Students and staff healthier in Berlin Central School District

Berlin Central School District
Berlin, New York
Rensselaer County (Capital Zone)
Bordering Vermont and Massachusetts
Nestled between the Taconic and the Berkshire mountains

925 students

 

Issue

Obesity has tripled among teenagers and doubled among children 6 – 11 years old in the last 20 years. In 2005, a study of 435 students at Berlin Junior/Senior High Schools revealed that 11 percent of the population was underweight and 55 percent were overweight or obese, compared to the national average of 45 percent being overweight or obese. 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 Berlin Central School District is one of nineteen that the HSLI has worked with since 2005.

Kellie Kaschak, a nurse from the Berlin Central School District, joined the HSLI in the spring of 2005 after noticing that students were not able to focus on learning because they were hungry, tired, or worried about other issues. Her goal was to find a way to help her school district understand the connection.

Kaschak used the tools and skills learned at the Leadership Institute to convince the school district that changes needed to be made. She gathered data on height, weight, and BMI rates of students; school meals and nutritional concerns; and concerns students and staff made about other health issues. She began a mass media campaign in Berlin CSD about the link between health and academic achievement and her vision for a Coordinated School Health Program. She met with the Superintendent, Board of Education, Union officials, and spoke at faculty/staff meetings. She also found a champion in the District, Cathie Allain, a middle school principal who joined her on her quest to create healthier schools.

 

Impact

In September of 2006, Berlin CSD had their first district level Health Council meeting with membership from administration, the Board of Education, staff, students, parents, and the community. Since 2005, the following changes occurred:

Established a board-approved school health coordinator position;
Revised district health policies;
Completed the School Health Index district-wide and used the results to drive programming efforts;
Conducted the Communities that Care survey and used the data to determine which risk factors to focus on;
Established a school-based committee to address key issues identified by the Communities that Care survey and then transformed it into a community-based drug and alcohol coalition called TRAC (Together Reducing Alcohol and Drug in our Communities);
Received an award from the Capital District Tobacco-Free Coalition in recognition of its efforts in reducing adolescent and adult use of tobacco through cooperative programs in prevention, cessation, advocacy and community education;
Surveyed staff to determine what their health needs were and responded with employee-based programs, such as Weight Watchers at Work, pedometer challenges, and walking programs;
Organized and held an annual health fair (three years) and provided free health screenings for students, staff, and community members, including free on-site mammograms
Established a student-based food advisory panel to support a cooperative relationship with students, the school, and the contract food agency;
Changed portion sizes and menu items to provide a healthier focus (e.g., only low-fat and fat-free milk are now offered);
Revamped vending machines to include only foods meeting the NYS School Nutrition Association’s “Choose Sensibly” guidelines;
Established a 9 am break to allow students who found 7 a.m. too early to eat to purchase a healthy snack or breakfast. The purchase of breakfast went up over 100 percent, with over half the school participating;
Restructured the middle school and high school schedules to allow 42 minutes for lunch, instead of 22 minutes, and sixth grade students to have recess following lunch;
Purchased a popcorn machine to provide healthier snacks at parties and other school events and pedometers to promote physical fitness with $1,600 in grant money received from the HSLI for completing a school health needs assessment;
Received recognition for their elementary-based Olweus and Peaceful Bus Bullying Prevention programs;
Received a Bronze level New York Healthy STARS award in June 2007 formally recognizing them for their commitment to developing healthy schools that support student learning and create an environment conducive to the health and well-being for faculty, staff, and all students; and
Received a Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) grant in 2009 for $462, 820. The money will be utilized to improve the physical fitness of students, staff and the community of the Berlin CSD by increasing the access and availability of opportunities for physical fitness. These opportunities will be provided through the establishment of three new fitness centers located at different locations throughout the district and will be made available throughout the day, after school, and in the evening.


Importance of Impact

Although BMI data is continuing to be monitored, early indicators of success are present. Spring 2007 data show a 10 percent decrease in the rate of students who are overweight/obese. The vision and plan for the district include an objective to continue to improve and promote student health and wellness.

 

Keys to Success

District staff with a commitment to health and physical education professionalism was key in making changes in Berlin Central School District. Advocating the importance of health and wellness as related to academic achievement early in the process laid the groundwork for future progress.
Future Plans

In the next five years, Berlin CSD plans to focus on implementing a comprehensive K-12 health curriculum and meeting the New York State physical education standards. They also will focus on a comprehensive middle school/high school bullying prevention program.

 

Words of Wisdom: "Perseverance pays off - be persistent!" Kellie Kaschak

 

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

Kellie Kaschak

District Health Coordinator, School Nurse Teacher

Berlin Central School District

259 School Street

Berlin, NY 12022

Phone: 518-658-2515

E-Mail: kkaschak@berlincentral.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