Through grants funded by The Rapides Foundation, Central Louisiana communities and schools are sponsoring healthy activities for adults and children during Screen-Free Week.

Screen-Free Week is a nationally recognized week that encourages people to engage in healthy activities and spend quality time with their families, without being sidetracked by electronics and gadgets. LaSalle and Vernon parish schools are holding events this week (April 16-20), Rapides and Avoyelles parish schools are observing Screen-Free Week April 23-29, and Allen, Natchitoches and Winn parishes will observe it the week of April 30-May 4.

The Rapides Foundation’s Diet and Physical Activity Initiative endorses Screen-Free Week because research shows that over time, reduction in screen time can improve a person’s health, which is at the heart of the initiative’s goals to increase physical activity and healthy eating for children and adults.

“We encourage everyone to try to limit their screen time and choose to be physically active for their children’s health and their own,” said Joe Rosier, president and chief executive officer of The Rapides Foundation.

Central Louisiana students are bringing home brochures and newsletters containing a list of screen-free activities they can do with their parents and families. Many students will sign pledge cards promising they will have a screen-free week and will log their screen-free daily activities. Several schools will hold activities during the school day that promote being physically active instead of sedentary.

The following events are scheduled in Central Louisiana:

Allen Parish

Kinder Middle School is having “A Day at the Races” on Thursday, April 19, from 1-3 p.m. The event will include sack races, egg rage, three-legged races and wheelbarrow races.

Oberlin Elementary’s “Turnoff and Get Up and Move” is from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, in the school multi-purpose room and outside school grounds. Students and their families will participate in activities that will get them up and moving, promoting mental and physical health through fun educational activities. Participants will be provided information on how to incorporate fun educational activities into their family time.

Reeves Elementary’s “Raiders Really Rock! Game Day” is Friday, May 4, from 12:30-3 p.m. at the Reeves City Park and Reeves Recreational Park. All students in grades PreK-3 will walk to the Reeves City Park for an afternoon of games and activities. Students in grades 4-12 will walk to the Reeves Recreational Park to participate in a teachers-vs.-students baseball game. Students can use the fitness bars and a walking track at the park, and healthy snacks will be served at each location.

Reeves High School “Get Moving and Grooving! Poster Contest will be held all week to encourage students to think of ideas to incorporate more activities into their lives and to decrease screen-time. A prize will be awarded to one winner. Posters must be turned in by 3 p.m. May 3 to be judged.

Oakdale Elementary School “Old Fashioned Field Day” is Tuesday, May 1, from 9-10:45 a.m. Classes will compete with each other in a variety of physical activities. Kindergarten and first-grade students will have their Field Day on April 30; Second, Third and Fourth grades will have theirs on May 1.

Kinder Elementary Family Fun Night is Tuesday, May 1, from 5-6:30 p.m. in the school gym. Students and parents will be invited to participate in activities that are educational and fun. There will be six areas that the participants can visit: 1) healthy snacks 2) stress management 3) tobacco, drugs and alcohol Prevention 4) art/creativity 5) fitness and moving 6) family games/reading. Handouts will be available at each area for ideas on how to continue these healthy activities in everyday life.

Fairview High School’s “Tune Into Your Family” will be April 30-May 4. During P.E. classes, students will get healthy snacks and participate in various activities, including jump rope, face painting provided by art students, ring toss games, and a quiz bowl featuring questions about exercise, health and nutrition.

Elizabeth High School’s “A day of fun after testing” is Friday, April 27. Students will participate in field day events such as tug of war, relay games and races.

Avoyelles Parish:

Lafargue Elementary’s Student/Parent Exercise and Walk Day will be on Friday, April 27. Parents will be invited to join their child during P.E. classes and exercise with them. Parents and students also will be served a healthy snack.

Plaucheville Elementary students will celebrate Screen-Free Week Sunday, April 22, through Saturday, April 28, by recording what they do instead of watching television each day. At the end of the week, the students who participated will be entered into a drawing to win prizes.

Cottonport Elementary is having an essay contest in their gym on Friday, April 27. Students in grades 3-6 will write a short essay explaining what they did during Screen-Free Week instead of watching TV and why it’s important to exercise.

LaSalle Parish
Jena Elementary School’s “Turn-Off Tube/Turn on Play Obstacle Course” will encourage students to run an obstacle course instead of watching TV each day.

Fellowship Elementary School’s Turn it Off activities will feature a grade-level poster contest to advertise the week and healthy events.

Nebo Elementary School’s Walk Instead of Watch will be all week. Students will walk and record their distances.

LaSalle Junior High’s Turn It Off events will feature students writing essays about healthy activities and sharing those essays with their families.

Olla Elementary’s Healthy Family Night will be Thursday, April 19, from 5-7 p.m. Students and their parents will visit stations spaced around the school grounds that feature healthy activities.

Natchitoches Parish: 

Provencal School’s “PJHS Let’s Get Moving” events will be held throughout the week, April 30 through May 4. Activities include a school hike, softball, magic show and tag.

Goldonna School’s Turnoff Field Day is Friday, May 4, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

LP Vaughn School’s Spring Carnival is Thursday, May 3, from 5-7 p.m. at the school. Activities include a football game between students and their parents and teachers.

Fairview Alpha Elementary/Jr. High School will hold a Fairview Family Fitness fun event Tuesday, May 1, from 5-7 p.m. Families will be asked to rotate through fitness and nutrition classes.

Marthaville Elementary/Jr. High School will hold “Turn Off to Have Fun” at Marthaville Elementary on Friday, May 4, from 2-2:45 p.m. The third-grade class will participate in a student versus teacher Jump-a-thon.

Natchitoches Magnet is having a “Festival of ART” on Friday, May 4, from 3-4:30 p.m. at the school. A variety of art activities will be set up in stations.

George L. Parks School’s Screen-Free Week events will be Monday, April 30, from 7:50 a.m. to 10:35 a.m. The students will play tug-a-war, sideline basketball, race and win prizes.

Cloutierville Elementary/Jr. High is having Turnoff Technology and Turnon Imagination events on the afternoons of Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4. The junior high will have an obstacle course relay competition on Thursday and the elementary students will compete in various events on Friday.

Weaver Elementary is having a Screen-Free Week Kickball Tournament on Saturday, May 5, from 10:30 a.m. until 2:35 p.m. Each grade will complete in a kickball game.

NSU Elementary Lab School is having a daily Kickball for Screen-Free Week Tournament beginning Monday, April 30, and ending on Friday, May 4.

Rapides Parish:

Ruby-Wise Elementary is holding a Screen-Free Week event on Thursday, April 19, from 5-7 p.m. Students and parents will walk on the track, ride bikes or participate in volleyball games or jumpers.

Forest Hill Elementary is having a Family Walk Night on Tuesday, April 24, from 2:40 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Carter C. Raymond Elementary will have a Family Walk on Tuesday, May 1, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Lecompte Walking Trail.

Glenmora Elementary’s Screen-Free Week activities will be Monday, April 23, through Wednesday, April 25, from 3:30-5 p.m. each day. Students and their families will play scooter games, basketball and hula hoops.

Cherokee Elementary students will be working through the SMART curriculum April 23-27.

Acadian Elementary students will celebrate Screen-Free Week by keeping a chart of things they did besides watch TV.

Hayden R. Lawrence is holding Screen-Free Week events each day April 23-27.

North Bayou Elementary will hold Screen-Free Week events daily April 23-27. Students will play different games and participate in neighborhood activities.

Poland Elementary students will spend the week talking and discussing activities free of screen time and on Friday will play tennis at a local university.

Vernon Parish:


Pitkin High School students will participate in games and fitness competitions during Field Day events throughout the week.

Simpson High School classes will take daily walks, and students will compete in a “Just Dance It” competition on the Wii. On Friday, April 20, students will participate in Field Day.

South Polk Elementary’s “Family Activities from P.E. to Home!” events will be all week during school hours. Students will learn family games during P.E. class to take home and play with their families.

North Polk Elementary will hold Field Day events and sponsor a daily drawing and writing contest for students throughout the week.

Leesville High School and other Leesville areas will celebrate the annual “Get Fit Vernon Parish – Turn Off Week Campaign” each day from 4-7 p.m. Activities include walking the Walking Trail on Belview Road daily, basketball 3-on-3 games, football 7-on-7 games, soccer, boxing, Zumba and boot camp.

Winn Parish

Atlanta High School’s “Parent/student Walk-a-thon” is Thursday, April 26, from 6-8 p.m. Parents and students will walk in the gym. There will be nutrition stations.

Calvin High School’s “Walk-a-bout” is Monday, April 30, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parents and students will walk together as a physical activity.

Dodson High School’s “Jump-rope-a-thon” is Saturday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Parents and students will jump rope in the gym.

Winnfield Kindergarten School’s “Fitness-a-thon” is Friday, May 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Parents and students will be led in physical activity and be given nutritional handouts.

Winnfield Intermediate School’s “Family Walk Night” is Monday, April 30, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the school gym. Parents and students will sign up to walk a course in the gym.

Winnfield Senior High’s “Parent/student Walk-a-thon” is Friday, May 4, from 1-3 p.m. Parents and students will participate in a walk-a-thon at the football field. Print