12: The National Role in Coordinated School Health Programs

National Level Organizations can influence support for CSHP and implementation from both government and nongovernmental organizations. Young people’s health and academic achievement are concerns for hundreds of national organizations and coalitions. Non-government organizations are responsible for implementing specific school health components, such as a school nurses, health teachers, PE teachers, school social workers, counselors, and psychologists. These groups focus on only a few or one aspects of school health. Most of the organizations demonstrate their support by creating position statements, policies or resolutions that place on record the organizations commitment to CSHP or specific aspects of school health. Federal government focus on many areas of a CSHP including, program funding, and development of regulations and guidelines. The federal government helps schools to prevent violence, provide nutritious school lunches, develop health education guidelines, provide physical and mental health services, and implement safety standards. The federal government can do this by helping the schools out with funding and setting guidelines. Two concerns around this are that federal mandates funding that interfere with policy and program funding, and drive to reduce the federal budget deficit. They are worried about increased flexibility, therefore allowing the programs to be more client-focused rather then program-focused. Establishing a sustained and broad-based commitment to successful implementation of a CSHP will require that staff and members of national organizations integrate action on behalf of these programs within their organizational activities and goals.
I feel the same way about this chapter as I did the previous one about the state organizations. There is still a lot that I do not understand about it, but I realize its importance on a CSHP. Everything about a CSHP starts at the top where the guidelines, broad goals, and funding is set by national agencies. From what I have learned so far, it is important for a coordinator to know what’s going on at the state and national level. Though I feel it may be easy for a coordinator to work in their own world and forget about the powers above them, there are many opportunities that can arise for their program if they stay updated with the state and national organizations.

11: The State Role in Coordinated School Health Programs

Even when all the pieces are put together to develop a successful CSHP, it still needs support from outside the school. The community and national organizations play a major role, but the state level really sets the guidelines and influence a program will have. The state legislature, governor, boards of education, education agencies, health official, state agencies, state courts, and nongovernmental players such as businesses, universities, foundations, and the media all are contributing factors to a CSHP. They all play a small roll in developing the importance of a CSHP, and have a major influence on the other. They all combine to form the importance that will be place on implementation, and evaluation on the program. The State can positively affect a CSHP by making objectives for all schools to meet in forming and following a program. It can make it much easier for a school health coordinator, when they have the support and the tools from the state. The State can find out what’s new, and continue to inform and build a solid supportive base for all schools to follow.
There is no doubt that the State is crucial for a successful CSHP. Everything that happens is revolved around the individuals that are formed from all the different areas the state has to offer. The more we can start having an affect on the individuals at the state level, the more we will start to develop healthy minded individuals from the school systems. These individuals will then take over these jobs and continue to improve health throughout the state. It all interconnects, and there are so many great health leaders out there that it will eventually all come around.

10: School-Site Health Promotion for Staff

Students are the centerpiece of school concentrations; which they should be since they are the ones being trained to make it out in the real world. But one thing that is often overlooked is the importance of the staff. They have the tough job of prepping the environment, classes, and lessons to meet all the needs for our future leaders. It is important that schools not only meet the needs of the students, but the staff as well. Working in a school is a very demanding job, and the health of the staff needs to start being a concern. Research continues to show that school-site health promotion programs for school staff not only improve the health of the individual, but their teaching techniques and excitement towards working with the students. A school-site promotion for staff is the promotion of physical, emotional, and mental health, as well as the prevention of disease and disability among school employees. The benefits of a program can go on and on. The employee’s health behaviors and status improve, but they also save money on health care costs and employee absenteeism and improve productivity and morale. For a school-site health promotion to be successful it needs to start by having a strong leader. It also needs training, teamwork, and the ability to work with institutions of higher learning and local community providers. Teachers who become interested in their own health tend to take an interest in the health of student and to serve as health role-models.
After all the chapters, I believe that this concept might be the most important. I feel that this has the ability to affect the widest range of concepts. If you can get the staff to buy into health promotion, then they can improve how they approach the classroom, and integrate health in their class. The teacher will practice and promote health, which could have a much bigger effect then any thing else in a CSHP. When students see their role-models practicing healthy behaviors, and are continually reminded about the importance of health, then that will have a major impact on the students.

9: School Nutrition Services

To help students maximize education achievements, develop healthy lifestyles and lower their risk of chronic diseases, schools need to recognize that nutrition is an essential first step in developing healthy minds and bodies in our students. It has been proven that students who are well nourished perform better in school then those who lack the essential nutrients. Students are skipping breakfast, and three percent of females are becoming bulimic and anorexic. In a school nutrition service, it calls for a stop to all of this. The essential function of a school nutrition program are; access to a variety of nutritious, culturally appropriate foods that promote growth and development, nutrition education that empowers students to select and enjoy healthy food and physical activity, and screening, assessment, counseling, and referral for nutrition problems. National school lunch program (NSLP) and the school breakfast program (SBP) are affordable health meals that appeal to the students. These programs have been set up for all students, especially those ones who are deprived of proper nutrition. The problem is that many of the students don’t take advantage of NSLP and SBP. Students with money are bringing in their own foods, and the ones who can not afford it buy from vending machines and snack bars. There is also nutrition education that can help students practice better eating habits, and educates them on the importance of a proper diet. For nutrition services to be successful it needs the full support of all the staff members, and the proper screenings assessments taken place. There are many individuals and organizations out in the community who are willing to help and support a nutrition program; it just comes down the leadership and the school working together to reach the same goal.
The more I learn about the health content, the more I start to believe that nutrition is the most important component of health. Physical activity is not too far behind, but nutrition is so important to the overall wellness of the body. I really believe that vending and soda machines need to be abolished from the school. I also think that there should be a nutrition week once a year. Kind of like how a lot of schools have winter games every year. They could make nutrition into games and competition that really hammers home the importance of a proper diet. I think that a CSHP should really focus on the community and guardians as well. If we can’t stop vending machines and students buying from snack carts and what not, then we need to educate the parents on how what their allowing their children to eat affects their health. More activities that involve parent involvement can only help. There are so many things that need to be done and could be done to help with the students nutrition, it starts by making an effort to help the students understand how what their doing now will affect them as they grow.