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Article Author: by Corina Jones

This past school year the Coordinated School Health Program completed a successful year in the Polk County Schools, and the wonderful news is the application for next year's budget has been approved. Our last article in the Polk County News described CSH's accomplishments in our schools. Now I want to inform you what Coordinated School Health was able to purchase for our students and faculty this year.

Each school was given $4,600 to spend on ways to improve physical education activities and/or nutrition. Each school's School Health Team met to determine how they would spend their money. Some schools divided monies to grade levels, so teachers could buy equipment more appropriate for their classes. The faculty was thrilled to be able to purchase items they felt would make physical education activities more enjoyable. Faculties in each school were surprised when they were told they could select a method to improve their health, and most teachers felt a treadmill would be most useful. The treadmills purchased were of very good quality and should be in usage for a long time. We all know we want our children to perform in healthier ways. We must be role models and show them how we do it -- not just talk about it -- but actually work on becoming healthier individuals ourselves. Teachers truly make great impacts on our students and usually spend more time with them than parents do.

Each school's faculty talked about the need for nursing supplies in everyday usage. Phyllis Hamby, RN was so helpful in supplying the coordinator with a list of needed supplies and everything on the list was purchased for our six schools. Fire-proof metal boxes were also purchased for each school. Students will he able to keep their medicine in a locked safe location.

I want to thank everyone for your help in making this program a success; no one person can accomplish this by themselves. It takes the state to grant us the money, the school system to administer the program, and help from our community and parents to make it work. Special thanks to all the Health and Community Advisory committees and School Health Teams in each school, and I cannot leave out our principals -- what a tremendous help you were! I am expecting next year to be an even greater year for the Coordinated School Health Program, but this will happen only if we have the continued support we have received this year.