Principal’s Corner by Steve Kovach

We are still very proud that Southwest Middle School was the first school in Minnesota to be certified as a Blue Zones school in 2015.

All of our district sites have gone through the work to become Blue Zones schools and worksites and we are proud of this accomplishment.

We are even more excited that next week a film crew from Ireland will be coming to Albert Lea as part of a Blue Zones documentary being developed. What an awesome experience for our staff, students and community!

The best part of being recognized for Blue Zones achievements is that the end result is a healthier community.

Our students are putting healthy habits into practice each day. Mornings start with movement and  healthy breakfast options.

Our students have access to nice, cold water through our water bottle filling stations. More and more of our students walk or roll to school and we hope this continues to increase.

Our teachers integrate movement into the learning day and our physical education classes have a strong focus on lifelong fitness.

Students also have access to healthy and enjoyable lunches each day — with even more options being made available after our winter break.

We are very thankful for all the groundwork the community of Albert Lea has done to advance the core principles of Blue Zones and make our success possible.

Our ultimate goal is perpetual health and happiness for our students and overall community. We don’t mind feeling blue at Southwest!

Steve Kovach is the principal at Southwest Middle School.