Improving the health of our students is more than just a good idea or a nice gesture; it’s a crucial investment in the future of Mississippi. Our “Health is Academic” initiative is designed to ensure that all of our school children are fit, healthy and ready to succeed!

May 2010 : Spring into Healthy Schools Environments

Promoting a healthy environment is one of the most important ways that a school can reduce absenteeism. Recently, New Albany School District invited a staff member of the American Lung Association to conduct an asthma education session for all students (K-12) who were identified by parents as having asthma. The session addressed asthma triggers and how to avoid them as well as how to properly use inhalers and nebulizers. All employees of New Albany schools were required to attend an in-service training on asthma where they learned how to create a positive atmosphere for students with asthma. The district also conducted an asthma scan throughout their school buildings to ensure that the school environment was not a trigger for asthma attacks. As a result, the district passed a “No-Idling” bus policy to ensure that exhaust from school buses did not cause harm to students while standing outside. New Albany School District is doing its part to ensure that all students are fit, healthy and ready to succeed!

April 2010 : Tying it All Together

Newton County Elementary School knows that children who are healthy, well nourished, and physically fit do better in school. This year, NCES partnered with families to stay healthy together through a walking event for students, community members, and parents at East Central Community College. On the day of the event, students were transported across the street to ECCC’s walking track and were encouraged to walk for one hour with their parents and the community members. The school also used this event as a fundraiser and asked each student to bring one canned food item as his/her ticket to the event. Materials from the Office of Healthy Schools and the Mississippi State Department of Health were made available. 950 students and 300 parents participated. Obviously, small steps do make a difference. When students are fit and healthy, they are better able to focus on classroom lessons and, therefore, ready to succeed in school.

March 2010 : Nutritious and Delicious

Like thousands of schools across the country, Mendenhall Junior High School will be promoting the benefits of breakfast during National Nutrition Month and National School Breakfast Week. After reading an article on the Office of Healthy Schools website, Janice Skiffer, the school food service manager, met with her principal to propose offering breakfast in the classroom to increase participation in the school breakfast program. They began to offer grab-and-go breakfast items that enticed students to eat breakfast more at school. Students would pick up their breakfast items (breakfast burritos, cereal, biscuits, fruit, milk) in the cafeteria on their way to class in the morning. Breakfast bags would then be discarded on trays at the end of morning classes for custodians to pick up on their way through the halls. By participating in “grab-and-go breakfast, students, families, and school staff at MJHS now know that breakfast is vital to both health and school performance.

February 2010 : All's Fair in Love and Health

With both Valentine’s Day and National Heart Month celebrations in February, it’s the perfect month to focus on smart choices for healthy hearts. Students at Carver Elementary School in Tupelo are learning important lessons about healthy habits for healthy hearts throughout the school day.  Recently, CES partnered with a local medical clinic and nurse interns at a community college to conduct their first health fair. The nurses measured students’ height, weight, blood pressure, and skin fold. They used this information to educate students about body mass index. They also had instructional learning stations on nutrition, fat content and the dangers of tobacco use. Heart smart education is critically important for Mississippi youth since recent surveys show that many children and teens already have risk factors for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels. Providing quality health education to students gives them the knowledge and skills necessary to make smart decisions each day to promote health for a lifetime.

January 2010: Stay Healthy Together Family and Community Involvement

Forming partnerships between the school and community is a great way to foster and support the health of students. In January, South Pike School District is doing just that. With the help of their local school health councils, schools are bringing students, staff, parents and the community together to reduce obesity, absenteeism, and educate everyone on how to stay healthy during the winter months. At Magnolia Elementary School, parents, staff, and students eat and play together in their “Walk, Run, and Roll” program to show the link between regular physical activity and success in school. Dr. Daisy Thomas, M.D., spoke to Magnolia Elementary staff and community about how to combat "winter illnesses" through lifestyle and dietary changes. She brought healthy, all natural food and drink samples to share with all participants. On January 12th, the Mississippi State Extension service conducted a mini health and wellness workshop at Magnolia Elementary in conjunction with a "Grandparents Breakfast". To keep momentum going, the Mississippi State Extension service and Pike County Health Department will be on location at Magnolia Elementary for the annual Mardi Gras Fun Day. Community members will receive information on a range of health related topics including diet and exercise. Creating an environment at school where the studens, staff, community and parents feel that their health is important is a great way to encourage students to be fit, healthy and ready to succeed.