Component #4: Active Recess

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PRINCIPAL ENGAGEMENT

LEADING A HEALTHY SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION

Thank you for welcoming Building Healthy Communities to your school this year! Building Healthy Communities can’t be successful without principal support. Your enthusiasm and advocacy for the program will set the pace for your staff and students.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]In fact, our research has indicated that “Principal support,” was the component most associated with higher levels of students’ in-school physical activity. It was even more significant than the support provided by parents!

The good news is that this support can come in many forms, including:

  • Watching children take part in physical activity (in classroom settings, in PE, at recess)
  • Talking about physical activity with students
  • Engaging in physical activity with students
  • Encouraging students to be physically active

Promoting healthy choices shouldn’t stop with your students – encouraging your staff to emphasize wellness will also have benefits to your school community. When teachers make time for physical activity breaks and active recess the result is children who are more receptive learners. We’ve found that when teachers commit to implementing BHC programming in their classrooms they make healthier choices for themselves too![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”” shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ row_name=”principal-engagement” css=”.vc_custom_1592254521494{padding-top: 5em !important;padding-bottom: 1em !important;}” el_class=”our-model-card”][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”5/12″][vc_single_image image=”1903″ img_size=”600×600″ full_width=”1″ opacity=”100″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”7/12″][vc_column_text]

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Your first responsibility as the Principal is to be our primary liaison for your school. However, we know that your schedule is often unpredictable. If a better option for your school is to delegate another staff member to be the communication lead, no problem!   Please just work with your BHC School Coordinator to determine the best communication plan for your school.

Next, we’ll need for you to arrange for your School Coordinator to introduce the Building Healthy Communities program to your school staff. Typically, our Coordinators attend a staff meeting at the beginning of the academic year to roll out the program and expectations for each component.  This is a great way for your staff to become familiar with the program and encourage buy-in from your school personnel.

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One of the primary ways that we reinforce healthy habits is through daily announcements that focus on wellness tips, healthy habits, and interesting facts. As part of the Principal Engagement Component, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that these are communicated every day. At a minimum, we hope you will include them as PA announcements – you can read them, or designate a staff member or student to do so.  Some of our past school leaders have also included them in their regular social media communication – so feel free to use them in posts or tweets.  We’ll provide a calendar of daily announcements, so all you’ll have to do is share them!

Another way you can support the Building Healthy Communities program in your school is by communicating information home to parents and families. This can be done through social media, newsletters, or via your school’s website. We’ll provide you with pre-written newsletter inserts that can be easily integrated into your current communication strategy.  If you’re considering other ways to distribute healthy content to your students and their families, talk with your BHC School Coordinator – they can help.

We encourage you to be looking for ways to sustain your health initiatives. School wellness teams and healthy policies are a good way to get your school thinking about sustainability.

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SCHOOL WELLNESS POLICIES

Although not an immediate responsibility for Principals, establishing school-wide wellness policies can one of the most impactful outcomes of Building Healthy Communities.  Many schools that we’ve worked with have found that when staff work to promote individual healthy choices, it often leads to more substantial changes in school culture. Over the past decade of Building Healthy Communities, schools have created a range of wellness policies in their buildings, including:

  • 40% of schools changed fundraisers & rewards toward healthier options
  • 30% of schools improved their in-school physical activity policies
  • 25% of schools improved after school physical activity options
  • 25% of schools started non-food rewards policies.

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SCHOOL-WIDE WELLNESS POLICIES

  • Engage staff, parents, and students in a wellness team that can help create and implement policies that focus on health.
  • Rethink how foods and beverages are made available to students and encourage healthy choices (e.g., fundraisers, in classroom parties, classroom snacks brought by parents, incentives).
  • Consider revisiting policies that allow for withholding recess as a behavior management strategy. This has significant impacts on physical and mental health and often worsens behavior outcomes.
  • Improve in-school and develop after-school physical activity options.

CLASSROOM WELLNESS POLICIES

  • Incorporate healthy concepts into cross-curricular lessons.
  • Decorate your room with “food for thought” about healthy choices. Host a door decorating contests or monthly health-related themed activities.
  • Share parent materials to create student support for healthy choices at home.
  • Talk about your healthy choices and invite students to share their healthy choices.

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HEALTHY SCHOOL ACTION TOOL (HSAT)

Your school will make many gains toward increased healthy eating and physical activity this year and we want those changes to become part of your school culture! But, in order for that to happen, we need your help to plan for the future.

The Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT) is a free resource, provided to schools by the state of Michigan, that is useful to assess the health of your current school environment.

At the completion of your assessment, you are provided with suggestions to strengthen your school’s health-focused environment and examples of how other Michigan schools have implemented healthy changes.

Once your school completes the HSAT you are eligible to apply for the state of Michigan’s “School Wellness Award.” This is a rewarding way to showcase your school’s hard work and commitment to creating happy, healthy places for children to learn.

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ACTION STEPS TO GET STARTED

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]1. Work with your assigned school coordinator to set a time for him or her to attend a staff meeting to introduce themselves and the program components. This 30-minute initial meeting is important because it gives your staff a chance to hear an overview of the program, understand their expectations, and ask questions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]2. Next, you’ll need to identify staff to advise the Healthy Kids Club and the Student Leadership Team. The sooner these staff members are chosen, the sooner they can begin to work with your school coordinator and receive onsite training. (Note: these positions are best filled with staff who are enthusiastic, engaging, and available after school.  We offer gift card incentives and/or stipends for advisors who complete the full program implementation).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]3. Once you’ve identified key staff for the implementation of the BHC program in your school building, please share this training and have them to review their component-specific orientation sections.  Then, you’ll want to encourage them to arrange to meet with your school coordinator.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][wvc_testimonial_slider][wvc_testimonial_slide text=”“When I started this I thought it was just going to get our students to eat healthier and maybe exercise more. Halfway through, it has fully changed the way we think about health in our school. It will absolutely be something we will continue for the benefit of the students AND the staff.”” name=”” rating=”-1″][/wvc_testimonial_slider][/vc_column][/vc_row]