Principals, Parents Gather for School Wellness
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| Parent leaders from West Town schools with Enrique Rodriquez, anchor/reporter for Univision News and member of HSC’s board of directors |
More than 250 parents, principals, school nurses and advocates gathered Feb. 27 for the third annual Principals Breakfast for School Wellness hosted by Parents United for Healthy Schools/Padres Unidos para Escuelas Saludables, an HSC-led coalition of more than 40 parent and community groups in Chicago.
The event offered an opportunity for principals to connect and share strategies for making healthy eating and physical activity part of the school day.
“When it comes to wellness, we’re all working toward the same goal -- healthy children who are prepared to succeed,” said Guillermo Gomez, HSC’s Chicago director. “We are glad that principals and parents are working together through school wellness teams and events such as this breakfast, sharing strategies and creating healthy environments.”
Speakers provided information about resources available to schools including a universal breakfast program, professional development on classroom management strategies, and the availability of the OrganWise Guys nutrition education program at no cost to schools. (For more information about these resources, please contact Guillermo Gomez.)
Parent leaders also presented the Leadership Award in Combating Childhood Obesity to schools selected for their accomplishments in promoting healthy food and fitness:
- Greene School
- McAuliffe School
- McCormick School
- Otis School
- Perez School
The event was emceed by Univision anchor Enrique Rodriguez, a new member of HSC's board of directors. Clarisol Duque of Sen. Dick Durbin’s Chicago office congratulated the winning schools and offered commendation to all the parent leaders who are working to make healthy eating and physical activity the norm at school.
HSC Releases National Policy Recommendations
Lesson 1: Healthy School Environments Support Learning
One of the greatest challenges facing our national leaders is to provide a high-quality education and healthy environment for all students. As President Obama and Secretary of Education Duncan bring the lessons they’ve learned in Chicago to the national education dialogue, leaders in health and education are looking to Chicago schools for lessons that may shape national policy.
HSC is pleased to share some of these lessons and national policy recommendations in our new report, Healthy and Ready to Learn: Lessons from Chicago. The report tells the stories of people whose efforts have made schools healthier places and outlines the specific ways our national leaders can take action.
This week, we’ll highlight the first lesson:
Lesson 1: Healthy school environments support learning.
One of the most powerful lessons that has emerged from Chicago schools in recent years is that healthy high-performing "green" school environments support learning in addition to reducing operating costs and protecting the environment. Green building attributes offer benefits in building renovations as well as in new construction. Continue reading . . . |
Click here to check out the full report.
Run for Healthy Schools!
HSC Marathon Team Offers Flexible New Benefits
The HSC marathon team is welcoming new members and launching a flexible new program that allows runners to be part of the team without the pressure of large fundraising requirements. The tiered-giving program means that benefits increase as fundraising increases.
Team members are preparing to run the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and other races around the U.S. HSC is able to offer this flexible program because team members will register for the marathon (or other race) on their own.
To learn more, be sure to visit HSC’s marathon website or contact Alicea Miller at 312-419-1810.
New Train-the-Trainer Session Promotes Healthy Classrooms
Sessions to Focus on Healthy Classroom Management
HSC is pleased to announce a new train-the-trainer session on making wellness a central part of the school experience. After the training, participants will go on to help teachers manage their classrooms in a way that promotes wellness and learning. (Interested in becoming a trainer? Click here to learn more.)
This two-hour training, presented by highly-acclaimed trainers at Seven Generations Ahead, will provide time-tested tools and techniques to help you train teachers on creating a classroom environment that supports healthy lifestyles.
The session will address:
- Educating the whole child and promoting learning through classroom wellness.
- Classroom management strategies that promote healthy lifestyles.
- Modeling healthy behavior.
- Integrating activity, food education, and healthful practices into the classroom.
Participants will be eligible for professional development credit and will receive a resource packet, healthy recipe books, and a certificate of completion to take to principals – as well as new skills for reaching out to teachers and school staff!
Learn more or apply today »
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