Burgess-Peterson Academy Honored for Health Efforts

EAST ATLANTA — The Georgia Department of Public Health named Burgess-Peterson Academy a 2013 recipient of the Partner Up! For Public Health Heroes award.

The recognition, an effort of the state agency and the Partner Up for Public Health! Campaign, honors those organizations and people  that make significant contributions in health that impacts their local community.

Burgess-Peterson, which has some 260 kids from kindergarten through fifth grade, was recognized for its efforts to the get students on a consistent path of healthy eating.

The school, which has an outdoor classroom in which students plant, nurture and grow fruits and vegetables, seeks to foster a lifetime of smart eating choices, by making it fun, too.

The school's efforts were even lauded by First Lady Michelle Obama, who visited Burgess-Peterson in 2011 for a first-hand look as part of her Let's Move! campaign.

"We start by educating the child on healthy habits in the classroom setting, and the child takes those practices home and introduces them to mom and dad," Burgess-Peterson principal Robin Robbins told the Department of Public Health.

"We want our students to have the skills and the knowledge to plant, grow, harvest, prepare, cook and consume their own food, and if that option is not available, we aim to teach them how to make healthy choices with the food options presented to them." Robbins said.

You can read the full piece on the school and its efforts here at this link.