BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit (SY17-18 Update)

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TOOLKIT A resource guide for School Wellness Councils to implement the BPS District Wellness Policy Prepared by the BPS Health & Wellness Department July 2019


Table of Contents: BPS Wellness Policy Implementation Toolkit Section 1: Introduction and Context Introduction Why Do We Need A Wellness Policy? Who is this Toolkit for? How should it be used? 2017- 2018 Wellness Policy Annual Report: Key Findings BPS District Wellness Policy Icons Key Section 2: Policy Overview and Requirements BPS Wellness Policy Background District Wellness Policy Overview BPS Policy Requirements for Schools Section 3: Tools for School Wellness Councils Forming and Maintaining a Functional School Wellness Council Membership: Who should be on your School Wellness Council? Wellness Council Responsibilities Wellness Council Timeline Sample Handbook Language and Staff Memo about Wellness Policy Create a Healthier Place to Work and Learn: Healthy Tips for School Staff Wellness Council Invitation to Staff and Community Partners Communication with Families about Wellness Policy Wellness Council Invitation to Parents and Families Staff and Student Invitation to Join Wellness Council Getting Student Input on Health and Wellness: Sample Student Survey Wellness Council Meeting Reminder Wellness Council Meeting Agenda Wellness Council Meeting Minutes Template BPS Wellness Councils: Guidance for Wellness Action Plans SY 2019-20 BPS Wellness Action Plan Sample Template Instructions for Completing Wellness Council Functionality Rubric Wellness Council Functionality Rubric Section 4: Implementing the BPS Wellness Policy at Your School Implementing the BPS Wellness Policy at Your School Cultural Proficiency Policy Summary: Cultural Proficiency Success Story: Rafael Hernandez K-8 School Get Started with Cultural Proficiency Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Obstacles Worksheet Family and Student Engagement Events that Promote Cultural Proficiency CLSP Continuum School Food and Nutrition Promotion Policy Summary: BPS Nutrition Policy

1 3 4 5 12 13 15 17 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 45 46 51 53 54 55 56 57 59 61


Success Story: Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers Success Story: Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School Get Started with School Food and Nutrition Promotion BPS Nutrition Policy: Approved Snacks Healthy Fundraisers Non-Food Celebrations and Rewards Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education Policy Summary: Physical Activity Policy Summary: Physical Education Policy Summary: Recess Success Story: Josiah Quincy Elementary Success Story: Edward F. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers Get Started with Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education Physical Education Continuum Safe Routes to School Comprehensive Health Education Policy Summary: Comprehensive Health Education Success Story: Mary Lyon K-8 Get Started with Comprehensive Health Education Health Education Continuums for Policy Compliance Health Education Policy Compliance Rubric Healthy School Environments Policy Summary: Healthy School Environment Success Story: Blackstone Innovation School Success Story: Conley Elementary Get Started with Healthy School Environments Promoting Healthy School Environments: Resource Toolkit for Schools Water Decision Trees Safe and Supportive Schools Policy Summary: Safe and Supportive Schools Policy Summary: Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model Success Story: Haley Pilot School Get Started with Safe and Supportive Schools Social Emotional Learning Standards Three Signature SEL Practices for the Classroom Summary: BPS Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity Policy Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Students Safe and Supportive Environments Rubric Summary of BPS Expectant and Parenting Student Policy Expectant and Parenting Student Liaison Checklist Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM) Toolkit We Dream Together: Opportunities for Undocumented Students Health Services Policy Summary: BPS Health Services Policy Policy Summary: Condom Accessibility Policy Success Story: Boston Green Academy Get Started with the Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) Toolkit

62 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 77 81 82 83 85 87 93 94 95 96 97 109 111 112 113 114 115 117 119 121 123 127 128 129 135 137 138 139 140 141


Staff Wellness Policy Summary: Staff Wellness Success Story: Community Academy for Science and Health Get Started with Staff Wellness Staff Wellness Interest Survey Ideas for Physical Activity to Promote Staff Wellness

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit September 2019 Dear BPS School Wellness Council, We are grateful for your continued collaboration on health and wellness issues in Boston Public Schools. Boston Public Schools strives to be one of the healthiest school districts in the country. To make sure we achieve that, we need the same help and dedication that you have been exhibiting these past years since our wellness work began in BPS. In June of 2017, the School Committee adopted an updated comprehensive District Wellness Policy. The policy covers eight key areas, based on the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model: 1) cultural proficiency, 2) school food and nutrition promotion, 3) comprehensive physical activity and physical education, 4) comprehensive health education, 5) healthy school environment, 6) safe and supportive schools, 7) health services, and 8) staff wellness. The wellness policy brings together both existing and new policies and seeks to address wholistic health and wellness for BPS students and staff. Our collective work on these eight areas of wellness will improve our students’ readiness to learn and in turn increase academic achievement. We know that healthy students are better learners! This toolkit is designed to help anyone at a BPS school who wants to take an active role in implementing the BPS District Wellness Policy at your school. Perhaps you are a principal, a nurse, a 4th grade teacher, or a guidance counselor – you will all find something you can try or bring to your wellness council in these pages! This toolkit provides guidance, resources, and materials to support your implementation and maintenance of the BPS District Wellness Policy at your school. This toolkit has four main sections: • Section 1 provides background information on the BPS District Wellness Policy. • Section 2 provides an overview of the District Wellness Policy and a checklist of Policy requirements. • Section 3 provides tools for starting, building, and/or maintaining your school wellness council. • Section 4 provides information and tools on implementing the eight areas of the BPS District Wellness Policy. For each policy area, we provide: a summary of the policy, a success story from a BPS school, ideas for how the Wellness Council can get started working on that policy, and several implementation tools and resources. We hope this toolkit serves your needs and provides the guidance needed to get started on implementing the BPS District Wellness Policy. We look forward to learning about the exciting health and wellness work you continue to engage in at your school. Together, let’s create safe, healthy, and sustaining learning environments for BPS staff and students! Sincerely, Jill Carter Assistant Superintendent Office of Social Emotional Learning and Wellness

Maryka Lier Assistant Director, Wellness Policy and Promotions BPS Health and Wellness Department

Introduction & Background | 1


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

2 | Introduction & Background


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Why Do We Need a Wellness Policy? Healthy students are better learners. Poor health is a non-academic barrier to learning and in order to address health-related barriers, educators must often look beyond improving curriculum and instruction. Healthrelated issues – ranging from hunger to asthma to trauma – impact academic performance. Addressing health and health risk behaviors holistically in the school setting can improve academic outcomes, as well as improve health outcomes. Schools play an essential role in preparing students with lifelong healthy habits and the skills to continue learning about and engaging in their own health throughout their life. Because students spend so much time in the school environment, this is one of the most important settings for promoting health. To maintain health and well-being, students need access to health-promoting environments and resources: healthy meals, access to drinking water, emotionally safe and supportive classrooms and playgrounds, plenty of physical activity, comprehensive health education on diverse topics, access to health services, good indoor air quality, and more. Schools are essential in providing these resources. Recent research provides compelling evidence that youth of color from low-income households and living in urban areas are disproportionally affected by health risks that negatively impact their learning. Health issues such as access to breakfast, asthma, vision problems, physical inactivity, violence and aggression, teen pregnancy, and inattention and hyperactivity issues are among those known to impact learning outcomes. From data collected in Boston through the 2017 Middle and High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we know that: Percent of students who…

Middle School

High School

Did not eat breakfast daily

55%

71%

Were not physically active for at least 60 minutes during the week

18%

28%

Were bullied on school property

40%

11%

Felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2+ weeks in a row

26%

33%

Ever had sexual intercourse

7%

43%

As a district, our mission is to actively promote the health and wellness of all students to support both their healthy development and readiness to learn. We aim to create an environment where the healthy choice is the easy choice. Through the BPS Wellness Policy, schools have a framework for how to create an environment where students can build the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices. Schools can address the most important health needs for their students and staff, using data to inform the development of a Wellness Action Plan. The Wellness Action Plan is linked to the school’s instructional vision through the Quality School Plan (QSP). Using this Wellness Policy Implementation Toolkit, schools will be able to access guidance on BPS Wellness Policy topic areas and begin working with a new or existing school-based wellness council to make progress on selected areas of the policy. Combined, the BPS Wellness Policy and this supporting Policy Implementation Toolkit are designed to give schools the backing and the tools to engage fully in promoting the health of all Boston Public Schools students.

Introduction & Background | 3


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Who is this Toolkit for? How should it be used? This Toolkit is intended for use by School Leaders (e.g. principals, instruction teams, student supports, etc.) and School Wellness Councils in their efforts to make the school environment healthy and productive! The two main ways to use this Toolkit are: 1) Use the tools for School Wellness Councils to increase your Wellness Council functionality and 2) Use the policy-specific tools to support the development of your Wellness Action Plan and make progress on areas of the BPS Wellness Policy. Perhaps you are building your Wellness Council while also addressing specific areas of the BPS Wellness Policy in your building – that is ambitious, and we commend you! Here are a few other examples of specific tools provided in this Toolkit that may come in handy for you: • Wellness Council meeting agenda templates and the Wellness Council Functionality Rubric to improve the functionality of your Wellness Council • “Get Started” sections for specific policy areas to get ideas of a few next steps your Wellness Council could take to address that area • Policy area one-pagers to learn about how your school can comply with district policy • Success stories to learn about steps other schools have taken and to get inspired • Guidance on your annual Wellness Action Plan

4 | Introduction & Background


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

2017-2018 BPS Wellness Policy Annual Report: Key Findings District and School Wellness Councils Successes • • • • •

District Wellness Council (DWC) Co-Chairs created a comprehensive evaluation plan for each part of the policy areas; the policy was updated and posted to the BPS website and included in the Parent and Family Guidebook. Adopted criteria for student and family membership on the DWC. Developed a system to report on school-level wellness policy implementation to school administration and wellness councils through School Wellness Reports using Profiles data. 84% of schools submitted Wellness Action Plans, an increase of 40% from SY15-16 Over half of WAP goals were related to Physical Education and Physical Activity, Food and Nutrition, and Cultural Proficiency.

Challenges • Unable to establish DWC subcommittees for Cultural Proficiency and Staff Wellness.

Cultural Proficiency Successes • • •

The number of Equity and Welcoming Schools trainings offered by Central Office increased with 29 Equity Protocols trainings, 21 more than SY15-16; 29 Welcoming Schools trainings, up from 6 in SY15-16; and 19 EQT-4 trainings on Gender Identity, an increase of 14 trainings. 44% of WAPs included a Cultural Proficiency goal, an increased from one school in SY15-16 to 55 schools. The majority of average scores on School Climate Survey scales related to Cultural Proficiency indicated that schools were meeting or exceeding community-wide standards in these short-term measures.

Challenges •

Unable to establish a DWC Cultural Proficiency Subcommittee. Low family and student engagement on school wellness councils (SWC). Only 21 schools included at least one family member on the SWC and 7 schools included a student. However, these numbers were slightly higher than SY15-16.

School Food & Nutrition Promotion Successes • • • •

All schools provided free school breakfast and school lunch for all students 87% of schools offered Breakfast After the Bell. Three schools were renovated to be able to provide freshly-prepared, on-site meal service, replacing primarily prepackaged foods. Since SY15-16, the Wellness Champion Program has grown to include a Healthy Food Environment component with 12 Healthy Food Wellness Champions in SY17-18.

Challenges • •

Lack of Nutrition Education professional development - only one training was offered. Only 45 Principals reported informing their staff of all parts of the Competitive Food and Beverage Policy. All schools selling snacks, meals, or beverages in vending machines, school stores, canteens, or snack bars were non-compliant with BPS Nutritional Guidelines.

Comprehensive Physical Activity & Physical Education Successes •

Strong central office supports: 20 schools received PE curricula and 85 schools received PE equipment; 79

Introduction & Background | 5


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

• • • •

Schools completed PD for PE and 53 teachers at 41 schools completed instructional coaching over the last two years (SY16-18); 8 Schools had Movement in the Classroom Wellness Champions and 40 schools received PD and technical assistance for structured recess. 78% of schools are appropriately staffed to meet the policy requirements for PE, an increase of four percentage points across the district since SY15-16; Nearly all schools serving grades PreK-8 met or exceeded the minimum of 45 minutes of PE. All students in grades PreK-5 has recess and over 90% of those students received the minimum of 20 minutes of recess daily. The average amount of weekly recess offered in each grade, PreK-8, increased substantially compared to SY15-16. 85 schools partnered with at least one of 22 community organizations to provided physical activity opportunities. 83% of schools reported offering opportunities for students to participate in intramural sports or physical activity clubs.

Challenges • • • • • •

23% of schools reported withholding physical activity as a form of punishment. Only 36% of schools serving grades 6-8 reported offering the minimum amount of recess required. Only 58% of schools serving grades 9-12 reported providing at least one semester of PE for each grade, a decrease of 18% since SY15-16. Central Office supports for the Safe Routes to Schools Program (SRTS) were reduced due to the loss of grant funding. Only 52% of K-5 or K-8 schools reported promoting active travel to/from school. Only 5.6% of middle school students and 8.5% of high school students were engaged in at least one of BPS Athletics programs during SY17-18 Only 43% of schools serving grades PreK-8 reported meeting or exceeding the required minimum of 150 minutes of weekly PA, including both 45 minutes of PE minimum and 100 minutes of recess for all required grades in the school.

Comprehensive Health Education Successes • • •

Strong Central Office Supports for Comprehensive Health Education: 19 PD opportunities trained teachers and staff at 56 schools. Teachers at 63 schools received 1:1 instructional coaching; newly developed and updated resources. 60% of schools were implementing Sexual Health Education programming in SY17-18; this was a 9% increase from SY16-17 Strong partnerships with nine community partners to supplement health education in 50 schools.

Challenges • • • •

Overall, the district continued to be insufficiently staffed to provide Health Education, similar to SY13-14 and SY15-16. There were only 10 licensed Health Education teachers teaching in middle and high schools, however, of those only 3 were full-time Health Education teachers. Only 33% of elementary schools used the Healthy & Safe Body Unit, a required unit in grades 4 and 5; 56% of schools with K-5 are not teaching Comprehensive Health Education. 38% of schools serving grades 6-8 and 45% of schools serving grades 9-12 met the minimum health education requirements. Previously in SY15-16, 42% and 45%, respectively. 47% of schools serving grades 6-12 have no required Health Education course.

Healthy School Environment Successes • •

Coordinated communication efforts from central office: Five resources were either new or improved during SY17-18; HSE Policy Implementation Guidelines, Green Cleaner Policy, and Zero Waste Policy were updated and communicated via multiple channels. Nine schools underwent infrastructure upgrades and were brought online for drinking tap water during SY1718, and Facilities began work in 4 additional schools. Eleven total schools have been brought online since

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

• • •

SY15-16. 100% of units online for drinking tap water were tested. 100% of early education programs and after-school programs that serve food received safer sanitizer, Oxivir, increasing by 34 schools since the pilot program began in SY15-16. All full-time custodians were trained on Rapid Response cleanups for illness outbreaks. All schools received a School Environmental Audit (SEA). Slightly fewer principals (85%) reported reviewing SEA results compared with SY15-16; 66% of those principals reported coordinating with their SWC to address SEA issues.

Challenges • • • •

The capacity of Facilities Management to address all issues identified in SEAs was limited. Overall, schools demonstrated a need for a greater number of repairs, an increase in observed clutter, and an increase in improper cleaner/chemical storage. Poor awareness and compliance with the Green Cleaning Policy - while all custodians use green cleaners exclusively, only 63% of schools say other staff were aware of the policy and 67% reported all cleaning supplies complied with the policy. Only 64% of schools reported posting tobacco-free zone signs. While the District has been recognized for its outstanding management of our water policy, 73% of school buildings remain offline for drinking tap water and rely on bottled water sources.

Safe & Supportive Schools Successes • • • • • • •

Strong Central Office Support: 57 PD opportunities for bullying and violence prevention, restorative justice, and targeted vulnerable populations; 4 for K-12 SEL Standards; and 3 for MTSS/CBHM. 94% of schools have Student Support Teams, the majority of which have a variety of key stakeholders represented. Behavioral Health Services Department provided in-depth training in the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model for another 10 schools for a total of 60 schools (48%) in SY17-18. 89% of school partnered with at least one of 27 behavioral health community partner organizations. 100% of schools have identified a Homelessness Liaison. 87% of schools providing MTSS supports. District average scores on Student and Teacher Climate Survey scales related to Safe and Supportive Schools indicated that schools were meeting or exceeding community-wide standards; student physical safety fell into the ideal zone.

Challenges • • • •

The district is still working to develop a staffing formula for the various types of social, emotional, and mental health support positions, such as school psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, etc. 73% of schools do not have Expectant and Parenting Student Liaison and an additional 16% do not communicate available supports. In SY14-15, 97% of schools had identified an EPS liaison. 19% of schools reported having no staff trained in K-12 SEL standards. Only 42% of schools serving grades 6-12 reported having a GSA, with little change since SY15-16. 71% of schools had trained bully prevention liaisons - 23% fewer than SY15-16, However, 93% of schools had at least some staff trained in bullying prevention.

Health Services Successes • •

• •

An increase in School Nurse FTE so that all schools had a minimum of 0.5 FTE Nurse. Strong collaboration with community partners to provide health services through school-based health centers and mobile visits: 12 School-based Health Centers serving 14 schools, eight Health Resource Centers serving nine schools. Through 11 additional community partnerships students have access to primary care at five schools, dental care at 95 schools, and vision care at 15 schools. 75% of high schools offered referrals to one or more sexual health services. 100% of High Schools have a Condom Accessibility Team, up from 91% in SY15-16.

Introduction & Background | 7


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Challenges • • •

Only 30% of school nurses were reached through 12 Professional Development opportunities. Less than a quarter of middle schools offered referrals to one or more sexual health services. With the exception of the provision of condoms, less than half of all middle and high schools provided sexual health services to students. Systems for monitoring and evaluating the progress of Health Services policy implementation were lacking.

Staff Wellness Successes • •

63% of schools coordinated efforts to implement staff wellness initiatives. Teachers’ perceptions of Professional Community on the School Climate Survey indicated that on average schools were meeting or exceeding community-wide standards.

Challenges • •

Only, 28% of schools included a goal for staff wellness on their WAP. There was no change compared to SY15-16. This subcommittee was not active during SY17-18; there were no coordinated efforts to promote Staff Wellness across the district. Teachers’ perceptions of Support for Teacher Development and Growth on the School Climate Survey fell just below acceptable yet close enough to the approval zone to meet it within 2 years.

Student Impacts •

57% of students fall within the health weight category; 42% within obese or overweight

21% of Students with known asthma diagnoses

School Climate Outcomes: District averages for Emotional Health, Growth Mindset, and Perseverance and Determination meet or exceed community expectations. Appreciation for Diversity, Civic Participation and Engagement in School scales are areas for growth.

2017 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results:

Sexual Health: o

Long-term decreases in the percentage of students who have ever had sex; were currently sexually active; have had four or more sexual partners in their life; and have ever been pregnant or gotten someone else pregnant.

o

Long-term decrease in condom use; only about 1/3 of students using effective hormonal birth control; small percent of students using both condoms and effective hormonal birth control; and long-term decrease in ever being tested for HIV.

Substance Use: o

Long-term decreases in the percentages of students who currently smoked cigarettes or cigars and who currently drank alcohol; no changes in the small percentage of students who currently used tobacco, electronic vapor products, or binge drank. In all these measures, Boston students are less likely to use these substances than their peers statewide and nationally.

o

Long-term increase in percentage of students who currently use marijuana; Boston students are more likely to use marijuana than the rest of the nation.

8 | Introduction & Background


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Violence Victimization & Injury: o

Long-term decreases in the percentage of students who did not go to school because they felt unsafe at or on their way to or from school; who carried a weapon on school property; who were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property; and who were in a physical fight on school property.

o

Long-term decrease in the percentage of students who were physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to.

o

No change in the percentage of students who experienced physical dating violence and an increase in the percentage of students who experienced sexual dating violence since 2015.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health: o

Long-term decrease in the percentage of students who have seriously considered suicide and attempted suicide.

o

Long-term increase in the percentage of students who felt depressed; no change in the percentage of students who did something to purposely hurt themselves without wanting to die; and about 1/3 of student say they do not have at least one adult in their school that they can talk to if they have a problem.

Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviors: o

Long-term increase in the percentage of students who watch less than three hours of TV every day

o

Long-term increase in the percentage of students who play video games or use the computer for something other than school work for three or more hours every day, and only 15.5% of students get the recommended daily amount of physical activity

Dietary Behaviors o

Long-term increase in the percentage of students not drinking soda and no change in the percentage of students that do not drink sugar-sweetened beverages other than soda.

o

No change in the low percentages of students who consume fruits and vegetables, drink three or more glasses of water daily, or eat breakfast daily.

Recommendations In order to ensure that all BPS students have access to an environment that provides quality health and wellness education, programs and services, we must continue to implement the policy across the district’s diverse schools. We suggest the following four action steps: 1. Improve communication of the policy and policy successes to district leaders, schools, youth and families: a. Develop an overall communication plan to disseminate information about the Wellness Policy to increase awareness and knowledge among district leadership, school-based staff, parents/caregivers and students. i. Continue to make use of existing communication channels within the district and use new ones as they are available. ii. With new leadership in the district, ensure understanding and adoption of the policy at all levels of BPS. b. Outline multiple approaches to engaging parents and caregivers and consistently take their feedback into account to further engage these stakeholders in the school-based wellness councils.

Introduction & Background | 9


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

2. Strengthen District Wellness Council and Subcommittees: a. Maintain diverse representation of stakeholders as DWC members, as defined in the policy. b. Establish subcommittees for Cultural Proficiency and Staff Wellness. a. Improve the information and data sharing between the Office of Opportunity Gap and the District Wellness Council to better align the work of the Opportunity and Achievement Gap Policy and the Wellness Policy. b. Improve the information and data sharing between the City of Boston Health Benefits & Insurance Department, Office of Human Capital, and the District Wellness Council to better align staff wellness efforts for BPS employees at the district level. c. Improve data collection for District Wellness Policy Monitoring & Evaluation Plan a. The DWC should clarify and communicate the key metrics needed from each department to ensure the consistent collection of data for the SY20-21Annual Report. 3. All departments responsible for the implementation of areas of the policy should develop a strategic plan and benchmarks for implementation of the wellness policy to improve alignment with department and district wellness goals and to address the following key implementation issues: a. Cultural Proficiency: a. Increase shared decision-making on school wellness councils by increasing the representation of students and families. b. Improve schools’ ability to collectively assess their organizational structure, policies and school-wide practices for bias(es) as well as examine their physical environment, classroom curricula, instructional materials and wellness promotions. b. School Food & Nutrition Promotion: Complement the strong school meals program with nutrition promotion activities including: a. Increased opportunities for nutrition education professional development b. Improved implementation of the Competitive Foods and Beverages Policy. c. Comprehensive Physical Activity & Physical Education: a. Increasing time in the schedule for recess for middle grades, as well as training and resources to support schools in managing recess for these grades. b. Increase staffing for PE and improve schools’ master schedule planning to include time for PE in grades 9-12. c. Improve physical space available for PE and resources to purchase curricula and equipment in the district. d. Improve communication of the benefits of physical activity on student behavior and attention and reduce the number of schools withholding or using PA as a punishment. e. Continue to promote active transport to and from school as an important strategy for increasing physical activity, overall health and readiness to learn; invest in staffing to support Safe Routes to School Boston; and work with other city agencies to identify resources needed to improve transportation infrastructure. d. Comprehensive Health Education: a. Increase the number of licensed Health Education teachers teaching CHE in grades 6-12 and the number of trained teachers teaching CHE in grades PreK-5. b. Improve schools’ master schedule planning to include time for Health Education. e. Healthy School Environment: a. Improve communication of district’s tobacco-free and green cleaner policies to schools and provide promotional materials for the schools. b. Continue to address the drinking water infrastructure to reduce the district’s reliance on bottled water and bring schools back online for drinking tap water. f. Safe & Supportive Schools:

10 | Introduction & Background


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit a. Increase awareness and understanding of Expectant & Parenting Student (EPS) Policy through EPS liaison trainings and easy access to resources and information. b. Continue the roll-out of K-12 SEL standards in all schools and the integration of SEL practices in all classes. c. District should invest in select SEL curriculum and instructional coaches to increase supports for integration into academics and broaden our efforts to align SEL with CLSP and a focus on social emotional development that supports academics, health, mental health and behavior. d. Address issues of peer victimization and school safety by increasing the quantity of trained bully prevention liaisons within schools. g. Health Services: a. Continue to increase the capacity of school nurses to provide health services to students and the capacity of the Health Services Department to support data collection and professional development of nurses. b. Increase trainings, resources, and supports to school nurses in order to provide sexual health services and referrals to middle and high school students. h. Staff Wellness: Ensure an active DWC subcommittee charged with establishing a plan for sustainable staff wellness promotion and a menu of district supports.

Introduction & Background | 11


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

BPS District Wellness Policy Icons Key

CULTURAL PROFICIENCY

FOOD AND NUTRITION PROMOTION

COMPREHESIVE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION

HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS

HEALTH SERVICES

STAFF WELLNESS

12 | Introduction & Background


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy Background Research shows that healthy students are better learners. The Boston Public Schools (BPS) understands that physical and mental health, emotional well-being, and positive development are inextricably linked with academic success. BPS strives to be one of the healthiest school districts in the country. Our goal is to actively promote the social, emotional, and physical wellness of all students to support their healthy development and readiness to learn. BPS aims to create safe, healthy, and welcoming school environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice. The District Wellness Policy supports these goals. BPS initially approved a District Wellness Policy in 2006. This policy was updated in June of 2017, effective for the school year beginning September 2017. BPS has a superintendentappointed District Wellness Council, who has led the Wellness Policy revision. The District Wellness Council must annually review wellness-related policies, assess how schools are implementing the Wellness Policy, write an action plan for the school year, implement the action plan, and report progress and school compliance. This Council consists of community partners, students, parents, and leaders in BPS. In addition to the Council, BPS received input and feedback from community members, including: local and national experts, community partners, teachers, principals, families, and students. This revised Wellness Policy incorporates community input and responds to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and Massachusetts General Law 111. 223. The District Wellness Policy integrates content areas based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and ASCD’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model. BPS’ whole child approach to education is defined by policies, practices, and relationships in school environments that ensure all students, all families and all staff in schools are safe, healthy, welcomed, engaged, supported, and challenged. The eight content areas in the BPS Wellness Policy are: (1) cultural proficiency, (2) school food and nutrition promotion, (3) comprehensive physical activity and physical education, (4) comprehensive health education, (5) healthy school environments, (6) safe and supportive schools, (7) health services, and (8) staff wellness. The BPS Wellness Policy requires schools to establish School Wellness Councils, groups that are responsible for assessing the school on health and wellness topics, developing an annual Wellness Action Plan, and implementing the Action Plan. The Policy seeks to actively promote the health and wellness of all students to advance both their healthy development and readiness to learn. Student Wellness is a core value of the Boston Public Schools district.

Policy Overview & Requirements | 13


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Policy Overview & Requirements | 14


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Boston Public Schools District Wellness Policy Overview The District Wellness Policy is intended to link new and existing wellness-related policies and convey a framework for creating safe, healthy and welcoming school environments.

Cultural Proficiency: Creating a culturally proficient District that embraces at its fundamental core the culturally sustaining and affirming beliefs and practices that honor differences while mitigating the effects of concentrated poverty and institutional racism in the effort to eliminate gaps and promote health and wellness for all.

School Food & Nutrition Promotion: Supporting lifelong healthy eating habits for all students and staff by creating a healthy school food environment through free school meals and strong nutritional guidelines for all food sold, served, or provided on school property or at school events.

Comprehensive Physical Activity & Physical Education: Increasing all students’ physical activity and fitness through Comprehensive Physical Activity Program, where quality physical education is the cornerstone and additional physical activity opportunities are provided in the classroom, at recess, and before and after school programs.

Comprehensive Health Education: Requiring comprehensive pre-K through grade 12 Health Education that is medically-accurate, age and developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically sustaining, LGBTQ+ inclusive, and implemented in safe and supportive learning environments where all students feel valued.

Healthy Schools Environment: Ensuring healthy physical environments that are critical to the prevention and management of asthma and other chronic and infectious diseases that impact learning. Addressing issues that impact air and water quality, cleanliness and sanitation, and active transportation.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Safe & Supportive Schools: Creating a safe and supportive school environment for all students that is culturally proficient, engaging, and inclusive; that provides skills-based education to promote social emotional development; and provides access to behavioral and mental health support services.

Health Services: Supporting students to be healthy, engaged, safe, and academically challenged by providing high-quality, cost-effective in-school health care, including access to preventative care, case management, first aid and emergency care, and sexual health services and/or referrals.

Staff Wellness: Supporting the health and wellness of all staff members and promoting a school environment supportive of healthy behaviors.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Boston Public Schools Policy Requirements for Schools Wellness Councils The BPS Wellness Policy requires that every school establish and maintain a Wellness Council. School Wellness Councils act as a shared leadership team to implement the District Wellness Policy and wellnessrelated policies. School principals are responsible for ensuring their school complies with the Wellness Policy. The Wellness Policy requires your school to: o Establish and maintain a school-based Wellness Council

§

Include at a minimum: a school administrator, family representatives, students (where feasible), representatives of school health and health-related disciplines, including school nurses, school food service staff, health education and physical education teachers and other school health professionals (e.g. psychologists, guidance counselors, and social workers). To the extent feasible, members will include operations and custodial staff, community partners and the general public.

§

Appointees to the maximum extent possible shall reflect the cultural, linguistic and ethnic composition of the school community. o Assess your school’s implementation of the Wellness Policy o Create and implement an annual Wellness Action Plan as a part of the Quality School Plan. o Appoint a Wellness Council chair (or co-chairs), who will:

§ § §

Coordinate the wellness council Act as a liaison to the District, community, and families

Attend District training o Communicate wellness-related policies annually to all staff, families and students. o Notify families and the public about the content of the District Wellness Policy and any updates to the policy on an annual basis. o On your school’s website:

§ §

§ §

Share a link to the District Wellness Policy and send a message to families notifying them of how they may obtain a copy or otherwise access the policy. Make available a list of names and position titles (or relationship to the school) of individuals who are a part of your school-based wellness councils and include the name, position title, and school-based contact information of the council chair(s). Post Wellness Action Plans to share local school goals and activities to implement the policy. Share information about how the public can get involved with the school wellness councils.

Policy Overview & Requirements | 17


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Policy Area Requirements Cultural Proficiency

o Assess your school’s organizational structure, policies and school-wide practices for bias(es) as well as examine the physical environment, classroom curricula, instructional materials and wellness promotions. Use this assessment to inform your annual Wellness Action Plan. o Include student, family and community participation on decision-making bodies and create structures for feedback from students, families and communities. o Target outreach to families of ELL students and ELL students with disabilities and use the Translation and Interpretation Unit to translate family-focused communications and to provide interpretation during meetings. o Follow other cultural proficiency-related policies, including those regarding race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities and policies that promote family and student engagement.

School Food and Nutrition Promotion

o Promote health and nutrition messages that encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, low-fat dairy products, and water. o Identify opportunities to teach healthy eating habits in health education, physical education, and other subjects, and through cafeteria and other school-wide promotions. o Identify opportunities to support teachers, school staff, and parents around modeling healthy eating habits and following appropriate nutritional standards at school celebrations and staff meetings. o Prohibit food sold in competition with school meals, including food-based fundraisers and vending machines during school meal times. o All foods sold, provided, or served within school buildings or on school grounds outside of the school meals program (i.e. Competitive Foods) must follow the BPS nutrition guidelines. o Encourage non-food alternatives for school fundraisers, school parties, and classroom celebrations. o Prohibit the use of food and beverage as a reward or means of discipline.

Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education

o Provide all students in all grades with opportunities for physical activity, including required physical education, movement breaks, recess, or lessons involving movement structured to support moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

§

Offer at least 150 minutes of in-school physical activity weekly in grades PreK-8.

§

Provide PreK-8 students with at least 20 minutes of daily recess.

Policy Overview & Requirements | 18


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

§

Offer opportunities for students to participate in physical activity before and after the school day. o Offer standards-based physical education (PE) for all students in all grades.

§

Schools are required to offer at least 45 minutes of weekly PE in grades PreK-8. We recommend that schools provide at least 80 minutes of weekly PE in grades PreK-8.

§

Schools are required to offer at least one semester (equivalent of a half school year) of PE each year in grades 9-12. o Schools are encouraged to designate a transportation liaison to facilitate communication regarding district efforts to promote safe, physically active travel to and from school. o Participate in student transportation surveys when requested. Comprehensive Health Education

Healthy School Environment

o Teach comprehensive health education that is medically-accurate, age and developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically sustaining, and implemented in safe and supportive learning environments where all students feel valued. o Use a skills-based approach that addresses a variety of topics, such as: tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse, healthy eating/nutrition, mental and emotional health, personal health and wellness, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, violence prevention, and comprehensive sexual health education that is LGBTQ inclusive. o Ensure that comprehensive health education is provided and adapted as needed for students in substantially separate special education classrooms, as well as inclusion classrooms o Implement health education curricula that is aligned with the BPS Health Education Frameworks. o Integrate health education topics into other subject areas where possible in addition to health education courses. o Ensure the minimum relevant promotion and graduation requirements:

§

Health education that includes at minimum the Healthy and Safe Body Unit in elementary school.

§

Two semesters of health education in grades 6 to 8 taught by a licensed health education teacher.

§

One semester course of health education in total in grades 9 to 12 taught by a licensed health education teacher.

o Each school will receive an Annual Environmental Audit to evaluate health and safety conditions such as leaks, mold, pests, chemical storage and cleanliness. All principal must review audit annually. o Comply with existing federal and state regulations, city ordinances and District policies related to promoting and managing healthy school

Policy Overview & Requirements | 19


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

environments, including but not limited to:

§

Green cleaners, Integrated Pest Management, Zero Waste, infection prevention & control, tobacco-free environment, student safety/health in school shops, BPS Water Policy, Laboratories and Chemical Inventory “Right to Know” Law, idling of buses and other motor vehicles on school property. o Regularly assess the BPS facilities for ease and accessibility of active transportation, physical activity, and physical education, including schoolyards and walking and biking paths around the school. Safe and Supportive

o Review your school’s climate survey results and access your school for a safe and inclusive climate. o Adopt a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Framework to support the development of a continuum of behavioral health supports and interventions across three tiers.

§

The Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM) is an example of an evidence-based MTSS-Behavioral framework designed to meet the behavioral health needs of students.

§

Establish a Student Support Team, a school-level, problem- solving team that matches interventions to individual student needs o Ensure your school has clear procedures to respond to all forms of bullying and violence, including bias-based conduct, suicide, intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment and assault, particularly for vulnerable student populations.

§

Implement district policies including but not limited to: code of conduct, crisis management, sexual harassment, discrimination, and assault. o Use screening and promotion efforts, including mental health and substance use screening, particularly for vulnerable student populations. o Implement BPS SEL standards & practices in the classroom and throughout the school. o Identify a Homelessness Liaison and an Expectant & Parenting Student Liaison and ensure student who are homeless and students who are expectant and parenting can access support and resources. Health Services

o Establish clear communication channels between school nurses and families, school nurses and students, and school nurses and other school staff to ensure the best medical support for students while at school. o Maintain student medical records, including immunization records, and Individual Health Care Plans for students that need them. o Adolescent students may receive confidential services for diagnosis, treatment and/or referral for drug addiction, family planning services, sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health.

Policy Overview & Requirements | 20


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

o For high schools: Provide access to condoms with appropriate reproductive health counseling for students through a Condom Accessibility Team (CAT)

ยง

CATs shall be chaired by the school nurse and should include at least one other staff member and an administrator. o Provide parent/guardian opt-out for condoms. Staff Wellness

o Survey school staff to assess how to best support staff health and wellness. o Develop staff wellness initiatives to promote positive health behaviors and build a community of support for all employees, including communicating district and city staff wellness initiatives. o Encourage all staff to model healthy behaviors, especially on school property and at school-sponsored meetings and events.

Policy Overview & Requirements | 21


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Policy Overview & Requirements | 22


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Forming and Maintaining a Functional School Wellness Council Starting a Wellness Council: o Take a look around your building o Does your school already have a Wellness Council? o Is there a group that meets regularly that might include wellness on the agenda? § Student support team, Parent Site Council o Who might be interested in joining a Wellness Council? § Teachers including PE and health, nurses, school administration, family coordinator,

students, parents, City Connects counselors, City Year members o Get Buy-in for the Wellness Council o Connect with the Health and Wellness Department o Meet with your principal § Explain why you think this is important for the school o Meet with other school leaders o Ask others in your building o Build the Wellness Council membership o Ask other staff members in your building to join o Engage students and family members and sustain family participation on Council § Gain student input and support on wellness activities throughout the year in a variety of § o

ways (student surveys) Use different outreach strategies to recruit parents: work with the family coordinator to help identify potential parents, parent emails, newsletters, personal invitations, flyers

Engage community members and partners § Reach out to community organizations that can offer services or programs within the

school environment o Members are welcome/valued when at meetings o Members are given assignments based on expertise o Set up regular meetings o Determine a set schedule for meetings that works for all members o Write up an agenda o Hold the meeting o Follow up with meeting minutes and tasks o Goals and Action Plans o Complete the Healthy Schools Program Assessment (go to schools.healthiergeneration.org to get started) and use the action steps identified in the assessment to start a discussion with your Wellness Council about goals and your Wellness Action Plan o Begin with a discussion: § What changes are important but will take small steps? § How can you get everyone involved equally? • Work with the classroom teachers and other staff to come up with a plan that can

accommodate their teaching schedule and other constraints §

How can you celebrate your successes? Tools for School Wellness Councils | 23


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit โ ข o o o

Share successes through school newsletters and website, and at staff and parent meetings

Based on the discussion about what is most important for your school to work on, complete the Wellness Action Plan (WAP) (template in this section) Identify resources ยง Internal and external resources Implement your WAP throughout the school year ยง Track your progress

Taking your Wellness Council to the Next Level: o Assess the functionality of your Council o Use the Wellness Council Functionality Rubric provided by the Health and Wellness Department o Identify one area you would like to improve o Contact Health and Wellness Department for support/resources as it relates to the particular functionality area o Reach out to community partners who may have experience working in this area

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Membership: Who should be on your School Wellness Council? Athletics Director or Coach gives opportunities for students to become involved in out-of-school time physical activity. Bullying Prevention Lead offers expertise and guidance to help create a safe and supportive school environment. * Cafeteria staff helps promote nutritious options and ensure the safety, quality, visual appeal, and cultural accessibility of school meals. Community partners provide expertise, resources, and assistance with various wellness programs. Custodial staff ensures that the school environment is clean and healthy and can help with compliance with water access. Family and Community Outreach Coordinator offers access to parents and the greater school community. * Guidance Counselors and Student Support Coordinators give expertise, resources, and assistance with creating a safe and supportive environment. Individual proficient in LGBTQ issues helps ensure inclusivity in curriculum, promotions, and creating a safe and supportive environment. Integrated Pest Management Coordinator brings to the group knowledge and expertise to keep the physical environment safe and clean. * Family members are the connection between school and home. They are essential to their child’s learning and wellness. Recycling Coordinator understands the connection between the health of our environment and the health of our students. * School Administration leads policy & systems changes for a healthy school. * School Nurse and other School-based Health Care Professionals offer resources, guidance, and expertise in school-based healthcare. Schoolyard or Outdoor Classroom Staff provide students a natural place for physical activity and learning. * Students can tell you which initiatives work, and which initiatives need work! * Teachers, including Physical Education and Health Education offer knowledge of students’ daily activities. *Indicates that BPS Wellness Policy requires the membership of these positions on the school-based wellness council.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Responsibilities School-based Wellness Councils must annually: •

Convene at least 4 times a year

Review wellness-related policies in the 8 topic areas

Complete an assessment of your school’s health environment

Write an action plan for the school year based on the assessment

Implement the action plan

Yearly Work Cycle of Wellness Councils:

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Timeline Boston Public Schools policy requires that school-based Wellness Councils must convene at least 4 times a year. This timeline outlines how Wellness Council tasks can be distributed throughout the school year. However, if possible, it is recommended that Wellness Councils meet more frequently than 4 times a year to function effectively as a team and successfully accomplish health-related goals.

Meeting 1 (September - November): • • • • • • •

Invite other school and community members to participate in the Wellness Council, including parents and students. Discuss meeting logistics for the year, such as scheduling, membership roles, and agenda setting. Fill out Wellness Council Functionality Rubric. Complete the Healthy Schools Program Assessment on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation website. Create a Wellness Action Plan (WAP) using information from the Alliance assessment as well as reflecting on your school’s WAP from the last school year. Provide the WAP to your principal to include in your school’s QSP. Note: More than one meeting may be necessary during the beginning of the school year

Meeting 2 (December - February) and Meeting 3 (March - April): •

Check in on progress towards Wellness Action Plan goals o Include Wellness Action Plan review in the agenda at each meeting o Review the Wellness Action Plan as a team o The Wellness Action Plan is a ‘living’ tool. Update it throughout the school year as health initiatives are added, changed, or completed.

Meeting 4 (May - June): •

• •

Reflect on how well goals on the Wellness Action Plan were met. o What went well? What could be improved for next year? o Were all the WAP goals accomplished? If not, why? o What goals should be continued next school year? o What recommendations do you have for next year’s Wellness Council? Fill out Functionality Rubric again to see how it has changed since the beginning of the school year. Create a plan on when and how the Wellness Council will start up again the next school year.

Tools for School Wellness Councils | 27


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Sample Handbook Language and Staff Memo about Wellness Policy Sample Staff Memo Language: Greetings! I hope the school year is off to a good start. This year, our school will be implementing the newly revised District Wellness Policy. In accordance with the District Wellness Policy, our school will maintain a Wellness Council that will: convene at least 4 times per school year; annually review and implement district-level wellness policies; annually assess the school’s wellness status; and annually create and implement a Wellness Action Plan, as part of our Quality School Plan. We will be recruiting staff members, community partners, families, and students to sit on the Wellness Council this year. If you are interested in joining, please contact __________. Some highlights from the policy include: • • •

• • • •

Increasing our efforts to be inclusive of all students in our curriculum, promotional materials, and school environment Offering ONLY healthful foods at celebrations, fundraisers, and rewards Aiming for 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, including: o Grades K-8: Daily recess o Grades K-8: A minimum of 45 minutes of PE per week for all students with a goal of 80 minutes per week per student o Grades 9-12: A minimum of 1 semester of PE per grade Incorporating comprehensive health education in our Wellness Action Plan, including: o Providing comprehensive health education in all grades K-12, o Healthy & Safe Body Unit taught to all 4th and/or 5th grade students o Grades 6-8: two semesters of health education taught by a licensed health teacher, and o Grades 9-12: one semester course of health education taught by a licensed health teacher Reviewing our Environmental Audit/Inspection and incorporating it into our wellness action plan Making condoms accessible with appropriate health education and counseling services for all students grades 9-12 Adding steps to create a safe and supportive environment in our Wellness Action Plan Promoting staff wellness efforts

Thank you for your ongoing support as we strive to create the healthiest environment possible for all of our students and staff! Sincerely,

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Sample Handbook Language: In accordance with the District Wellness Policy, our school will maintain a Wellness Council that will: convene at least 4 times per school year; annually review and implement district-level wellness policies; annually assess the school’s wellness status; and annually create and implement a Wellness Action Plan as part of our Quality School Plan. The wellness-related topic areas addressed by our school’s Wellness Council include: • • • • • • • •

Cultural Proficiency School Food and Nutrition Promotion Comprehensive Physical Education & Physical Activity Comprehensive Health Education Healthy School Environment Health Services Safe and Supportive Schools Staff Wellness

Our school will appoint a Wellness Council chair (or co-chairs), who will coordinate the wellness council; act as a liaison to the District, community, and families; and attend District training. Council membership will include at a minimum: a school administrator, family representatives, students (where feasible), representatives of school health and health-related disciplines, including school nurses, school food service staff, health education and physical education teachers and other school health professionals (e.g. psychologists, guidance counselors, and social workers). To the extent feasible, members will include operations and custodial staff, community partners and the general public. On our school’s website we will:

§ § § §

Share a link to the District Wellness Policy and send a message to families notifying them of how they may obtain a copy or otherwise access the policy. Make available a list of names and position titles (or relationship to the school) of individuals who are a part of your school-based wellness councils and include the name, position title, and schoolbased contact information of the council chair(s). Post Wellness Action Plans to share local school goals and activities to implement the policy. Share information about how the public can get involved with the school Wellness Council.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Create a Healthier Place to Work and Learn: Healthy Tips for School Staff Join the School Wellness Council1 • • • • •

Convene at least 4 times per year Review wellness-related policies in 8 topic areas Complete an assessment of the school health environment Write an action plan for the school year based on the assessment Implement the action plan

Encourage a safe, supportive, & healthy learning environment • • •

Promote healthy relationships between students; treat all staff and students with respect and care. Review the annual environmental inspection/audit Participate in staff wellness initiatives, like a walking club

Choose healthy food and drinks • •

Order healthy food options for school events and meetings. Choose whole grains, fresh fruit and veggies, and low fat dairy. Encourage parents to share only healthy food items with the school, including at birthday celebrations. Check out a list of compliant items online: https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/hwd Include food-free rewards for students. For example, encourage free play or dance celebrations instead of a pizza party.

Support physical activity and comprehensive health education • • •

Incorporate a movement break during morning announcements Coordinate a student vs. staff walking challenge Ensure that the master schedule includes Physical Education, recess for grades k-8, and Health Education for students.

A School Wellness Council is shared leadership team from the school community that recommends policy and systems change to improve school wellness.

1

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Invitation to Staff and Community Partners [on school letterhead if possible] Dear School Staff and Community Partners, Thank you for working with us to make our school a healthy place to work and to learn. This year, we are building our Wellness Council to work on health and wellness issues in our school. Our Wellness Council will review wellness-related policies, write an action plan for the school year, and implement the action plan. The Wellness Council will meet regularly throughout the year and will include students, parents/family members, community partners, school administration and staff. We hope you will join us! We invite you to join our school’s Wellness Council. By doing so, you will have an impact on our school’s work on various health related topics. Our Wellness Council will be working on the following health and wellness areas, which are all part of the District Wellness Policy: • • •

Cultural Proficiency School Food and Nutrition Promotion Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education Comprehensive Health Education

• • • •

Healthy School Environment Health Services Safe and Supportive Schools Staff Wellness

We will be meeting every [insert meeting frequency and/or say that you’ll be looking for a time that works for everyone. You can also include your first meeting date/time in this letter.] Why should you join the Wellness Council? We all deserve the healthiest environment for learning and working and it takes a coordinated effort to make that happen! Here are some reasons to get involved in the Wellness Council: • • • •

Healthy students learn better, and the Wellness Council helps make sure we have a healthy learning environment. The Wellness Council can improve the work environment at our school for staff. Your involvement in the Wellness Council can be part of your evaluation for several indicators (reflection, goal setting, collaboration, shared responsibility, and professional responsibility). You’ll have a team to work with on health and wellness issues you are passionate about!

If you are interested in joining the School Wellness Council, then please contact [insert contact name, number, email]. Healthy children learn better, and we, at [insert school name] are committed to our students’ learning experience, health, and well-being. Be Well,

Tools for School Wellness Councils | 31


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Communication with Families about the Wellness Policy Dear Parents & Caretakers, Welcome back to school! Thank you for working with us to make our school a healthy place to learn. This year, our school will be focusing on wellness. Our school will be engaged in several initiatives this year that we hope you will get involved in! • • • •

• • •

We encourage you to sit on our school’s Wellness Council We will be more inclusive in our curriculum, materials, and school environment We will be offering and accepting ONLY healthful foods at celebrations, fundraisers, and rewards. If you plan to bring food or drinks for school parties or fundraisers, please look over the Smart Choices List2, which recommends certain foods for school We will be aiming for 150 minutes of weekly physical activity. This includes: o Grades K-8: Daily recess o Grades K-8: A minimum of 45 minutes of PE per week for all students with a goal of 80 minutes per week per student o Grades 9-12: A minimum of 1 semester of PE per grade We will be offering comprehensive health education in all grades K-12, in addition to these specific requirements: o Healthy & Safe Body Unit taught to all 4th and/or 5th grade students o Grades 6-8: two semester of health education taught by a certified health teacher o Grades 9-12: one semester course of health education in total taught by a certified health teacher We will be reviewing our Environmental Audit & Inspection and including some of the priorities into our wellness efforts High Schools: We will be making condoms accessible with appropriate health education and counseling services for all students. Parents and guardians can exempt their children from receiving condoms by sending a letter to the school. We will be working to create a safe and supportive environment for our students.

We encourage you to become a member of our school’s Wellness Council. If you are interested in joining us, contact ________. Healthy children learn better, and we are committed to supporting your child’s learning experience, health, and well-being. Be Well,

2 http://www.bpshealthandwellness.org/healthy-school-environment/smart-choices-toolkit/

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Invitation to Parents and Families [on school letterhead if available] Dear Parents & Families, Welcome back to school! Thank you for working with us to make our school a healthy place to learn. This year, we are building our Wellness Council to work on health and wellness issues in our school. Our Wellness Council will review wellness-related policies, complete an assessment of the school health environment, write an action plan for the school year based on this assessment, and implement the action plan. The Wellness Council will meet regularly throughout the year and will include students, parents/family members, school administration, and staff.

We invite you to join our school’s Wellness Council. By doing so, you will have an impact on our school’s work on various health related topics. Our Wellness Council will be working on the following health and wellness areas, which are all part of the District Wellness Policy: • • • •

Cultural Proficiency School Food and Nutrition Promotion Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education Comprehensive Health Education

• • • •

Healthy School Environment Health Services, including condom access Safe and Supportive Schools Staff Wellness

If you are interested in joining the school Wellness Council, then please contact [insert contact name, number, email]. Healthy children learn better, and we, at [insert school name] are committed to supporting your child’s learning experience, health, and well-being.

Be Well,

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Staff and Student Invitation to Join Wellness Council

JOIN THE SCHOOL WELLNESS COUNCIL! Do You Want To Make Our School a Healthier Place to Learn? We are interested in what you have to say! Help us work on topics such as: • • • •

Offering healthy snacks & fitness activities Integrating movement breaks during class time Celebrating all cultures in our school Keeping our school clean & safe for everyone

_____________________________________________________ [Insert meeting frequency & time] [Insert meeting location] Anyone, including students! _____________________________________________________ When: Where: Who:

To get involved in the Wellness Council, please contact: [insert contact name]

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Getting Student Input on Health and Wellness Sample Student Survey on School Wellness Initiatives 1. I have participated in the following events at my school (include list of wellness activities that your school currently has): o Family nights o Movement activities in class o Field Day

o Health fair o Fruits & vegetables tastings o Other (describe) ______________________

2. I like to do the following healthy things outside of school: o o o o

Walk to get places Meditate Take the stairs Spend time outdoors

o Play sports o Prepare and eat healthy snacks o Other______________

3. I would like to learn / have more of the following: o Fitness activities at school (walking club, dancing, soccer) o Family events o Healthy snacks o Classroom movement breaks o Celebrations / rewards that include things like extra recess, extra credit, homework passes, decorated pens, pencils, and erasers

o Learn how to make our school a safe space for everyone (stop bullying, problem solving, building healthy friendships) o Learn how to keep our school environment clean and healthy for everyone o Learn about other cultures in our school o Other___________________

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Meeting Reminder Thank you in advance for being an active member of our Wellness Council! Please view below the details of our next meeting. Date of Meeting:

Time:

Meeting Facilitator:

Location:

Note Taker:

Time Keeper:

Tasks from last Wellness Council Meeting on MM/DD/YY Task

36 | Tools for School Wellness Councils

Owner

By When?


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Meeting Agenda Date of Meeting:

Time:

Meeting Facilitator:

Location:

Note Taker:

Time Keeper:

Agenda Items Topic

Owner

Time

Introductions and welcome activity

Facilitator

5 minutes

Review tasks from previous meeting. Determine challenges and new collaborators, as needed

Facilitator

10 minutes

(Follow your Wellness Action Plan Action Steps assigned for this month) (Review your Wellness Action Plan Action Steps assigned for next month)

Review Tasks and Collaborate to address Challenges (Use last meeting’s meeting minutes for this information) Task from last meeting

Owner

By When?

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Meeting Minutes Template

Meeting Date:

Time:

Note Taker:

Location:

1. Attendees: Name & Role

Email

Phone

Decisions/Still to do

Who/When?

2. Review previous meeting tasks Previous Task

3. Agenda Topics and Notes Topic

Notes

Who/When?

Who?

When?

4. Task List Task

5. Next Meeting Date of Meeting:

Time:

Meeting Facilitator:

Location:

Note Taker:

Time Keeper:

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

BPS Wellness Councils: Guidance for Wellness Action Plans SY 2019-20 Wellness Action Plan Process Schools are expected to complete a NEW Wellness Action Plan (WAP) every other year. For school year 2019-2020, schools should complete a NEW Wellness Action Plan. Next school year, we expect an update wherein your Wellness Council revisits the 2019-20 WAP, makes adjustments to tasks, deadlines, rosters, etc., and proceeds to continue implementing the WAP. The WAP should be submitted in the Quality School Plan EVERY YEAR. If you have questions about the following process, please contact Michelle Grohe at mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org. Step 1: Assess Your School’s Wellness Environment • Review your school’s SY18-19 WAP and Wellness Profile at the first Wellness Council meeting. • OPTIONAL: Complete the School Health Index Assessment on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation website, available by logging on here: https://schools.healthiergeneration.org/ (doing this will also make you eligible for potential funding opportunities) • As you complete the Assessment, mark the items you may want to include in your WAP. • Visit the ‘Action Plan’ tab once you have completed the entire Assessment to review action items, implementation strategies, and resources. Step 2: Identify Wellness Policy Areas to Focus On • Review your school’s WAP from the previous school year for areas you want to continue working on. • Identify areas for improvement in your school’s Wellness Profile provided by the Health and Wellness Department. • Review the criterion, action steps, and implementation strategies identified from the Alliance’s School Health Index. • Discuss if there are some other areas of the BPS Wellness Policy your Wellness Council would like to prioritize. Refer to this Wellness Policy Toolkit for additional information about the wellness policy and guidance documents. Step 3: Create a Wellness Action Plan • Create your school’s WAP (sample template below). An electronic copy of the WAP is needed, so please use your school’s customized Google template that is directly shared with you to complete the WAP. Each school has its own template, so no need to make a copy of that document! • Make goals SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. For each goal on your WAP, create several action steps that will help you achieve that overarching goal. Assign a specific lead person(s) and a due date to each action step. o TIP: The lead person should vary across action steps and goals to distribute ownership among Wellness Council members. One person should not be responsible for all action steps in the WAP. A specific person should be assigned to lead the effort and ensure it is accomplished. This helps create clear communication and accountability among Wellness Council members.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit TIP: Action step completion dates should be distributed throughout the school year to ensure work is manageable. Deadlines will also help to keep each other accountable for achieving the action steps. It is recommended that each WAP has between 3 - 5 goals to keep things manageable. For each goal, identify which area of the Wellness Policy the goal addresses. Check off or bold the policy area in the right-hand column. o

• •

Step 4: Update your Wellness Council Roster • Fill out the Wellness Council Roster table in the template (sample below). • List the council chair or co-chairs first and bold their names; for council sustainability the council chair must be a school staff member, but a parent or community partner may act as a co-chair along with a school staff member. Step 5: Write a brief narrative that describes the connection between your Wellness Action Plan and Instructional Focus • Write a narrative describing the alignment between your WAP goals and your school’s Instructional Focus. For example, describe which area of the policy your wellness goal addresses, the student health issue you hope to improve, and the academic impact of this health issue. Ex. We will ensure that all students receive at least a 150 minutes of physical activity per week, including 80 minutes of PE. Twenty-five percent of the PE curriculum focuses on teaching personal and social skills. Furthermore, physical activity (PA) is shown to improve cognition and increase student engagement and connection to school. Therefore, increasing PE and PA will support our IF of student discourse. Step 6: Share the WAP with your Principal • Share the Google document with your principal to review. Step 7: Submit the WAP • Ensure that your school’s WAP is complete by the due date and is in your school’s QSP folder. Step 8: Update the WAP throughout the year • The WAP is a living document and a planning tool. Use it as a guide during Wellness Council meetings and adjust action steps, lead persons, deadlines, etc as needed to reflect your Wellness Council’s work to improve your school’s wellness environment. The Health and Wellness Department reviews all WAPs and is available to provide support and feedback on WAP goals and action steps. Additional Support or Questions For further support, please contact Michelle Grohe, Wellness Council Support Coordinator: mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org | 617-635-9771

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Action Plan

School Name: _____________________________ School Year: _______________ Wellness Council Roster Please identify the chair / co-chairs. First Name

Last Name

Email

Relationship with School


Boston Public Schools Wellness Action Plan School Name: _____________________________ School Year: _______________ Goal What is your SMART wellness policy implementation goal? Example: ​Offer skills-based instruction on growth and development using the Healthy & Safe Body Unit for all Grade 5 students

Action Steps

Lead Person(s)

Due Date

Progress

Wellness Policy Area

What steps will you take to reach this Goal?

Who will take responsibility to ensure steps are accomplished?

By what date will you accomplish each step?

Has this step been completed? (Y/N)

Which District Wellness Policy area does this meet? (Check Box or Bold Policy Area)

a. ​Ms. Smith & Ms. Jones to attend central professional development on Healthy & Safe Body Unit.

a. ​Ms. Smith a. ​November (5th grade 2019 teacher) and Ms. Jones (PE teacher)

a. ​ Y

b. ​Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones meet ahead of scheduled delivery to plan and review roles and responsibilities (who will teach what in the classroom).

a. ​ Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones

b. ​February 2020

b.​ ​N

c.​ ​Using Ms. Smith’s grade 5 classroom, Ms. Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones teach Healthy & Safe Body Unit curriculum over 6 lessons to all Grade 5 students.

c. ​Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones

c.​ April 2020

c. ​N

❏ Cultural Proficiency ❏ School Food and Nutrition Promotion ❏ Comprehensive Physical Activity and Education ✓ Comprehensive Health Education ❏ Healthy School Environments ❏ Safe and Supportive Schools ❏ Health Services ❏ Staff Wellness ❏ Wellness Council ❏ Other:


Goal

Action Steps

Lead Person(s)

Due Date

Progress

Wellness Policy Area

1)

a.

a.

a.

a.

b.

b.

b.

b.

c.

c.

c.

c.

❏ Cultural Proficiency ❏ School Food and Nutrition Promotion ❏ Comprehensive Physical Activity and Education ❏ Comprehensive Health Education ❏ Healthy School Environments ❏ Safe and Supportive Schools ❏ Health Services ❏ Staff Wellness ❏ Wellness Council ❏ Other:

a.

a.

a.

a.

b.

b.

b.

b.

c.

c.

c.

c.

a.

a.

a.

a.

b.

b.

b.

b.

c.

c.

c.

c.

2)

3)

❏ Cultural Proficiency ❏ School Food and Nutrition Promotion ❏ Comprehensive Physical Activity and Education ❏ Comprehensive Health Education ❏ Healthy School Environments ❏ Safe and Supportive Schools ❏ Health Services ❏ Staff Wellness ❏ Wellness Council ❏ Other: ❏ Cultural Proficiency ❏ School Food and Nutrition Promotion ❏ Comprehensive Physical Activity and Education ❏ Comprehensive Health Education ❏ Healthy School Environments ❏ Safe and Supportive Schools ❏ Health Services ❏ Staff Wellness ❏ Wellness Council ❏ Other:



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Instructions for Completing the Wellness Council Functionality Rubric Why should you complete the Wellness Council Functionality Rubric? The Wellness Council Functionality Rubric is a tool to help you assess your Wellness Council’s functionality and capacity for different Wellness Council functions (e.g., meeting, planning, completing a Wellness Action Plan). This tool should be completed collaboratively with your Wellness Council and has been redesigned and shortened to take 15-30 minutes. When you get your score at the end, we recommend you identify at least one focus area to work on, and develop action steps to improve on that area. How do you complete the Wellness Council Functionality Rubric? The Rubric is completed like the teacher effectiveness rubrics. Check one option on each line. You get one point for each box checked in the left hand column, 2 points for a box in the next column to the right, and so on. At the end of each section, tally your points. At the end of the entire Rubric, tally your points from each section. Read about what your score means below that. What do you do with your Wellness Council Functionality Rubric when you are done? Please submit your completed Rubric to Michelle Grohe at mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org.

Tools for School Wellness Councils | 45


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Functionality Rubric School: Date Completed: MEETING LOGISTICS Beginning (0 pts)

Emerging (1 pt)

Proficient (2 pts)

Leading (3 pts)

o No meeting o Wellness Council o A meeting date, date, time, or meetings are time, and location location for sporadic is set Wellness Council o No meeting o Write and use a o Agenda follows the agenda meeting agenda Wellness Action Plan (WAP) o No tasks are o Tasks are o Tasks are almost assigned to sometimes always assigned to members assigned and members and reviewed reviewed

o No meeting minutes recorded

o Meeting minutes are sometimes kept

o A meeting date, time, and location is set and communicated o Agenda follows the WAP and defines meeting roles o Tasks are regularly assigned, reviewed, and members work together to meet due dates o Meeting minutes o Meeting minutes are are regularly kept kept and communicated to Council members Total Meeting Logistics Score (Max of 12 points)

Score

COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP Beginning (0 pts)

Emerging (1 pt)

Proficient (2 pts)

Leading (3 pts)

Score

o Council has one member o No administrator on the Council

o Council has two members o Administrator checks in with and supports Council activities

o Council has more than three members o Council is consulted as a leadership team on wellness-related initiatives

o No families on the Council

o Working to engage families in the Council

o Council sustainably engages families/ parents/caretakers

o No student input on Council decisions

o Gets some student input on Council decisions

o Council has three members o One Council member is part of an instructional leadership team or school site council o Uses several strategies to engage families in Council o Consistently engage students in Council decisions

46 | Tools for School Wellness Councils

o Consistently and sustainability engages students in Council decisions Total Council Membership Score (Max of 12 points)


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Functionality Rubric (cont.) School: Date Completed: COUNCIL PLANNING AND PURPOSE Beginning (0 pts)

Emerging (1 pt)

Proficient (2 pts)

Leading (3 pts)

Score

o School staff do not know about the Council

o Some school staff know about the Council o School has completed Healthy Schools Program Assessment

o School staff and administrators recognize and support Council decisions o In addition to Healthy Schools Program Assessment, school uses other data to select action steps

o School has not completed Healthy Schools Program Assessment o No WAP

o Working on WAP

o School staff and administrators recognize Council decisions o School has completed Healthy Schools Program Assessment and incorporated information into the WAP o Completed WAP

o Meetings not spent on issues related to WAP

o Completed WAP and submitted on time to QSP o Most or all of the meeting time is spent on issues related to WAP

o Council is o Some meeting beginning to use time is spent on the WAP to guide the WAP meetings Total Council Planning and Purpose Score (Max of 12 points)

SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT Beginning (0 pts)

Emerging (1 pt)

o Members not welcomed when arriving at meetings o Council does not delegate duties/action items to members o Diverse viewpoints not encouraged or considered o Meetings are inaccessible and/or inconsistent

o Members are welcomed and valued at meetings o Council delegates duties/action items to members o Diverse viewpoints are heard but not considered o Meetings aren’t held in places/at times accessible to interested members

Proficient (2 pts)

Leading (3 pts)

Score

o Council members o Members feel welcomed feel part of a and valued; Council community with a decisions are inclusive of common vision all o Members get task o Members get task assignments assignments based on based on expertise expertise and collaborate to complete tasks

o Diverse viewpoints are encouraged and considered

o Diverse viewpoints are encouraged, considered, and acted on

o Meetings are o Meetings are consistently mostly held in held in places/at times places/at times that are accessible to that are accessible interested members to interested members Total Safe and Supportive Environment Score (Max of 12 points)

Tools for School Wellness Councils | 47


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Wellness Council Functionality Rubric (cont.) School: Date Completed: CALCULATE YOUR FUNCTIONALITY SCORE Meeting Logistics Score

Council Membership Score

Council Planning and Purpose Score

Safe and Supportive Environments Score

Total Score (tally scores from each section)

Percent out of 100% (Total Score ÷ 48 x 100)

WHAT DOES MY SCORE MEAN?

There are four levels your Wellness Council can score, as described below. Make sure to choose action steps below that will help your Council’s functionality grow! Beginning: If you scored between 0 and 25 percent above you have a beginning Wellness Council. You may just be starting out. A good first step is to focus on building the membership of your council and getting your meeting logistics in place. Emerging: If you scored between 26 and 50 percent you have an emerging Wellness Council. Perhaps you have been meeting for a year or two, but still have work to do to build your membership, your logistics, and/or your planning and purpose. Proficient: If you scored between 51 and 75 percent, your Wellness Council is proficient. You are functioning pretty well. We recommend focusing on whichever area of the Rubric you got the lowest score. Leading: If you scored between 76 and 100 percent your Wellness Council is leading and doing great things! You can probably still improve in certain areas – maybe further improving your family or student engagement, doing a more thorough job on your WAP, or something else you identify as a team. Look at where you scored lowest and incorporate that part of the Rubric into your Action Steps below. Beginning = 0-25%

Emerging = 26-50%

48 | Tools for School Wellness Councils

Proficient = 51-75%

Leading = 76-100%


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

WELLNESS COUNCIL FUNCTIONALITY ACTION STEPS Identify at least one focus area that will help you improve your Wellness Council. For each focus area you identify, develop one or two Action Steps to help you make progress in that area; identify one person who will be in charge of each Action Step; and choose a completion date by which you will accomplish the Action Step. Selected Functionality Focus Areas Logistics

Action Step(s)

Lead Persons

Completion Date

Membership Focus 1

Planning and Purpose Safe and Supportive Environments Logistics Membership

Focus 2

Planning and Purpose Safe and Supportive Environments Logistics Membership

Focus 3

Planning and Purpose Safe and Supportive Environments

Tools for School Wellness Councils | 49


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

50 | Tools for School Wellness Councils


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Implementing the Wellness Policy at Your School In this section of the toolkit, you will find information on how your School Wellness Council can get started implementing the BPS Wellness Policy at your school. We recommend selecting and working on two or three areas of the policy each year. Some changes will take longer than others, so be patient with the progress you make each year! In this section you will find a standard set of materials for each of the eight areas of the BPS Wellness Policy, including: • A one page summary of the policy area, • A success story of a school in Boston that has been working in that policy area, • A one-pager with ideas for how your Wellness Council can get started implementing that policy, and • Implementation materials to support your work in that area and the development of your Wellness Action Plan. This section is divided into the eight areas of the policy, as listed below. Should you need additional support on the specific policy components, please reach out to any of the BPS Departments that support the areas of the Policy: • • • • • •

• •

Cultural Proficiency: Office of Engagement, Office of Equity, Office of Opportunity Gaps School Food and Nutrition: Food and Nutrition Services, Health and Wellness Department Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education: Health and Wellness Department Comprehensive Health Education: Health and Wellness Department Healthy School Environments: Facilities Safe and Supportive Schools: Behavioral Health Services, Department of Safety Services, Office of English Learners, Office of Equity, Office of Opportunity Gaps, Opportunity Youth, Restorative Justice, Succeed Boston Health Services: Health Services Staff Wellness: Health and Wellness Department

BPS Wellness Policy at Your School | 51


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

BPS Wellness Policy at Your School | 52


Section 4.1: Cultural Proficiency



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Cultural Proficiency Policy? Cultural Proficiency in education is the ability of schools to successfully serve children and families of all identities and from all the cultural backgrounds represented within the school population. A culturally proficient school believes that diversity adds value to the school community and environment. The BPS cultural proficiency policy ensures that schools take into account the diversity of identities, cultures, and races represented in the school community. Cultural Proficiency Policy Components The BPS Cultural Proficiency policy states that school wellness councils should assess their school’s organizational structure, policies, and school-wide practices for bias(es) as well as identify inclusive practices and opportunities to celebrate diverse cultures and identities. This applies to the physical environment, the academic environment, classroom curriculum, and wellness promotions. Cultural Proficiency-related policies include those regarding race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, abilities, and policies that promote family and student engagement. Benefits of Implementing the Cultural Proficiency Policy Incorporating cultural proficiency into the school environment has many benefits, including: • Enabling individuals and schools to interact effectively across various cultures. • Demonstrating value for all community members, resulting in a stronger school community. • Promoting strong cultural identities, which are linked to protective factors that empower students to achieve long-term academic success. • Providing an overall healthier educational experience for all students. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: Does your school have a family coordinator who assists and makes referrals to students and families? Are there staff members at your school who assess the different cultures at the school and work to engage more meaningfully with all students? Are there staff members at your school who work to ensure that there are LGBTQ safe spaces in the building? Are there staff members and students who are interested in starting up a GSA at your school? • Physical environment: Are the following visible/accessible to students in the school: visual representations of different cultures; translated materials (posters, bulletin boards, newsletters, lesson handouts); materials promoting a safe and respectful learning environment for all students? • District Supports: Does your school receive cultural proficiency professional development from the Office of Opportunity Gaps? Has your school received any support from the Equity Office? • School Budget: Does your school budget support cultural proficiency through engagement activities? • Community Partners: Does your school work with any community organizations to supplement/complement programs promoting cultural proficiency at your school? Need Help? Steven Chen Senior Equity Manager BPS Equity Office schen2@bostonpublicschools.org (617) 635-8305

Cyntoria Grant Director Family and School Engagement Practice Office of Engagement cgrant@bostonpublicschools.org (617) 635-7750

Hayden Frederick-Clarke Director of Strategy Office of Opportunity Gaps hfrederickclarke@bostonpublicschools.org (857) 302-8428

Cultural Proficiency | 53


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story The Hernandez conscientiously makes an effort to engage all stakeholders in their Wellness Council and wellness initiatives. The Wellness Council recognizes that a diverse membership is necessary to effectively develop and execute the Wellness Action Plan goals. Therefore, they try to recruit from various school groups at the beginning of each year, including the Parent Council and Faculty Senate. They also send out a letter to parents explaining what the Wellness Council does and invite families to become involved. Wellness Council meetings are mindfully planned to be accommodating to its members. Members are surveyed to find the best meeting time and day, and a childcare solution is offered if parents want to attend. If members are unable to attend in person, they may call into the meeting or communicate electronically via email or shared documents. Between meetings, regular emails are sent to keep all members current on assigned tasks or to elicit feedback. The Wellness Council hopes to expand next year to include students, more parents, and other key contributors. The Wellness Council prioritizes wellness goals that involve family engagement, such as offering a Wellness Night and creating a school food policy and wellness communication platform. The Wellness Council involved many parents in the planning of a very successful Wellness Night. The event had thirty health vendors and over 300 students and family members attended! Furthermore, the Wellness Council elicited feedback from the Faculty Senate, Parent Council, and School Site Council as they created a Hernandez Healthy Snack and Beverage Policy based on the District Wellness Policy. The result is a policy that is culturally sensitive to their community and includes implementation resources. Since key stakeholders were involved in the process, all parties approved the policy and are on-board. They are now ready to take the next step of communicating this policy to families. Moreover, Wellness Council members are taking steps to use the school’s Specialists Website as a way to communicate wellness related information with families throughout the year. The website includes the Healthy Snack and Beverage Policy, information about what the school offers for health and wellness, and other wellness resources. Additionally, the Wellness Council is currently soliciting recipes from families to create a Healthy Hernandez Family Cookbook that they hope to publish next year. They are also mindful to make sure that their communications and materials are offered in English and Spanish to meet the linguistic needs of their school community. The Wellness Council looks forward to continue their wellness work and meaningfully engage families in the process.

54 | Cultural Proficiency


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Get Started with Cultural Proficiency Assess your School’s Approach to Cultural Proficiency • What does your school currently do to promote and celebrate diversity? Identify efforts that are going well, and identify areas for improvement. • How are diverse voices and experiences highlighted in classroom curriculum and reading materials? • What types of conversations about culture, inclusion, and respect do you hear about/among students and their families? • What ways can the Wellness Council or other teams/staff support students in discovering their own cultural and other identities? Strategies and Tips for the Wellness Council to Get Started on Cultural Proficiency • Make cultural proficiency a standing focus area on your Wellness Action Plan, and make sure it is incorporated into all other policy areas. • Translate wellness–related materials (Wellness Council invitations, newsletters, flyers for events, and educational materials) into the prominent languages of your school community. o Collaborate with your family coordinator (if your school has one) or reach out to BPS Translational Services for support on translation. • Connect with a BPS Department (Office of Opportunity Gaps, Office of Equity) or a community organization (Sociedad Latina, Boston Public Health Commission, or another) to provide cultural proficiency training for your school staff on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disabilities, and policies that promote family and student engagement. o Work with staff on using language inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, of different family structures, etc. • Host a cultural or international night for families at school. o Include healthy foods and activities from the cultures represented in your school. Invite community partners who can provide culturally-relevant and appropriate information for families. o If possible, have interpreters at school-wide events such as open house, curriculum nights, and family engagement activities. • Invite individuals (teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, administrators, etc.) and community organizations with a deep understanding of the culture, norms, and dynamics of your school community to join your wellness council. • Take into consideration all the cultural backgrounds and identities at the school when making decisions as a Wellness Council. Ask yourselves how the decision will impact the different students and families in your school and adjust course to avoid negative impacts.

Cultural Proficiency | 55


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Obstacles (SWOO) Worksheet Directions: • As a Wellness Council, please select a cultural proficiency area(s) in the left hand column that you would like to focus on. •

Complete the chart below identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Obstacles (SWOO) as it relates to the chosen cultural proficiency area(s).

Results of your SWOO analysis can help your wellness council develop a plan for implementing the Cultural Proficiency component of the policy at your school. Cultural Proficiency Areas

Strengths - people, experience, assets, partnerships…

Weaknesses (Challenges) - areas for improvement, missing stakeholders, etc.

Opportunities - support from BPS departments & community partners, specific staff people, etc.

Obstacles – potential lack of buy-in, etc.

☐ Race ☐ Ethnicity ☐ Culture ☐ Gender Identity ☐ Sexual Orientation ☐ Abilities

56 | Cultural Proficiency


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Cultural Proficiency: Family & Student Engagement Events International Family Night:

LGBTQ Educational Events:

A family engagement event that celebrates the diversity and similarities of cultures within the school. ยง If possible, have interpreters present at the event. ยง Celebrate the evening with costumes, music, dancing, healthy foods and activities that are inclusive of the schoolโ s population.

These events can include workshops, panel discussion, family table talks, and health education lessons. ยง Have a point person at school that students can talk to regarding the types of events that they would like to have happen.

ยง

Work with families to create an international cookbook that features healthy recipes from various countries.

ยง

Allow students and staff to ask important questions to people who can educate them on LGBTQ.

ยง

Use language that is inclusive for LGBTQ students.

Curriculum Night / Open House:

Field/Fun Day:

Engage and gain support of parents/caretakers in curriculum and school policies.

Serves as a way to involve the entire school community in fun physical activities and games.

ยง

If possible, have interpreters present at the event.

ยง

If possible, have interpreters present at the event.

ยง

Have posters, directors, signs, and other decorations in the building that are reflective of the cultures, ethnicities, and races of the school.

ยง

Ask families for game and activity ideas from their culture that they would like to share during the event. Extend the invite to families to participate in the field day.

ยง

Translate materials into prominent languages of your school.

ยง

Cultural Proficiency | 57


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

58 | Cultural Proficiency


Colin Rose, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent

• Is willing and able to recognize and intentionally disrupts personal biases by reflecting on his or her cultural frame and/or social location, widening interpretations, and recognizing triggers.

• Understands the power dynamics between dominant and marginalized cultures and/or persons from different social locations as well as the historical and sociological contexts of these dynamics.

• Understands that culture can be used to empower or enervate, especially in contacts with marginalized cultures.

• Acknowledges and values culture as fundamental to relationships and learning.

• Recognizes and considers one’s own surface, shallow and deep cultural influences and social location and how these impact his/her personal communication style, performance expectations, pedagogy, etc.

ATTRIBUTES

Ability to build authentic relationships with students, families, and communities to create a learning partnership. Rigorous inquiry and investigation into students’ backgrounds.

Sufficient analysis of one’s own culture to understand the lens that onebrings to his/her role; familiarity with one’s cultural and racial biases along with knowledge of where to find compensatory resources; ability to recognize and disrupt the effects of his/her personal bias(es).

• Uses rapport and alliance building techniques to create the trust needed for deep learning in the classroom.

• Builds strong, working relationships with students and families employing a two-way communication style that proactively engages them beyond problem issues or concerns and acknowledges differing degrees of comfort with traditional schooling from different families/subgroups.

• Proactively examines cultures in order to build relationships with students, families, and communities through communication that refrains from making assumptions about class, race, ethnicity, ability, age, home life, language etc.

ATTRIBUTES

COMPETENCY 2: Cultural Learning/Relationship Building

COMPETENCY 1: Awareness: Understanding One’s Lens and Bias

Cultural Pre-Competence

• Challenges traditional curricula that excludes the contributions and perspectives of traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups;allows students to “see” themselves reflected in the curricula in positive and substantial ways.

• Uses quantitative and qualitative data to inform practices and necessary adjustments.

• Prepares students for standardized assessments but more importantly gives opportunities to learn through authentic assessments.

• Provides learning opportunities and experiences that prepare students to persevere and become independent and critical learners.

• Empowers students by setting high academic goals and expectations for all students. Refrains from deficit-based thinking and provides students with appropriate academic and social/emotional supports and encouragement.

ATTRIBUTES

Utilizes the cultural knowledge of students, families, and communities to adapt practices, materials and environments to engage, motivate, and facilitate deep learning. Is culturally and linguistically sustaining, both validating and connecting to cultural schema to maximize learning opportunities through rigorous instruction and the use of data to reflect and adjust practices.

COMPETENCY 3: Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices

Cultural Proficiency (CP)

Definition: Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices draw upon, infuse and evoke students’ existing schema, experiences, funds of knowledge, and perspectives to optimally facilitate learning. C.L.S.P. also intentionally seek racial and cultural equity and pluralism in order to deliberately tailor district-wide norms, policies and practices to affirm the identities of and expand opportunities for historically marginalized students. C.L.S.P. heavily relies upon the scholarship and research of its preceding models, namely culturally relevant, culturally responsive and culturally sustaining pedagogies (Gay, 2010; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Paris, 2012). — Dr. Colin Rose & Hayden Frederick-Clarke

Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (C.L.S.P.) Continuum


Updated on 11.1.16

— Dr. Colin Rose & Hayden Frederick-Clarke

AVID CP examples Individual Classroom Tool 7 forms of Bias Tool Kit

• Evidence of text-based discussions with staff

• Routine implementation of the “7 Forms of Bias Protocol” to vet instructional materials

• Evidence of collective assessment of organizational structure, policies and school-wide practices for bias(es)

• Intentional scheduled time for reflective exercises for staff

• Scheduling and/or administration of O.O.A.G. professional development sessions

LEADERS/ORGANIZATION:

Open to feedback Educator Rubric Elements: IV- A-1: Reflective Practices IV- B-1: Professional Learning and Growth

• Evidence of reading texts, especially those assigned, relevant to Race, class, gender and culturally proficient instruction

• Events and structures at school and in communal locations to increase the engagement of all families with flexibility for those who cannot meet at traditional times

• Structures for feedback from students, families, and communities

• Parents and community members on decision making bodies

LEADERS/ORGANIZATION:

Educator Rubric Elements: I-C-3: Sharing Conclusions II-B-1: Safe learning environment II-B-2: Collaborative environment II-B-3: Student motivation III-B- Family Collaboration III-C-1: Two-way communication III-C-2: Culturally Proficient Communication

• Evidence that students are involved in setting learning goals

• Explicitly teaches norms of school

• Provides timely asset-based feedback that holds high standards and specific actionable steps that conveys assurance of capability

• Welcoming school/classroom environments that celebrate diversity and accomplishments of students • On-going professional learning that develops staff’s instructional and relational abilities and allows for collaboration and reflection • Provides opportunities for students, parents/ community to learn/construct curriculum • School-wide disaggregation of data including educational and social measures (e.g. discipline measures) to monitor for gaps • Systemize CLSP (e.g. Monitoring for CLSP for all staff and structures for the work to be ongoing)

LEADERS/ORGANIZATION:

Open to feedback Educator Rubric Elements: I-B-2: Adjustment of Practice II-A-1: Quality of Effort and Work II-A-2: Student Engagement II-A-3: Meeting Diverse Needs

• Employs cooperative grouping and co-construction of knowledge, representing different modalities

• Instruction that is void of destructive actions such as microaggressions

• Teacher provides appropriate scaffolds for students to progress and become independent learners on grade level tasks

• Evidence of rapport and alliance building techniques (e.g. knowledge of student’s interests, affirming language), especially for triggering students/that trigger the instructor

• Evidence of closing disparities such as those regularly found in disciplinary/punitive tools

• Curriculum and instruction is culturally relevant and rigorous for all

• Evidence of soliciting feedback/suggestions from students, parents, and community when possible

• Evidence of positive offsets for cultural safety, informed by self reflection (e.g. positive proximity and visibility techniques, trigger control, etc.)

• Evidence that social/emotional needs of students are responded to appropriately

COMPETENCY 3: OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS: Individuals:

• Evidence of proactive and positive contact with students and parents with regular and timely communication

COMPETENCY 2: OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS: Individuals:

Cultural Proficiency (CP)

• Evidence of reflective behavior (e.g. journaling, regular meetings)

COMPETENCY 1: OBSERVABLE BEHAVIORS: Individuals:

Cultural Pre-Competence

Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices (C.L.S.P.) Continuum


Section 4.2: School Food & Nutrition Promotion



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the BPS Nutrition Policy? The BPS Nutrition Policy provides guidelines for foods sold and served in schools to ensure a healthy eating environment for all students. These guidelines apply to snacks, side items, treats, and desserts offered or sold as competitive foods/beverages in schools in the following: school cafeterias (“a la carte” entrees and snacks) and vending machines, school stores and snack bars, classrooms (i.e. classroom parties, fundraising activities and booster sales, school events (sporting events and field days), and concession stands and food trucks. BPS prohibits the use of food as a reward or means of discipline. BPS Nutrition Policy Components for Competitive Foods and Beverages These guidelines apply to foods offered and sold in schools in the circumstances listed above. Beverages Foods • Only water, 100% fruit juice (in middle and high school only), and milk may be made available in schools. • Water must be caffeine-free, have 0mg of sodium, and have no nutritive or non-nutritive sweeteners. Natural flavorings and carbonation are ok. • 100% fruit juice cannot exceed 4oz in middle schools and 8oz in high schools. Juice may not be offered or sold in elementary or K-8 schools. • No drinks with artificial sweeteners (e.g. diet drinks) may be sold or provided.

• Fresh fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grain products are acceptable competitive foods. • Foods must be low in added sugar (≤35% of weight from total sugars in foods), saturated fats (≤10% of calories), and sodium (≤200 mg sodium) and without artificial sweeteners. • All grains must be whole grain (i.e. listed as the first ingredient for grain-based foods).

Benefits of Implementing the BPS Nutrition Policy Creating a healthier eating environment for children will result in healthier students who learn better and perform better academically and students learning about healthy eating choices that will guide them the rest of their lives! Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: Has your school administrator and Wellness Council prioritized healthy eating for your Wellness Action Plan? Make sure these stakeholders are familiar with the Nutrition Policy! • Communications: Have you received information about policies or ideas for healthy (or non-food) classroom parties or fundraisers via the School Wellness Councils listserv? • Physical environment: Do promotional materials (posters, flyers) encourage eating fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods? Fundraisers, classroom parties and other celebrations should all be free of non-compliant competitive foods. Where competitive foods are sold or served at your school, they should all be in alignment with the nutrition guidelines. • District Supports: Does anyone on your Wellness Council attend Health and Wellness department professional developments on the Nutrition Policy? • Community Partners: Does your school work with any community organizations to supplement/complement nutrition education or healthy eating programs at your school? Need help? Kelly Walsh Nutrition Manager BPS Food and Nutrition Services (617) 635-9155 kwalsh3@bostonpublicschools.org

Michelle Grohe Wellness Council Support Coordinator BPS Health and Wellness Department (617) 635-9771 mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) demonstrates how student-led initiatives can make a positive impact on a school’s food environment. The school’s Healthy Food Environment Champion recognized that student involvement would be key to successfully improving the food environment. Thus, she empowered the Lower Campus Student Council to take the lead on changes. The Student Council evaluated the current school environment to identify what could be improved. They resolved to not use candy for student council fundraisers as they had in the past. As an alternative to selling candy during Halloween, they created a raffle for a pair of donated Beats headphones. For Valentine’s Day, they sold small stuffed animals and roses for delivery. They also raffled off a few large stuffed bears and a fruit basket. These fundraising changes were positively received! The Student Council also wanted to promote water consumption. They came up with the slogans “Water is Life” and “Don’t carbonate! Just hydrate!” and created posters to place around the school and advertise on the main lobby television. They ran a campaign where students took selfies or group photos while drinking water. These photos were then added to a healthy eating bulletin board and displayed on the main lobby television. Students would excitedly wait to see themselves drinking water on the screen. To incorporate healthy fundraising and water promotion, the Student Council sold almost 400 water bottles. Moving forward, they hope to sell reusable water bottles to make the fundraiser more environmentally sustainable. Additionally, the EMK now only serves water at school events instead of sugary drinks. As a result of their efforts to promote water consumption, there was a noticeable increase in how much water students were drinking in just one year. The efforts of the Student Council contributed to an overall attitude shift towards healthy eating and drinking in the school. The Wellness Champion presented during an all-staff PD about the competitive food and beverage policy and it was positively received. Teachers who previously provided unhealthy snacks during advisory period started providing healthier options like apples and grapes. The EMK is excited to continue to build on their successes next year, including applying their learnings to improve the food environment at the Upper Campus.

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story The Frederick successfully launched their first Wellness Campaign during SY18-19 with the goal of eliminating the consumption of unhealthy food and beverages in their school. Many students had been coming into the school with a lot of unhealthy food to eat throughout the school day, such as bags of candy and sugary drinks. Staff noticed that frequently students were eating these unhealthy foods instead of the school breakfast and lunch, and as a result they would quickly lose energy and did not feel ready to learn. The Frederick’s Healthy Food Environment Wellness Champion, Wellness Council, administration, hallway facilitators, and other staff all joined efforts to prohibit junk food within the school building. They held an assembly to discuss with the students that unhealthy foods would no longer be allowed in the building and the reasons why. They also communicated the changes with daily morning announcements, signs around the school, and robocalls home. After the new rule went into effect, the staff have noticed a drastic decrease in the amount of unhealthy food in the school. The school now has a grab and go breakfast cart, so more students are starting off the school day with a healthy school breakfast. In addition to eliminating unhealthy food brought into school by students, the Wellness Campaign focused on changing food-based rewards and fundraisers and promoting healthy food choices. The 6th grade team used to reward students who met the school’s PRIDE expectations with pizza parties or ice cream socials. The food-based reward was changed to “Fun Day Friday”, where students can earn free physical activity time. It has been an exciting motivator for students! Multiple school fundraisers that used to be candy-based have switched to selling other items. For example, the National Honor Society sold pencils and foam heart stickers instead of Candy Grams for Valentine’s Day. Furthermore, nutrition information was integrated into the health education classes to empower students to make healthy choices outside of school. One project the students worked on involved creating “Choose this, not that” posters. The project aimed to empower students to make small changes to eat healthier, even when eating at fast food chains. The Frederick is proud of the progress they have made in one year in prioritizing student wellness. Students, families, and staff have responded well to the changes and the new standards are quickly becoming a part of the school culture. They plan to continue to improve the school’s food environment so that it supports students’ ability to make healthy food choices.

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Get Started with School Food and Nutrition Promotion

Assess the Status of Healthy Eating at Your School • •

How is the school currently ensuring compliance with the BPS Nutrition Policy on competitive foods? What is currently being done to eliminate/decrease fundraisers selling unhealthy foods? o What efforts has the school made to ensure that birthdays/other celebrations include healthy foods? Has the school identified an area of the BPS Nutrition Policy to focus on? o To find out, distribute a survey to parents/caretakers, students, and staff to find out what the priorities for healthy eating are! Are students eating school meals?

Strategies and Tips for the Wellness Council to Get Started on School Food and Nutrition • •

• • •

Select healthy eating as a focus area on your Wellness Action Plan. Make sure a Wellness council member or several members are assigned to take the lead on this action step. Develop and host taste testing events through the Wellness Council – collaborate with teachers or other staff or community partners (chefs, Boston Public Health Commission, non-profits focused on healthy eating): o Use these events to build buy-in for healthy snacks and other foods and to build momentum for your school’s efforts to implement the BPS Nutrition Policy. Work with community organizations to cultivate your school community’s knowledge of healthy foods and skills to engage in healthy eating. o Collaborate with a chef or culinary student to offer a healthy cooking class for kids, parents/caretakers, and/or staff. You may be able to get a reduced price, or perhaps you have a small amount of funding to use. o Start a garden. o Have a guest speaker at your Wellness Council meeting and/or Parent Council meeting; hold a joint meeting with your Wellness Council and Parent Council to have some conversation about promoting healthy eating at your school. Meet with the Parent Council to discuss approaches to increasing healthy eating in the school environment and how to ensure your school’s compliance with the BPS Nutrition Policy. Getting the buy-in and support of the Parent Council on issues around healthy eating (and fundraisers and classroom celebrations) is important. Provide parents/caretakers with a list of affordable and healthy food and beverage options they can pack for their children for lunch/snack and to send for birthdays. Take the focus away from food: Hold celebrations and parties that aren’t focused on food, and use rewards that don’t include food. Get ideas from staff and students for healthy eating activities and/or non-food rewards/celebrations.

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BPS Nutrition Policy: Approved Snacks BPS does not endorse any of the brands mentioned below, but provides brand suggestions as examples.

Fruits and Veggies • • • • • •

Fruit smoothies made with fresh or frozen fruit, yogurt and a little milk or fruit juice Applesauce Veggie sticks with dip (hummus or low-fat salad dressing) Fruit kabobs or slices of fruit (apples, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, bananas) with yogurt dip (mix plain yogurt with honey and a dash of cinnamon) Raisins or other dried fruit such as bananas, apples, peaches, apricots, plums, etc. Fruit salad – every student brings a favorite fruit and you make the salad as a group

Snack Foods • • • • • • •

Trail mix (pretzels, dried fruit, whole-grain non-sugary cereals, sunflower seeds) Light or low-fat (lightly salted) popcorn (ie, Skinny Pop, generic store brand) Low-fat yogurt parfaits – layer plain yogurt with fresh fruit and low-fat granola Graham crackers with jam, apple butter, cream cheese, or sunflower seed butter Whole-grain crackers (ie, Triscuits) served with low-fat cheese (ie, light string cheese, light Babybel), hummus (ie, Sabra, generic store brand), or another low-fat dip Granola bars (ie, Kashi, Nature Valley Granola Thins, generic store brands) Animal crackers

Beverages • •

Seltzer with a dash of 100% fruit juice Seltzer with a squeeze of lemon or lime, or some frozen berries

Make it Fun!! • • • • •

Create a “make your own trail mix bar” by setting up bowls of pretzels, dried fruit, whole-grain cereals (ie, Wheat Chex), and sunflower seeds. Students can make their own trail mix by adding a scoop of each item they like to a small cup! Have students make their own fruit kebobs or participate in making a fruit salad! Cut fruit into fun shapes with cookie cutters! Serve snacks with colorful and fun plates, napkins, cups or straws! Have a tasting party where students can vote for their favorite healthy snack!

Adapted from Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Healthy School Celebrations

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Healthy Fundraisers Any fundraisers held in a Boston Public School must comply with the BPS Nutrition Policy if food is being sold. Otherwise, non-food items should be sold to fundraise. Non-Food Fundraisers Items to Sell • • • • • • • • • • •

Bath accessories Books Calendars Bumper stickers and decals Buttons/pins Candles Cookbooks make by schools Coffee cups, mugs Crafts or stationery Flowers, bulbs, plants Gift certificates

• • • • • • • • • • •

Gift baskets Gift items (gift wrap, boxes, and bags) Key chains Greeting cards License plate holders with school logo Magazine subscriptions Plants Raffle donations Scarves School art drawings School spirit gear

• • • • • • •

Fun run Tournaments (golf, soccer, basketball, etc.) Raffle Recycling cans, bottles and/or paper Singing telegrams Skate night/skate-a-thon Talent show

• • • • • •

Fruit and yogurt parfaits Fruit smoothies Fruit (ie, Clementine tangerines) Fruit and nut baskets Trail mix Spice sales

Things You Can Do to Fundraise • • • • • • • •

Art show Auction Bike-a-thon Bowling night/bowl-a-thon Car wash Craft sales Dances (kids, family, etc.) Festivals/carnivals

Food Fundraisers Compliant with BPS Nutrition Policy Healthy Food Fundraisers • • • •

Bottled water/seltzer Charge admission to a youth cooking show/competition. Ask local grocery stores to donate food and supplies. Frozen bananas Fruit

Sources: • Project LEAN, Policy in Action: A Guide to Implementing Your Local School wellness Policy • Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Alternative Fundraising Ideas

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Non-Food Celebrations & Rewards BPS encourages teachers and school personnel to hold non-food focused celebrations for birthdays and other times of celebration. Celebrating in ways that don’t focus on food teaches students that there are diverse ways to mark a special occasion. Birthday Parties • • • • •

Make a sign, sash, crown, button or badge for the birthday child Let the birthday child be the teacher’s assistant for the day: they can do special tasks like make deliveries to the office or be the line leader Let the birthday child choose an activity or game Allow the student to pick a book and ask the principal or a parent to come and read it Play an indoor game of the students’ choice

Parties for Other Occasions • • • • • • • • •

Have a scavenger hunt for items or information in the classroom or around the school. Have children search for items related to a party theme. Provide “free time” at the end of the day for students to select a favorite activity. Provide extra recess time. Set up craft stations and play music in the background while students make their crafts. Plan special party games such as pin the tail/nose/ears onto a character on the wall; threelegged race; egg and spoon race. Have a dance party. Allow children a trip to the treasure box (teacher or parents can supply it with small toys, books, note pads, paints, etc.) Allow students to pick a book of their choice and invite a VIP to come in and read it. Host a pajama party and have the whole class wear pajamas to school.

Non-Food Rewards •

FREE non-food rewards for individuals and classes: • Call home with a positive report of a student • Let the student or class do favors for the teacher • Let the student or class sit by friends • Provide the student or class homework passes • Give extra credit • Provide a physical activity break or extra recess • Let the student or class listen to music during class work LOW-COST non-food rewards for individuals and classes: • Decorated pens and pencils • Erasers • Water bottles • Rulers

Adapted from Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Healthy School Celebrations

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Section 4.3: Comprehensive PA & PE



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Physical Activity Policy? The Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education policy is a district wide strategic effort to increase all students’ physical activity and fitness by bringing more physical education and physical activity to schools, by improving the quality of physical education and recess, and by increasing the equity of physical activity programs and resources across all schools. Physical Activity Policy Components • All schools must provide all students in all grades with opportunities for physical activity and should aim to offer at least 150 minutes of in-school physical activity weekly, including the following: o Required physical education for all students in all grades o Movement breaks, recess, or lessons involving movement. • Additional opportunity for physical activity can be incorporated through: o Extended day programs and before and after school programs that provide physical activity opportunities o Promoting walking and bicycling to school. Benefits of Implementing the Physical Activity Policy • Children and adolescents should be physically active for 60 minutes or more each day. • Getting enough physical activity has health benefits including improved fitness, cardiovascular health, mood, and favorable body composition and bone health. • Ensuring that students get enough physical activity may promote academic achievement. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: Does your school have staff who can implement the Physical Activity Policy, including a licensed PE teacher and a Wellness Champion? Does your school have a wellness council? • Physical environment: Does your school have safe and adequate indoor and outdoor space for physical activity? • District Supports: Does your PE and PA staff receive professional development from the Health and Wellness Department? • School Budget: Does your school budget to support physical activity such as staff, equipment for PE, and recess? • School Schedule: Does your school schedule allow for enough time for students to engage in at least 150 minutes of weekly physical activity? • Families and Parents: Does your school communicate physical activity and physical education policies to parents and families? Do they receive communications about the PE/PA programs happening at your school? • Community Partners: Does your school work with any community organizations to supplement/complement physical activity programs at your school? Need help? Jessica Greene Physical Education Program Director BPS Health and Wellness Department 857-265-4989 jgreene5@bostonpublicschools.org

Michelle Grohe Wellness Council Support Coordinator BPS Health and Wellness Department (617) 635-9771 mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org

Source: 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines& Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The association between school based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Physical Education Policy? All schools must offer standards-based physical education (PE) for all students in all grades. Schools are required to offer at least 45 minutes of weekly PE in grades PreK-8 and at least one semester of PE per grade in grades 9-12. We recommend that schools provide at least 80 minutes of weekly PE in PreK-8. Physical Education Policy Components • Required: at least 45 minutes/week for grades PreK-8 • Required: at least one semester/school year for grades 9-12 • Recommended: at least 80 minutes/week of PE for grades PreK-8 Benefits of Providing Physical Education to students • PE provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to be confident movers now and for a lifetime • PE exposes students to a wide variety of physical activities that they may not experience in any other setting • Increased physical activity increases children’s cognitive function, ability to concentrate in class, and academic performance • Students who have PE in school are 2 -3 times more likely to be active adults. Want to See This at Your School? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: Does you school have a licensed PE teacher? • Physical environment: Does your school provide a designated, safe physical learning environment for PE to take place? • District Supports: Does your PE teacher attend content specific professional development each year? Would PE instructional coaching be useful in program improvement? Do you need help with developing or implementing standards-based PE curriculum? Do you need support with PE teacher or program evaluation? Do you need support in the recruitment and hiring of a high quality PE teacher? • School Budget: Does your school budget support PE? Do you budget for a PE teacher? Equipment and other instructional supplies? Professional development? • School Schedule: Does your school schedule allow for enough time for students to participate in adequate physical education? • Families and Parents: Does your school communicate physical education policies to parents and families? Do they receive communications about the PE programs happening at your school? • Community Partners: Does your school work with community organizations to supplement/complement your PE program? Need help? Jessica Greene Physical Education Program Director BPS Health and Wellness Department 857-265-4989 jgreene5@bostonpublicschools.org

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What Is the Recess Policy? Recess provides children with time to engage in physical activity that helps them develop healthy bodies and enjoyment of movement. Recess also allows children the opportunity to practice life skills such as cooperation, taking turns, following rules, sharing, communication, negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution. Recess Policy Components • All schools serving grades PK – 8 are required to provide 20 minutes of daily recess. • Withholding recess cannot be used as a punishment. Benefits of Recess for Students: Providing daily recess to students has many benefits, including: • Provides students with a break from their structured school day • Improves physical, social, and emotional well-being • Enhances readiness to learn • Adds to the goal of each student reaching 150 minutes of Physical Activity per week Want to See This at Your School? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: Does your school have a team of stakeholders focused on recess? Does your recess team develop and communicate school-wide expectations for recess? Does your school have a Wellness Champion or Wellness Council to support recess plans? • Physical Environment: Is your indoor and outdoor recess space clearly mapped and marked? Have you assessed your recess space and its surrounding environment to ensure safety? • District supports: Is your school Wellness Council involved in recess implementation? Are you aware of the district-wide recess trainings to make recess a safe and inclusive space, including topics such as bullying prevention, second step, and Open Circle? Is your school aware of recess best practices? • School Budget: Does your school budget include funding to support recess including equipment, staff training, and space maintenance? • Community Partners: Does your school work with any community partners to support and enhance recess? • Parents and Families: Does your school reach out to parents and families to support recess? Need Help? Michelle Grohe Wellness Council Support Coordinator BPS Health and Wellness Department (617) 635-9771 mgrohe@bostonpublicschools.org

Jessica Greene Physical Education Program Director BPS Health and Wellness Department 857-265-4989 jgreene5@bostonpublicschools.org

Source: National Association for Sport and Physical Education

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story The Josiah Quincy excels at integrating physical education and physical activity throughout the school day. The dedicated Physical Education teacher is the physical activity leader at the school and facilitates a comprehensive school Physical Activity Program. As soon as students arrive, the Quincy gets students moving. Instead of students waiting around before school, students walk around the gym for 20 minutes as other students arrive. Recently, the Quincy collaborated with BOKs to add an obstacle course to the morning walking routine. Students enjoyed having such a fun way to start the day! The school also participates in Safe Routes to School to encourage walking to school. The Quincy held three walking parades this year, with Wally the Red Sox mascot coming to the Spring Walk to School Day! Once school starts, the Quincy continues to prioritize physical activity. The school has a passionate PE teacher, a YMCA swim instructor, and a dance teacher. All students get physical education and recess, and the YMCA uses the school’s pool to teach students how to swim. Fourth and fifth grade students participate in a 8 week program with Community Rowing, and 5th graders go on a field trip to row on the Charles River. The Quincy wants to promote physical activity for all their students, including physically handicapped students. To highlight the importance of this, the school hosts a Wheelchair Basketball game. In the classroom, the Quincy has a monthly competition to encourage physical activity. Teachers track the number of minutes of physical activity in their classroom. At the end of each month, the top three classrooms are recognized with the “Golden Sneaker Award”. Additionally, the last class period on Friday is reserved for 5th grade clubs, which includes sports and swimming clubs. Physical activity opportunities are also offered after school. Throughout the years, they have partnered with many outside programs that provide them with additional resources, including Boston Bruins, Boston Bikes, and BOKs. Pedometers provided by Beth Israel are given to students to encourage tracking during and outside of school. They work with community partners to host an annual Health Fair that gets families involved with physical activity and healthy eating. The Quincy is continually looking for opportunities to offer more physical activity options for their students.

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story The Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers (EMK) focuses on the physical and social-emotional well-being of their students by continuing to strengthen comprehensive physical education and leveraging community partnerships. Seven years ago, when the EMK relocated to two separate buildings, they faced a challenge--they did not have a gym at either of their campuses. Not letting this barrier stop them from offering physical education, EMK has developed partnerships with both the Tobin Community Center and the Huntington Avenue YMCA. In addition to securing two spaces to offer PE, the school brought on an additional PE teacher to ensure that high-quality PE could be implemented at both sites. Last year, as a sign of their commitment to health and physical literacy, the EMK created a Health and Physical Education Department. The Wellness Council set a goal to develop a more structured physical education curriculum designed to include goal-orientated activities and to maximize partner facilities and resources. With the support of a Health and Wellness Department PE Instructional Coach, the curriculum at the YMCA is now more focused on skill-building so that students learn how to use the equipment available at the YMCA and develop life-long habits. Through the program, students get a membership to the YMCA and may continue to use the YMCA after graduation. Many students use their memberships outside of school hours! The consistent structured curriculum and engaged physical education teachers at both the Tobin and the YMCA have led to a noticeable increase in student participation during PE class. Close to 100% of students are now engaged in defined activities as compared to previous years where a significant number of students would "lounge" or be a spectator. There has also been increased cohesion amongst students as a result of teambased activities. Their community partners are excited with the noticeable change in student behaviors.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Get Started with Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education

• • • •

Assess the Status of Physical Activity and Physical Education at Your School • Using the Physical Education Continuum, assess where your school is with implementing the Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education Policy. o Does every K-8 student receive at least 45 minutes (minimum) per week of physical education provided by a licensed teacher? o Do K-8 students receive 80 minutes (recommended) of physical education per week provided by a licensed teacher? o Do students in grades 9-12 receive at least a semester of physical education in each grade? Does your physical education teacher attend Health and Wellness Department professional development? Do PreK-8th grade students have daily recess? o Does your school ensure that recess is not withheld as punishment? Does the school offer other opportunities for physical activity, such as a structured recess, movement breaks, before school physical activity programs, and Safe Routes to School? Do students in grades 4th-12th annually complete all components of the FITNESSGRAM healthrelated physical fitness assessment?

Increasing Physical Education at Your School* • Using the Physical Education Continuum (available in this section), work with your school administrator to incorporate physical education into the master schedule (or increase the minutes being offered each week) and to ensure appropriate staffing to deliver physical education by a licensed physical education teacher. Strategies and Tips for the Wellness Council to Support Physical Activity and/or Physical Education • Choose physical education and/or physical activity as a focus area for your Wellness Action Plan. Ensure there is a staff member to take the lead on this action step. • Work with the Health and Wellness Department to launch a Safe Routes to School Program, which supports physical activity. • Connect to a community partner that could support physical activity initiatives at your school, or supplement physical education programming. • Provide staff members, especially classroom teachers, with a list of easy movement breaks to increase movement in the classroom during the school day, including ways to incorporate movement into academic lessons. • Work with school leadership to expand physical activity options for students within your school. • Get input from parents and caretakers, students and staff about their interests in physical education and physical activity. *Note: Physical Education is provided by a licensed physical education teacher. The Comprehensive Physical Activity and Physical Education component of the policy requires appropriate staffing. Wellness Councils are encouraged to work with school leaders to identify how to incorporate appropriate staffing to teach physical education. In addition, the Wellness Council may want to support other physical activity efforts at the school, as described in the Strategies and Tips section above.

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HOW DOES SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WORK? Safe Routes to School is a comprehensive program that addresses various areas impacting one’s ability to walk or bike. Achieving safe routes requires many levels of engagement from school and city officials, parents, and community members, each working on different aspects of the program. In order to reach the goal of increasing the number of students who choose to walk or bike to school safely, a myriad of people need to join the movement. Parents can be empowered to make their streets safer; and when students learn how to move about their communities, they develop life-long skills of active transportation, which benefits people of all ages.

sidewalks) and non-infrastructure projects (such as fun events). Combined, these strategies are known as the Six E’s: Encouragement, Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Evaluation, and Equity. Understanding each component acts like a checklist to ensure that all areas are addressed so that students can get to school in a healthy and safe manner. Each strategy supports the others; focusing on just one aspect of a comprehensive program will not lead to long term sustainable results. This chart highlights what each component entails, and how BPS and the City of Boston address each strategy.

The program works through a collection of strategies that touch on infrastructure (such as undamaged

SAFE ROUTES STRATEGIES Evaluation Ensures that the aims of the program are being met, and that strategies to support active transportation are delivered to the schools/neighborhoods that show the greatest need or opportunity for success. How this Looks in BPS ● Evaluation of student transportation methods occurs through student hand tallies. ● Evaluation of walking routes occurs via walk audits; the information gathered during a walk audit informs the district and the city about potential problems that need to be addressed, and identifies possible routes that are most appealing in terms of safety and traffic.

How You can Take Action 1. Make sure teachers conduct the hand tally of student transportation in the on two consecutive days in the Fall and two consecutive days in the Spring. 2. Contact the Health & Wellness Department to receive training and support on conducting walk audits and creating preferred walking routes.

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Engineering Aims to improve the physical conditions or infrastructure that surround a school and its neighborhoods; the goal of engineering is to establish safer crosswalks or pathways, and to reduce traffic congestion or speed. By improving the streetscapes, all residents benefit from SRTS. How this Looks in BPS

How You can Take Action

Walk audits provide detailed information about deficiencies along a walk route and near school buildings. Audits conducted in SY2015-16 by Toole Design, an engineering firm, lead to improvements of crosswalks, curbs and traffic signage at several schools. Whether or not a school conducts a formal walk audit, Boston residents have the opportunity to report issues to the City by calling 311 or using the BOS:311 app. Parents collectively reporting concerns can influence infrastructure improvements in the areas surrounding schools. Boston’s Vision Zero, a partner in SRTS, aims to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes in the city by 2030. Like BOS:311, community members can use the Vision Zero app to report traffic safety issues.

1. Contact the Health & Wellness Dept for training and support to conduct a walk audit and identify preferred walking routes for your school community. 2. Distribute BOS:311 cards to school staff and families (found at boston.gov); share information about sidewalk or streetscape issues to collectively report; and encourage the use of 311 to improve street and sidewalk safety surrounding the school. 3. Connect to Vision Zero (visionzero.org) and download their app for reporting safety issues such as: traffic lights do not allow enough time to safely cross a street, or drivers run red lights or stop signs, speed, or disobey traffic laws.

Encouragement Events provide opportunities to encourage students to walk or bike to school on special days in order to establish healthy habits How this Looks in BPS

How You can Take Action

● BPS celebrates Walk to School days in the fall and spring of each year. Schools may also host Winter Walking events or challenges. During these events, schools can organize a walking school bus or bike train; park and walk; or parade to demonstrate the ease of walking or biking to school.

1. Display Safe Routes to School posters and distribute flyers so staff, families, and visitors will know about Safe Routes and how to get involved. 2. Participate in BPS Walk to School days –the Wellness Council can plan activities that work for your school community.

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BPS events include the following: International Walk to School Day BPS invites all schools to participate in this one-day event. Winter Walk Days: choose from special themed activities or challenges. Spring Walk to School Day: tentatively held on the first Wednesday in June, this event serves to celebrate the year. Education Informs students and families with the options available for taking an active approach to school travel, while also providing students with specific safety instruction and training. Education includes driver safety education or campaigns aimed at parents’ behavior. How this Looks in BPS

How You can Take Action

● All BPS families received a SRTS Boston fact sheet in their back to school packet that included tips for walking safely to school.

1. Distribute safe walking tips to families (especially before a walk to school event).

● The PE Department supports a pedestrian safety curriculum for students in K-8. Any PE teacher can receive professional development and the necessary equipment for conducting this program. ● Simple pedestrian safety lessons designed for the classroom are available. Safe Routes Schools are especially encouraged to utilize these free materials before Walk to School day events.

2. Include a unit on bike and pedestrian safety in PE class. 3. Encourage PE and classroom teachers to attend professional development on pedestrian safety programs offered through the Health and Wellness Department.Go to bostonpublicschools.org/SafeRoutes for free online resources.

● Individual schools may provide safety education for students and families during Healthy Family Events; and safe walking activities are offered during Countdown to Kindergarten.

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Enforcement Local law enforcement supports active travel by ensuring that drivers obey traffic laws; posting crossing guards to assist students on their routes to school; and providing police presence to enhance safety along travel routes. How this Looks in BPS

How You can Take Action

● Preferred Walking Routes are shared with local police stations. Police have heightened awareness and may increase monitoring of these routes to improve the safety of students and parents walking to and from school.

1. Share your school’s preferred walking route with your local police department so they can be aware of where groups of students may walk to school. 2. Invite your school resource officer or precinct police station to join in a walking event such as a walk audit or walk to school day.

● Boston Police Department representatives (such as community or resource officers) may attend promotional activities such as Walk to School Days, or speak at school assemblies about street safety. ● BPS collaborates with Boston Police Department and MBTA Transit Police on the STOPWATCH Program. This community-based program builds a partnership of adults, law enforcement and youth, and serves to monitor MBTA stations during prime travel times.

Equity Recognizes that different people have different barriers to overcome, and ensures that SRTS initiatives benefit all demographic groups. How this Looks in BPS ● In planning for the SRTS Boston initiative, BPS considered the barriers, concerns, and opportunities that face various families in our neighborhoods by speaking with parents and community leaders. It is the goal of the SRTS Boston program to consider equitable opportunities in each strategy of this initiative.

How You can Take Action Tailor the program to fit the unique needs of your school community.

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Section 4.4:

Comprehensive Health Education



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is Comprehensive Health Education? Comprehensive health education (CHE) is an integral component of quality school programming. CHE provides students with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary for making health-promoting decisions, achieving health literacy, adopting health-enhancing behaviors, and promoting the health of others. CHE promotes healthy habits, healthy relationships, and health literacy. Comprehensive Health Education Policy Components Comprehensive pre-K through grade 12 Health Education will be medically-accurate, age and developmentally appropriate, culturally inclusive, and implemented in safe and supportive learning environments where ALL students feel valued. Promotion and graduation requirements include the following: • Comprehensive K-12 health education • Health education that includes at minimum the Healthy and Safe Body Unit in elementary school • Two semesters of health education in total in grades 6 to 8 taught by a licensed health education teacher • One semester course of health education in total in grades 9 to 12 taught by a licensed health education teacher. Benefits of Implementing the Comprehensive Health Education Policy Health education directly contributes to students’ ability to practice behaviors that protect and promote health and avoid or reduce health risks. Providing students time to practice and master health education skills better positions them to achieve academic success, develop healthy lifestyle habits, make healthy and informed decisions, and improve health literacy throughout their lives. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. • •

• •

Personnel/staff: Is there a school-based point person(s) who works with the principal to address how the school will meet policy requirements relating to time, staffing, and implementation? Physical environment: Are the following visible and/or accessible to students: group agreements posted in classrooms; desks/tables arranged to maximize student engagement; student questions/appropriate discussion encouraged; students practicing skills; teacher management of student behavior; teacher competence in subject matter; a safe and respectful learning environment for ALL students; health education/promotions visible to the school community. District Supports: Does your school: follow Health Education Student Learning Outcomes and use district-endorsed curricula; receive professional development, technical assistance, and/or instructional coaching from the Health and Wellness Department (HWD); participate in HWD sponsored programs; have LGBTQ safe spaces available; participate in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey? School Budget: Does your school budget support comprehensive health education? Community Partners: Does your school work with BPS registered community partners to supplement or enhance existing Health Education programming at your school?

Need Help? Cheryl Todisco Health Education Director BPS Health and Wellness Department (617) 635-8709 ctodisco@bostonpublicschools.org Comprehensive Health Education | 81


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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story Mary Lyon K-8 recognized student needs, put in place instruction and programs to meet those needs, and moved further along the continuum to meet Health Education requirements for the Wellness Policy. The Mary Lyon K-8 School embodies the Comprehensive Health Education Policy! For many years at the Mary Lyon K-8 School, students received only one class on puberty in the 5th grade. As students moved through middle school, school personnel realized they were not providing follow-up lessons for students on their changing bodies/lives and what that means for them physically, mentally, and emotionally as they enter the challenging adolescent years. Knowing students can easily pick up misinformation on the playground, or find inaccurate and biased information from the internet, the Principal recognized that students have a right to medically accurate, developmentally appropriate information delivered by trusted adults. The Health and Wellness Department was there to help! Since SY11-12, the Health and Wellness Department (HWD) has recruited middle/K8 schools to be a part of the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP), a teen pregnancy prevention program that combines an evidenced-based sexuality education curriculum with selected life skills subjects for middle school students. The Principal presented this idea to the School Site Council in order to gain support for this new school initiative. She then asked her staff who might be interested in receiving training in sexual health education; the school nurse was quick to respond. With intensive training and support from the HWD, the nurse began teaching the sexual health education curriculum to 8th graders. Students were enthralled by the topic and fully engaged in the many interactive activities. It soon became clear that eighth graders were starting the class with little to no knowledge of their changing bodies, so the nurse began a 7th grade health program as well. The school didn’t stop there! Using Health Education Student Learning Outcomes and district-endorsed curricula, the nurse incorporated lessons on a variety of health themes: nutrition, disease prevention, mental health, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, and personal safety. Lessons emphasized key health education skills, such as goal setting, interpersonal communication, and accessing resources and decision making, and included student assessments and homework assignments. The school nurse attended professional development opportunities through the HWD, including a cross-site visit, to immerse herself in best practice lesson delivery. Following the success of these units – including an observed decrease in visits to the nurse’s office the school added health education in grades 4 and 5. A key component to the successful roll out of the health education program was involving parents and families. The school nurse, with the support of the Principal and HWD staff, hosted parent/family engagement informational evenings, where parents could look at and ask questions about the health curriculum. The nurse also emailed parents/families the night before each lesson, informing them of the lesson content and preparing them for any questions students might bring home. Mary Lyon hopes to expand health education programming, increase staff receiving training, and plans to design a comprehensive full year wellness course for all middle school students. Building on their success, it won’t be long until Mary Lyon provides comprehensive health education for every student at every grade level! 82 | Comprehensive Health Education


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Get Started with Comprehensive Health Education

• •

Assess the Status of Comprehensive Health Education at Your School: • Does your school currently have health education programming? o Are you using district-endorsed curricula to teach health education? o Are you using the Health and Wellness Department’s Healthy and Safe Body Unit for grades 4 and/or 5? • Does your staff currently attend Health and Wellness Department professional development opportunities? Is your school using Youth Risk Behavior data to influence your programming? Are you working with BPS registered community partners to enhance existing programming if and when needed?

Increasing Comprehensive Health Education at Your School* • Using the Health Education Policy Compliance Continuum and Rubric (available in this section), work with your school administrator to incorporate comprehensive health education into the master schedule and to ensure appropriate staffing to deliver comprehensive health education by qualified and trained teachers (must be health education licensed for grades 6-12). Strategies and Tips for your Wellness Council to Support Health Education Efforts at Your School: • Include health education as a focus area on your Wellness Action Plan. • Display health promotional materials in your school community. • Showcase student work that illustrates health education instruction / programming. • Wellness Council promotes whole school health education efforts to encourage healthy eating: o Classroom teachers use the National Awareness Months as a campaign to integrate one or more of the Health Education skills. For example, 2nd grade focuses on Accessing Resources during National Breakfast Month, learning to use MyPlate within various subject areas. Helpful resources at choosemyplate.gov. o Classroom teachers use health related nutrition education material (non-fiction) to address reading and writing standards. o Cafeteria staff reinforce MyPlate concepts in the meal lines. o Families are encouraged to make healthy snacks at home with their children; suggestions are sent home as follow up to class assignments. o Collaborate with a BPS registered community partner to host a family engagement event about making healthy meals and snacks at home. *Note: Comprehensive Health Education is provided by a qualified and trained teacher in elementary grades, and a licensed health education teacher in middle school and high school. The Comprehensive Health Education component of the policy requires appropriate staffing. Wellness Councils are encouraged to work with school leaders to identify how to incorporate appropriate staffing to teach comprehensive health education. In addition, the Wellness Council may want to support other health education efforts at the school, as described in the Strategies and Tips section above.

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Health Education Wellness Policy Compliance for BPS School Administrators – Elementary Schools (Criteria for Grades K-5) Criteria Programming

Learning Objectives

Beginning * At the elementary school grade level, health education is not a part of instructional programming

* At the elementary school grade level, only one or two content areas of a comprehensive health education program are offered

* Health education is not taught in school

* Includes 1 or 2 content areas only, e.g. lessons on nutrition education and physical activity; and/or bullying, etc.

Time * Health fairs or Requirements assemblies are used instead of health education instruction

Span

Emerging

* The school nurse or someone in a health related field delivers a single session on a healthrelated topic * Health education is not taught in school

* Lessons focus on content, not skills * Health education is taught, but for less than 30 minutes per week

* Students in some grades receive health education * Only students in grade 4 receive the Healthy and Safe Body Unit

Proficient/Compliant Bronze Level Award*

Leading Silver/Gold Level Award*

* At the elementary school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming** * Healthy & Safe Body Unit is required for all grade 4 and/or 5 students * Includes functional knowledge and skills-based lessons on all components of comprehensive health education

* At the elementary school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming; a sequential program is offered using the districts’ Health Ed SLOs and endorsed curricula * Skills-based health education is taught, and it is integrated into other subject areas where possible

* Healthy & Safe Body Unit taught to all 4th and/or 5th grade students * Includes a minimum of 30 minutes per week of instructional time or the equivalent number of minutes annually in grades K – 2

* Includes a minimum of 80 minutes per week of instructional time or the equivalent number of minutes annually in grades K – 2

* Includes a minimum of 40 minutes per week of instructional time or the equivalent number of minutes annually in grades 3 – 5

* Includes a minimum of 120 minutes per week of instructional time or the equivalent number of minutes annually in grades 3 – 5

* All students in all grades receive comprehensive health education

* All students in all grades receive comprehensive health education in a stand-alone health education class

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Assessment & Reporting

* Students are not assessed in health education

Qualified and Trained Teachers

* Health education is not taught in school

Community Partners

Professional Development

Wellness Action Plan

* Health education is delivered solely by community partners, not school based staff * Teachers receive non-content specific school-based professional development * School does not have a Wellness Action Plan

* Some students are assessed in health education OR only certain grade levels are assessed * Health education is taught by teachers without training in health education

* All students are assessed in health education

* All students are assessed in health education and results are reported on the report card

* Health education is taught by qualified and trained teachers in health education

* Health education is taught by licensed and trained teachers in health education

* Relevant community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program (optional)

* HWD approved community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program

* Teachers receive some professional development on health related topics

* Teachers receive district delivered professional development on health related topics or units

* Teachers receive three hours or more of annual professional development on effective practices for health education

* Health education is not a goal on the wellness action plan

* Health education is identified as a goal on the school wellness action plan

* Action steps are in place for health education on the school wellness action plan and progress has been reported to the district

* Health education is delivered by the school staff or a community partner, not licensed classroom or specialist teachers * Health education is delivered by community partners in certain grades

* Healthy Schools Program Assessment from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation **Comprehensive Health Education includes: alcohol and other drug use and abuse, healthy eating/nutrition, mental and emotional health, personal health and wellness, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, sexual health that is LGBTQ inclusive, tobacco use, and violence prevention

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Health Education Wellness Policy Compliance for BPS School Administrators – K-8/Middle Schools (Criteria for Grades 6-8) Criteria

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient/Compliant Bronze Level Award*

Leading Silver/Gold Level Award* * At the middle school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming; a sequential program is offered using the districts’ Health Education SLOs and endorsed curricula * Skills-based health education is taught, and it is integrated into other subject areas where possible

Programming

* At the middle school grade level, health education is not a part of instructional programming

* At the middle school grade level, only one or two content areas of a comprehensive health education program are offered, e.g. Sexual Health Education

* At the middle school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming**

Learning Objectives

* Health education is not taught in school

* Includes 1 or 2 content areas only, e.g. lessons on nutrition education and physical activity; and/or bullying, etc.

* Includes functional knowledge and skills-based lessons on all components of comprehensive health education

Time/Promotional * Health fairs or Requirements assemblies are used instead of health education instruction

Span

* The school nurse or someone in a health related field delivers a single session on a healthrelated topic * Health education is not taught in school

* Lessons focus on content, not skills * Only some students meet the requirement for promotion; health education is taught for less than 2 semesters in Grades 6-8

* Students in some grades receive health education

* Health education is taught for 2 semesters in total in Grades 6 - 8

* Health education is taught in a stand-alone, health education class for a minimum of one semester per grade

* All students receive comprehensive health education

* All students receive comprehensive health education in a stand-alone health education class

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Assessment & Reporting

* Students are not assessed in health education

Qualified and Trained Teachers

* Health education is not taught in school

Community Partners

Professional Development

Wellness Action Plan

* Health education is delivered solely by community partners, not school based staff * Teachers receive non-content specific school-based professional development * School does not have a Wellness Action Plan

* Some students are assessed in health education OR only certain grade levels are assessed * Health education is taught by teachers without training in health education

* All students are assessed in health education

* All students are assessed in health education and results are reported on the report card

* Health education is taught by qualified and trained teachers in health education

* Health education is taught by licensed and trained teachers in health education

* Relevant community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program (optional)

* HWD approved community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program

* Teachers receive some professional development on health related topics

* Teachers receive district delivered professional development on health related topics or units

* Teachers receive six hours or more of annual professional development on effective practices for health education

* Health education is not a goal on the wellness action plan

* Health education is identified as a goal on the school wellness action plan

* Action steps are in place for health education on the school wellness action plan and progress has been reported to the district

* Health education is delivered by the school staff or a community partner, not licensed classroom or specialist teachers * Health education is delivered by community partners in certain grades

* Healthy Schools Program Assessment from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation **Comprehensive Health Education includes: alcohol and other drug use and abuse, healthy eating/nutrition, mental and emotional health, personal health and wellness, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, sexual health that is LGBTQ inclusive, tobacco use, and violence prevention

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Health Education Wellness Policy Compliance for BPS School Administrators – High School Grades (Criteria for Grades 9-12) Criteria

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient/Compliant Bronze Level Award*

Leading Silver/Gold Level Award*

Programming

* At the high school grade level, health education is not a part of instructional programming

* At the high school grade level, only one or two content areas of a comprehensive health education program are offered e.g. Sexual Health Education

* At the high school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming**

Learning Objectives

* Health education is not taught in school

* Includes 1 or 2 content areas only, e.g. lessons on nutrition education, substance use, and/or sexual health

* Includes functional knowledge and skills-based lessons on all components of comprehensive health education

* At the high school grade level, comprehensive health education is a part of instructional programming; a sequential program is offered using the districts’ Health Education SLOs and endorsed curricula * Skills-based health education is taught, and it is integrated into other subject areas where possible

* Lessons focus on content, not skills * Less than one semester in total of instructional time is given for health education programming

* Is taught in a term-long course that is equivalent to one semester

* Is offered for more than 1 semester

* Is required for high school graduation * All students receive comprehensive health education

* Health education electives are offered in the higher grades * All students receive comprehensive health education in a stand-alone health education class * All students are assessed in health education and results are reported on the report card

Time/Graduation * Health education Requirements is not taught in school Span

* Health education is not taught in school

* Students in some grades receive health education

Assessment & Reporting

* Students are not assessed in health education

* Some students are assessed in health education OR only certain grade levels are assessed

* All students are assessed in health education

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Qualified Teachers

Community Partners

Professional Development

Wellness Action Plan

* Health education is not taught in school

* Health education is delivered solely by community partners, not school based staff * Teachers receive non-content specific school-based professional development * School does not have a Wellness Action Plan

* Health education is taught by teachers without training in health education

* Health education is taught by qualified and trained teachers in health education

* Health education is taught by licensed and trained teachers in health education

* Relevant community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program (optional)

* HWD approved community partners are used as needed to supplement an existing health education program

* Teachers receive some professional development on health related topics

* Teachers receive district delivered professional development on health related topics or units

* Teachers receive three hours or more of annual professional development on effective practices for health education

* Health education is not a goal on the wellness action plan

* Health education is identified as a goal on the school wellness action plan

* Action steps are in place for health education on the school wellness action plan and progress has been reported to the district

* Health education is delivered by the school staff or a community partner, not licensed classroom or specialist teachers * Health education is delivered by community partners in certain grades

* Healthy Schools Program Assessment from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation **Comprehensive Health Education includes: alcohol and other drug use and abuse, healthy eating/nutrition, mental and emotional health, personal health and wellness, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, sexual health that is LGBTQ inclusive, tobacco use, and violence prevention

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Section 4.5: Healthy School Environment



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Healthy School Environment Policy? Keeping our schools clean, healthy, and free of asthma/allergy triggers, as well as in good repair, requires regular monitoring and proactive maintenance. The Healthy School Environment section of the BPS Wellness Policy promotes existing BPS policies for providing high-performing school buildings and grounds that are clean, in good repair, have healthy indoor air quality and water quality, have sanitary and accessible bathrooms, and use resources efficiently by working with Facilities, the City-wide Healthy Schools Taskforce, the school community, and partners. Healthy School Environment Policy Components •

• •

Every year, BPS and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) conduct annual Environmental Inspections (Audit) of each school building to evaluate environmental health and safety conditions. Audit results are summarized and sent to the school Principal/Headmaster, who is responsible for reviewing and developing environmental health priorities for the school. Principals/Headmasters meet with the Wellness Council to initiate environmental health action steps using the audit results and Promoting Healthy School Environments Toolkit as a guide. Wellness Councils communicate action steps and outcomes with staff, parents, and partners.

Benefits of Maintaining Healthy Schools • • •

Increased productivity and performance of mental tasks, such as concentration and recall in both adults and children. Successful management of allergies and childhood asthma. Improved management of financial and natural resources.

Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. •

Personnel/Staff: The Principal/Headmaster is responsible for reviewing the annual environmental audit and communicating priority issues to the Wellness Council. School custodians are key stakeholders in this work and should be invited to join the Wellness Council. Physical Environment: In partnership with Facilities, the school is responsible for maintaining a healthy, safe environment. Schools must maintain & use their Integrated Pest Management (IPM) log to record pest sightings & pest control work; only the BPS approved green cleaner products should be used in schools; single stream recycling is required in all BPS buildings. District Supports: In addition to Facilities staff liaisons, the city-wide Healthy Schools Taskforce (HST), which includes district and community partners, monitors BPS policies and practices on environmental health and safety and makes recommendations for new policies to support healthy school environments and maintains the BPS Healthy School Environment Toolkit. School Budget: Schools need to submit work orders to initiate repairs in the building. The District budgets for and coordinates large renovation projects. School administrators should coordinate with Facilities on updates and renovations for their school, including volunteer work. Community Partners: Does your school work with any community organizations to supplement/complement programs or healthy school environments work at your school?

Need help? Katherine Walsh Sustainability & Environmental Resources Manager BPS Facilities Management Department (617) 635-9576 kwalsh4@bostonpublicschools.org

Al Vega Director of Policy and Programs MassCOSH (617)825-7233 ext. 19 al.vega@masscosh.org Healthy School Environment | 93


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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story How do you help make your school a clean and green place for students and staff? One way is to engage the custodial staff in advocating for and making your building a healthy school environment! This is exactly what the Blackstone Innovation School did as part of the Wellness Champion Program. BPS Wellness Champions specifically address school environmental health actions through their school Wellness Council. Kevin Moriarty, the custodian and Wellness Champion at the Blackstone, worked to ensure compliance with the BPS green cleaning policy, improved recycling participation, and proactively addressed maintenance issues to improve building conditions and promote an asthma-friendly environment for students and staff. The Blackstone school nurse, Anne Greenwald, was especially excited about Kevin’s participation in the Wellness Council. “Because of his efforts to engage the whole school in maintaining a green and healthy environment, we saw few asthma exacerbations this past school year,” said Ms. Greenwald. Kevin, along with eight other Wellness Champions, participated in four hours of training to learn about what healthy school violations look like and best practices for taking action on results from their school’s annual environmental audit. The Promoting Healthy School Environments toolkit, available in this BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit, was a key resource developed for the Champions and for any BPS teacher or school leader looking to learn more about promoting healthy school environments. At the Blackstone, Kevin used his role as a senior custodian and wellness champion to raise environmental health as a priority. He started a single-stream recycling program including recycling the food trays and milk cartons from the cafeteria, a program assisted by a third grade class, which helped reduce clutter and pests. He also assembled a team to conduct a building walk-through to identify environmental hazards, such as toxic cleaners, as well as clutter and pest issues, and reported actions steps to the Blackstone Wellness Council and BPS Facilities Management. Working with teachers, he educated folks about how to use the Integrated Pest Management Log to document pest sightings and to report other issues such leaks and needed repairs in their classrooms, which often need to be submitted through the work order system to be addressed by Facilities Management. Finally, he showed a great commitment to promoting and implementing the BPS green cleaning policy, something that most staff don’t know about or follow. Kevin provided education about the green cleaning policy and made sure all staff received a labeled bottle of the BPS-approved green allpurpose cleaner along with a pack of paper towels. Ensuring use of the approved green cleaner is important to reduce exposure to asthma triggers and toxins often found in conventional cleaning products. While much has been accomplished at the Blackstone, the work does not end here. Kevin is enthusiastic about continuing to partner with the Wellness Council to include healthy school environment goals in their Wellness Action Plan each year and to engage more students in these activities, all while maintaining good communication with school staff about the tips, policies, and best practices for maintaining a healthy, green school. Facilities Management is also excited to share Kevin’s success with other custodians and Wellness Champions across the district. Healthy School Environment | 94


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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story Conley Elementary empowers their students to think critically about environmental issues and advocate for change within their school and community. The Wellness Council, led by the dedicated Healthy School Environment Wellness Champion, wanted to create a school environment where students understood how to reduce, reuse, and recycle and took ownership to better implement the three R’s into the culture of the school. The Wellness Council worked together to start a ‘Green Team’ for fourth and fifth graders in order to encourage students to take a leadership role in improving the school’s recycling program. Students created recycling posters that used actual pieces of lunch, breakfast, and fruit snack packaging to guide students on how to recycle correctly. This has been especially helpful for many of their younger and special education students who benefit from visual models. Green Team students were put in charge of placing recycling barrels in the cafeteria during breakfast and lunch and monitoring the recycling. In classrooms, students have been assigned to empty small classroom recycling barrels into the larger school recycling barrel. Understanding that it is important to reuse items as well, students and staff are starting to think creatively about how plastic, paper, and cardboard containers can be used more than once. Teachers now reuse a lot of the plastic containers from lunch and breakfast for crafts. For example, items like plastic lunch containers and marker caps have been reused to create crafts to sell at the Roslindale Farmers Market as a fundraiser. Additionally, the Conley partnered with “e” inc, a Boston non-profit educational organization, to help integrate more environmental science into their science classes and other subjects as well. For example, they used the “Ban the Plastic Straw” campaign to teach persuasive English writing. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grade researched the problem of plastics polluting the oceans and had to write a persuasive essay about whether or not plastic straws should be banned. They then brainstormed how they could cut down on straws and how it would affect their lives. Students also examined the Boston plastic bag ban, discussed the pros and cons in class, and wrote an opinion paper on the subject. Students worked on posters and other ways to spread their message. As a result of the Wellness Council’s efforts, older students in particular are taking ownership of their learning through independent research and teaching the younger students and their families how crucial it is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Students are becoming aware that in order to protect the future of our planet, they need to get involved now. They realize that their actions can make a positive difference. As one Green Team member said, the team “wants to make the world a better place and make a big impact.”

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Get Started with Healthy School Environments Assess your School’s Work in Maintaining a Healthy School Environment •

Review your school’s most recent Environmental Audit, which summarizes conditions such as leaks, mold, pests, chemicals, and cleanliness, all of which can affect asthma, health, and the ability to learn. • What is currently being done at your school to promote and support a healthy school environment? o These could be activities such as decluttering, recording pest sightings, and ensuring that all staff are using the BPS-approved green cleaner. Is there a priority area that your school staff, parents, and/or students want to focus on, such as recycling, decluttering, or green cleaning? o To find out, distribute a staff survey to learn what the biggest issues are with the building from their perspective.

Strategies and Tips for your Wellness Council to Get Started on a Healthy School Environment •

• • •

• • • •

Choose an area of the healthy school environments policy - leaks, mold, pests, recycling, decluttering as a focus area on your Wellness Action Plan. Recruit council members to take the lead on this action step. Hold a Healthy School Environments Day and do a whole-school clean-up and decluttering event to decrease pest infestations. Start a recycling program and engage students in running it. Ask your custodian to provide each classroom with all-purpose cleaner (in labeled spray bottles) and a supply of paper towels. The custodian should fill the bottles upon request. This is the only cleaner that should be used by school staff! o Educate building occupants about the Green Cleaning policy and monitor to make sure people DO NOT bring their own cleaning products into the schools. Make sure your Wellness Council is aware of and understands the tobacco-free policy for Boston Public Schools. Collaborate with school administration to ensure buy-in with efforts to promote a healthy school environment and keep the building healthy. Involve staff in planning and implementing activities to promote a healthy school environment. Work with community organizations (e.g., MassCOSH) and BPS Departments (e.g., Facilities) to coordinate efforts, get ideas and help, and make your school environment healthier.

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PROMOTING HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS Resource Toolkit for Schools

Healthy, High-Performing Buildings = Healthy, High-Performing Students

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KIDS LEARN BEST IN HEALTHY SCHOOLS This Healthy School Environment Resource Toolkit was developed to assist Boston Public School Principals/ Headmasters and their Wellness Councils implement the Healthy School Environment Policy, a component of the District’s Comprehensive Health & Wellness Policy. The Toolkit is a guide for assessing, taking action, communicating, and monitoring & evaluating environmental, health, and safety issues in our schools. It provides definitions of environmental factors to consider, links to current policies, procedures, and best practices to address specific environmental factors identified in their building’s annual Environmental Audit (Audit).

What is the BPS Annual Environmental Audit? Since 2002, in compliance with a Boston City Council Ordinance, each Boston school is inspected annually by BPS and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to assess environmental building conditions such as leaks, mold, pests, chemicals and cleanliness that can affect asthma, health and learning. Learn more about the BPS Environmental Audit

Why is the Audit Important? Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism, accounting for nearly 13 million missed school days per year. Asthma triggers and allergens in our schools such as mold, dust, pests, chemicals and outdoor pollutants affects students and staff by making it hard to concentrate and can mean frequent visits to the nurse office and missed school time. Keeping our schools clean, safe and in good repair requires regular monitoring and proactive maintenance. The annual Audits allow BPS and BPHC the chance to assess each building in depth and take immediate action on any health and safety repairs.

How Do Schools Use the Audit Results? The Audit provides a snapshot of the conditions in our schools. The Audit results for each school are summarized in a comprehensive report that is sent to the Principal/Headmaster. A summary report is posted on each school’s website. School Principals/Headmasters are responsible for reviewing their Audit results and other related building condition resources to develop environmental health priorities for the school. Additionally, the BPS Healthy Schools Taskforce (HST) uses the audit results to monitor trends overtime and support the implementation of school environmental policies and programs where they are most needed.

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DEVELOPING A HEALTHY SCHOOLS PLAN Conducting the annual environmental audit is the first step, but a plan must be developed at each school to ensure ongoing actions are taken to address air quality and health issues. The following framework can be used to sustain effective healthy school environmental initiatives that keep the building in good working order and promote health and learning. As you develop a healthy school plan for your school, consider incorporating best practices from the EPA’s IAQ Tools For Schools program.

What Assess

Act

Who

The annual BPS school Audits are conducted to establish a baseline of environmental building conditions (# of areas in the school with issues such as leaks, mold, overt signs of pests, clutter, dust, needed repairs)

A Wellness Action Plan (WAP) is created using Audit results to address priority environmental health and safety issues

• •

Communicate

Monitor & Evaluate

The healthy schools plan, goals, action steps and results are communicated to various stakeholders through various channels, such as trainings, memos, WC meetings and more.

Work is monitored, best practices and progress is documented, and follow-up action steps are identified

• •

When

BPS Environmental Health & Safety Department and the Boston Public Health Commission conduct Audits Principal /Headmaster receives Audit results Advocates in school complete their own environmental inspection

BPS Facilities completes priority work orders School Wellness Council’s (WC) review priority issues from Audit results and WC creates environmental action goals in WAP Schools submit work orders based on Audit results

• •

Principal /Headmaster and WC include updates in staff trainings and through various school communications Principal /Headmaster communicates regularly with Facilities staff

Throughout the school year at staff meetings, parent council meetings, newsletters, etc. Ongoing, as needed

WC updates WAP BPS Facilities completes follow-up site visits if necessary

• •

Ongoing Ongoing, as needed

Audits conducted October – April Audit results emailed to Principal/Headmaster shortly after inspection completed Anytime

Ongoing WC develops WAP goals late spring/early fall Ongoing

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HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT ACTION STEPS Get started in your school by taking these simple steps: 1. Principals/ Headmasters Review their school’s annual Environmental Audit to prioritize the environmental, health and safety building conditions that need to be addressed. 2. Principals/ Headmasters (or school building administrators) Meet with the Wellness Council to initiate environmental health action steps using the audit results and this Healthy School Environment Toolkit as a guide. 3. Wellness Councils Communicate action steps and outcomes with school staff, parents and community partners who use the school building. Helpful Resources • BPS Circulars (Facilities, Health & Wellness) • BPS Healthy & Sustainable Schools • Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) • EPA - Environmental Health in Schools Helpful Contacts Each BPS school has a team of Facilities staff liaisons for the following areas. You can contact Facilities for an up-to-date list – Maria Lew-Houston at mlewhouston@bostonpublicschools.org or call 617-635-9162. • Environmental, Alterations & Repairs, Fire Alarms, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical, Security, Roofing, Civil Engineering, Custodial Services (617-635-8300) • Materials Distribution (617-635-8745) • Energy (617-635-8740) • Maintenance (617-635-8290) • Healthy and Sustainable Schools (617-635-9576)

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HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS BEST PRACTICES BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • •

Leaks and Water Stains Visible Mold Growth Overt Pest Signs: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Clutter, Dust, Recycling Indoor Air Quality Building Repairs Chemicals and Chemical Storage Construction/Renovation Projects and Volunteer Projects Tobacco Anti-idling and Outdoor Pollution

Leaks and Water Stains Monitor the number of rooms that have evidence of one or more water leaks. This could include water stains or discoloration on walls, floors, or ceiling tiles as well as active leaks where water is present. Leaks are of concern because persistent moisture can promote mold growth as well as encourage insect or rodent infestations. Policies and Procedures • •

If minor plumbing leaks are identified, submit a work order for the issue. If emergency leaks are identified, contact your Plumbing Supervisor and/or your Area Manager immediately or call 617-635-9162.

Tips and Best Practices • • • • • •

Monitor areas where leaks were identified. Conduct your own walk through/inspection, including less occupied spaces such as closets, mechanical rooms, and basements. Assess if work order repairs were completed and if water damaged materials were replaced (within 2448 hrs). Create a system for staff to report leaks and/or environmental building problems (a binder in front office, email, key person). Identify if leaks are caused by activities in the school that require a behavioral response (ex. students clogging a sink or toilet) or from other structural reasons (ex. leaky roof, pipes, and windows). Review EPA resources on mold.

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Visible Mold Growth Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores. Mold can look like grey-black powder on or near water-damaged areas, spots or patches. Mold remediation is a high priority repair because it can be an asthma trigger and/or cause respiratory problems and allergic sensitization. Policies and Procedures • •

BPS Asthma Policy: SHS 20 If mold is noted in the Audit report, BPS Facilities will prioritize it for remediation. If you suspect mold in your school, contact your Environmental Supervisor and/or your Area Manager.

Tips and Best Practices • • • •

• •

Moisture problems should be addressed promptly. Wet areas should be dried out within 24 to 48 hours. On your walkthrough of the school, take note of the specific places that are stained, seem damp or have active leaks. Monitor the work orders for leak repair so they don’t become a potential cause of mold and health problems in the future. Be aware of hidden mold. Some building materials, such as dry wall may trap moisture underneath their surfaces where mold can grow. You may suspect hidden mold if a building smells moldy, but you cannot see the source, or if you know there has been water damage and building occupants are reporting health problems. Teachers should not try to clean mold in their classrooms. Review EPA "Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings" to learn about managing mold growth in schools.

Overt Pest Signs: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) IPM is required by State Law. IPM is designed to control pests while using little to no chemical pesticides. Pests are a concern for sanitation reasons and because they are asthma and allergy triggers. Policies and Procedures • • • • •

BPS Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Policy: FMT-10 BPS Asthma Policy: SHS 20 Every school must have an IPM Coordinator identified and maintain an IPM Log to document pest problems. Each school is assigned an IPM contactor who conducts regular inspections and reports on IPM actions in the IPM log. All pest concerns should be addressed to BPS Environmental Health & Safety Department.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Tips and Best Practices •

• • • • • •

Each school must designate an IPM Coordinator who regularly checks the log to see problem areas. The IPM Coordinator communicates with the pest contractor and faculty for prevention strategies documented in the IPM log (ex. store food properly, clean up/spill plan for classroom eating, if possible keep all eating in cafeteria) Control where food is served – ideally limit meals to the cafeteria. If food is served in classrooms, ensure the recycling and trash equipment can handle waste from meals and teachers have equipment to clean up after each meal. Make sure proactive pest management is taking place all day long by training volunteer groups and before and after-school program staff. Ensure they know proper maintenance of trash and recycling, and food policies (where it can be served, stored, etc.) to reduce pest infestation. Do a pest walkthrough in problem areas to identify things that attract pests (water, food, clutter, access from outside through cracks and lack of door sweeps). Communicate to staff best practices and also when there are issues. Continue to monitor throughout the year. Use the resources found on the BPS Healthy & Sustainable Schools website.

Clutter, Dust, Recycling It is important to manage clutter in the classroom as it contributes to the build-up of dust, hides places where mold may be growing, blocks ventilation units, or provides places for pests to live and hide. Clutter also makes it difficult to clean. Dust can cause allergic reactions and make asthma worse. Recycling helps reduce clutter and dust and rids the classroom of excess paper, books, and equipment that are no longer needed. Policies and Procedures • • • • •

BPS Zero Waste Policy: FMT-08 BPS Asthma Policy: SHS 20 Every school should have a single stream recycling program and a Recycling Coordinator in place. Recycle E-waste by completing OIIT Form 54 to have computers, monitors, etc., removed from the building. Contact the BPS Sustainability & Environmental Resources Manager with questions about recycling (books, metal, large volumes of any item).

Tips and Best Practices • • • • •

Involve the Recycling Coordinator(s) and Custodian on the Wellness Council. Educate staff, teachers, students, partners and visitors about recycling best practices using the “BPS Zero Waste Guide” Organize a Recycling Club or Green Team with students to monitor recycling systems so that it remains clean and well used. Host an annual kick off assembly or training program at the start of the school year to get everyone on the same page about the recycling program. Don’t allow materials to pile up as this can foster pests.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit • • •

Organize an annual Locker Clean Out or Clutter Clean Out Event (especially if 25% of rooms are documented as cluttered on the Audit report). Shadow the Custodians and learn what their workflow process is like, and what regular and special custodial cleaning tasks are (garbage removal times, heavy cleaning, and vacation cleaning, etc.) Purchase Environmentally Preferable Products that use less energy, are healthy and can be recycled.

Indoor Air Quality Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a concern in many schools due in part to the age and growing deferred maintenance list. Good IAQ means that building occupants are thermally comfortable, the air is clean, chemicals are reduced, and furniture and equipment brought into the school are made of healthy materials. Policies and Procedures • • • •

BPS Asthma Policy: SHS 20 BPS Green Cleaners Policy: FMT11 BPS Energy Memo: radiators, microwaves, toaster ovens, etc., are illegal in schools. Contact the BPS Energy Division with temperature and energy issues.

Tips and Best Practices • • • • • •

Using the Audit results, conduct your own Air Quality walkthrough targeting spaces that had hot (above 75 degrees) or cold (below 68 degree) readings or carbon dioxide levels above 900. Consider educating yourself with this EPA “Virtual Walkthrough Webinar” or working with an expert who has access to diagnostic tools and take measurements during the audit. Look closely for blocked, dirty vents that could impede airflow. Review work orders and previous complaints to monitor if issues are temporary or chronic and how they are being addressed. Review EPA IAQ tips on maintaining good ventilation and “Minimum Heating Guidelines” Learn about how you can maintain your classroom to be healthy by taking the Green Classroom Professional Certificate online course.

Building Repairs Maintaining schools and proactively addressing repair needs is important for keeping buildings healthy, safe and high-performing. During the Audit, inspectors issue work orders for priority health and safety issues and notify the appropriate BPS Facilities Management to file work orders on other needed repairs. Policies and Procedures •

All repair and maintenance needs identified by school personnel should be submitted through the work order system.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Tips and Best Practices •

• • •

Principal/Headmaster and Wellness Councils should review the school’s Audit Repair report and ensure work orders are submitted for each issue identified. Identify a point person in the school who can monitor work orders. Bring work order reports to Wellness Council meetings to track progress. Work orders that are considered health and safety hazards should be elevated immediately and prioritized by BPS Facilities Management.

Chemicals and Chemical Storage There are many chemicals in the school environment. Some of them are known health hazards, such as lead and asbestos, which are monitored to make sure that they don’t chip or become airborne. BPS has a number of policies on chemical use and storage in order to comply with state and federal regulations. Others are policies BPS developed as a best practice for safe and healthy environments, such as the Green Cleaners Policy. Policies and Procedures • • • • •

BPS Asthma Policy: SHS 20 BPS Green Cleaners Policy: FMT11 Chemical Inventory Right to Know: FMT 07 M.G.L Chapter 21H – Mercury Management Contact BPS Environmental Division if chemicals, chipped paint, or toxic materials are found improperly stored.

Tips and Best Practices • • • • • •

Educate building occupants about the Green Cleaners policy and monitor to make sure people DO NOT bring their own cleaning products into the schools. Ask your Custodian to provide each classroom with all-purpose cleaner (in labeled spray bottles) and a supply of paper towels. The custodian should fill the bottles upon request. Do not bring in “plug-ins” or fragrance sprays. They can be respiratory irritants and make asthma worse. If there is evidence of chipped paint, determine if it is a hazardous material. Purchase Environmentally Preferable Products that are low emitting and environmentally safer. Review information from MA DEP about improving school health.

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Construction/ Renovation Projects and Volunteer Projects Policies and Procedures • • •

BPS Renovations to School Buildings and Yards – FMT 03 Facilities Volunteer Projects: FMT-17 Facilities Management conducts air testing after the completion of projects, especially those that involve painting, sealants and other chemical applications.

Tips and Practices •

• • • •

Be aware of how school construction projects may affect environmental health – dust, fumes, debris, noise, etc. No construction should be completed during school hours that will create major disruptions, and painting projects must be done with adequate time for ventilating. Contractors completing work on school property must have Safety Data Sheets available that have health and safety information on the materials used. Plan with school staff on how to safely move, store or pack classroom furniture, equipment and materials so they do not become covered in construction dust. Make sure your school volunteers are familiar with the environmental guidelines outlined in FMT-17. Read EPA’s “An Overview of Renovations for a Healthier School Environment”

Tobacco The use and promotion of tobacco products on school grounds and at off-campus school-sponsored events is detrimental to the health and safety of students, staff, and visitors. Policies and Procedures • •

BPS Tobacco Free Environmental Policy: HWD 06 MA Smoke-Free Workplace Law - M.G.L Chapter 270 Sec. 22 & Chapter 71 Sec. 2A

Tips and Best Practices • • • • •

Identify point person(s) to implement, monitor and enforce Tobacco Free policy. Hang “Tobacco Free” signs in accordance to BPHC on school sites. Educate students, staff and families about the policy and about smoke free living; include policy in student, staff and parent handbooks; have staff sign that they are aware of the policy. Include smoking cessation programming as part of school Wellness programming. Review Tobacco Prevention Resource Guide.

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Anti-idling and Outdoor Pollution Cars and buses that idle outside a school emit particulates that cause air pollution and are respiratory irritants for students, staff and visitors. Vehicle exhaust close to the school building is likely to be pulled into the school through open doors or exterior ventilation systems. In addition to direct health impacts onsite, emissions from idling contribute to climate change. Pollen and other outdoor pollutants that make their way into the school can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks. Policies and Procedures •

MGL Chapter 90, Section 16A prohibits idling of vehicles beyond 5 minutes

Tips and Best Practices • • • • • • •

Limit school bus idling time and direct drivers to turn off buses and cars when they arrive at the school. Provide a safe space for drivers to wait inside the school if they arrive early, especially in the winter. Post “idling limit” signs (available from BPS Transportation Department) wherever buses and vehicles linger. Consult with the BPS Transportation Department to design vehicle drop off and pick up patterns to reduce idling time and exhaust exposure for students and staff. Learn about and educate others about managing student’s exposure to outdoor pollen or pollution. Establish school policies to manage exposure on high pollution days. Fly a colored air quality flag each day to notify the school community of high pollution days.

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Decision Tree for Schools Currently Using Tap Water

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Decision Tree for Schools Currently Using Bottled Water

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Section 4.6: Safe and Supportive Schools



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What are Safe and Supportive Schools? Schools that “(1) enable students to develop positive relationships with adults and peers, regulate their emotions and behavior, achieve academic and non-academic success in school and maintain physical and psychological health and well-being; and (2) integrate services and aligns initiatives that promote students' behavioral health, including social and emotional learning, bullying prevention, trauma sensitivity, dropout prevention, truancy reduction, children's mental health, foster care and homeless youth education, inclusion of students with disabilities, positive behavioral approaches that reduce suspensions and expulsions and other similar initiatives” (Massachusetts Safe & Supportive Framework Law M.G.L. c. 69, § 1P). Safe & Supportive School Components • Creating a climate and environment that is culturally responsive, engaging, and inclusive. • Adopting a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. • Implementing BPS SEL standards and practices in the classroom and throughout the school. • Addressing prevention and intervention for behavioral and mental health issues through health screenings, promotions, and services. • Provide training and clear procedures to address bullying and violence, including bias-based conduct, suicide, sexual harassment and assault, and dating violence. • Provide access to support services for vulnerable populations, including but not limited to students who are: LGBTQ+, refugee, asylee, documented or undocumented immigrants, English learners, expecting or parenting, court involved, experiencing homelessness, experiencing trauma, or students with disabilities. Benefits of Implementing Safe & Supportive Schools Fostering a safe, positive, healthy, and inclusive school where students feel welcome, supported and cared for helps to address many of the non-academic barriers to learning that impact our most vulnerable students. Getting Started on Safe & Supportive Schools • Personnel/staff: Evaluate the capacity of your school to implement these components. Does your school have a Student Support Team? Who are the staff in your building that support student’s behavioral health needs (e.g. school psychologists, social workers, guidance counselors, school nurses, community partners, trained classroom teachers, etc)? • Physical environment: Explore ways that your school building may be helping or hindering a positive and welcoming climate. Does the physical space provide a reflection for students to see themselves as positive members of the school community? Does the physical space provide inspiration for students to see what they can be as they grow? • District Supports: What type of professional development does your staff need in order to improve school climate and promote positive behaviors among all students? • Community Partners: Does your school work with a community-based mental health provider to supplement/complement programs at your school? Need help? Arthur Collins – District-Wide Restorative Justice Coach acollins3@bostonpublicschools.org Brian Marques – Director of Opportunity Youth (Homelessness) bmarques@bostonpublicschools.org Carla Burley – Director of Social Emotional Learning cburley@bostonpublicschools.org Ilyitch Nahiely Tábora – Ex. Director, Immigrant/Targeted Populations itabora@bostonpublicschools.org Ivonne Borrero – Behavioral Health Asst. Director iborrero@bostonpublicschools.org Jodie Elgee – Succeed Boston Senior Director jelgee@bostonpublicschools.org

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What is the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM)? CBHM is a multi-tiered system of supports to address students’ behavioral and social emotional needs and ensures that all students have access to high-quality coordinated behavioral and mental health supports. CBHM helps schools respond to behavioral and mental health needs with evidence-based tools to become safe and supportive learning environments. CBHM is aligned with the Massachusetts Safe and Supportive Schools Legislation (MGL c. 69, Sec. 1P). Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model Components CBHM includes the systemic and school-wide use of the following prevention and intervention activities: • Universal Screening - CBHM uses the Behavior Intervention Monitoring Assessment System (BIMAS) tool for Universal Screening of all students. • Universal Interventions (Tier 1) - Universal Interventions are used with 100% of students across all educational settings in a school. Universal Interventions are preventative. • Targeted Interventions (Tier 2) - Targeted Interventions support groups of students who continue to struggle. Targeted Interventions are often short-term and solution-focused. • Intensive Interventions (Tier 3) - Intensive Interventions meet the needs of individual students experiencing a high level of distress. Intensive Interventions are individual, and require services from a highly trained and specialized service provider. • Progress Monitoring – CBHM uses the BIMAS tool for monitoring student. • Family/Community Engagement - Families and community partners are key stakeholders and collaborators with schools in comprehensive behavioral and mental health supports for students. Benefits of Implementing CBHM CBHM increases school-based staff capacity for data-informed decision-making to align support services with student needs. CBHM also increases capacity among school-based staff to prevent challenging behavior from occurring, respond effectively to challenging behavior, and identify students in need of higher levels of support. These skills help ensure that students are ready to learn. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. • Personnel/staff: How does your school use data to support decision-making? How do you use Behavioral Health Service employees, including school psychologist(s)? • Physical environment: How does your school community and climate impact student learning? How do all settings in your school (hallway, cafeteria, classroom) promote positive behaviors? • District Supports: What type of professional development does your staff need in order to improve school climate and promote positive behaviors among all students? • School Budget: What percentage of your school budget is used for Safe and Supportive Schools initiatives? • Community Partners: Does your school work with a community based mental health provider to supplement/complement programs at your school? Need help? Andria Amador BPS Behavioral Health Services (617) 635-9676 aamador@bostonpublicschools.org www.cbhmboston.com

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story How does a school collaboratively work to teach students good social skills? Treat each other with respect and kindness? Learn appropriate behaviors for any school setting? Come together to implement the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model, also known as CBHM! The Haley Pilot School implements a comprehensive approach to encourage positive interpersonal behaviors at school, all guided by CBHM and supported by technical assistance from Behavioral Health Services and the school psychologist. The Haley’s Wellness Team, consisting of an administrator, the school nurse, the PE/Health teacher, the student supports coordinator, a classroom teacher, and, hopefully in the near future, a few students, is committed to supporting students’ behavioral health through a school-wide approach. The Haley Pilot School believes that integrating behavioral health services into schools creates safe and supportive learning environments that promote academic success. The school’s approach reinforces expected behaviors to help students become more facile with their positive behavioral and social skills with the thought that students can focus on academic development and build lifelong social and emotional skills once they have incorporated positive behavior and positive interactions. The school teaches positive behaviors and interactional skills centered on student behavior at lunch and recess. SWC/PBIS Team members have sought and received input from the school’s Cafeteria Manager, lunch monitors, bus monitors, custodian, classroom teachers and support staff. During SY 2014-15, the Wellness Council/PBIS Team focused on development of a Behavior Matrix as well as classroom lesson plans that specifically teach what behaviors and interactions are expected in each of the non-classroom settings encountered by students at school: cafeteria, recess (inside and outdoors), bathrooms, hallways, the bus, and field trips. Classroom lesson plans specifically teach appropriate behaviors and interactions for non-classroom settings, such as bathrooms, cafeteria, recess, hallways, the bus, and field trips. The school implements the Cafeteria Behavior Matrix, along with an award system and positive reinforcement through Fancy Lunch Celebrations. Fancy Lunch Celebrations recognize students who demonstrate excellent behavior by serving these students lunch that includes nice table settings with flowers and tablecloths. Students learn the foundations of the school’s expectations for positive community behavior and interactional skills. One challenge the Haley had to overcome was lack of financial support for the Fancy Lunch positive reward, but they sought and received some funding from the administration. As the school year wrapped up, the Haley Pilot School Wellness Council/PBIS Team was completing recess lesson plans, building the reward system, and beginning to roll the new system out. The team was addressing each of the school settings in their planning meetings for the remainder of the school year. The Wellness Council/PBIS Team’s collaboration is ongoing, and future goals include: (1) refinement of the classroom lessons, (2) incorporation of vocabulary from the Second Step curriculum, a social-emotional curriculum being implemented school-wide, and (3) revision of the school’s Office Disciplinary Referral Form.

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Get Started with Safe and Supportive Schools Assess your School’s Current Work in Safe and Supportive Schools • Evaluate what is your school is doing in the following areas of the safe and supportive schools policy area. For example, are you: o Implementing the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM) to equip all students with the skills, supports, and services needed to address daily challenges and teach appropriate social skills? o Building awareness of the new Boston Public Schools policy on nondiscrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression? o Creating safe, inclusive spaces for LGBTQ students? o Addressing intimate partner violence, sexual harassment, and assault? o Participating in a bullying training through the Counseling and Intervention Center? o Implementing the Expectant and Parenting Student Policy (in schools that serve any grades 6th-12th)? Strategies and Tips for the Wellness Council to Get Started with Safe and Supportive Schools •

• •

• • • •

Pick a safe and supportive schools topic (above) to focus on in your Wellness Action Plan. For support, reach out to Behavioral Health Services, the Counseling and Intervention Center, the Health and Wellness Department, the Equity Office, or a community partner. Ensure that you have a Wellness Council member assigned to this goal on your Wellness Action Plan. Use the CBHM Toolkit (available in this section) to learn more about how your school can implement this model. Hold a family engagement event focused on promoting a positive school climate and offer workshops for families (parents/caretakers and students, separate and together) on diverse topics that contribute to creating a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. Post and provide physical and other cues around the school, such as posters, reminders, and announcements, to encourage a positive school climate and safe and supportive learning environment. Provide opportunities for families and caretakers to learn about how your school is creating a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. Inventory opportunities for student leadership and engagement (such as clubs, sports, advocacy organizations, etc) and take steps to ensure adequate access to such opportunities. Read the new policy on nondiscrimination on the basis of gender expression and gender expression, included in this Toolkit. Ensure that your school’s practices are aligned with the policy.

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SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING STANDARDS COMPETENCIES

SELF-AWARENESS

SEL LEARNING STANDARD 1. IDENTIFY, RECOGNIZE, AND EXPRESS EMOTIONS

SA Label and recognize emotions. Express understanding of 1.1 emotions using different forms of representation.

2. UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

SA Recognize changes in emotions and how feelings and thoughts 2.1 influence behavior in different ways.

3. EMOTIONAL WELLNESS: Ability to accurately STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES recognize one’s own emotions, thoughts, and assets and how they influence a well4. PERSPECTIVE TAKING grounded sense of self.

SA Identify strategies and techniques for supporting and managing 3.1 emotions. SA Identify personal, cultural and linguistic assets. 4.1 SA Recognize personal beliefs, judgments and biases. 4.2 SA Identify interests, motivators and aspirations. Demonstrate self4.3 efficacy and confidence.

5. SUPPORT SYSTEMS

1. MANAGE THOUGHTS FEELINGS AND ACTIONS SELF-MANAGEMENT Ability to successfully manage, advocate and persevere to achieve one’s goals.

SOCIAL RELATIONS Ability to use interpersonal skills to build and sustain relationships while showing empathy and understanding the perspective of others.

DECISION MAKING Ability to use problem solving skills to make constructive choices in academic and social situations.

SA Demonstrate awareness of self as a member of a family, culture, 5.1 and community. Identify systems of support. SM Recognize ways to self-regulate and manage thoughts and 1.1 behaviors in an effort to join or engage in an activity or task. SM Identify strategies and techniques for managing stressful 1.2 emotions and feelings.

2. CRITICAL THINKING AND SETTING GOALS

SM Motivate oneself to overcome obstacles and achieve personal 2.1 and academic goals.

3. NEGOTIATING CONFLICT

SM Demonstrate ability in preventing, managing, and resolving 3.1 conflicts in constructive ways.

4. ASSETS AND SUPPORTS

SM Recognize personal strengths, assets and external supports. 4.1 SM Identify and use resources of family, school, and community. 4.2

1. SOCIAL SKILLS AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Use positive communication and social skills to interact SR effectively with others and develop the capacity to make and 1.1 sustain friendships.

SR Demonstrate an understanding of thoughts, feelings, behavior 2. SOCIAL AND ETHICAL NORMS 2.1 and perspectives of oneself and others. OF BEHAVIOR SR Develop rewarding positive relationships and work 2.2 collaboratively with others.

3. MAKING CONNECTIONS: SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

Recognize positive indicators of healthy relationships and SR problem-solving strategies when faced with peer pressure and 3.1 conflict. Develop voice and advocate for one’s beliefs. SR Cultivate relationships, cooperation and respect with individuals 3.2 of diverse backgrounds, identities and ability.

4. SAFE, HEALTHY, AND CARING LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Demonstrate consideration of others. Contribute to the wellSR being of the school and community with voice and active 4.1 participation.

1. UNDERSTANDING VALUES AND CHOICES

DM Understand the difference between values and choice and 1.1 identify and use the stages of good decision-making.

2. PROBLEM SOLVING

DM Apply responsible, constructive choices in daily academic and 2.1 social situations.

3. UNDERSTANDING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

DM Consider ethical, safe and societal factors in making decisions. 3.1

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Three Signature SEL Practices for the Classroom

Three Signature SEL Practices for the Classroom “With compassion, we can help remove students’ triggers by providing smoother transitions and safe, predictable classrooms.” The Heart of Teaching and Learning: Compassion, Resilience and Academic Success http://www.k12.wa.us/compassionateschools/pubdocs/TheHeartofLearningandTeaching

Dr. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin, speaks about “every behavioral intervention being a biological intervention.” A student’s repeated experiences in school can be a powerful influence for the rewiring of the neural pathways necessary for habits to be built and sustained. Having routines and rituals in our classrooms and school communities is beneficial for every child, and absolutely essential for some. Three main categories of carefully chosen, effectively facilitated and thoughtfully debriefed teaching practices work together to build a solid foundation of safety, consistency and joy in classrooms across the school day:

WELCOMING RITUALS

Activities for Inclusion

ENGAGING PRACTICES

Making Connections & “Brain Breaks”

OPTIMISTIC CLOSURES

Reflections and Looking Forward

Why three Signature SEL Practices? The three signature classroom practices are grounded in inclusion and culturally linguistically sustaining practice and are aligned with the principles of Restorative Practice (RJ), Positive Behavior Supports Supports (PBS), and trauma informed practices. When used consistently, these signature SEL practices create conditions for growth and learning across the four BPS SEL competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Relations and Decision Making). By providing repetitive and engaging opportunities, they help students improve the skills and habits of: ●

Self- awareness, Self-management, Social Relations and Decision Making skills by interacting with people and with content in ways that intentionally strengthen our skillset of being aware of and in control of our thoughts, emotions, actions, interactions and decisions. Focusing and persevering by balancing novelty with routines and rituals; we are internally soothed by sameness, while paradoxically, our brains need freshness too!

Boston Public Schools Office of SELWELL

*Adapted from the work of Ann McKay Bryson, CASEL Consultant

September 2017

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Three Signature SEL Practices for the Classroom SEL SIGNATURE PRACTICES WELCOMING RITUAL (1-9 minutes) Activities for Inclusion Ritual openings establish safety and predictability, support contribution by all voices, set norms for respectful listening, allow students to connect with one another and create a sense of belonging. To be successful these activities must be: carefully chosen, connected to the learning of the day and engagingly facilitated.

EXAMPLES Classroom Examples:

▪ “Do Now” Homework Helpers ▪ Class circles ▪

Name games / Greet warmly by name

▪ Morning Meeting ▪ Writing Prompts / Partner Discussions School-Wide Examples:

▪ Adults express joy in seeing students and welcome students into the classroom.

▪ Glad to see late arrivals. ▪ Morning announcements include student voice. ENGAGING PRACTICES (1-15 minutes) Sense Making & “Brain Breaks” Engaging practices are brain compatible strategies that can foster: relationships, cultural humility and responsiveness, empowerment, and collaboration. They intentionally build adult SEL skills. These practices can also be opportunities for brain breaks that provide a space for integrating new information into long-term memory. (Otherwise it is soon forgotten.)

Classroom Examples:

▪ Directly teach SEL skills through evidence-based programs.

▪ Turn To Your Partner: Sharing and listening to make sense of new input,

▪ Co-create working agreements with your students. ▪ Brain Break - Stand and Stretch: Refresh and reset the brain; include movement and making connections.

▪ Opportunities for Interaction: ‘Cultivate practices that involve interactions in partnerships, triads, small groups and as a whole group. OPTIMISTIC CLOSURE (3-5 minutes) Reflections and Looking Forward End the day by having students reflect on, and then name something that helps them leave on an optimistic note. This provides positive closure, reinforces learning, can connect school to home, and create a moment of looking forward to returning tomorrow.

Boston Public Schools Office of SELWELL

Examples of reflective questions: Think of… ■ Something I learned today... ■ Someone I was able to help... ■ Something I want to share with my grown-up... ■ Something I’m looking forward to doing tomorrow... ■ Something I enjoyed about the day... ■ Someone who was kind/helpful to me...

*Adapted from the work of Ann McKay Bryson, CASEL Consultant

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Summary: BPS Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity Policy Massachusetts law and the Boston Public Schools require that all classrooms, programs, activities, and employment practices be free from bias and discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Schools and district staff should create a culture where transgender and gender nonconforming students feel safe, supported, and fully included. We aim to achieve inclusion of transgender and gender nonconforming students, while maintaining students’ right to privacy. DEFINITIONS Understanding the terminology associated with gender identity is important to providing a safe and supportive school environment for all students. Although these are the most commonly used terms, students may or may not choose to use these terms to describe their gender identity, appearance, or behavior. •

• • • •

Gender Identity: A person’s gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance, or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth. Gender Expression: The manner in which a person represents or expresses gender to others, often through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, activities, voice, or mannerisms. Transgender: A person whose gender identity or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the assigned sex at birth. Gender Nonconforming: People whose gender identity and/or gender expression do not conform to traditional societal expectations or norms. The terms “gender variant” or “gender atypical” may also be used. Queer: While historically and sometimes currently considered an offensive term, “queer” has been reclaimed by many members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community as a term of empowerment. The term generally refers to a member of the LGBT and/or gender nonconforming community. This term may be used by someone who identifies as a member of the LGBT community, but who does not specifically consider themselves to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Since this term has a negative history, it should only be used to describe individuals who identify themselves as queer and give permission for others to use that term to describe them. Transition: The process by which a person goes from living and identifying as one gender to living and identifying as another. Transitions may include physical, social, and/or medical processes. Not all transgender or gender-nonconforming people transition or desire to transition in the same way.

BIAS-BASED CONDUCT, DISCRIMINATION, AND HARASSMENT Schools must maintain a safe and supportive learning and educational environment that is free from bias-based conduct, discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity or expression. NAMES AND PRONOUNS When a school receives a request for a name change, schools should accurately record the student’s chosen name on all school-based records. A court-ordered name or gender change is not required, and the student does not need to change their official student record. After a student requests a name change, school personnel should use the student’s chosen name and pronouns appropriate to a student’s gender identity, regardless of the student’s assigned birth sex. For students who remain in the same school following a gender transition, it is important to develop a plan for ensuring the use of the chosen name and pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity.

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PRIVACY, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND STUDENT RECORDS Under Massachusetts law, information about a student’s assigned birth sex, gender transition, name change associated with transition, medical or mental health treatment related to gender identity, or any other related information is part of the individual’s student record. Student records are confidential and must be kept private and secure, except in limited circumstances. School personnel should not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents and other school personnel, unless legally required to do so, for safety reasons, or if the student and/or guardian has authorized such disclosure. Every effort should be made to update student records with the student’s chosen name and not circulate records with the student’s birth name. Records with the student’s birth name should be kept in a separate, confidential file. For more information about Student Record Regulations, please see Superintendent’s Circular LGL-07. RESTROOMS, LOCKER ROOMS, AND CHANGING FACILITIES In accordance with Massachusetts law, all students are entitled to have access to restrooms, locker rooms, and changing facilities consistent with the student’s gender identity. Transgender students who prefer not to use a sex-segregated restroom should be provided with a safe and adequate alternative, such as a single “unisex” restroom or nurse’s restroom if possible. The single-user facility, however, may not be given as the only option for transgender or gendernonconforming students. PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES, INTRAMURAL SPORTS, AND INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES Where there are sex-segregated classes or athletic activities, including intramural and interscholastic athletics, all students must be allowed to participate in a manner consistent with their gender identity. DRESS CODES Transgender and gender nonconforming students have the right to dress in a manner consistent with their gender identity or expression. In general, schools should eliminate dress codes that restrict students’ clothing or appearance on the basis of gender. GENDER-BASED ACTIVITIES, RULES, POLICIES AND PRACTICES Schools should evaluate all gender-based policies, rules, and practices, and maintain only those with a clear and sound pedagogical purpose. Gender-based policies, rules, and practices can have the effect of marginalizing, stigmatizing, and excluding students, including gender nonconforming students. Whenever students are separated by gender in school activities or are subject to an otherwise lawful gender-specific rule, policy, or practice, students must be permitted to participate in such activities or conform to such rule, policy, or practice consistent with their gender identity. RELATED RESOURCES • For information about the Boston Public Schools policies on bias-based conduct or bullying, see Superintendent’s Circulars EQT-2, EQT-3, EQT-4 or SSS-18. • For more information about the Massachusetts gender identity law, see the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidance document, “Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity” at http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/lgbtq/GenderIdentity.html • Contact the Office of Equity at 617-635-9650 or bpsequity@bostonpublicschools.org to get information about additional training and support.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Students Support an inclusive school climate: • Start a Gay Straight Alliance or Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club. GSAs help educate students and staff members about diversity and support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ) students. o A GSA is a student-run club that provides a safe place for students to discuss how to create a more inclusive learning environment for all people through education, support, social action, and advocacy. • Host an LGBTQ training for staff members. o Trainings can be full or half-day professional development workshops or shorter speaking engagements for school administrators and staff on issues related to gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, and creating safe and supportive school climates. • Encourage staff members to complete the OUT for Safe Schools online course to receive an OUT for Safe Schools badge. By wearing an OUT for Safe Schools badge, school-based personnel will visually demonstrate that they are safe space ambassadors and allies for LGBTQ-identified students. • Review Boston Public Schools’ new policy on Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Gender Expression and ensure that the school’s practices align with the policy. o Review and address gender-distinct policies, such as requirements to wear gender-based attire for graduation or have gender-based dress codes for prom, special events, and daily wear. • Identify and post Safe Space materials in the building so LGBTQ students know where to receive information and support from school staff. • Educate and empower staff and students to intervene and speak out when someone says something discriminatory towards the LGBTQ community. • Advocate for curriculum that regularly includes information about LGBTQ people, history, and events. • Recruit peers to be allies for LGBTQ students. LGBTQ students are at a higher risk of being bullied and often deal with hostile school environments. School Events: • Use gender-inclusive language on all event communications, including invitations to events: o Use pronouns like “they” instead of “he/she” and words like “partner” instead of “boyfriend/girlfriend” or “husband/wife.” • Ensure that school-sponsored events such as proms, homecoming, graduation, and athletic events are inclusive of LGBTQ students. o Choose gender-neutral alternatives such as “prom court” rather than “king/queen.” • Send reminders to staff members to affirm all family structures when celebrating events like Mother’s and Father’s Day. o Talk about the different people in students’ lives who could receive any cards or gifts they make. o Stay away from gender-stereotyping activities (such as making tie-shaped cards, for example) for Father’s Day. o Celebrate with a Parents’/Caretakers’ Day so activities are inclusive of all families. • Invite local community organizations that serve LGBTQ people to attend health fairs and family nights. Refer students to these outside organizations as they can serve as another safe space for students. *Compiled from GLSEN Safe Space Kit* For more information, see: http://www.glsen.org/safespace Safe and Supportive Schools | 121


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Safe and Supportive Environments Rubric Criteria

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient

Leading

1. Bullying Prevention - Bullying Prevention Specialist

No staff trained on bullying prevention strategies

One staff member receives BPS Bullying Prevention Specialist training (10 hours PD)

Two members of staff receive BPS Bullying Prevention Specialist training (10 hr. PD).

Specialist works with Council to help communicate district policies and available resources

Specialists communicate strategies to staff, especially regarding LGBTQ and cyberbullying

Specialists receive additional training that is LGBTQ inclusive from HWD identified and approved community partner or ToT staff

Specialists work with Council to communicate district policies and availability of resources (from both BPS and community partners) - Staff

No staff trained on bullying prevention strategies

Staff is aware of who is the Bullying Prevention Specialist Policy and resources are communicated

- Environment Promotion

Minimal or no communication of policies (including district policies, display of posters that promote use of anonymous reporting hotline)

Different modes of communication (posters, email, web) used to raise awareness of safe school policies; who to contact to report bullying or harassment; and access to anonymous hotline

X% of staff receive bullying prevention training from school-trained specialist, including policies and protocols for reporting

All staff (or X%) receive bullying prevention training that is LGBTQ inclusive from ToT specialist or HWD approved community partner

LGBTQ safe space available and communicated to all students and staff

Multiple LGBTQ safe spaces available, well communicated, and utilized by students

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Criteria

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient

Leading

- Tracking

No formal systems in place to track reports of bullying or harassment

Administration has system for tracking/handling reports of bullying or harassment

Established system for tracking/handling reports of bullying or harassment

Policies and procedures not communicated to all members of school community

Policies and procedures communicated to staff via multiple methods

All staff following policies and protocols for reporting/handling reports of bullying or harassment

Acceptable Use Policy signed by X% students/staff 2. Student Engagement - GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance)

- Cyber Safety

No GSA at school

Initial discussions held (through student groups and/or Council) and administration recognizes need to establish GSA

Students aware of Instruction about AUP occurs Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) during dedicated class time or assemblies No specific training offered to students Interest generated by leadership teams (e.g.: Student Council or other student-lead groups) Student representative identifies cyberbullying prevention as a need and steps to receive training and support identified

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GSA in place

School-based staff or external BPS partner educates % of students Student leader trained on Cyber Safety by TechBoston and presents to school community X% of students sign Acceptable Use Policy

GSA has support of trained adult advisor GSA implements best practice activities School-based staff or external BPS partner educates % of students Cyber Safety student leader is on Council and presents to X% school community


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit Criteria

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient

Leading

-

No Council established

Student Advisory Council exists with limited participation and/or functionality

Functioning Student Advisory Council in place (refer to Wellness Council guide for scope of functionality) that is LGBTQ inclusive

Students inform QSP and effectively advocate for SSE

Student Advisory Council

Peer leadership has limited scope and resources (both within school and community partnership)

Student voice heard for policy change and implementation Adults/student leadership/student body can self-identify members All members function within a sustainable model that actively recruits a certain number of candidates each year

3. Parent Engagement - Family Nights

No Family Nights or Special Events occur

School hosts event with little family attendance School did not plan event using best practices (as provided by HWD)

Council plans event using effective strategies/best practices and communication methods that result in X% of families participating

Event engages community partners to leverage attendance of families

Objectives or purpose for event not clear and/or communicated ineffectively - Communication

No parent engagement or communication strategies established

Parent communication occurs inconsistently Communication plan or strategy is not clear Only 1 mode of communication utilized

X% families attend event Evaluation provided clearly states learning objectives and results used to inform future planning

Culturally relevant and ongoing communication strategy in place Communication occurs in a minimum of 2 ways to families at the school level

Communication occurs in 3 or more ways (increase messaging) and on a consistent basis

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Criteria 4. School Connectedness - Activities for Students

-

Code of Conduct

4. School Connectedness, cont. - Attendance Policy

Beginning

Emerging

Proficient

Leading

No school-based activities for out of school time are offered to students

Some activities are offered to engage students in out of school time (i.e.: intramurals, clubs, etc.)

Activities are offered on a consistent schedule that engage and include all students and their interests

Student-led activities (i.e.: clubs or intramurals) are supported by mentor adults

Activities for students are offered occasionally throughout the year School-wide approaches support positive behavioral health and include early intervention and coordinated care for students in need

Activities foster the emotional well-being of all students

Safe and supportive school policies not enforced

No clear policy for attendance in place

Students and families are informed of attendance Student attendance tracked

Administration creates and supports safe school environments by tailoring services, professional development, and access to resources that promote positive behavior and success in school for all students

All aspects of the BPS Code of Conduct are implemented Roles and responsibilities of administrators and teachers are clearly defined, understood, and implemented

System in place for tracking and reporting attendance Policy enforced regarding tardy/absentee

Systems in place to support students who have difficulty attending school

Consistent communication occurs with parents/guardians of frequently absent/tardy students

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Community partners support and expand opportunities for student engagement

Comprehensive student support services are available

Consistent discipline procedures in place and policies/procedures are enforced


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Summary of BPS Expectant and Parenting Student Policy Boston Public Schools aims to graduate all students from high school prepared for college and career success. For students who are currently expectant or parenting, it is essential to engage with students to ensure a safe, supportive learning environment and promote academic success. Moreover, we must ensure district compliance with federal Title IX law, which prohibits discrimination against students who are pregnant or parenting. This provides an overview of the key components of the BPS Policy on Expectant and Parenting Students. Maintain confidentiality Expectant and parenting students may choose how and when to seek services and support. School staff must follow all applicable laws on student confidentiality. Expectant and parenting students may not be forced or coerced to tell their parents or any other person of their expectant or parenting status. Ensure a safe, supportive learning environment Expectant and parenting students may not be excluded from any school, program, class, or activity on the basis of their expectant/parenting status. Expectant and parenting students have the right to attend school in an environment free of discrimination and harassment. Promote academic success Enrollment in an alternative school or program must be completely voluntary and school staff are expected to maintain high expectations for student success. School-based student support staff should collaborate with the student to develop an academic plan. Implement sensible attendance policies Absences related to pregnancy are considered excused absences. Student parents are entitled to a fair and reasonable parental leave after the birth of a child and may take excused absences when their child is sick or has a medical appointment during school hours. Schools are encouraged to work with expectant and parenting students to determine a school schedule that promotes regular and on-time attendance. Appoint a School Liaison Schools with any grades 6-12 must identify a school-based liaison for expectant and parenting students to help share information. Liaisons should be a school staff member who is invested in the care and wellbeing of expectant and parenting students. They should support young people in their expectant and parenting choices without imposing personal opinions and values during decision-making. Attend a Liaison Training The appointed liaison should attend the District’s liaison training to understand the BPS policy and applicable laws, learn ways to support expecting & parenting students, and gain information to share with the school community. Liaison Roles & Responsibilities The liaison should protect student confidentiality and promote a safe & supportive learning environment. Liaisons are responsible for informing the school community about the policy and sharing resources for expectant & parenting students. They should report instances of discrimination against expecting & parenting students to the BPS Equity Office. Safe and Supportive Schools | 127


BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Liaison Checklist Assess the following to ensure that the needs of an expectant and/or parenting students are being met.

Medical Needs Does the student have medical care? Access to Care Is the student connected to a primary care provider (PCP)? If not, consider connecting them with a health clinic that received Title X funding (ABCD) that will offer free and confidential care for sexual health services. Environmental Needs Does the student have adequate housing? Safety Needs Is the student safe and protected? Are they in an environment where they are being harmed? Nutrition Needs Does the student have access to nutritious affordable food?

Student Parent Baby Assistance Does the student need baby clothing, child care aid, and/or home visits by a nurse?

Language Needs Does the student need resources in another language beyond English?

Support Needs Does the student need support from peer groups or mentors?

Program Needs Does the student need educational opportunities?

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM) Toolkit

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

Behavioral Interventions and Practices

School-wide

Leadership team Common behavior purpose & approach to discipline Clear set of positive expectations & behaviors Procedures for teaching expected behavior school-wide & classroom-wide Continuum of procedures for encouraging expected behavior Continuum of procedures for discouraging inappropriate behavior Procedures for on-going data-based monitoring & evaluation

Classroomwide

All school-wide above. Maximum structure & predictability (e.g., routines, environment) Positively stated expectations posted, taught, reviewed, prompted, & supervised Maximum engagement through high rates of opportunities to respond, delivery of evidence-based instructional curriculum & practices Continuum of strategies to acknowledge displays of appropriate behavior, including contingent & specific praise, group contingencies, behavior contracts, token economies. Continuum of strategies for responding to inappropriate behavior, including specific, contingent, brief corrections for academic and social behavior errors, differential reinforcement of other behavior, planned ignoring, response cost, and time out.

Nonclassroom Settings

Positive expectations & routines taught & encouraged/acknowledged Active supervision by all staff, emphasizing scanning, moving, & interacting Pre-corrections, prompts, & reminders Positive reinforcement

Individual Student

Behavioral competence at school & district levels Function-based behavior support planning Team- & data-based decision making Comprehensive person-centered planning & wrap-around processes Targeted social skills & self-management instruction Individualized instructional & curricular accommodations

Family Engagement

Continuum of positive behavior support for all families Frequent, regular, & positive contacts, communications, & acknowledgements Formal & active participation & involvement as equal partners Access to system of integrated school & community resources

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

What is a 3 Tiered Model? Prevention Tier

Description

General Response Criteria

Primary (Universal)

Practices and systems for all students and staff implemented across all settings.

Behaviors of 70-90% of students

Secondary (Targeted)

More intensive and specialized practices and systems for students whose behaviors have been documented as not responsive at the primary tier, and generally provided in a common or standardized manner in small student groupings, which provide more regular supervision, monitoring, interactions, corrective feedback, and positive reinforcement with and by adults and peers.

Behaviors of 10-30% of students

Tertiary (Intensive)

Most intensive and specialized practices and systems for students whose behaviors have been documented as not responsive at the primary or secondary tiers, and generally are highly individualized to the specific needs and strengths of an individual student. Family and community involvement is increased.

Behaviors of 1-10% of students

Massachusetts DESE MTSS Framework

Sources: (1) OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (http://pbis.org) (2) DESE MTSS Website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/sss/mtss/default.html)

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

EXAMPLE: Behavior Matrix

Expectations

Teaching Matrix

SETTING All Settings

Hallways

Playgrounds

Cafeteria

Library/ Computer Lab

Assembly

Bus

Study, read, compute.

Sit in one spot.

Watch for your stop.

Respect Ourselves

Be on task. Give your best effort. Be prepared.

Walk.

Have a plan.

Eat all your food. Select healthy foods.

Respect Others

Be kind. Hands/feet to self. Help/share with others.

Use normal voice volume. Walk to right.

Play safe. Include others. Share equipment.

Practice good table manners

Whisper. Return books.

Listen/watch. Use appropriate applause.

Use a quiet voice. Stay in your seat.

Respect Property

Recycle. Clean up after self.

Pick up litter. Maintain physical space.

Use equipment properly. Put litter in garbage can.

Replace trays & utensils. Clean up eating area.

Push in chairs. Treat books carefully.

Pick up. Treat chairs appropriately.

Wipe your feet. Sit appropriately.

Source: OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (http://pbis.org)

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit

CBHM Core Components CBHM Practices

Description

1. Universal screening

Learner performance and progress should be reviewed on a regular basis and in a systematic manner to identify students who are (a) making adequate progress, (b) at some risk of failure if not provided extra assistance, or (c) at high risk of failure if not provided specialized supports.

2. Data-based decision making and problem solving

Information that directly reflects student learning based on measurable and relevant learning criteria and outcomes should be used to guide decisions regarding instructional effectiveness, student responsiveness, and intervention adaptations and modifications.

3. Continuous progress monitoring

Student progress should be assessed on a frequent and regular basis to identify adequate or inadequate growth trends and support timely instructional decisions.

4. Prevention & Early Intervention

Priority should be given to early and preventive assessment and intervention so that (a) conditions that promote the development of problem behavior are avoided and of prosocial behavior are established, and (b) triggering antecedent and maintaining consequence events of problem behavior are removed and of appropriate behavior are added

5. Continuum of evidence-based interventions

An integrated and sequenced curriculum should be available such that a (a) core curriculum is provided for all students, (b) modification of this core is arranged for students who are identified as nonresponsive, and (c) specialized and intensive curriculum is developed for students whose performance is deemed nonresponsive to the modified core. Elements of this continuum must have empirical evidence to support efficacy (intervention is linked to outcome), effectiveness (intervention outcomes are achievable and replicable in applied settings), relevant (intervention can be implemented by natural implementers and with high fidelity), and durable (intervention implementation is sustainable and student outcomes are durable).

6. Implementation fidelity

Team-based structures and procedures are in place to ensure and coordinate appropriate adoption and accurate and sustained implementation of the full continuum of intervention practices.

Source: OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (http://pbis.org)

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HOW TO USE THIS BROCHURE

All BPS Staff: To remind all staff of the legal rights that undocumented students have within Massachusetts and the City of Boston. The expectation is that BPS is an environment that respects a student's right to access equitable education.

Teachers: To provide you an insight to resources and opportunities that can be used to support students you encounter who self-identify as undocumented. Encourage these students to stay in school and to access additional resources are to support them.

Students: Education is a doorway to opportunities. In BPS, we are committed to respecting your rights to an equitable educational experience and to ensure that you have access to resources to support you in your academic journey.

Parents: As a parent or guardian, know that your child has a right to a public education and that you should not feel intimidated from registering your child for any educational service offered in BPS.

The purpose of this booklet is to provide an overview of the rights of and services for undocumented students within the Boston Public schools.

College Greenlight: Connects first generation and underrepresented students to caring colleges, generous scholarships, and life-changing counselors and mentors. Learn more at collegegreenlight.com.

TheDream.US Scholarship: National Scholarship Fund for DREAMers enrolled in partner colleges, for DACA recipients. Learn more: thedream.us.

Golden Door Scholars: Provides scholarships for DACA students and undocumented students. Students may be high school seniors or recent graduates. Learn more at goldendoorscholars.org.

In-State Tuition: Massachusetts allows DACA recipients to be considered Massachusetts residents for purpose of tuition and fees for state institutions of higher education, as long as they meet all other criteria.

Abigail Adams Scholarship: Undergraduate in-state scholarship awarded to graduating Massachusetts high school students who scored in the top 25% of their school district on MCAS, now open to students who are non-citizen authorized by the federal government to live and work in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis.

Boston Public Schools: Guidance Counselors are a great resource to research scholarships, career pathways and other opportunities available. We also have an annual college/career expo.

There is no federal law that prohibits the admission of undocumented immigrants to U.S. colleges, public or private. Upon graduation, Massachusetts provides opportunities for undocumented students.

BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL

BPS.OELL

@BPS_OEL

(617) 635-9435

2300 Washington Street Roxbury, MA 02119

www.bostonpublicschools.org/ell

FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.

This resource document includes information about legal rights and legal developments. Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current legal developments. These informational materials are not intended, and should not be taken, as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. You should contact an attorney for advice on specific legal issues or concerns.

Created by the Office of English Learners.

Office of English Learners

Our vision is to provide a culturally and linguistically responsive education with the supports needed to ensure equitable access to opportunities that promote language acquisition, bilingualism, biliteracy, and lifelong learning.

WE DREAM TOGETHER: OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS


In the Boston Public Schools, undocumented students have access to all educational programs, advanced-work classes, and Exam Schools. Students also have access to all enrichment programs, after school, summer school, sports activities and clubs. To request your academic records, please contact your school principal.

DISTRICT ENGLISH LEARNER ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DELAC) ellparentteam@bostonpublicschools.org 617-635-9435

BOSTON STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (BSAC) & EL YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD 617-635-8079

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING & WELLNESS 617-635-8599

SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SUPPORTS 617-635-8599 and 617-297-7335

ENGLISH LEARNERS AND FORMER ELs 617-635-9435 bostonpublicschools.org/ELL

NEWCOMERS ASSESSMENT AND COUNSELING CENTER (NACC) 617-635-1565 bostonpublicschools.org/NACC

TRANSLATION & INTERPRETATION HELP translations@bostonpublicschools.org 617-635-9435 English, Español, 中文, Kaboverdianu, Kreyòl, Português, Afsoomaali, Tiếng Việt

REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER HELP DiscoverBPS.org and Welcome Centers in Dorchester (617-635-8015), East Boston (617-635-9597), Mattapan (617-635-9596), Roslindale (617-635-8040), Roxbury (617-635-9010).

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Bostonpublicschools.org, 617-635-9000

YOUR RIGHT TO SCHOOL

Download the “Boston Student Rights” app for more info.

Boston Student Rights App: The Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) created the Boston Student Rights App which was designed by and for students of the Boston Public Schools. The App provides information about student rights under BPS policies, how to engage with BSAC, and connects students including undocumented students with resources to meet their needs. Boston Student Rights delivers information around school discipline procedures, suspension, expulsion, and equity policies in clear, easy to understand language.

Resources for Undocumented Students Applying for College: The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) and the Student Immigration Movement (SIM) created a document to share resources with immigrant students as they apply for college. The document includes useful information such as Frequently Asked Questions regarding Financial Aids, Scholarship Opportunities, a List of "undocu-friendly" higher education institutions, and etc. Make sure to check it out: bit.ly/unafraidcollegeguide

BPS We Dream Together: BPSWeDreamTogether.org is a website that shares information and resources for supporting immigrant students and families. It has resources to assist immigrant students with college planning, understanding their rights and how to navigate their everyday lives as immigrant or refugee students.

Massachusetts Adult Literacy HOTLINE: P: (800) 447-8844. Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS), a unit at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, oversees and improves no-cost basic educational services (ABE) for adults in Massachusetts.

Department of Children and Families: Undocumented children who are placed in foster care by the DCF are eligible for permanent residence (green card) status if they apply before they turn 21. To report abuse or neglect, call the Child-at-Risk Hotline anytime of the day or night at 1.800.792.5200.

Casa Myrna: At Casa Myrna, counseling services are provided to individuals and support groups for victims of domestic violence as well as referrals to specialized counseling services in the community. Hotline: 1-877-785-2020

Health Insurance: MassHealth has implemented a process to provide Limited coverage to individuals who are ineligible for Temporary Coverage (AA) because they have indicated on their ACA applications they do not have a legal immigration status. For more information contact MassHealth Customer Service Center at 1-800-841-2900.

Irish International Immigrant Center: 100 Franklin Street, LL-1, Boston, MA 02110. P: (617) 542-7654 / Fax: (617) 542-7655. Email: questions@iicenter.org, Website: www.iicenter.org

Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition: Address: 105 Chauncy Street, Suite 901, Boston, MA 02111, Phone: 617.350.5480. MIRA works to ensure immigrant access to healthcare and other human services

Catholic Charities Refugee and Immigrant Services: Central American Minors (El Salvador, Guatemala,or Honduras) Program at 51 Sleeper St., Boston, MA 02210. Call in hours: Wed, Thurs 10am-12pm (617) 482-5440. Haitian TPS Assistance: 617-464-8004, Website: www.ccab.org/refugee

Student Immigrant Movement

Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): 178 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02111, P: (617) 348-6000

Know Your Rights in Massachusetts: Undocumented students and parents in Massachusetts have the opportunity to access many resources for support. Being informed of your immigration status is the first step to being able to know how to move forward.

Website: yofes.org Address: 1234 Hyde Park Ave. Ste. 104, Hyde Park, MA Phone: 617-364-0370

Youth and Family Enrichment Services, Inc. (YoFES)

Website: vietaid.org Address: 42 Charles Street, Dorchester, MA 02122 Phone: 617-822-3717

Vietnamese American Initiative for Development (Viet-AID)

Website: sociedadlatina.org Address: 1530 Tremont St, Roxbury, MA 02120 Phone: 617-442-4299

Sociedad Latina

Website: riacboston.org Address: 31 Heath St., 3rd Floor, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Phone: 617-2382430

The Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC)

Website: boston.gov/immigrants Address: 1 City Hall Square, Rm 806, Boston, MA 02201 Phone: 617-635-2980

The Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement

Website: ebecc.org Address: 50 Meridian Street, East Boston, MA 02128 Phone: 617-567-2750

East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (EBECC)

Website: cvcunido.org Address: 268 Bowdoin St, Dorchester, MA 02122 Phone: 617-506-8150

Cape Verdean Community UNIDO

Website: bcnc.net Address: 38 Ash Street, Boston, MA 02111 Phone: 617-635-5129

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (BCNC)

Address: 42 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA 02119 Phone: 617-606-3530

African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE)

Address: 62 Northampton St, Boston, MA 02301 Phone: (617) 541-4455 ext 16 Email: info@agenciaalpha.org

Agencia ALPHA

Website: simforus.com Phone: (857) 919-8468

COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS

LEGAL, MEDICAL, SOCIAL AID

RESOURCES


Section 4.7: Health Services



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the BPS Health Services Policy? The Boston Public School Health Services support students to be healthy, engaged, safe, and academically challenged by providing high quality, cost-effective in-school health care. BPS nurses are responsible for evaluating and managing the health needs of all students.

What Services Do Nurses Provide? • • • • • • • • •

Case management of students with special health needs, including chronic or acute illnesses Monitoring and administering medications and medical procedures as prescribed by a student’s primary care provider or medical specialist Providing first aid and emergency care Screening students for height, weight, Body Mass Index, vision, hearing, scoliosis, and substance use (screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment) Managing student medical records and immunization records Managing the control of communicable diseases Coordinating medical transportation for students Coordinating special dietary accommodations for students with food allergies Working with other school-based groups to provide safe and healthy environments

In addition, school nurses engage in one-on-one education, small group health counseling, wellness promotion, and preventive services as part of the provision of care coordination services. BPS school nurses ensure access and/or referrals to the medical home or private health care provider. How can Wellness Councils collaborate with Health Services? Working with the school nurse, below are a few examples of health services related initiatives: • Engage health services in school-wide health promotions. • Improve the system in which information is shared among nurses, teachers, and parents (e.g. special dietary restrictions). • Help build partnerships between Health Services and community partners. • Create a Condom Accessibility Team (for high schools). What is the BPS Confidentiality Policy? Under Massachusetts Adolescent Confidentiality laws, adolescent students may receive confidential services for diagnosis, treatment and/or referral for drug addiction, family planning services, sexually transmitted diseases, and mental health. In accordance with the BPS Condom Accessibility Circular: • BPS High Schools shall provide access to condoms, with appropriate reproductive health counseling for students. Each high school will have a Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) chaired by the school nurse and including at least one other staff member and an administrator. • Condoms will be made available through the CAT at each school. Condoms will also be accessible from community health service partners and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). • Parents and legal guardians may exempt their children from receiving condoms by notifying the school when they complete the family information forms at the beginning of the school year. This exemption to not receive condoms does not apply to other confidential health services.

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Condom Accessibility Policy? The BPS condom accessibility component of the Wellness Policy ensures that high school students have access to condoms through a team of adults within the school who are designated to provide appropriate health education and condoms as requested by students. A parent/guardian opt-out is possible. Condom Accessibility Policy Components The Condom Accessibility policy provides access to condoms for high school students through a team of designated adults at the school site who are part of the Condom Accessibility Team. Students may meet with any one of these adults to receive condoms and appropriate health education counseling on using condoms and reducing sexual risks. Benefits of Implementing the Condom Accessibility Policy Providing access to condoms and therefore reducing sexual health concerns allows high students to focus on academic success. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. •

• •

Personnel/staff: Does your school have a Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) that includes the nurse? If not, has your Wellness Council considered adding a goal to the Wellness Action Plan to establish a CAT? Make sure your principal and the Wellness Council are familiar with the Condom Accessibility Policy! Physical environment: Are there flyers, posters, or other promotional materials posted in the school about the Condom Accessibility Team? Do students know about the Condom Accessibility Team and which staff members are on it? District Supports: Does your school nurse attend professional developments for nurses and/or work with a sexual health nurse liaison to improve your CAT? Is your CAT taking advantage of the referral resources available through BPS Health Services to connect your students to adolescent-friendly providers? School Budget: Does your school receive condom donations from BPS Health Services? Community Partners: Does your school work with any community organizations to supplement/complement the Condom Accessibility Team’s work? Does your school have a SchoolBased Health Center or Health Resource Center?

Need Help? Health Services (617) 635-6788

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Success Story Boston Green Academy is a model of excellence for its successful Condom Accessibility Team (CAT). Thanks to the coordination of the school nurse, and the value the school places on supporting students in managing their health needs so that they could focus on academic success, this school exemplifies successful implementation of the health services component of the BPS District Wellness Policy. The Boston Green Academy CAT truly recognizes the connection between access to condoms and student achievement. The CAT team understands that if students are less worried about unplanned pregnancy and STI risk, students can focus and stay engaged in the classroom instead of being preoccupied by health concerns. The CAT is well supported by the school’s administration and an active Wellness Council, and it is comprised of the school nurse, social worker, Director of Student Support Services, and health education teachers. Posters are used to advertise the availability of condoms as well as condom facts. The school nurse is invested in the health of her students, and she can often be seen out in halls interacting with them. In collaboration with CAT members, the school nurse has created a safe and welcoming office atmosphere where students can access condoms, health pamphlets, and relevant sexual health information, such as how to use a condom or where to get tested for STIs. She provides referrals to community health centers for students when needed. As one student told her, “You really do care! You really, really care! Thank you! Wow! I am so happy about this!” To ensure that the CAT is run well, the school nurse keeps detailed records about condom distribution. She is also involved with the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) and advocates for LGBTQ inclusive practices. As a result of her visibility, inclusiveness, and enthusiasm, students feel comfortable going to her for their sexual health questions and needs. The CAT has not been an isolated initiative in the school, either. Boston Green Academy is a Empowering Teens Through Health (ETTH) school. Boston Green Academy embraced ETTH from the beginning of the program. Last school year, school staff completed the OUT for Safe Schools training in order to receive badges. By wearing an OUT for Safe Schools badge, school-based personnel visually demonstrate that they are safe space ambassadors and allies for LGBTQ-identified students. Additionally, Boston Green Academy provides sexual health education for both middle and high school students, reinforcing medically accurate, and age and developmentally appropriate sexual health information.

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Get Started with the Condom Accessibility Team Assess the Status of the Condom Accessibility Team at your High School •

Does your high school currently have an active Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) that includes the nurse and at least one other staff person? o If you need support, please contact BPS Health Services for technical assistance. • Are students aware of the CAT? Are students using the CAT resource? To find out if students know about the Condom Accessibility Team and are using the resource, poll students by doing an online or paper survey, or a suggestion box.

Strategies and Tips for the Wellness Council to Get Started with the Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) • •

• •

Include the CAT as a focus area on your Wellness Action Plan. Set a goal to maintain and improve the CAT, add staff, or take the CAT to the next level. Make appealing posters publicizing the CAT and post them all around the school – in hallways, classrooms, bathrooms (in plain view and behind the stall doors), the nurse’s office, and anywhere else. Brainstorm and implement additional ways to publicize the CAT and make sure students know about the accessibility of condoms. o You could host a student poster contest and accept submissions of posters advertising the CAT from students! Ensure that the health education teacher – or a community partner providing health education programming – knows who is on the CAT at the school and makes connections between CAT members and students as needed. Collaborate with the Wellness Council and Student Supports Team to ensure that students know who is on the CAT and how to get condoms. Ensure that anyone on the Condom Accessibility Team has gone through the webinar available on the BPS Health Services website (scroll to CAT Team and Sexual Health Resources: http://bpshealthservices.org/resources/nursing/).

*Condoms are only provided at the high school level.

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Condom Accessibility Team (CAT) Roles and Responsibilities CAT Organization Co-Chairs: Members:

School nurse and at least one member of Wellness Council School principal and any other interested staff

It is the responsibility of the CAT to ensure that all the roles/responsibilities below are met. While specific items may be delegated to specific team members, it is the responsibility of the entire team to make sure that each item is accomplished appropriately.

CAT Roles and Responsibilities Checklist ü Must meet at least once a year, although multiple meetings are encouraged ü Take inventory of the sexual health resources that are available at your school (i.e. Health Resource Centers, School-Based Health Centers) and incorporate them into the implementation plan for the Condom Accessibility Policy ü Ensure ALL parents have had a chance to opt out of condom accessibility o Develop process for new students entering your school to ensure their parents have opportunity to opt out o Nurses must document all parental opt outs in SNAP under conditions/alerts (the alert is near the very bottom of the dropdown list in tab #7) § Ensure all appropriate staff members have access to the list of students with parental opt outs. Any physical lists must contain ID #’s only (no names) to ensure confidentiality * Please note: ALL students may seek confidential counseling and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and diagnosis of pregnancy, even if their parents opt them out of condom accessibility ü Determine who will be responsible for ordering and picking up new condoms ü Ensure appropriate storage of condoms in the school ü Aggregate Data to be captured: o Number of student visits to school nurse related to sexual health § Nurses must keep a private log (not in SNAP) of number of student encounters regarding sexual health issues. This log must be kept in a locked, confidential area o Number of student encounters where condoms were distributed ü Ensure that student confidentiality is maintained ü Develop and distribute informational tools for staff, student, and family members that outline the sexual health services and implementation plan of this policy o Examples: brochures, posters, electronic notifications

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FAQ for Staff about Condom Accessibility and Sexual Health 1) Who does sexual health discussions at the school? The CAT (Condom Accessibility Team) will determine who in the school will be giving out condoms. In the initial phases, the school nurse is the leader of the team and will be the first trained. As time goes on, other members of the team will be trained and can give out condoms. 2) Can the CAT (Condom Accessibility Team) be another team or members from another team? Yes. Functioning teams can take on this role, as long as there is at least one member from the Wellness Council on the committee. 3)

Are there any legal concerns about giving out condoms? Parents can opt out for their child under the age of 18. However, legally, parents cannot opt out for students seeking help if they think they are pregnant or have a sexually transmitted disease. By state law, underage children can seek these services without parental notification. It is prudent to have information about these distinctions at site council meetings or other parent attended school gatherings.

4)

Who pays for the condoms? Condoms are being donated.

5)

How often can students obtain condoms? As often as they need or want as long as it is not disrupting the school day.

6)

How does a parent indicate they want to opt out? A written statement needs to be mailed to the principal. The opt out will recorded in the student’s health record and all with training to give out condoms will be notified. No one should distribute condoms without having checked first for the opt out.

7) If a student discloses to staff that they might be pregnant or have a sexually transmitted disease, what should the staff do? Review confidentiality. Refer student based on internal and external resources of the individual school. 8)

Can a student be treated for a sexually transmitted disease without parental consent? Yes. Health Resource Centers can test for and treat STDs without parental permission, per state law.

9)

If a parent is concerned with the condom accessibility program, what is his/her recourse? They can speak to the nurse or call central health services, who will be glad to discuss their concerns.

10) What resources are available to parents for their own sexual health discussions with their children? The CDC (www.cdc.gov) has many resources to guide parents. In addition, Advocates for Youth (www.advocatesforyouth.org) has a website for teens and a section for parents on talking about sexual health with their children.

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Sample CAT Meeting Agendas Initial Meeting • •

• •

Introductions Review list of Roles and Responsibilities of the team o Discuss which member(s) will be responsible for each item § Refer to the CAT Roles and Responsibilities Handout for a list, or review the Superintendent Circular on Condom Accessibility § Who will be responsible for ordering condoms when supply is low? Parent Opt Out Letters o How will the letters get to the school nurse? Where will letters be stored? o How will the list of students who are opting out be compiled and updated? § Make sure lists DO NOT contain student names, only ID numbers. § All staff members who will be involved in condom accessibility must always have access to an up to date list. o Develop protocol for new students entering the school to ensure their parents have the opportunity to opt out. Communication to School Staff, Students, and Families o Discuss ideas on how to get the word out on condom accessibility and sexual health resources to your school community Confidentiality o Discuss steps that the CAT will make to ensure that confidentiality is met Next Steps - Set Date and discuss agenda items for next meeting

Follow Up Meetings • •

Review list of Roles and Responsibilities and make sure that your school is meeting the criteria Parent Opt Out Letters o Did ALL parents have a chance to opt out of condom accessibility? o Do all members that are involved in condom accessibility have access to an up to date list of students opting out? Discuss any other issues or concerns

Final Meeting – Debrief •

Each member discusses how the school year went regarding condom accessibility o Discuss what went well and identify areas for improvement o How will the team address these areas for improvement for next year Review the aggregate data collected by CAT members

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Section 4.8: Staff Wellness



BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit What is the Staff Wellness Policy? The Boston Public Schools care about the well-being of staff members and understand the influence that staff actions have on all student health behaviors. All staff shall promote a school environment supportive of healthy behaviors. Adults are encouraged to model healthy behaviors, especially on school property and at school-sponsored meetings and events. Schools are encouraged to support staff wellness initiatives. Staff Wellness Policy Components All staff will promote and encourage healthy behaviors. Likewise, schools are encouraged to support and implement staff wellness activities. Benefits of Staff Wellness Implementing the staff wellness component of the BPS Wellness Policy has many benefits, including: • Demonstrating to staff that the school cares about and is willing to invest in employees, which can positively impact climate and staff morale. • Increasing physical, social, and mental health of employees by promoting development of health knowledge, self-management, and coping skills, as well as building social support among coworkers. Want to see this at your school? Here are some considerations for getting started. •

• • •

Personnel/staff: Does your school have a wellness council that could prioritize staff wellness on the Wellness Action Plan? Is there a staff member particularly interested in staff wellness who could join the wellness council to lead the work on staff wellness? Have you considered doing a survey of staff to learn the biggest staff wellness priorities? Physical environment: Does your school have promotional materials for staff wellness, such as information on community programs and/or posters reminding staff to eat healthy and drink water? District Supports: Has your wellness council, nurse, PE teacher, or other interested staff person discussed staff wellness with the Health and Wellness Department? School Budget: Does your school budget support staff wellness? Will the Parent Council devote a small amount of funding to fund a series of exercise (yoga, Zumba, aerobics, etc.), cooking, or stress relief classes for staff? Community Partners: Does your school work with community organizations to supplement/complement your staff wellness efforts?

Need help? Health and Wellness Department 617-635-6643 healthandwellness@bostonpublicschools.org

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Boston Public Schools Wellness Policy: Staff Wellness The Community Academy of Science and Health (CASH) understands that staff wellness is important to build a sense of community and show staff that they are valued. For the past two years, the CASH Wellness Council has led a Staff Wellness Challenge that is designed to promote physical activity, healthy eating, hydration, mindfulness, and community building among staff members. During the eight-week challenge, the staff were sent daily challenges and earned a certain number of points if completed. Each day of the week had a theme, such as Motivational Mondays, Workout Wednesdays, and Trivia Thursdays. Additional points could be earned throughout the challenge for other healthy practices, such as exercising for 30 minutes, eating five fruits & vegetables in a day, drinking enough water, meditating, etc. Staff members tracked their own points in a Google spreadsheet. At the end of the eight weeks, the person with the most points was recognized. The challenge introduced ways that staff could make small changes to be healthier to show that ‘being healthy’ doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It helped build a sense of community, foster healthy competition, and promote a climate that valued healthy behaviors. To continue offering wellness opportunities after the challenge, they started a weekly staff yoga session at the school. They also hosted a student versus staff game to celebrate attendance achievement and build a sense of community through physical activity. The CASH Wellness Council also wanted to make structural changes in the school to promote staff wellness. They decided to collaborate with the Parent Council, Student Government, and the buildOn community service organization to renovate the staff lounge. The lounge was renovated over February break to surprise the staff when they returned. It got a fresh coat of paint with the inspirational messages “agents of change” and “merchants of hope”. Furniture and appliances were donated to set up nice areas to eat and relax. They also created a newly organized coffee and eating supply station. Staff were surprised to return from February break and find a refreshed staff lounge. They expressed that it made them feel cared for and valued. The staff lounge project boosted morale and a sense of pride. The staff lounge now provides a more enjoyable space for staff to eat, relax, work, or socialize during the busy school day.

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Get Started with Staff Wellness Assess the Status of Staff Wellness at Your School •

What is currently being done to promote and support staff wellness? o Discuss current efforts with the wellness council and/or administration. • Is there a particular priority area (stress relief, physical activity, nutrition, etc.) that staff would like to focus on? o Distribute a staff survey to find out what approaches will have the greatest chance of success. Explore what local organizations you can reach out to for resources and support that match the needs identified by staff. o Check with gyms and fitness facilities, grocery stores, yoga studios, and health-focused nonprofits near the school for what types of programs they might offer.

Strategies and Tips for your Wellness Council to Get Started on Staff Wellness •

• •

Choose staff wellness as a focus area on your Wellness Action Plan. Recruit council members to take the lead on this action step. o Include an action step on the Wellness Action Plan to involve staff in planning and implementing staff wellness activities. Collaborate with school administration to ensure that they are on board with and supportive of staff wellness initiatives. Staff wellness efforts can also be integrated into team building initiatives. Work with community organizations to offer programming for staff. Ask the Parent Council if they would support this effort with a small amount of funding. Some ideas include: o Stress reduction/stress management programs and workshops o Fitness classes – ask if the instructor will conduct the classes for free or a lower than usual cost o Connect with a nutrition focused organization or a chef to offer a healthy cooking workshop for staff o Partner with a school or community-based health center to offer basic health screenings and services to staff at school, such as: blood pressure screening, BMI measurements, and/or flu vaccinations. Develop friendly staff sports or fitness events, such as a walking club for staff before school, during lunch, or after school. In addition to supporting staff wellness, these activities are great for team building! Provide staff members with a list of healthy food and beverage options they can bring for lunch/snack and serve at staff meetings, professional development and celebrations. Post the list in the staff break room. Host lunch and learns on diverse health topics for staff.

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Staff Wellness Interest Survey This short survey is designed to determine staff members’ interests, while at the same time giving staff a chance to better understand the concept of a wellness program. This information will be used to plan health and wellness activities. All responses will be kept anonymous. For each of the following, please indicate your level of interest in participating: Physical Activities

Not interested

Might be interested

Very interested

Developing a personal fitness plan Aerobics Improving balance, flexibility, muscle endurance Dancing Team sports Walking Program Strength training Yoga Bicycle/Trail riding Fitness Testing Health screenings (blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, BMI, etc) Other (list): Other (list):

Informational Session(s) Weight management Healthy cooking and meal planning Label and menu reading Diabetes management Blood pressure management Cholesterol management Heart disease and stroke prevention Asthma management Living with arthritis Back care Stress management First aid/CPR Alcohol/drug abuse Tobacco/smoking cessation Immunizations Other (list): Other (list):

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BPS Wellness Policy Toolkit For the following, please use the below scale to select one number for each question: 1 Very unlikely

2 Somewhat unlikely

3 Neutral

4 Somewhat likely

5 Very likely

1. I would buy heart-healthy snacks during the day if they are available (for example, pretzels, yogurt, fresh fruit, 100 percent juice, dried fruit, etc.).

1

2

3

4

5

2. During my planning time or before or after school, I would participate in a physical activity like stretching, aerobics, yoga, or walking if there were a place to do it.

1

2

3

4

5

3. During my planning time or before or after school, I would participate in a physical activity like stretching, aerobics, yoga or walking if there were a group of us.

1

2

3

4

5

4. I would eat fruits and vegetables if available at our staff meetings.

1

2

3

4

5

5. I would participate in group activities encouraging healthy eating or physical activity if they were offered to staff.

1

2

3

4

5

6. I would like to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.

1

2

3

4

5

7. I would participate in a health promotion program for staff if it were offered.

1

2

3

4

5

8. I would participate in activities focused around stress-relief or meditation.

1

2

3

4

5

9. I would read health tips (articles, recipes, information on upcoming events) via email, bulletin board, newsletter or other source.

1

2

3

4

5

10. I would be more likely to participate in a health promotion program for staff if there were incentives such as (please list): __________________________

1

2

3

4

5

If you want to know more about this program and how you can help, please contact __________________.

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Ideas for Physical Activity to Promote Staff Wellness • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Brainstorm project ideas with a co-worker while taking a walk. Stand while talking on the telephone. Walk down the hall to speak with someone rather than using the telephone or email. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or get off a few floors early and take the stairs the rest of the way. Start a Walking Club. Walk when you can. Park an extra block form your destination or at the rear of the parking lot. Look for the longest rather than the shortest route. Keep a jump rope in your classroom. Participate in or start a recreation league at your workplace. Form a team with coworkers and train for an event that supports a charity or cause. Schedule your exercise time on your work calendar and treat it as any other important appointment. Get off the bus a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way to work or home. Walk around your building for a break during the work day or during lunch. Wake up to work by stretching as a group first thing in the morning. Post motivational posters in your classroom, hallway, or in the stairwell. Split your lunch break between eating and a quick walk or other stress relief activity. Post stretching exercise posters by the photocopier, printer, and fax machine at your school. Post 'stretching@your desk' exercises on your workplace's intranet site. Provide information relating to physical activity, healthy eating and mental wellness on staff bulletin boards and in the staff break room. Organize a physical activity challenge between departments, grade level teachers within your school, or your school and another school in the area. Have a "Sneaker Day." Post information on upcoming fitness events that staff may be interested in. Locate a nearby fitness or recreation facility. Be active before or after work to avoid rush hour traffic. Bring in a fitness instructor to lead a class or a series of classes (Zumba, aerobics, Pilates, yoga) for staff. Keep a pair of comfortable walking or running shoes in your office. Be ready for activity at any time!

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Boston Public Schools 2300 Washington Street │ Boston MA 02119 617-635-9000 │ bostonpublicschools.org

Martin J. Walsh, Mayor, City of Boston Dr. Brenda Casselius, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools Boston School Committee Michael Loconto, Chair Alexandra Oliver-Davila, Vice-Chair Dr. Hardin Coleman Michale O'Neill Dr. Lorna Rivera Jeri Robinson Quoc Tran Evelyn Reyes, Student Representative

As the birthplace of public education in this nation, the Boston Public Schools is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop within every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life. The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate in its programs, facilities, or employment or educational opportunities on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record (inquiries only), disability, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics or military status, and does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to learn or work.


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