Healthy Steps Forward. A District Administration custom publication for the Dannon Institute

Assessment Tools

School wellness policy checklist
A simple checklist to rate physical activity and nutrition components of a district school wellness policy
Checklist for food and beverage items
An assessment form that looks at offerings in a high school cafeteria a la carte line
Principal survey
A checklist examining food and physical activity wellness policies at the school level.
School Health Index
Homepage for the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion School Health Index and related resources

School Wellness Tip Sheets

Children’s Physical Activity Guidelines
An overview of activity recommendations from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education
Healthier Fundraising Choices
Tips and resources for non-food fundraisers
Strength Training for Children
Information on appropriate strength training for children of different ages
The School Food Environment
A summary of the components of the school food environment, including the cafeteria, vending, and classroom food policies
Is Fruit Juice a Healthy Beverage for Kids? Isn't it Full of Sugar?
Dispelling the myths associated with fruit juice consumption by children.
Vending Machine Foods
Information regarding healthy food and beverage choices for school vending machines.
Alternative to Foods as a Reward
Why food should not be used as a reward or punishment for a child's behavior.
Marketing Sells Meals! Suggestions for Your National School Lunch Programs
Tips for improving school meal programs while staying within the USDA and Dietary Guidelines, and making National School Lunch Program meals attractive to students.
Tips for School Wellness: Considerations in Low-Income Families
Recommendations for how to make school a "healthy place" for children in low-income communities.
Increasing Parent Buy-In
Helpful hints on how to bridge the gap between home and school.
Lactose Intolerance
Information on lactose intolerance including the rules regarding nondairy beverage alternatives in school lunch and breakfast programs

The Publication Dedicated to School Wellness Assessment

Healthy Steps Forward is a supplement to District Administration magazine that presents information about how to move district school wellness from implementation to assessment. Assessment of school wellness policies provides important information on the effectiveness of district guidelines in furthering the health of students, a priority of the sponsor of this publication.

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In This Publication

On Demand Web Seminar

School Wellness Policies: Do you have one - and is it working?

School Wellness Video Podcast

During the 2009 Texas Association for School Administrators conference the Dannon Institute conducted a 1 hour presentation, "Your School Wellness Policy - 5 Solutions to 5 Common Problems." The presenters were Greg Welk, Associate Professor at Iowa State University and the Scientific Director for FitnessGram, and Rich Abramson, a School Superintendent from Maine. In the following series of videos Greg and Rich discuss practical solutions to addressing your school wellness policy.

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About the Dannon Institute

Healthy Lunch In 1997, The Dannon Company and leaders in the nutrition community created the Dannon Institute, an independent non-profit foundation with a focused mission: to promote research, education, and communication about the link between nutrition and good health. Leaders in nutrition-related fields and executives from The Dannon Company make up the Dannon Institute’s Board of Directors. This forms a unique public-private partnership to achieve specific, common goals: to foster the growth of tomorrow’s leaders in nutrition and to promote children’s nutrition and health by increasing knowledge among medical professionals, educators and parents.

For more information about the Dannon Institute, visit www.dannon-institute.org.

Other Wellness Resources

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK)
An integrated, national-state effort, with tools and resources
Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Provides resources and grant opportunities to help schools
California Project LEAN
Implementing physical activity, food and beverage guidelines
CATCH
Curriculum to teach children healthy lifetime habits
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Summary of school health guidelines
Links to school health tools and information

More resources...