Building a Healthier School Environment through School

Based Wellness Teams

2015 College and Career Readiness Conferences

Presenter:

Co-Presenter:

Outcome

Participants will create a healthy school environment by:

1. Establishing a school-level wellness team

2. Developing school wellness goals and action plans

Agenda

A. Welcome

B. Wellness and the School Environment

C. Wellness Policies

D. Assessing Wellness in Your School

E. Building a Wellness Team

F. Action Planning

G. Sustainability

“That’s Me!”

If you hear a statement that applies to you stand up and say “That’s me!” and then sit back down.

Health AND Academic Achievement: A Research-Based Perspective

Core Messages

• Healthy students are better learners

• Schools can influence eating and physical activity behaviors

• Healthy, successful students help to build strong communities

• All students deserve the opportunity to be healthy and successful

As Educators;If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier.

If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.

Barbara Colorose

Wellness Policies in Schools What are wellness policies?

They are school policies required by the United States Department of Agriculture since 2004

What will you find in a wellness policy?

Wellness PoliciesWho is responsible for wellness policies?

Your school system is responsible for writing the wellness policy

Individual schools are responsible for implementing them

What’s in my school system’s wellness policy?

Go to your School System’s website. Find your wellness policy.

Tip: you can often find these in Board Docs

If you haven’t found one in 2 minutes an example policy will be provided

Policy Hunt What does you policy say in regards to:

Vending Machines Recess Staff Wellness

Select something in your policy that is new or interesting to you.

Assessing Wellness in Your School“If you don’t know where you are headed, you’ll probably end up someplace else.”

-Douglas J. Eder, Ph.D

We assess in our classrooms because assessment enhances teaching and student learning.

We assess wellness because assessment increases wellness practices and enhances wellness in schools.

How Can We Assess Wellness?Alliance For a Healthier Generation Healthy School

Program Assessment 57 Questions based on best practice guidelines Each question identifies the best practice Response choices allow you to select your level of

implementation Tools and resources are provided to help your

school to plan and implement best practices of your choice.

Example Question:

101. Does your school have a representative committee or team that meets at least four times a year and oversees school health and safety policies and programs?

3 = Yes.2 = There is a committee or team that does this, but it could be more representative.1 = There is a committee or team, but it is not representative, or it meets less often than four times a year.0 = No.

How Can We Assess Wellness?

Practice Participants will separate into groups. Each group will be given a question from

Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Assessment to answer.

Choose one person’s school as the school you will use to answer the question provided.

Practice Cont’d 102. Do all foods and beverages served and offered to students during the extended school day meet or exceed the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools nutrition standards?

504. Does the school nurse or other health services provider have a system for identifying and tracking students with chronic health conditions?

Building a Wellness Team

Create a Wellness Team

Assess Wellness Practices

Set Goals Based on Your

Assessment

Maryland is walking the walk

School-Level Wellness Teams2012-2013 School Year

44%56%

% with a Wellness Team% without a Wellness Team

Schools are More Likely to Implement Wellness Policies and Practices When a Wellness Team is in Place

School Level Implementation

Build

1. Establish a school based wellness team, with a designated coordinator, that is broadly representative of the school and community.

2. Develop school wellness goals and implementation plans that connect with school improvement team goals.

3. Identify resources to support implementation of wellness policy provisions at the school.

Communicate

4. Communicate and promote the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for students, families, and the community.

Monitor

5. Gather and report school-level data on wellness policy implementation.

Your Team Identify the people at your schools who

serve in the following roles: Nurse School Counselor Health/Physical Education Teacher Principal/Assistant Principal Cafeteria Manager Wellness Enthusiast Business Manager

Action Planning

Create an Action Plan In your groups:

Use the sample question from Alliance for a Healthier Generation as your action item/goal

Complete the action plan template using the question provided.

You can do this electronically or with a hard copy version of the action plan provided.

Use the resources from https://schools.healthiergeneration.org

Sustainability

Think about your school What practices are sustainable,

measured school-wide and reported annually?

School Level Implementation

Build

1. Establish a school based wellness team, with a designated coordinator, that is broadly representative of the school and community.

2. Develop school wellness goals and implementation plans that connect with school improvement team goals.

3. Identify resources to support implementation of wellness policy provisions at the school.

Communicate

4. Communicate and promote the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for students, families, and the community.

Monitor

5. Gather and report school-level data on wellness policy implementation.

Remembering Why We Are Here

For More Information

Contact:Lea Jaspers

Wellness Specialist

Professional Development and Technical Assistance Section

Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs

Maryland State Department of Education

Lea.Jaspers@maryland.gov

410-767-0212