Katie Abraham

Internship for Teaching and Learning

Spring 2016
Assignment #5
Needs an Assessment
In the past thirty years in America, the obesity rates have doubled in children and
quadrupled in adolescents. More than one-third of children and adolescents were
overweight or obese in 2012 (Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015). Children and
adolescents weights are determined by using a tool known as a Body Mass Index
(BMI). A persons height and weight are used to determine BMI and children and
adolescents are considered to be overweight if their percent of BMI falls in the range
of 85th to less than the 95th percentile. Ranges above that are considered to be
obese (Steinberger, 2013).
Children and adolescents who struggle with their weight are more prone to other
health issues such as cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, bone or join problems,
sleep apnea, and poor self-esteem. And those who are obese as children are likely
to develop or continue to have health problems as adults. The problems that could
arise are type 2 diabetes, stroke, numerous types of cancer, and osteoarthritis
(Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015). A majority of these health related problems can be
avoided with a healthy lifestyle including proper nutrition and plenty of exercise.
Starting at the age of five or six, children spend nearly seven hours of their day in
school. Everyone involved in a childs life plays an important role in reducing
childhood obesity (Lets Move!). Schools are responsible for creating a safe and
supportive environment and a place where students are to follow polices of healthy
living (Childhood Obesity Facts, 2015). A school system is a place where students
can learn about what foods to eat and how to exercise. Schools can provide healthy

Katie Abraham
Internship for Teaching and Learning
Spring 2016
Assignment #5
food options for breakfast and lunch. They also provide opportunities for children to
be active such as recess or physical education class.
The Madison Central School Districts Health and Wellness Policy was adopted in
2006. It is best practice to review the policy annually, but it must be reviewed every
five years. The policy needs to be reviewed to ensure the school district is meeting
federal and state health standards. A committee consisting of school members and
community members are currently reviewing the schools policy and revising
portions of it so it will meet both the federal and state health standards. Once the
revision has been approved, the committee will examine the elementary schools
handbook and revise the section about healthy snacks for classroom snack breaks.
Develop and Implement a Project
I am currently reviewing the Madison Central School Districts Health and Wellness
Policy along with other school personnel and members of the community. Together,
we will review the policy and revise areas in need of change. At the end of April, the
committee will present the revision to the school board. The committee hopes for
the approval from the school board in May and the school district will start the
implementation in August of 2016. At the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year,
the elementary schools handbook will list acceptable healthy snacks students are
allowed to bring in or eat during snack break in the classrooms.
Successes and Limitations
One success that came from reviewing this policy is that I became more aware of
federal and state health standards. The conversations about physical activity and

Katie Abraham
Internship for Teaching and Learning
Spring 2016
Assignment #5
nutrition interest me a great deal. I believe talking with other teachers in the district
about getting the kids active and offering healthy snacks for snack break will benefit
students. I envision myself encouraging students to participate in summer activities
such as softball, baseball, and swimming, or taking part in the activities the Madison
Community Center has to offer.
Another success I can see coming from the review is making community members
and educators more aware of how the school district is doing their part in educating
students on proper nutrition and exercise. Hopefully these community members will
take that knowledge and spread it out in the community and the teachers can bring
knowledge of healthy lifestyles into the classroom.
One of the limitations to this project is the timeline. Setting up meetings at a time
when all members of the committee could meet was a challenge. Another challenge
of time was having the policy reviewed in time for the board to assess it and accept
it.
Since the school districts food comes from a food service and that food service has
to follow United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements as well as
the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, I felt one limitation I had is speaking about the
food and drink being served to students. There are some foods served that meet the
guidelines, but I feel offer little to no nutritional value. I also dont believe chocolate
milk should be served due to the sugar content, but along with the food served,
they meet the federal guidelines.

Katie Abraham
Internship for Teaching and Learning
Spring 2016
Assignment #5

Sources:

Childhood Obesity Facts. (2015). Retrieved March 18, 2016, from

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/obesity/facts.htm
Hassan, A. (2015). School nutrition and activity: Impacts on well-being. CRC Press.
Let's Move. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2016, from http://www.letsmove.gov/learnfacts/epidemic-childhood-obesity
Steinberger, T. (2013). Facts on Kids in South Dakota Childhood Obesity. South Dakota Kids
Count, 13, 1-4. Retrieved March 18, 2016, from http://www.usd.edu/~/media/files/business/kidscount/factsobesity.ashx?la=en