District Focuses on Success to Engage Schools

Elizabeth School District - Elizabeth, New Jersey

"Today we survive in an environment where most people engage in the same tasks day after day. Technology drives our world and the humanistic qualities and understanding of living a healthy lifestyle are often forgotten. Participating in the Healthy School Program has enlightened many students and recharged many of our staff to live, eat and teach others how to be healthy. Elizabeth is a community composed of many different cultures and backgrounds, but living a healthy lifestyle is a quality we can all share and speak all together in one common language."
-Ali Olin, Supervisor of Special Services

Elizabeth School District is a district in their first year with the Healthy Schools Program. The schools in Elizabeth have embraced the program and have been able to move quickly towards success because they have an administrative team that is extremely supportive. The district administrators have engaged the principals and the excitement for creating healthier schools has trickled down to the school wellness councils members who feel supported and have flourished in this environment.

To capitalize on this energy and excitement, Olin held a meeting in February for all principals and vice principals in the district. The goal was to have principals showcase what was happening in their schools around the Healthy Schools Program and to share ideas. Olin asked the principals to bring a poster board display that would show their action plan and successes to date. Three principals spoke about how they have supported their school wellness councils.

Olin had attended a Healthy Food Fair earlier in the year, hosted by Healthy Schools Program participants in West New York, New Jersey. She had been able to sample Alliance compliant snacks and beverages at that time and obtained contact information for some of these companies. When she started planning this meeting she reached out to those companies and asked for donations of healthy snacks and beverages. She also invited John Fraraccio, Healthy Schools Program Champion and Supervisor of Health and Physical Education in West New York and Sal Valenza, West New York Food Service Director, to share their stories at the principal meeting.

The principals and the school wellness councils worked hard on their poster displays and the results were impressive. Everyone was able to see just how much is happening in the district from school meal changes to new afterschool programs and staff wellness initiatives. Principal Dora Kuznitz shared, “The Healthy Schools Program was received by all of the Charles J. Hudson School #25 family members with open arms. We are committed to enhancing the awareness of healthy lifestyles for everyone.” Maryanne Graham, physical and health education teacher at Ronald Reagan Academy #30 said, “We are on a roll at School #30--with no butter!”

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