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Wellness Program of Maywood Public School District

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As part of recent guidelines received from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Education’s Nutrition Department all schools are required to begin developing and revising local wellness policies.  Building upon the philosophy that health and success in school are interrelated, it has become clear that schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not healthy and fit physically, mentally and socially.  A wide variety of research has demonstrated the positive correlation between health and learning, and those two things are mutually reinforcing.

The new regulations require districts to include the following elements; make sure schools implement the local policy, monitor and evaluate the policy, and periodically update the community on the status of the policy.  Recently the Maywood Public Schools’ Wellness Committee convened to review the District’s policy.  This committee’s membership includes students, teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, representation from the Board of Education, and community members. 

The Wellness Policy Tool instrument was utilized in conducting this evaluation.  The results demonstrate that the Maywood Public Schools’ Wellness Plan is functioning as is, but can be improved upon.  Student representatives revealed that students are hungry when they come to school or by mid-morning and that many elementary students come to school hungry.  It is apparent that this is our biggest identified obstacle in meeting our students’ wellness needs.

We, as an organization, have begun the development of a breakfast program.  It is yet to be determined when this program will start, as we gather more information, but the committee recognizes the clear need for this goal to be developed.  

Our goal is for every student at Maywood Public Schools to make healthy food choices and develop a healthy lifestyle.  We will continue to review and work toward this goal and would welcome district patrons that would like to participate on our Wellness Committee.  Please contact me at the Office of the Superintendent by phone at 308.362.4223 or by email at cynthia.huff@maywoodtigers.org to join.

Together we can create a better learning environment for our students.

Cynthia C. Huff, Superintendent