Teamwork at Ballston Spa CSD leads to healthier students and staff

Ballston Spa Central School District
Ballston Spa, New York
Saratoga County (Capital Zone)

4,382 students

 

Issue

Obesity has tripled among teenagers and doubled among children 6 – 11 years old in the last 20 years. Students are becoming more sedentary and exhibit poor eating habits. Obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers. Diets high in saturated fat, excess calories and sodium can contribute to the development of chronic diseases.

 

Method

The Healthy Schools Leadership Institute (HSLI) is a five-year, professional development program that focuses on building organizational capacity for healthier schools; effectively advocating for healthier schools; using assessment strategies to evaluate the school environment; leading and motivating others responsible for school health promotion; managing coordination of healthier schools; and, soliciting resources for this initiative. HSLI recruits schools to participate in the initiative. The Ballston Spa Central School District is one of nineteen that the HSLI has worked with since 2005.

Martha Morrissey joined the HSLI in the spring of 2005. She began by sharing the importance of a coordinated school health program and what it would look like at Ballston Spa CSD with everyone she could. The next step was to help each school building form a Wellness Team to address issues relevant to their needs. The first task of each building-level wellness team was to complete the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s School Health Index (SHI), a self assessment and planning tool that focuses on school health and safety. As a result of completing this needs assessment, each school building developed and implemented an improvement plan. In 2008, Janice McPhee became the new District Health Leader and has continued energizing district and building-level teams towards a healthier school environment.

 

Impact

Since 2005, Ballston Spa CSD:

Created a district-wide wellness committee, which includes representatives from each building-level wellness team to coordinate and implement district-wide initiatives;
Developed a comprehensive wellness policy with an implementation plan that focuses on Balanced Choices for nutritional standards and limits foods of little nutritional value;
Has a board-approved District Health Leader with a job description;
Secured a full-time position for District Health Leader to coordinate health activities district-wide;
Applied for and received grants for a variety of physical activity equipment, including pedometers, snowshoes, elliptical machines, jump ropes, and frisbees;
Incorporated pedometer challenges for staff and classrooms; and
Opened the fitness room for students and staff in one of the elementary schools.

 

Importance of Impact

Healthy school environments allow students to establish healthy habits that last a lifetime and encourage faculty and staff to be healthier, too. Ballston Spa CSD recognizes this by involving students and staff in the process and providing them with the tools needed to improve their environment.

 

Keys to Success

The School Health Index provided the foundation for change at the Ballston Spa CSD. The assessment and planning process through building-level teams gave everyone a voice in the process, including the implementation of the improvement plan. Advocacy was, and still is an important component of the process, as well. As new people enter the District, it is important to share the importance of a Coordinated School Health Program and how it works. Finally, healthier Ballston Spa schools would not have been possible without administrative support and financial support through mini-grants to help implement some changes identified by the School Health Index.

 

Future Plans

Ballston Spa CSD plans to ensure committed members are part of the district and building-level wellness committees each year. They will seek to expand membership to include key stakeholders to make their teams the most efficient that they can be. Revisiting the School Health Index will also be a priority to identify progress and areas of future improvement. Increasing and sustaining awareness of health through daily health tips and wellness newsletters, as well as, increasing classroom activity are also goals for the next five years.

 

Words of Wisdom

"Consistency across the district is essential. As wellness is now a district goal, it is the perfect time to move forward with our Healthy Schools intiatives." Janice McPhee

 

For more information about health and wellness at Ballston Spa Central School District, contact:

Janice McPhee, District Health Leader/School Nurse
Ballston Spa Central School District
300 Wood Road
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
Phone: 518.884.7290/325
E-Mail: jmcphee@bscsd.org

For information about the Healthy Schools Leadership Institute, contact:

Stephanie Gray, Program Director
Healthy Schools Leadership Institute
NYS Association for Health,
Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
Phone: 518.568.5764
E-mail: sgray@nysahperd.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Leadership Institute Fellow                           ** Leadership Institute Administrator