A Good First Step Toward a Healthier School: Starting a Wellness Committee
| April 1, 2012 | Posted by Stacy under Improving school food |
I’m not one to get political (especially in a blog post!), but I love Michelle Obama for making the fight against childhood obesity and for healthier schools a prominent part of her First Lady agenda. Her Let’s Move! website offers helpful tips and simple steps for taking action geared toward parents, schools, community leaders, chefs and kids alike.
One of her suggestions for making change in the school setting becoming a member of your school’s Health Advisory Team or Wellness Committee—a group made up of parents, teachers, administrators and other school staff that would:
- assess the school’s strengths and weaknesses when it comes to nutrition and physical activity
- develop policy recommendations and hands-on ways to create a healthier environment
Since my son’s school currently doesn’t have a Wellness Committee, I contacted the principal about starting one. He expressed his own concerns about the kids’ eating habits and pointed me toward the Parents Auxiliary (P.A.). I then approached a P.A. member with the idea and she was all for it! I’m now waiting to find out whether I will be added to the agenda at the P.A.‘s April 12 meeting.
Stay tuned—I should know more in the next week!
READ MORE ABOUT MY QUEST FOR A HEALTHIER SCHOOL:
- School Bites Lesson: Persistence Pays Off When It Comes to Improving School Food
- The Kids are Back at School, and Healthy Changes Are In the Air!
I created this blog to raise awareness and start a dialogue about the various issues involved in school food. By writing about it, I hope to provide parents and educators with ideas and inspiration for making healthy changes in their own schools. Since healthy eating habits start at home, I also address common feeding challenges faced by parents.
Fingers crossed for you. Let me know when you need to start forming your team.