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Upcoming Events & Announcements
Circle The City Seeks Volunteers
BCFF, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, LivableStreets Alliance, Franklin Park Coalition, and the City of Boston are seeking enthusiastic volunteers and local professionals to deliver fitness, dance and yoga classes, kids activities, art activities, bike clinics, activities promoting health and wellness and live performances for Circle The City, Boston's first Open Streets initiative connecting people to parks.
Launching on three Sundays in Summer 2012, Circle The City is free to all and will feature Franklin Park, Jamaica Pond, the Southwest Corridor Park, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. By creating safe, car-free public space on streets, we are celebrating the opportunity to get out and play together.
Boston Latin School Youth CAN's 6th Annual Climate Summit When: Saturday, May 12th 9:00 A.M. - 3:30 P.M. Where: MIT Stata Center - 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge. The Youth Action for Sustainability Climate Summit will include workshops by Sub/Urban Justice, the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, Beehive Design Collaborative, the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island, Artist, Heather Ackroyd and many more and a Environmental Career Exploration Symposium with green professionals on hand to share information about their occupations, and the basic skills and requirements necessary for a green career. Over 65 schools attending. Event is free, breakfast & lunch included. Other activities: Free photo booth, face painting, green band, give-aways, t-shirts & more. Register on-line at BLS Youth CAN>>
Congratulations to English High School!
English High School students had the highest student participation in the "It's Your Money Don't Burn It" tobacco-free pledge campaign. The school's prize is a dance party hosted by JAM'N 94.5! Congratulations to Dimitri Desroches! Dimitri, a student at Community Academy of Science & Health won the "It's Your Money Don't Burn It" tobacco-free lyric contest. He will have the opportunity to visit the JAM'N 94.5 station and meet Radio Personalities Pebbles & Ramiro! The contests were a collaboration between the Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Health Commission and JAM'N 94.5 as part of the CPPW Tobacco Initiative.
School Wellness Action Plans Reminder: School Wellness Action Plans, as part of the Whole School Improvement Plan, are due for the 2012-2013 school year on June 30, 2012. For more information, contact Caitlin Westfall or Paul McAndrew
Food and Nutrition Services is currently exploring
non-petroleum based paper products for use on the lunch line next year. Pilots are scheduled for May 8th at East Boston High
and May 9th at
Ohrenberger K-8.
Have you been thinking about quitting smoking?
FREE Stop Smoking Group available for BPS Employees. This 6-week group session will include free nicotine patches (for those who medically qualify) and counseling.
Where: DC 35 Union Building, 25 Colgate Road, Roslindale, MA
When: 6 Mondays, starting May 14th, 4 - 5pm
Email Jaime Lederer in the Health & Wellness Department or call
617-635-6643x41253, for more information or for other questions.
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Grant Opportunities
Afterschool Innovators Awards The MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards aim to identify potentially lesser-known, yet highly effective programs and the individuals running them.
Five awards of $10,000 will be given to select applicants.
Deadline: May 15, 2012 More information available here>>
Fuel Up to Play 60 Grants Fuel Up to Play 60 awards grants to schools enrolled in their wellness program that may be used for a variety of activities and tools.
Awards of up to $4,000 will be granted to selected applicants. K-12 schools enrolled in the Play 60 wellness program
The May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust seeks to foster healthy development and future independence by increasing opportunities for
children and youth.
Multiple awards of varying amounts will be granted to select applicants.
Deadline: Rolling
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John Auerbach, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health Announced as Keynote Speaker of the 5th Annual BPS Wellness Summit
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John Auerbach, Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Public Health will present the keynote address at this year's BPS Wellness Summit. Mr. Auerbach was appointed Commissioner in April, 2007. Under his leadership the Department has developed new and innovative programs to address racial and ethnic disparities, to promote wellness, to combat chronic disease and to support the successful implementation of the state's health care reform initiative.
Commissioner Auerbach's keynote address will kick off the Wellness Summit, a fun and informative event that will also include remarks by Superintendent Carol R. Johnson, interactive breakout sessions, student performances, an awards ceremony to honor schools for innovations in Coordinated School Health, an opportunity to join Mayor Menino's Boston Moves for Health Challenge, raffle prizes, a healthy breakfast and lunch and more. Join Boston Public Schools teachers, principals, and other school and central staff, elected officials, community leaders, and partner organizations on May 30, 2012 at this year's Wellness Summit, Celebrating Healthy Connections at the Salvation Army Kroc Center.
Learn more about Commissioner Auerbach and register for the Wellness Summit on the Healthy Connections website>>
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On-line BPS School Climate Survey and Improving School Choice Survey to Gather Important Information on Improving Schools
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Surveys are currently available on-line for BPS parents and the entire Boston community to provide important feedback about school quality, the school choice process and other various aspects of BPS schools.
- The Parent School Climate Survey is open to current BPS parents and asks questions about the school your child attends. Different versions of this survey are being offered to students and teachers, who will receive the survey forms at school directly.
- The Improving School Choice survey is available to the entire Boston community. It asks the same series of questions discussed in community meetings in April.
"With these surveys we hope to get valuable insights into the work we still must do to improve all our schools," said BPS Superintendent Carol R. Johnson. "Online options compliment the conversations we are having in our community meetings and in our schools. We want to make it is easier for all members of the community to be part of this conversation to ensure everyone has an opportunity to tell us what they think."
Read more and access the survey on
the Boston Public Schools website>>
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BPS Food & Nutrition Services & Whitsons Culinary Launch Traveling Salad Bar
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On Wednesday April 4, Boston Public School's Department of Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) in partnership with Whitsons Culinary Group launched a traveling salad bar program at the Nathan Hale School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood.
The Nathan Hale is one of our "Satellite Schools" - schools without a kitchen on site - serviced by Whitsons Culinary. Between the spring and fall of 2011, FNS launched permanent bars in 5 high schools with full cafeterias. The travelling salad bar is a pilot project with the intention of increasing the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables at Satellite Schools, and fostering food equity across the district.
Read the full post on School Lunch Boston>>
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| May is Asthma Awareness Month: Consider Using Safer Cleaning Products in Our Schools | |
 Q & A: Green Cleaners are Better for our Health
Did you know that all of the Boston schools are cleaned with healthier "green certified" cleaners?
Green cleaners can improve indoor air quality because they have fewer harmful chemicals compared to regular cleaners. They are safer and better for students and staff with asthma and work as well as any other cleaner. The City-wide Healthy Schools Taskforce worked with custodians and school staff to approve a "green cleaning" policy for all Boston schools.
Do "green" cleaners kill germs?
Studies have shown that a general purpose "green" cleaner can effectively remove 99.9 % of microbes. Disinfectants are not "green cleaners" because they have toxic ingredients that destroy bacteria and germs. Disinfectants should only be used for targeted cleaning (ex. bathrooms, cafeterias, etc.) and for special cleaning necessary for infectious outbreaks. Many teachers may be using products that are respiratory irritants or have unnecessary toxic ingredients. Hand washing Kills Germs too! Germs and infectious diseases are not just on surfaces in schools. They are also on us! According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), hand washing is one of the most effective ways to protect against germs that get picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces.
What products can I use to do some cleaning in my classroom?
The BPS Green Cleaning Policy states that teachers are not to bring any of their own cleaning products to school. Ask the Principal for a bottle of the "approved" green cleaner for your use. Let us know if you are unable to get the "approved" cleaner. For more information about improving environmental conditions in your schools contact Al Vega, - a member of the BPS Healthy Schools Taskforce.
Click here for more information from the CDC that can be
used in the classroom>>
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Healthy Connections Partner Profile:
Boston Collaborative for Food & Fitness(BCFF)
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The Boston Collaborative for Food & Fitness(BCFF) is a city-wide partnership with a mission to transform Boston so that every resident can access and afford healthy, locally-grown food and enjoy public spaces and opportunities for active living. BCFF is working to improve community health through a comprehensive initiative addressing issues related to food and fitness. BCFF's commitment to racial equity is the foundation for it's core strategies. The Collaborative is comprised of dynamic individuals representing a diverse group of sectors, including healthcare, government, education, youth development, food systems, social services and residents.
Click here to learn more about BCFF>>
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| Healthy Connections Leader Profile: Michael Peck, Director of BPS Food & Nutrition Services | |
 Michael R. Peck joined BPS as the new Director of the BPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services last December. Mr. Peck brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to Boston Public Schools, with over 15 years experience in public school nutrition programs, food services software, and the culinary arts.
Most recently, Mr. Peck served as Director of Food Services for Pittsburgh Public Schools from 2007 to 2011, and just prior as the Deputy Director of Food Services for District of Columbia Public Schools from 2006 to 2007. Among Mr. Peck's many accomplishments in Pittsburgh, he increased both lunch participation (by 7.8%) and breakfast participation (by 32.8%), and was nationally recognized by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) for effectively reaching low-incomes students. In addition to driving participation, Mr. Peck also implemented Universal Free Breakfast at all schools and early childhood centers. Perhaps most notably during his time in Pittsburgh, Mr. Peck improved the quality of school meals by limiting fat, salt, and sugar; eliminating fried foods, trans-fats, bovine growth hormones, artificial colors and sweetener; increasing whole-grains, fiber, whole-muscle meal, and vegetarian options; and serving only skim or 1% milk.
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| Moving for a Good Cause | |
Make your physical activity all the more rewarding by signing up for a 5K that supports a good cause. Here are two local races that support and promote physical activity in Boston schools and communities:
Playworks New Balance 5K Run for Recess
The 5K Run for Recess will take place at Franklin Park on May 12th. This is a great event attended by students, teachers, principals and families.
Have fun and support play and physical activity at 32 schools across Boston and run a spring race. Run to raise money for your school or for Playworks.
Learn more and register here>>
Hyde Square Task Force/Martha Eliot Health Center/ Boston Children's Hospital Multi-Day 5K Run/Walk
This event runs from June 5th to June 9th and encourages teens and their families to become healthier. Through a series of teen-led community run/walks, participants of this 5K will not only get to run/walk, they will also learn the history of the very streets that they will be running on. On June 10th, the teens who are leading these community run/walk will complete their own 5K and be cheered on by the entire community. Just 6 months ago, most of these teens had never run more than 2 blocks in their lives. Aside from that, they were also deemed "high risk" youth. Now, six months later, they have learned self-discipline, respect and more importantly, self-worth through running and being a leader in the community!
Learn more and register here>>
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