Black's Mill Elementary was recently awarded a gold medal through the Governor's SHAPE Honor Roll program for the school's commitment to the health and well-being of its students.

As one of only 39 schools in Georgia to receive the distinction, Principal Cindy Kinney said she is proud of the school and honored to be a part of the program.

"We are extremely proud, not only for our school, but for our community as well. All of our stakeholders work very hard to make a positive impact on the health and wellness of our students," she said.

In order to be applicable for the award the school first held a benchmark measurement of fitness among students called "Fitnessgram."

This data is used for SHAPE's annual standardized fitness assessment, which evaluates five different parts of health-related fitness, including aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.

The measurements help to generate reports providing "individual, school and state-level data to empower parents, schools and the community to best access the current health needs for children in Georgia," according to the Web site.

After the fitness results came in, Black's Mill took the next step by emphasizing healthy living and offering healthier recipes and after-school exercise programs.

Under the leadership of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, the [SHAPE] initiative is a network of partners, agencies and athletic teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Braves, the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Georgia Department of Education, according to the program's Web site.

For receiving the award, Black's Mill will receive an honorary banner to hang at their school, as well as a parking sign and Good Sports equipment package.

In April, Black's Mill also received a Gold Healthy U.S. School Challenge Award from Steve Hortin, deputy director of special nutrition programs with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Services.