Six elementary schools  across the Saugus Union School District are among the 406 schools nationwide to be named as America’s Healthiest Schools for the 2021-2022 school year.

Cedarcreek Elementary, Charles Helmers Elementary, North Park Elementary, Rosedell Elementary, Santa Clarita Elementary and West Creek Academy, were the schools recognized for their work to create healthier campuses.

The recognition, awarded by Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a leading children’s health organization, celebrates each school’s dedication to supporting the health and well-being of students, staff, and families.

This year, schools were recognized in the following nine categories:

-Strengthening Social-Emotional Health & Learning • Cultivating Staff Well-Being

-Increasing Family & Community Engagement • Improving Nutrition & Food Access

-Implementing Local School Wellness Policy • Enriching Health Education

-Bolstering Physical Education & Activity

-Promoting Tobacco-Free Schools

-Supporting School Health Services Cedarcreek Elementary School and West Creek Academy were each part of the group of 11 schools selected nationwide to be recognized as All Star Schools by receiving recognition in all nine areas.

As part of the efforts SUSD has made toward its school community wellness, these schools promote wellness through a mind/body balance that is exemplified by:

-Participation in daily social-emotional learning activities that emphasize developing positive relationships with others, being kind, and listening to others in order to understand their perspective

-Participation in regular physical activities to promote all aspects of a strong body

-Promoting strong home-school connections to ensure that students, staff, and parents are able to sustain a healthy school community

Sue Bett, Principal of West Creek Academy “We’re honored to receive the national All Star School recognition for our commitment to social emotional learning, physical health, community engagement, and overall student and staff wellness.”

“We are proud of all of our schools’ commitment to wellness and ensuring that students have their basic personal needs addressed so they are ready to meet the demands of their academic learning activities throughout the school day. Congratulations to these six schools for being recognized for their excellence in these critical areas.” Chris Trunkey, SUSD Governing Board President.

Healthier Generation’s list of America’s Healthiest Schools remains one of the country’s longest-running, nationwide recognition programs honoring schools for achievements in supporting the whole health of students, teachers, and staff. Any school can connect with Healthier Generation to access trainings, resources, and technical assistance by visiting the website.

To view the complete list of awardees, visit the list’s website.