CFISD students 'Fuel Up to Play 60' at Texans game

CFISD students gather before and during the Houston Texans game on Sept. 29 as part of a Fuel Up to Play 60 / Dairy Max promotion.

Forty students and their PE teachers from Kahla Middle School and Lee, Lieder and Postma elementary schools attended the Houston Texans game on Sept. 29 as part of a Fuel Up to Play 60/Dairy Max promotion. 

Fuel Up to Play 60, the leading in-school health and wellness program empowers students and educators to work together to build healthier schools and create healthy, high achieving students. The program offers a variety of opportunities for adults, students and schools: from in-school wellness initiatives to funding opportunities, there is something for everyone! Fuel Up to Play 60 inspires students and educators to make a meaningful, long-term impact in their school environments while enabling students to become leaders by providing them with resources to make significant changes and opportunities to build confidence and lifelong skills through teamwork. 

PE teachers, from left Tammy Bain (Lee), Alexis Harvey (Kahla), Elishah Pendleton (Lieder) and Danyelle Minchow (Postma) stand on the sideline at the Houston Texans game on Sept. 29. 

The program is introduced to all elementary and secondary PE and health teachers in the entire district during Staff Development Week each school year. The teachers then create a profile, prior to the beginning of school and log their fitness and nutrition activities throughout the year. There are incentives along the way for campuses who are more active than others. Kahla, Lee, Lieder and Postma were chosen at random from a group of six schools that had met the first deadline. The students were treated to a tailgate party, photo opportunities with cheerleaders and former players. They also got to go down into the tunnel during half time. The next round of incentives includes signed footballs by current Texans players for students, these schools will be chosen at the end of this month.

Kahla MS student Cindy Ramos enjoys the Houston Texans game with Texans cheerleaders on the sideline.

Secondary Health & PE Coordinator Sydne Marshall, Elementary Music & PE Coordinator –Loretta Bourn and Off-Campus PE Curriculum Coach Julia Elder all attended the game with the campuses as district-level administrators.

"We had an amazing time," Marshall said. "Some of our students may never get the opportunity to attend a pro football game with the red carpet treatment. They were treated like superstars, and they enjoyed every minute of it. I can’t think of a more deserving bunch than our physical education teachers and students. Our health is our wealth!"

Kahla MS students gather before the Fuel Up to Play 60 / Dairy Max event at NRG Stadium.

CFISD students and Kahla MS PE teacher Leslie Rash celebrate with retired Texans player Eric Brown prior to the football game on Sept. 29.

Fuel Up to Play 60 Excellence Awards

From left, Chase Yancey, PE paraeducator at Matzke ES; Scott Moore, PE teacher at Matzke; and Houston Texans offensive lineman Duane Brown celebrate the teachers’ Fuel Up to Play 60 Excellence Awards.

The first-ever Fuel Up to Play 60 Excellence Awards were recently presented by Dairy Max to honor leaders of school wellness at NRG Stadium. 

Three CFISD teachers were recognized at the event, including Sandra Burns, Copeland ESl; Scott Moore, Matzke ES; and Maria Woods, Postma ES. 

Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages students to eat healthy and move more. Food Services manager Rhonda Popham represented Copeland ES at the event.  

Due to the nutrition component of FUTP, the program works best when there is a strong partnership between the food service and physical education departments.

“The awards night was a great experience for the teachers involved,” said Loretta Bourn, district coordinator for elementary physical education. “Hopefully, their success will encourage other teachers and schools to embrace the program.”

HOPE Scholarships

Cy-Fair HS graduating senior Brandon Anselmi, pictured with father Kurt Anselmi of Black ES, was one of five H.O.P.E. Scholarship recipients.

The Cypress-Fairbanks Health Organization of Physical Educators (H.O.P.E.) scholarships are awarded to selected, qualifying CFISD graduating high school seniors who plan to pursue an education degree to become a teacher of health, physical education, recreation or dance. 

H.O.P.E. members work with the community programs department to sponsor an annual Health Expo to raise funds for H.O.P.E. scholarships.

This year, Alexis Longmire and Brandon Anselmi of Cy-Fair HS, Kaitlyn Jones and Nayeli Novoa of Cypress Falls HS and Nicole Miller of Cypress Ranch HS were each awarded H.O.P.E. scholarships in the amount of $2,000.