The phrase 'healthy schools' is not always an oxymoron. Hidden amongst the chicken nugget-filled school cafeterias and academic hallways lined with soda vending machines exist special public schools successfully raising the bar to promote student health. As a future educator (I'm halfway done with my M.Ed.) I am thrilled to read about schools making a difference in the battle against childhood obesity.

Health Magazine recently asked education officials nationwide for their state's healthy school nominations. They determined the Top 10 winners utilizing rigorous criteria from the state of Wisconsin and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, turning to an expert panel to review the pool of 10 and determine final rankings.

A big congratulations to all the nominees -- here are a few highlights I found particularly notable from the first and second place winners of the Healthiest Schools contest:

First Place -- West Babylon Senior High (NY) -- 1,500 students: The assistant principal strolls the cafeteria with a basket of fruit (is this a dream?), vending machines sport only water, milk and fruit juice, fryers have been replaced with state-of-the-art ovens and students lead the School Wellness Council -- sticking to healthy fundraisers offering baby carrots, sugar-free gelatin, raisins and nuts. All I consumed in high school were the M&Ms I sold for band and foil-wrapped chocolate hearts peddled by the poms and cheerleaders.

Second Place -- TIE -- Amory Middle School (MS) -- 479 students: While Mississippi has the worst obesity rates in the nation, Amory Middle is a stellar model for fitness. They offer students an on-site rock climbing wall and fitness center, a proactive hydration policy which allows students to bring water into the classroom and encourage healthy eating with special events such as the Healthy Wok workshop.

Second Place -- TIE -- Rawhide Elementary (WY) -- 170 students: Amazingly, Rawhide Elementary employs a Building Fitness Coordinator (beyond the PE instructor) to provide students 20 minutes of daily wellness time in addition to PE and recess. The campus also offers a walking loop, a before-school Cardiac Club and helps keep the staff healthy with fitness assessment tools and discounted fitness/recreation center memberships.

I've intensively researched school health and nutrition programs over the past couple years -- the topic is a passion of mine. Quite often it is one advocate -- a parent, an educator, a school board member -- who ignites an environment of change. Maybe that person can be you.

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Trying to fight childhood obesity starts at home, but a good portion of the battle happens in school as many parents know. The quality of school lunch offerings can be disgusting and pleasant depending on where you live.

If your local schools supply fatty, unhealthy lunch items, you can speak up and see if you can change things. But, once you get to a certain grade, buying several different items (like in a mid-high) can be possible to the student -- both healthy and unhealthy. How do you know what they are buying?

If you're into trying to teach good nutritional habits to your child, would it be convenient to deposit funds into your kid's lunch account and have access to seeing what they eat every day? This isn't invasion of privacy -- it's good parenting if you're trying to teach one of the most important lifelong skills you can. Check out MealpayPlus and see what you think. It might just be good enough to being to your local school board the next time it convenes.

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