The kick-off event started with a campus tour led by Mather student ambassadors.  Guests in attendance included various representatives from Children’s Hospital, Kohl’s, and BPS including Medical Director of Community Health Dr. Shari Nethersole, Kohl’s Department Store Managers Jay Smith and Paul Smith, Superintendent Johnson, and the Parent Council Chair of the Mather School.  After the tour, guests joined students and their families in the gym for fun and games.

Several activities were featured at the event that inspired student participation as well as parent interaction.  There were approximately 70 gusts in attendance, in addition to Kohl’s, Children’s, and Parent Council representatives.  Activities included MyPlate four square with, various Playworks and PE games, and a smoothie bar.  These stations were made to be examples of what families and community members can expect from the Healthy Families program in upcoming months.  Laughter coupled with education captured the overall feel of the event, which is what families can look forward to at future family nights.

Following the activities, Principal Emily Cox acted as MC for the check presentation ceremony, introducing the school and welcoming everyone to the Mather.  Remarks were then given from Dr. Shari Nethersole, Superintendent Johnson, Mr. Jay Smith, and Mr. Paul Smith on the excitement around this new partnership.  Finally, representatives from Kohl’s, Children’s, and BPS were welcomed to the stage for the check presentation and pictures.

Together with the BPS Office of Family & Student Engagement, Health Services, and Food & Nutrition Services, the Health & Wellness Department will be able to use Kohl’s grant money to implement social marketing and promotion through Kohl’s and Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Family Fun Campaign, distribute Excellence in School Wellness Awards, and offer 30 family nights in schools.  In addition, this grant will provide supplemental resources for BPS events, including the District Wellness Summit and three Community Health Fairs.  The event ended with excitement and optimism for what this new program means for BPS and the health and achievement for its students and families.

Due to the many health crises and health inequities faced by our students, and in response to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and Massachusetts Standards for School Wellness Advisory Committees, the Boston Public Schools has a Superintendent-Appointed Wellness Council. This advisory group recommends, reviews and advises on implementation of school district policies that address student wellness.

One of the first tasks of the council will be to revise the District Wellness Policy. The group agreed to take a comprehensive approach to reviewing and incorporating changes in policy, curriculum, and operating procedures to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable wellness practices for all students and staff. The council will be forming work groups on various topic areas to be addressed in the policy. Individuals interested in joining a work group can contact Caitlin Westfall Howe at cwestfall@boston.k12.ma.us.

All Wellness Council meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2012 from 3:00-5:00.

The Boston Public Schools actively promotes the health and wellness of all students to support both their healthy development and readiness to learn.  In support of this goal, the district developed the Healthy Connections Strategic Plan, which includes four preliminary outcome goals -

1.     Improve student fitness
2.     Promote healthy student behaviors & engagement
3.     Improve school-based health care
4.     Create a healthy school environment

The calendar was created by and for BPS students to promote these four health & wellness goals. The calendar was designed by a BPS student and also includes important health & wellness related days and months such as Good Nutrition Month and Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and websites for you to visit for information and resources around these topics.

Download an electronic version of the 2012-2013 Wellness Calendar

Each BPS school will be receiving multiple calendars to post for students and staff in their main office, nurse’s office and gym or cafeteria. There is a limited supply of calendars but if you are interested in receiving a calendar contact Lauren Kopper

Wellness Policy Feedback Session

BPS Families! Please collaborate with us as we take a look at the District’s Wellness Policy

We want to make the healthy choice the easy choice at school. Currently our district is working to ensure quality health and wellness activities through our current Wellness Policy, and we want to know how we can do better.  As a parent/guardian of a BPS student, your opinion is valuable to us.  Your voice will help BPS make alterations to the current Wellness Policy that reflect your concerns and goals for your children.

Please join us at the Wellness Policy Revision: Feedback Session, to discuss these issues and to connect with representatives of BPS.  Your feedback will be crucial in achieving student health outcomes that you desire to see from our school district.

 Thursday, October 18, 2012
5:30-7:00
Grove Hall Library
41 Geneva Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02121

If you are interested in voicing what you want for your child’s health and wellness environment at school,
Click Here to register>>

Thank you for putting your child’s education and wellness first, and supporting BPS as we work to create school environments that facilitate students’ readiness to learn.

Note: There will be no child care service provided for this event.

Two of the highlights of the day were keynotes by Counselor at large Ayanna Pressley and Dr. Alexandre who is a BPS School Psychologist as well as a community-based Pastor. Both speakers emphasized the need to connect with parents in the community in order to facilitate the adjustment of our students from other countries.  Nurses were highlighted as liaisons, between the students in their schools and available resources in the community. This was expressed through the presentations on Managing Children with Chronic Illness, Bullying, The Other Obstacle to learning, Health Care Access tips, and Emotional Health.

In addition to the presentations numerous stations were available for visitors to the Health Fair to visit. Topics included available Vision and Dental services, Asthma education, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, Smoking Cessation information as well as Sun Safety by Dana Farber and Health Care Access by the Neighborhood Health Plan and Carney hospital.

All involved had a terrific day encouraged by the turnout to this inaugural event.  We are looking forward to having even more participation next year.

A number of BPS schools presented their success stories and promising practices to improve health & wellness in BPS schools at the 5th Annual BPS Wellness Summit. Click on the workshop titles  to learn more about each health & wellness initiative.

• Supporting Whole School Wellness
• Presenters:  Rafael Hernandez School & Haynes Early Education Center

• Case Study – Build an Integrated Skills Base Health and Fitness Curriculum
• Presenters:  Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter School

• Case Study – Addressing School Environment Issues
• Presenters:  Trotter School & MassCOSH

• Implementation Strategies of the new BPS Tobacco-Free Environment Policy
• Presenters:  Madison Park Vocation Technical High School & Health & Wellness Department

• Action Planning, Innovative PE/PA and National Recognition at the Russell Elementary School
• Presenters:  Russell Elementary School & Alliance for a Healthier Generation

• Increasing Physical Activity in the School Day
• Presenters:  New Mission High School & Rogers Middle School

• Creating Health Fairs with Community Partners
• Presenters:  McCormack Middle School, UMASS Community Clinical Nurse Instructor & East Boston High School

• Electronic Cigarettes and OTPs:  The Next Frontier of Tobacco
• Presenters:  Boston Public Health Commission & Boston high school youth tobacco prevention leaders

Q & A: Green Cleaners are Better for our Health

Did you know that all of the Boston schools are cleaned with healthier “green certified” cleaners? Green cleaners can improve indoor air quality because they have fewer harmful chemicals compared to regular cleaners. They are safer and better for students and staff with asthma and work as well as any other cleaner. The City-wide Healthy Schools Taskforce worked with custodians and school staff to approve a “green cleaning” policy for all Boston schools.

 Do “green” cleaners kill germs? Studies have shown that a general purpose “green” cleaner can effectively remove 99.9 % of microbes. Disinfectants are not “green cleaners” because they have toxic ingredients that destroy bacteria and germs. Disinfectants should only be used for targeted cleaning (ex. bathrooms, cafeterias, etc.) and for special cleaning necessary for infectious outbreaks. Many teachers may be using products that are respiratory irritants or have unnecessary toxic ingredients. Hand washing Kills Germs too! Germs and infectious diseases are not just on surfaces in schools. They are also on us! According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), hand washing is one of the most effective ways to protect against germs that get picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces. http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/ (information that can be used in the classroom)

 What products can I use to do some cleaning in my classroom? The BPS Green Cleaning

Policy states that teachers are not to bring any of their own cleaning products to school. Ask the Principal for a bottle of the “approved” green cleaner for your use. Let us know if you are unable to get the “approved” cleaner.  For more information about improving environmental conditions in your schools contact Al Vega, al.vega@masscosh.org – a member of the BPS Healthy Schools Taskforce.

“The schools we recognize today have shown innovative, collaborative, and service-oriented approaches to delivering Coordinated School Health to BPS students and families,” said Dr. Johnson. “Best of all, we know that these best practices represent the tip of the iceberg, with exciting efforts underway across the city to ensure that our students are healthy in mind and body, ready to learn.”

Winners of the 2012 Healthy Connections School Awards are:

Superintendent Carol Johnson

• Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Dorchester – read more
• Rafael Hernandez Bilingual K-8 School, Roxbury – read more
• John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Jamaica Plain – read more
• Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, Fenway – read more
• Richard J. Murphy K-8 School, Dorchester – read more
• New Mission High School, Mission Hill – read more
• Josiah Quincy Elementary School, Chinatown/South End – read more

Dr. Johnson also acknowledged four schools that are eligible and applied for national recognition from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Ten other Boston schools already have earned this distinction in previous years. If selected for the honor, representatives from the following schools will travel to the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas this summer to be recognized:

• Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, Fenway
• Richard J. Murphy K-8 School, Dorchester
• William E. Russell Elementary School, Dorchester
• Tech Boston Academy, Dorchester

The school district also presented the Boston Public Health Commission with a special partnership award for the Commission’s longstanding work to promote the health of BPS students and staff.

The Wellness Summit drew nearly 200 attendees, including teachers, nurses, counselors, principals, and other staff, as well as elected officials and representatives from community organizations. The event featured a keynote address from John Auerbach, Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health.  Anne McHugh from the Boston Public Health Commission also spoke about Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s new “Boston Moves for Health” initiative, designed to promote health and fitness among Boston residents of all ages.

Kathleen A. Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also spoke at the Summit. Ms. Merrigan had visited the Dearborn Middle School earlier in the day to celebrate the impact of the school garden and Farm to School Initiative, as well as to mark the one-year anniversary of the USDA’s MyPlate initiative, designed to encourage all Americans to make healthy, balanced food choices.

Superintendent Johnson presented an update on the district’s strategic plan for health and wellness. She underscored the need to address non-academic barriers to learning – such as obesity, teen pregnancy, vision problems, mental health issues, and asthma – to prepare all students for college and career success after high school. Dr. Johnson outlined numerous strategies in recent years to improve the health of BPS students, including investments in physical education, after-school sports and other physical activity, nutritious breakfast and lunch programs, and health education, as well as district-wide policies approved by the Boston School Committee to promote healthier school environments.

The BPS strategic plan for health and wellness is based on the Centers for Disease Control’s Coordinated School Health model, which brings together various expertise and resources to address the health and wellness of all students in order to ensure academic success.

Read BPS Wellness Success Stories from the schools who presented their promising practices to improve health and wellness  during the Summit breakout sessions. 

The Summit was co-sponsored by:

Children’s Hospital Boston

New England Food & Dairy Council

Northeastern University

Partners Health Care