FERRIDAY &8212; All the jumping, running, hopping and arm stretches kids at Ferriday Lower and Upper Elementary did last year earned the schools a national award.

Both schools started &8212; and continue &8212; to teach exercise and healthy living through their regular academic programs using a curriculum called Take 10.

Teachers encourage children to act out the words they hear in stories or have them answer math problems with actions. They also teach the body parts by using a doll called Little Organ Annie whose body parts are removable and are characters of their own, like Calci M. Bone.

The schools were two of 10 nationwide to receive the 2005 Innovation in Prevention award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Both also received the Cooper Institute Gold Award for their efforts in preventing childhood obesity.

The program &8212; funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and sponsored locally by the LSU AgCenter &8212; lets teachers decide when the activities are done, something that makes it work, FLES Principal Loretta Peterman said.

&8220;I think the teachers and children are really enjoying it,&8221; she said. &8220;It&8217;s not set to do this on this day at this time. With all the teachers are already doing, that would cause to much stress.&8221;

Teachers keep record of what they do and how well it works with the children. They submitted these records along with pictures and news clippings to be judged for the awards.

Evaluations of the Ferriday students showed that 73 percent of those who participated achieved mastery of the objectives on nutrition, physical activity, general health and safety by the end of the year.

The program is limited to only several years per school, but the schools will be able to keep all the materials, Peterman said, so most of the habits started can continue.

Vidalia Lower Elementary was added to the program this year, and Vidalia Upper and Huntington School are using the same curriculum with funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

LSU Ag Center Extension Agent Terri Crawford said she was hoping to add the program in Monterey and Ridgecrest schools next year.

The two Ferriday schools qualified first because they are in a high poverty area, she said.

&8220;With poverty we see an increase in obesity. That&8217;s why they were targeted,&8221; Crawford said.