BPS Healthy Connections Newsletter
In This Issue
Seven Boston Schools Honored for Innovations in Student Health and Wellness
Dearborn Middle School Garden Garners USDA Interest
Four Boston Schools to be Honored by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
BPS Walks Across America & Boston Moves for Health
Links, Inc. Wins $50,000 for Health & Wellness Program at the King K-8
Healthy Connections Participate in Multiple National Conferences
Lee Academy 1st Graders Win the Give the Healthy Choice a Voice Contest

Upcoming Events & Announcements 


    Register for a 4-Week Online Nutrition Course  

Take an Online Course this Summer! Classes begin June 25 through July 20, 2012.

  

All courses are one graduate credit (22.5 PDPs) and offered online for $169.00


 Pick the online course that is just right for you:

 

- Hydration and Beverages

- Childhood Overweight: Exploring an Epidemic

- Incredible Food Science

- Food, Community and Culture

- Diabetes in Schools

- National Nutrition Initiatives

- School Gardening 101

- Exploring Food Allergies  

 

Go to the JSI web site for more information and course descriptions. 

 

Register online through Framingham State University.


    Free YMCA Summer Memberships for Teens
June 23 - September 8
All Teens ages 13 to 17 
are eligible.

 

Find more information at 
YMCA Boston>> 

 


 Health of Dorchester  

Attend a Community Dialogue discussion about the health issues affecting the neighborhood.

 

Report & Next Steps on Asthma and Obesity led by Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Executive Director and Dr. Huy Nguyen, Medical Director, both of the Boston Health Commission.

 

Wednesday, June 20th 5:30-8:00pm Dorchester House Mulit-Service Center

1353 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA

 

For more information or to RSVP contact May Truong via emailor at 617-740-2419  


 Nurses in Your Corner Health Fair  

Saturday June 16, 2012

10:00am - 2:00pm

Connecting Health and Academics through acommunity conversation and health fair for BPS Families presented by the BPS Nurses Boston-Haiti Health Support Team.

 

Come attend a day of fun, interactions, learning and prizes with plenty of goodies.

 

Mildred Ave School

5 Mildred Ave.

Mattapan 02126  

Grant Opportunities 


Helping Children in Urban Poverty Grants  The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation seeks to fund projects that directly serve or impact children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, childhood health and family economic stability.
 
Deadline:  rolling 
 

Innovation Grants Program 

The Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation is accepting applications for the Innovation Grants Program, which is designed to support untested, unusual, and otherwise unconventional services aimed at helping underprivileged youth reach their full potential.

Multiple grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000

Deadline: July 18, 2012

More information available here>>
 


BJ's Charitable Foundation

Grants are awarded to organizations which promote the safety, security and well being of children and families, support education and health programs, provide community service opportunities, and aid in hunger and disaster relief.

 

Award amounts vary

 

Deadline:  July 6, 2012

 

 More information available here>> 

 

 

Social Media Connections

Visit the Healthy Connections website
Join Our Mailing List
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Issue: 5
June 2012

Seven Boston Schools Honored for Innovations in Student Health and Wellness 

Superintendent Carol Johnson

Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Carol R. Johnson honored seven schools for innovations in promoting student health and wellness Wednesday. Dr. Johnson presented the "Healthy Connections" awards, which included a cash prize of $500 for each winning school, at the 5th Annual BPS Wellness Summit at the Salvation Army Kroc Community Center in Dorchester.

 

"The schools we recognize today have shown innovative, collaborative, and service-oriented approaches to delivering Coordinated School Health to BPS students and families," said Dr. Johnson. "Best of all, we know that these best practices represent the tip of the iceberg, with exciting efforts underway across the city to ensure that our students are healthy in mind and body, ready to learn."

 

Winners of the 2012 Healthy Connections School Awards are:

  • Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Dorchester
  • Rafael Hernandez Bilingual K-8 School, Roxbury
  • John F. Kennedy Elementary School, Jamaica Plain
  • Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, Fenway
  • Richard J. Murphy K-8 School, Dorchester
  • New Mission High School, Mission Hill
  • Josiah Quincy Elementary School, Chinatown/South End

 Read more about the Wellness Summit on the Healthy Connections website>>

 

Dearborn Middle School Garden Garners USDA Interest

BCFF logoAgriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan visited Boston to celebrate the first anniversary of the MyPlate food icon and to announce a month of nutrition events and promotions to mark the occasion. Merrigan joined local officials, staff, and students at Dearborn Middle School in Roxbury for lunch and a tour of the school's gardens.  Dearborn Middle School is putting the MyPlate message into action by promoting healthy food choices and healthier lifestyles. The Dearborn Middle School is using the produce they grow and sourcing locally to provide healthy options on the lunch tray.

 

"It was an exciting opportunity to be asked by USDA to be the host site for the MyPlate anniversary," said Dearborn Middle School Principal Jose Duarte. "As a turn-around school, it's important to celebrate and work on the whole child. Academic achievement is fueled by providing good nutrition to our students. It's impactful to see our students understand the role a healthy diet plays on their performance both in and out of the classroom."

 

 Read more on the School Lunch Boston blog>>

Four Boston Schools to be Honored by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for Fighting Childhood Obesity

 

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, founded by the American HeartBCFF logo Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, will recognize four Boston public schools for transforming into healthy places for students and staff.

 

Of the four schools being recognized, three are located in Dorchester; TechBoston Academy, Richard J. Murphy K-8, and William E. Russell Elementary. Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers, located on the campus of Northeastern University is also being honored.

 

"We take great pride in our work to make all of our schools places where minds and bodies grow well," said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. "These four schools are leading by example and I can't wait for other schools in the district to learn from their successes."

 

 Read the full article on the Boston Public Schools website>>

 

BPS Walks Across America & Boston Moves for Health

 

Winners of the 6-week BPS Walk Across America Challenge have been announced! During the challenge, 96 BPS employees from both Court St. and Warren St. competed in teams of 3, tracking their weekly steps by wearing pedometers. Team Infrastructure, made up of Andy Horgan, Audrey Horgan and Geraldine Conley, was crowned the winner of Court St while Team LTL's made up of Lois Walsh, Theresa Donovan, and Lillyann Carrasquillo took home the trophy at Warren St. Congratulations to all participants who had fun while collectively accumulated over 30 million steps! 

 

If you are interested in learning more about this program email Shannon Wyman, Physical Activity Policy and Program Specialist. Walking challenges and other physical activities will take place in the coming months and all BPS employees are invited to participate. 

 

The BPS walking challenge fittingly took place around the time Mayor Menino launched a new city-wide movement challenge, Boston Moves for Health, an ambitious campaign to improve the health and fitness of our city. The goal is to collectively loose a million pounds and move 10 million miles this year.

 

Events and activities will be held throughout the city including free morning fitness classes on City Hall Plaza.

 

Visit the Boston Moves for Health website to learn more and register>>

 
BAA  Gives $50,000 Grant to Links, Inc. for Health and Wellness Program at Dorchester school 

 

The Boston Chapter of Links, Incorporated (The Links) embarks on a three year commitment with the Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 school in Dorchester, MA to provide an overall health and wellness program.

 

In partnership with the King School leadership team, the Boston AthleticBCFF logo Association, the Boston Public Schools, and other sponsors and community stakeholders, The Boston Chapter of The Links, Inc.'s "Fit for the King: A Health and Wellness Project" will create and offer a menu of comprehensive fitness, nutrition, and health and wellness programming for the King School community designed to enthusiastically engage students and parents while promoting healthy living.

 

"The Boston Chapter of Links is excited to work with the King School as part of our signature program," said Pamela Everhart, President of the Boston Chapter of Links, Inc., "The program is part of our mission, to provide volunteer services in arts, youth, international and national trends that work to strengthen families and communities."

 

As part of the 125th anniversary of the Boston Marathon, the BAA awarded the Links a grant to support programmatic efforts at the King School.

 

Read more on Boston.com>>

Healthy Connections Participate in Multiple National Conferences

 

This spring, BPS departments participated in a variety of conferences held around the country where student health and wellness was the topic for discussion. These conferences included-

 

Healthy Connections Present at the National School Board Associate Conference, Boston, MA

Jill Carter, Executive Director, Health & Wellness; Cate Arnold, teacher, BLS & Youth Climate Action Network (YouthCAN); Phoebe Beierle, USGBC Green Schools Fellow, BPS and Jenny Wiedower, US Green Building Council, presented at the April 2012 National School Board Association Conference on a panel titled The Essential School District Sustainability Toolkit. The panel focused on how Boston's sustainability initiatives have resulted in healthier, high-performing students AND school buildings.

 

Cate Arnold, recent winner of the Coolest Teaching in the World search and teacher at BLS, spoke to the value of engaging youth in environmental activism at the school and community level. Her students' Youth Climate Action student group have raised over $200,000 to fund various projects such as a school garden and an ambitious rooftop sustainability education center.  Jill Carter presented the BPS Coordinated School Health model and spoke to the improvements Boston has realized in terms of increased physical activity offered during the school day, policies promoting healthy eating and improved training for PE teachers. And Phoebe Beierle spoke about the district's efforts to save energy, reduce trash and promote healthy indoor environments through annual building walkthroughs and green cleaning policies. 

 

Learn more about the conference here>>

 

Weight of the Nation, Washington, D.C.

Jill Carter, Executive Director of the Health & Wellness Department was one of four panelists who presented on the Using School Guidelines and Policy Data to Change Physical Activity and Nutrition Environments at the Weight of the Nation Conference. The presenters described how to achieve school-level policy and environmental change at both the state and local level. The panel highlighted some of the most efficient and effective means to address obesity and reduce health disparities through a combination of school health policies and practices. Session attendees learned how to use the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Classification of Laws Associated with School Students (C.L.A.S.S.) and CDC's School Health Guidelines to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Let's Move in BPS, the district's Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP), was highlighted as an example of a strategy aligned with the CDC's guidelines.

 

Learn more about the Weight of the Nation here>>  

 

Strategic Alliance for Health Action Institute in Atlanta, GA 

With the Boston Public Health Commission, the Boston Public Schools presented a Community Spotlight on the activities happening in Boston. Focusing on work around access to healthful beverages, the BPHC showcased their successful Soda Free Summer Campaign, and the BPS presented its work on Competitive Foods and water access.

 

FNS Staff Attend National School Food FOCUS Conference in Chicago

The national gathering, held in Chicago May 3rd to 5th, brought together school food service professionals and community partners already working with districts, and government officials from the USDA and CDC.  The gathering is an opportunity for casual conversations and more formal networking with peers working in districts across the country as well as government officials.  This year, three members of the BPS Food & Nutrition Services department - Michael Peck, Director of FNS; Kim Szeto, Farm to School Coordinator; and Alexandra Emmott, Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program Manager - attended.

 

Read more here>>

 

FNS Staff Attends Kellogg Foundation Food & Community National Conference in Asheville 

The Kellogg Foundation is a key funder for FNS' partner the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness and has helped fund out Farm to School Coordinator the past two years.     

Read more about the Kellogg Foundation here>>

Lee Academy 1st Grade Students Win the Give the  Healthy Choice a Voice Contest

 

The judges have cast their votes, and Food & Nutrition Services are proud to announce the 2012 Give the Healthy Choice a Voice winners!

(drum roll, please...)

  • First Place:  Lee Academy Pilot School, Ms. Bernadine Lormilus' First Grade Class 
  • Second Place: English High School, David Jepson, Tracy Lynn Pagan, Sasha Carter. 
  • Third Place: East Boston High School, Iliana Flores, Carl Azores, Jeffry Flores, Marvin Depaz, Jairo Quintanilla

Congratulations to each of our winners! And thank you to participants for giving the healthy choice a voice this year! Please look out for details about the 2013 Give the Healthy Choice a Voice Contest next fall.

 

 

 

View all winning videos on the School Lunch 

Boston blog>>