NEW for SHIP Partners in Faribault, Martin & Watonwan Counties

You can access documents from the informational meetings, health care meeting and partnership documents such as the letter of intent by clicking here!

Area Schools attend training on Physical Activity during the School Day!

Nine area schools attended a training in June with a focus on improving opportunities for physical activity during the school day. The day started off with Principal Gary Anger from Red Pine Elementary School in Eagan, MN. Gary talked about how his school has really championed wellness initiatives and how school administrators can really helped foster and encourage wellness as part of a school lifestyle. SHIP Supervisor Chera Sevcik provided an overview for attendees on the connection between academics and physical activity. Research continues to demonstrate the more physical activity provided to students, the better the test scores, academic outcome, attention spans and behaviors. Several research studies have been done which show this connection and were shared with the group. Scott Kelly from the Public Health Law Center (PHLC) provided an overview on developing gold standard wellness policies and discussed how schools can work towards good policy change. Several resources were shared from the center and schools are able to access the PHLC at no charge for consultation on their school wellness policies. The training ended with an overview of what schools can expect in SHIP 3 and a brief discussion of the timelines and funding available. About fifty participants attended the training including school physical education staff, school nurses, principals and superintendents, food service directors, community education directors and school teachers.

St. James School Recess Run improves mile run times in phy-ed!

 

St. James Northside Elementary School phy-ed teacher Marcia Eggen has spent the last year encouraging classrooms to be more active. In addition to providing active classroom resources on a monthly basis to all teachers, she encouraged classrooms to participate in the Recess Run challenge - which meant everyday, the participating classrooms would take their students outside and run - in the snow, rain or sun. Two classrooms faithfully participated in this challenge every day and the results are nothing short of amazing! Students mile run times were recorded in the fall as a baseline and then again in the spring. Of the students participating in the challenge, 92% had decreased their mile run times from the fall to the spring, with some students cutting their mile run time in half! The kids reported  that the challenge made them feeling better, running easier and was a lot of fun! In addition to improving student's physical health, research also shows that moving students more throughout the school day improves their mental capacity and improves classroom attentiveness and behavior issues. Northside also recently decided to increase physical education minutes next year! Great job Marcia and Northside Elementary!

City of St. James Kicks Off Employee Wellness Program with Wellness / Walking Challenge

The City of St. James kicked off their first wellness challenge on Monday, June 17th.  During their first week they had over half of their staff participate in the challenge. With SHIP funds they were able to purchase pedometers for each employee to encourage them to participate in the challenge by walking each day during work hours. The challenge entails for every mile they walk outside of work or on breaks they receive a point, if they visit their local fitness center they will receive 2 points and if they participant in healthy events (screening days or lunch and learns)  by the City of St. James they will receive bonus points! To start off the walking challenge they hosted their first screening day. This included utilizing city ambulance staff and volunteers to conduct free blood pressure and glucose reading assessments. If staff members blood pressure or glucose readings were not within a normal range they were referred to local resources for help in managing their health. Those staff members who participated in the screening were eligible for bonus points in their wellness challenge. Over half of the City Staff was screened at this event! The City looks forward to seeing this challenge continue throughout summer!

The City of Wells Gets ACTIVE!

In support of a new City Proclamation encouraging the citizens of Wells to be physically active and eat healthy, the Wells Area Active Living Coalition is sponsoring a 4 Week Healthy Lifestyles Challenge. Even blizzard-like conditions didn't stop nearly 90 citizens from attending the kick-off event and signing up for the challenge at the Wells Community Building on Wednesday, May 1st. Those attending the kick-off received helpful information from the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Bike Safety, Wells Area Chamber of Commerce, The Grind, Workout 24/7, USC Schools SMART, SPARK and school nutrition, USC Community Education, Safe Routes to School, LANA the Iguana and I Am Moving I Am Learning Early Childhood curriculum.  Bolton & Menk provided a walking map with 6 routes with varying mileage. Delicious and healthy snacks were provided by Wells Marketplace. Registration remained open through May 8th, where an additional 75 participants signed up to participate!

 

Participants in the Challenge received a fact sheet discussing the value of healthy eating and physical activity and a daily log to check off their successes in the following categories:

• No smoking
• 5+ fruits and vegetables
• 64oz water
• 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity
• Stress Management
• Weight Maintenance

The Challenge will end May 29^th 6-8 pm at Half Moon Park with a drawing for prizes and awarding of t-shirts at 7pm for all who check off a minimum of 50 items on the challenge sheet.  Participants are encouraged to bring a healthy picnic lunch and take a walk around the park.

 

 

 

 

Garden Court Apartments in Winnebago Holds Successful Resident Presentation

 

 

Garden Court Apartments in Winnebago implemented a smoke-free building policy that will cover 36 apartments within the building, common areas and the 25 foot perimeter of the building on May 15, 2013.  E-cigarettes are also included in the definition of tobacco products. 

Lois Busse, Apartment Manager for Garden Court Apartments is very excited to be able to provide safe and a healthy environment for its 40 residents.  Busse stated “We knew that we had overwhelming support from our residents to go smoke-free.  The survey we conducted this past winter indicated that over 90% wanted our apartment building to be smoke-free or had no preference.  We also have support from the Theis and Talle, Inc, who is the company that owns our building.”

SHIP staff working with Garden Courts, Bonnie Frederickson, stated, “Lois came to one of our lunch and learn events and wanted us to help them implement a policy.  By working with Live Smoke-Free- a non-profit program that promotes smoke-free apartment living throughout Minnesota-we have the support and resources we need to make this great thing happen at Garden Court Apartments.”  Frederickson stated, “We offered a presentation on April 15 at Garden Court Apartments and had 17 residents attend.  They were surprised to learn about all the damage that secondhand smoke does and what is in secondhand smoke.  Residents are supporting management in this new smoke-free policy.”  Busse noted that cleaning out a unit where the resident has smoked is expensive and is hard to remove the smell of smoke. 

Reba Flanders, a resident at Garden Court Apartments is excited about the policy.  She states, “I feel that making this a smoke—free building would protect me and others from breathing the secondhand smoke that is harmful.  Secondhand smoke affects my sinuses and my lungs.  I should not have to be exposed to these unhealthy conditions that affect my body.  We are looking forward to a smoke-free building for everyone.”

Garden Court Apartments will be working with Frederickson and Live Smoke-Free on the components of implementation including the residents lease addendum (outlines the smoke-free policy), enforcement guidelines, signage options to inform visitors and residents on the new policy, community awareness and promotion of the policy.  A celebration of the Garden Court Smoke-free Building Policy was held on May 15.

Kids Eat FREE This Summer in Windom!

 

Windom Area Schools will be providing Summer Meals for children beginning May 28.  After recently begin approved as a summer meal site, the district will provide nutritious meals for all children ages 1-18 at the Windom Middle School.  Kids can just show up and enjoy a meal that is tasty and nutritious.  Elaine Deutchman, Windom Area Schools Food Service Director said, “We are really excited to be able to offer a nutritious meal for children in Windom.”  The meals will follow Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the MN Department of Education provides suggested lunch meal patterns, but the choice and preparation is the responsibility of the District.  Deutchman said the kids may be served a Sloppy Joe or a turkey sub sandwich with a variety of fruit and vegetable and milk. 

 

One of the really great things about this program is that any child can participate, and you just have to show up.  There is not registration, so if kids are in the area, they can eat a healthy meal at the Middle School.  All children who are part of community education or summer recreation programs can eat free, if grandparents have grandkids visiting, they can eat free, daycare providers can bring children, and kids who live in the area or who are home without parental supervision can enjoy a nutritious meal and eat free.

 

The meal site will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30-12:30 for all children ages 1-18.  Deutchman said, “We do not need any registration, and parents can come with the children, but we do not provide adult meals, and adults cannot eat off the children’s trays.”  Watch your local paper for more details.