Lisa Liss is the duchess of dodgeball, the princess of pushups, the queen of quarter-mile runs at Hazel Strauch Elementary School.
Other teachers, the school nurse, cafeteria and office staff and Principal Axel Hanneman have embraced the exercise ethos that's gotten the kids of Strauch Elementary off their behinds.
On Wednesday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Council on Physical Fitness and Sports named Strauch the elementary school recipient of an annual Spotlight Award. The school will receive a new $100,000 fitness center for students.
But it was around Liss' neck that Hanneman placed the gold medal from the governor's council Wednesday.
"The governor handed me this heavy gold medal, but Miss Liss worked so hard all these years helping us get this award," said Hanneman.
Later this year, after a couple of portable buildings are delivered to the Twin Rivers Unified School District campus, a gymnasium will be installed complete with treadmills, muscle exercising machines and maybe a climbing wall.
The annual Spotlight Awards sponsored by Anthem Blue Cross Foundation recognize principals, teachers, non-profits, companies, events, park programs and schools that best promote physical activity for children.
Before Liss began her campaign to get the student body in motion, Strauch kids as a whole didn't get very active at recess.
Now, they hang from playground equipment, play foursquare and run around like kids are supposed to – all the time.
When Liss began her move-your-body crusade several years ago, it took a little encouragement. After a while, all she had to do was walk toward a group of lackadaisical children on the playground, and they'd start moving.
They walked. Bounced a ball. Jumped rope.
Students say that even kids assigned to a time-out for misbehaving on the playground are encouraged to jump up and down, swing their arms, wiggle their hips.
"Even if you are on the squares because you get in trouble, you should do jumping jacks," said sixth-grader Michelle Ramirez.
The all-out effort that won the school the award took other shapes, none of them out-of-shape:
• The school rewards good attendance by letting students ride the "smoothie bike," which powers a blender that churns yogurt and fruit – and burns calories.
• School nurse Lindsay Hester presides over a Friday Walking Club before school.
• Students, teachers and the principal ride bikes to school.
• A campus garden grows fresh vegetables, and the cafeteria endeavors to serve nutritious food.
• Kids run laps during lunch, and those with the most miles get a party.
• The school has made sure the playground blacktop is painted properly for kids to play foursquare with big red balls and hopscotch.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
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