Students at Callaway Hills Elementary School spent time Friday jumping in a bounce house and dancing as a reward for their fundraising success.
In September, students collected pledges from friends and family to raise money and participate in the parent-teacher organization's fun run. The fun run allowed students to go through an obstacle course on the playground during their extracurricular class time, PTO President Jen Kraus said.
The students raised $3,500, which will be used for PTO purchases like learning programs for teachers and outdoor picnic tables, Kraus said.
Students received their rewards Friday - a backpack, kickball, T-shirt, dance party or bounce house time - for each fundraiser milestone they passed, she said.
Usually, schools sell candy or treats as fundraisers. In the Jefferson City School District, Callaway Hills, Thorpe Gordon, South and East elementary schools are participants in Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities - a Missouri Foundation of Health program aimed at lessening childhood obesity.
A focus of the program is Healthy Celebrations, which encourage students to choose alternatives to sugary snacks for parties.
Healthy Celebrations and fundraisers are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
The program brings in more options for celebrations, such as a 10-minute dance break for a student's birthday.
Amber Werdehausen brought grapes, apples, strawberries and water for her daughter Tenley Evans' birthday party last week.
The healthy snacks didn't bother Evans or her classmates, Werdehusen said.
"I think it's great that they enforce that," she said. "I even caught myself eating healthy."
Some schools are providing parents with lists of items they can bring for parties. If snacks are provided, they should increase students' access to whole grains and fruits, according to the USDA website.
Other celebration options include allowing students to choose how they want to celebrate.
"We try to focus on activities in the classroom like giving and extra free time," said Kelsey Chrisman, student wellness coordinator for the grant. "Letting the student choose the dance video or giving extra recess or physical activity break rather than focusing on food."
The alternative gets rid of "30 rounds of cupcakes" for birthdays and limits the amount of time teachers spend setting up for and cleaning up after parties, Chrisman said.
First-grade teacher Susan Isaacs said the healthy options are how students expect to celebrate now.
"The new students don't know anything else," Isaacs said.
The school does not shame students but encourages them to think about their choices, she said.
"It's teaching them that moderation is good as well," Isaacs said. "I don't want them growing up thinking they can't have birthday cake. So having those conversations is important."
JC Schools is in its final year of the five-year grant, Chrisman said. But the practices within the school do not have to stop when the money ends. Although grant funds can be used only for the four schools selected, Chrisman shares resources throughout the district and plans to continue expanding the impact.