July 2, 2015
Written by Judy Kuan while Vice President of Product Strategy at Adventure to Fitness
Excerpt: Principal Wendy Ellen Starwalt has transformed her school of over 400 students to get more active and healthy through a grassroots approach that swept up students, parents, and teachers alike. At the core of her approach to instilling that level of change at Carey Busey Elementary in Northern Illinois, and providing a positive model for her school’s district, was an approach that involved 5 key components:
1. Leadership: Principal Starwalt knew that it was important for her to set the tone for the teachers at her school, and help them set as a group the priorities for student wellness going forward. She recognized that teachers feel pressure to have their students perform academically, so she led the way in letting everyone know that it was okay to spend time on activity breaks, and that it was important not to take away recess from wiggly children. Principal Starwalt also helped teachers identify free resources at the outset, and then took the lead in investing grant resources in fitness trackers, student prep kitchens, and other healthy investments that could be integrated into the school’s wellness program and other teaching subject areas.
To read the rest of this article, visit https://www.naesp.org/blog/all-hands-approach-implementing-schoolwide-change-wellness/
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