). FF4αC is a family program focused on fitness, service learning, and character education. Throughout this program, families will train to complete 5Ks (walk or run) that support a cause (homelessness, autism, cancer research, etc.) While training, families will learn about the cause and ways they can support it through service learning. This is a free program that is offered before school. This is not a strenuous program, and you don't have to be a top athlete to participate. All families are welcome. This is not a drop off program - students must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
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Boosterthon Fun Fun
Each spring, students participate in a fitness fundraiser to raise money for the school. Students run, dance, and skip to high-energy music while being cheered on and having fun at our Fun Run. This fundraiser get students active, brings school spirit, and is the largest fundraiser for the school.
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Wellness Fair
It is the goal of the PTA to pull together community resources and activities to be able to host an annual Wellness Fair. More information on this event to come...
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Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run is an after-school program available to girls in 3rd through 6th grade. Participants are inspired to build confidence and other important life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and physical activity. Program registration is open each fall until mid-September.
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The Future of FCPS Food & Nutrition Services
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services invited more than 200 students to sample and provide feedback on various breakfast and lunch recipes. FCPS cafeterias are beginning to craft scratch-made meals for every student.
Resources for Parents
Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, Parents: Talking to Your Kids About Weight
STOP Obesity Alliance, Weight In: Talking to your children about weight and health
Specific nutrition requirements and official guidance from the USDA
Healthy Ways to Reward Kids Without Food
Join us January 23rd for Zumba Night!
Healthy Minds
When our minds are healthy and strong, we are more resilient to life's challenges, able to use healthy coping methods, have better relationships, maintain our overall health and well-being, and prevent chronic illnesses. Nearly four in five young people have unmet mental health needs, and as many as one in five live with mental illness. However, despite research that shows that physical and mental health are connected, we often don't prioritize our mental health in the same way that we prioritize our physical health. The PTA believes that if parents and caregivers have the right knowledge and tools, mental health can become an everyday priority.
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The PTA Healthy Minds Program helps families support the mental health needs of students and families. Healthy Minds gives families the knowledge and tools to better understand mental health issues and adopt practices to help families thrive.
Resources for Parents
Centreville Elementary Counseling Team
Helping Kids Cope With Their Emotions
Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event
Helping Children Cope With Grief
Getting Your Child Mental health Support and Accommodations in School
Healthy Minds Toolkit
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Find Mental Health Support from National Organizations
Warmlines (Mental Health America): Talk to someone who can provide support during hard times.
Find a Mental Health Support Group (Mental Health America): Find support groups in your area.
Behavior Health Treatment Locator (SAMHSA): Locate treatment facilities in the U.S. for substance use/addiction and/or mental health problems.
Self-Help Clearinghouse (National Mental Health Consumers): Connect to self-help and advocacy resources.
Mental Health Resources for Underrepresented Communities (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention): Find national resources for suicide prevention focused on supporting individuals in minority communities, reviewed for accuracy, mental health and community context, and ease of use by AFSP.
Mental Health Support by Topic: If you are seeking more specific mental health support, these organizations can help.
BY TOPIC
Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Bullying
Research shows that children who experience bullying are at a much higher risk for mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, and low-self esteem. There are ways you can prevent bullying and help your children respond appropriately when they are being bullied or seeing others in that situation.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Depression
One in six adults will experience some type of depression in their lifetime. It's important to know what depression is and how it can be managed so you can address it if it arises for yourself and/or your children.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Grief & Loss
Grief is a natural physical, emotional, and behavioral reaction to experiences of deep loss. Loss is when a person no longer has someone or something in their life, or they have less of something. Loss can take many forms.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Loneliness & Isolation
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After the pandemic, more than 7 in 10 parents (72%) indicated they worried a lot or some about their child missing out on important social interactions at school or with friends, more than any other issue/topic. Check out these resources to better understand what loneliness and isolation can look like and what your family can do about it.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Resiliency
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Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress - such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It is the ability to not only successfully overcome serious challenges, but to grow from the experiences.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Social Emotional Learning
There are many things you can do with your children at home to help them develop social and emotional skills, like the ability to solve problems or how to use coping strategies when they face challenges. These resources provide more information on what these "SEL skills" look like and how you can build them with your children by doing activities together in your daily lives.
Anxiety is the most common mental disorder. Each year 18% of adults in the U.S. experience anxiety, and 31% have had anxiety at some point in their lives. Approximately 8% of children and adolescents also experience anxiety each year. Use these resources to better understand what anxiety is and how it can be managed.
Healthy Earth
Did you know that Centreville Elementary School is one of only two FCPS schools to be named a U.S. Department of Education 2017 Green Ribbon School for its sustainability efforts? It is also the first elementary school to receive a 4th and permanent green ECO Flag from the National Wildlife Federation and was named a Top Ten Green School by the NWF in 2015. Read more about CES's commitment to sustainability and the environment here.
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The PTA is committed to helping CES families prioritize a Healthy Earth. It can be difficult to sort through all of the information about climate change and what each of us can be doing with our families and within our communities to play our part.
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The PTA has collected a variety of resources you can use to understand the truth about the climate crisis and to also know what you can do in your daily lives and as part of the broader community to be part of the solution.
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Additionally, the PTA gets involved with activities and programs that promote and support sustainability and the environment, including:
Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day
Vehicles emit a variety of air pollutants, resulting in increases in ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter such as particles of dust, soot, smoke, dirt, and liquid droplets. When children lace up their sneakers instead of riding in a car, they help reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted by automobiles.
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Additionally, walking/rolling and/or riding a bike to school enables children to incorporate the regular physical activity they need each day while also forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
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Each October CES participates in Walk & Roll to School Day to enable and encourage more children to walk, bike, or roll to school safely.
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Green Team
The school's environmental efforts are led by our student/teacher Green Team. Students learn about the problems our Earth faces so that they can create informed solutions. The Green Team gives students and staff the opportunity to share their passion for the environment by taking the lead in making positive change happen. The PTA provides financial support to the Green Team each year to help support their efforts.
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Farmers Market
Centreville Elementary School has a partnership with Piney Meadow Farm to bring a weekly Farmers Market to the school each Wednesday at 4:00pm. The farmers market is changing the conversations families are having about food and nutrition and is a unique way for families to have access to healthy foods at a low cost.
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Centreville Elementary Permanent Green Flag Status
In 2019, Centreville Elementary and Lanier Middle School in Fairfax County celebrated becoming the first elementary and middle school in the United States to earn permanent Green Flag status, having gained four consecutive Green Flag Awards.