A Healthy Solution

What if someone told you that your school, with just a simple change in one daily variable, could get the following:

• Students become better focused in the classroom
• Students have better attendance records
• Fewer behavioral issues occur
• Staff members have better health and attendance records

Sound too good to be true?

A presentation at the National School Boards Association Annual Conference in Arpil, 2005, reported the dramatic and positive effects of the Appleton Area School District's focus on healthy lifestyles. It appears that changing the mindset of a community regarding wellness can have a major impact on some of the more troublesome problems faced by school teachers and administrators.

School board members, a cardiologist, and the superintendent from the Appleton Schools in Wisconsin presented information on education for healthy kids. According to Lee Allinger, AASD Assistant Superintendent, "schools have the responsibility to address the declining health of our youth." To that end, the presentation focused on the way in which the health of our students impacts their performance in the classroom and their success in life.

Cardiologist John Toussaint, M.D., spoke of the two barriers to affecting fundamental change: culture and economics. For instance, the culture of fast food as well as the inability of so many students and their families to afford the basic necessities of life.

For the past 8 years the Appleton School District has been implementing a healthy nutrition program - moving the health education curriculum out of one classroom and into the entire school. Allinger noted some of the impressive benefits of embedding these beliefs in the classroom. Included were not only better attendance, but better behavior as well!

So, what can educators do? Follow the Appleton EHK (Education for Healthy Kids) Model and work towards facilitating change which increases student activity, improving nutrition, integrated health lessons, and creating a healthy lifestyle environment. Some of the means by which the changes impact the classroom are in the requirement that students carry water bottles (no soda is available) and teachers are even encouraged to take students out for class walks (for instance, as a pre-writing activity).

Ultimately, all these changes are not geared at spending more money or making substantial budgetary changes, but rather fundamentally changing the mindset of students, staff and community members. Moreover, these sorts of changes end up saving money. According to the International Olympic Committee, "every dollar invested in physical education saves $3.20 in medical costs."

There are a lot of tools available to help school districts make changes that will help students learn to make healthy choices. The new publication "Making It Happen" has stories about successful changes in 32 districts. Making It Happen - School Nutrition Success Stories illustrates a wide variety of approaches that schools have taken to improve student nutrition. The most consistent theme emerging from these case studies is that students will buy and consume healthful foods and beverages - and schools can make money from healthful options.

Part of what Appleton is doing was profiled in the movie, Super Size Me. If you haven't seen the movie or checked out what Appleton SD is doing - this might be a good time to take a look.