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RPEMS Wellness Committee Meeting Agenda
Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 8:15am
Principal’s Conference Room
ATTENDANCE:Jason Goldstein, Clare Grizzard, Luke Hollis, KirigoKabuga, Nancy Kass, MaijuLehmijoki-Gardner, Melina Turtle, Steven Wais, Caroline Wayner
I WELCOME
Not as many people can make it today but we’ll proceed as best we can. Maiju solicited comments before starting the healthy school recognition. Nancy Kassinformed us that the healthy vending company that had been identified last year cannot help us with our vending machines (the teacher ones that are left) because we don’t have enough volume. There may be some healthier options with the current vending machine company and Melina will contact Lesa Horne and see what options they can provide.
Nancy also met with Cynthia Shea at BCPSS North Avenue – nutrition – and discussed salad bar and RPEMS would serve as a test case for public schools.
IINATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOL RECOGNITION
The National Recognition Application due 4/1 – An Update and discussion
Some general remarks: one of the goals of the recognition process, to make the process really matter, is to improve the standards that RPEMS is currently trying reach in the bronze stage.
Policy: we’re good and well documented partnership with Be Well and policy statements
School meals: we passed the USDA audit that was necessary for school meals (just within the past month); documentation of 3 months of school meals; the tricky part is the documentation of whole grains in school menus – working on that with North Avenue; other documentation included taking pictures of posters and murals in the cafeteria and the staff prompting children to get more fruit and/or veggies; the only other thing we weren’t sure of was whether there was an annual training for cafeteria staff but Nancy and Melina were pretty sure that RPEMS staff had salad bar training.
Competitive Foods: no problems, no carbonated beverages for sale for students.
Health Education: this is an area of improvement; middle school is covered – Mr. Wais provided the hours. We are well above the required minutes. Elementary Health education is the harder one – K-5 gets 45 minutes every other week but required 30 minutes every week for K-2 and 40 minutes for grades 3-5. We have to list other examples for health education, like health in science (movement), chemistry and digestion?
Physical Education: We are essentially wiggling to add minutes for elementary – Ms. Grizzard does movement drawings but that’s in middle school; Ms. Emberson may do movement in art class- will check on that. Other elementary teachers do movement (Ms. Schreiber one of them?) Middle school is fine.
Employee Wellness: good, need to do annual evaluation for staff and Jane Marinelli is working on that. Still doing zumba and it’s popular.
Student wellness: We are well above the required minimum. Documentation for this section was easy.
IIIEVENTS UPDATES – PAST & FUTURE
Zumbafor Staff and Parents started 1/31 – Kirigo
Planned activities, incl. bicycle workshop (April), 5th grade fun run – May 3rd is the date and need volunteers (no one has come forward as a parent volunteer and will ask Nancy and Jane if they have any suggestions),running clubs
Zumba club for elementary school kids on Mondays 3:00-3:40pm, Kirigo may have some middle school students that can serve as mentors and earn service learning hours
Running Festival Challenge ’13 & fundraising for the Annual Fund, October 12th, we need a team of 6 people – detail oriented – Melina, Luke, and Maiju volunteered
There’s a middle school yoga club (offered by Josh Kaminkow), and a 5th grade soccer club that starts after spring break
Luke spoke with Amy Bonitz re: promoting walk/bike to school during the week of bike week(4/22-4/26.
IVEVALUATING OUTCOMES & ASSOCIATION STATUS PLANS
Association status plans – “deadline” May 2013
VICONCLUSION
Next meeting time is proposed for May 16th at 8:15am.