Instructors from both O.P. Earle Elementary School and Swofford Career Center had a chance to share good news during the December meeting for the Spartanburg County Schools District One Board of Trustees.

Laura Dickson the Physical Education instructor at O.P. Earle Elementary discussed the new fitness program at the elementary school.

Dickson along with principal Nita High wrote a school grant for Project Fit America. According to High, this specific fitness program is geared for elementary aged children.

&dquo;It makes our program less of a basketball or sports program and more of a fitness program.&bsp; It teaches kids to be fit for life,&dquo; High said.

The $21,000 grant was funded through the Mary Black Foundation and helped the school purchase outdoor equipment. High explained that O.P. Earle is the only school in South Carolina to have this program.

&dquo;We&squo;re the pilot school for our state,&dquo; she said.

High explained that one of the activities that the students participate in is running &dquo;pacers.&dquo;

She said that students&squo; listen to a recorded &dquo;beep&dquo; and have to run from one point to another based on the beeps. The students have to run a number of laps and can achieve a gold, silver or bronze standard.

Dickson brought weighted hula hoops to the board meeting to let members try out some of the new equipment.

High stated about Dickson, &dquo;This is really right up Laura&squo;s alley, because she is a fitness guru.&dquo;

Also at the meeting, engineering graphics instructor Mike Cash presented the &dquo;School Good News Report&dquo; for Swofford Career Center.

Cash is the chairman of the student activity committee.&bsp; This committee creates team oriented activities that teach students problem-solving techniques in a program called Field Day.

Students are also rewarded with incentives. Students who achieve a grade average of 90 or above can receive gift certificates and pizza parties.

Students also have the opportunity to earn the Student of the Month award by achieving good grades and having good attendance. Student of the Month recipients are rewarded with a Swofford sweatshirt.

The committee is also responsible for awarding scholarships to students.

According to Director Tommy Campbell, Swofford currently has a fund of $17,000 available for student scholarship awards.