Indy Standard

Efforts by staff at William Penn Middle School 49 to boost student health and wellness have resulted in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation honoring the school as one of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2024.

This annual recognition honors schools for implementing best practices to support the health of students, staff, and families. Eight hundred seventy-nine schools across 30 states were awarded this year.

America’s Healthiest Schools are recognized in up to nine categories. William Penn was recognized and awarded for:

“I am ecstatic and honored that William Penn 49 was recognized in all three categories,” said Cathy King, who previously served as the school’s physical education teacher and submitted the award application. She is now the physical education teacher at Ernie Pyle School 90.

“In following the district’s wellness and recess policy, our wellness goals for 2022-24 included not using candy as a reward, never denying recess, and not excluding students from physical education.”

King noted the school’s staff worked together to achieve its goals with the encouragement and support of Kathy Langdon, the district’s coordinator for physical education and health, and Audrey Satterblom, the district’s wellness representative.

See the full list of recognized schools at healthiergeneration.org/2024-awardees.

###