Students Off to a Running Start at Stuart Mesa Elementary School

Brigadier General (Ret.) Brahms talks to students about the importance of daily physical activity

On Wednesday, August 22, 2018, Brigadier General (Ret.) David Brahms, U.S. Marine Corps, joined students and school and community leaders at Stuart Mesa Elementary School to promote the importance of daily physical activity. The school is located on the grounds of Camp Pendleton and is a part of Oceanside Unified School District (CA). Children of local military personnel comprise 98 percent of the student body.

In California, and nationwide, nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. General Brahms and Mission: Readiness support efforts like those being led by Stuart Mesa Elementary School that offer students opportunities to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity during the school day.

“It was great to see the students exercising and having fun,” said General Brahms. “I was thoroughly impressed by how the school’s leadership and staff embrace the fact that active kids aren’t just healthier, they also tend to do better academically.”

Students run and walk laps to start the school day at Stuart Mesa Elementary School

General Brahms is also a board member of Move Your Feet Before You Eat! Foundation, an organization in Oceanside created to promote health and well-being through incorporating regular physical fitness into daily life. The organization set up the Miles of Smiles running program at Stuart Mesa Elementary School to track measurable results for each student.

“Across Oceanside Unified School District, our goal is to help students lead long and healthy lives,” said Superintendent Julie Vitale. “Principal Emily Parra and her team at Stuart Mesa Elementary School, with the support of community partners, are promoting activities that offer students the skills necessary to be physically active for a lifetime.”