It’s All About The Green At A Lakewood Elementary School

Fifth and Sixth Graders clad in hunter green at Lakewood's Oak Street school got a visit from New York Jets fullback and tight end Josh Baker as part of the "Eat Right, Move More" contest Tuesday.

Baker says He wanted to talk to the kids. "Just to stress the importance upon eating healthy and getting the kids involved in activities."

The 24-year-old Baker's speech was not laden with a long list of don'ts. His message was of moderation, telling kids that you can eat pizza and tacos as long as they exercise and play for 60 minutes through out the day. He had a similar view about video games lauding the X-Box Connect and Wii systems with incorporating movement in their games. He says "You know they can play video games as long as it's in moderation and they're still going outside and playing football in the snow."

The students were winners of the 2010-2011 "Eat Right, Move More" contest, a partnership between the Jets, the State Department of Agriculture and the American Dairy Association & Dairy Council's Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign.

Former Oak Street School Principal Dr. Shelton T. Boxer, who made a special visit with his wife during the event, said he applied for the contest before he retired and wrote the program with Arminda Caldwell, General Manager of a School District Food Provider Sodexo. He said a Jets player was supposed to come last year but was postponed because of the NFL Lockout. Boxer, a life-long Jets Fan himself, was honored during Tuesday's Assembly with a Team autographed football.

According to a State Department of Agriculture press release, "The winning schools were chosen that best met the criteria established for Healthier U.S. School Challenge Program. Additionally, school lunch and breakfast menus were reviewed and the schools had to show strong support and demonstrate efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity among students."

School Principal Laura Winters says the students regularly learn about eating healthy and exercising in school. She says they're seeing results. "Absolutely, I feel like they pay attention more. Their attention span in classroom, the teachers are telling us, has improved. They have a desire to play games they don't want to just sit around."

Baker was greeted with Green and White Balloons along with student handmade posters welcoming the Jets were plastered over the auditorium wall. Baker and a Jets representative also handed out Jets Hats, Footballs and Team books to students who correctly answered questions about things Baker mentioned in his speech.