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Who's Who in School Wellness
School Wellness has to be a team effort. To make a
meaningful difference in the health and fitness of young people,
those working inside schools must join together with families, students
and other members of the community to create a health-promoting
environment in which to learn and grow. Here are some of the wellness
team's most valuable players:
- School Nurse - Today's school
nurses do much more than take temperatures and dispense medication–they
have an impact on the well-being, academic success, and life-long
achievement of students. At the forefront of the battle against
childhood obesity, the school nurse can be the leading champion
for school wellness.
Nurses Can Do!
NURSES CAN DO! |
School nurses are in a unique position to advocate for school meals programs in their schools and for community programs. Many school nurses have become actively involved in Team Nutrition Programs in their schools. School nurses bring their nutrition expertise to discussions about other foods served in the school setting.
School nurses can advocate for the health benefits good nutrition brings, as well as the improved school attendance and academic gains. Finally, school nurses can track legislation at the national and state levels related to nutrition in schools and contact their legislators to offer their expertise. In addition, school nurses can advocate for students with special dietary needs, serving as a liaison between the family, community health providers, and school personnel regarding adaptations needed by the student.
-From the National Association of School Nurses .
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- Principal - Gaining the support and involvement
of the principal is very important. The principal can make sure
the wellness team has the right people and resources to succeed.
The principal also can make necessary changes in school policy
to allow wellness strategies to work, for instance, changing the
daily schedule to allow recess before lunch or negotiating healthier,
more nutritious items in vending machines.
- Parents - Good health habits started at school must be reinforced at home. Parents
can become your best wellness allies and role models if they are
engaged in this process from the beginning, and if their viewpoints
and cultural traditions are taken into account. Be sure to involve your parent-teacher and community organizations, too.
- Students - You can lead students to wellness,
but you can’t make them eat well and exercise if they’re
receiving the opposite message from peers and the media. Because
they must accept change in school food, students should be included
in discussions about wellness from the start. Capture student
voices and give them opportunities to communicate with peers about
the benefits of healthy lifestyles.
- Teachers - Involve teachers, especially PE
teachers, who can emphasize physical fitness as well as healthy
eating on a daily basis. Wellness messages also can extend beyond
the PE or Health Class and be incorporated into academic subjects
in a variety of ways. All teachers serve as important role models
to students for pursuing healthy lifestyles.
- Food Service Director - The food service director faces many challenges in providing appealing, nutritious meals to a large number of children with extremely limited resources. Involve the food service director with an understanding of the requirements and limitations she faces.
What's For Lunch?
WHAT'S FOR LUNCH? |
Since the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was "born" in 1946, school foodservice has played an integral role in the health and nutrition of American children, long remaining one of the key safety nets in place to alleviate childhood hunger and malnutrition in the United States.
School-based nutrition programs' administrators fulfill the diverse roles of nutrition spokesperson, manager of multimillion dollar budgets, and partner in comprehensive school health programs. Child nutrition staff may take an active role in educating students, parents, teachers, and others about nutrition and the foodservice program offerings.
In order to keep up with the demands in child nutrition and ensure the highest standards in these programs, new professional development programs have been implemented.
School nutrition professionals provide oversight, coordination, and support for integrating nutrition education providing healthy food choices.
- From the School Nutrition Association. |
- Community Leaders - Board of education members,
healthcare professionals, public health officials, social workers
and counselors, county extension workers, public officials, and community organizations can provide helpful insights and resources for efforts to improve student health.
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Five Ways