December Carver County SHIP Newsletter

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Carver County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)

In this issue...

  • Clover Ridge Elementary's AIM Increases Opportunities for Physical Activity
  • New Carver County Public Health SHIP Staff
  • District 112's Williams Receives STAR Award
  • The More You Know
  • Action Item
  • Upcoming Events

Clover Ridge Elementary's AIM Increases Opportunities for Physical Activity

Clover Ridge
Inside the Academics in Motion (AIM) classroom.

CHASKA, MN - Four years ago, teachers at Clover Ridge Elementary School started a Movement in the Classroom Initiative to promote physical activity in the classroom. The teachers at Clover Ridge went beyond traditional activities, such as “Brain Breaks", to fully integrate moving and learning by incorporating movement into the curriculum. Each of these active classrooms saw increased student engagement and academic achievement but there was still room for growth.

This past year, Clover Ridge teacher Jake Jauert received Teacher of the Year honors from the District 112 Foundation and used the grant money to transform an unused computer lab into a kinesthetic classroom for all Clover Ridge students to use. Additionally, Carver County SHIP funding was used to purchase stationary bicycles, pedal stools, wobble balance boards and more. Now Mr. Jauert runs the classroom and students attend the specialist class Academics in Motion (AIM) two out of every six days for 30 minutes at a time. Mr. Jauert works with all K-5 classroom teachers to create the weekly lesson plans based on the reading and math instruction the students need taught or reinforced. The students then learn through movement based activities using the kinesthetic classroom equipment. Without missing any instruction, each student now gets approximately 60 additional minutes a week of physical activity, helping students to meet the national guidelines of 300 minutes or more of physical activity each week.

The SHIP goal of Active Schools is to increase physical activity opportunities both during and outside the school day. One evidence-based strategy to reach this goal is active classrooms. AIM is a unique program that provides Clover Ridge students with standards-based, scientifically sound instruction as well as providing the students with the health benefits of extra physical activity.  AIM takes the learning away from the desk and puts it into motion, benefiting all 720 students at Clover Ridge.


New Carver County Public Health SHIP Staff

Carver County Public Health

CHASKA, MN - Carver County Public Health is pleased to announce the addition of three new staff members who will work on SHIP Initiatives; Lindsay Juricek, Patrick Stieg, and Jeremy Vann.

Lindsay Juricek, is the new Office of Aging Public Health Program Specialist and will be working on initiatives centered around Dementia and Alzheimer's. Lindsay relocated to Chaska from Marquette, Michigan where for the past two years she was the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Michigan Chapter Regional Director for the Upper Peninsula Regional office. Prior to that she was a social worker for the Negaunee Commission on Aging.

Patrick Stieg, MA, CHES, is a new Public Health Program Specialist and will focus on the Active Communities strategy. Patrick joins the team with extensive experience in public health at the local, state and national level as well in the private sector. Most recently Patrick worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN Center for Prevention, managing initiatives addressing tobacco use, physical activity and healthy eating policies among populations experiencing health disparities.

Jeremy Vann, MPH, is the new SHIP Coordinator. Jeremy comes to Carver County with experience working as a Youth Tobacco Control Specialist for Jefferson County Public Health in Golden, Colorado and as a School Wellness Specialist for Denver Public Schools. Most recently Jeremy served as an Adjunct Instructor and Head Men’s Soccer coach at Rockford University.


District 112's Williams Receives STAR Award

Roxanne Williams, Director of Nutrition Services at Eastern Carver County Schools and SHIP Community Leadership Team member, was one of five recipients of the STAR Award from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, which advances population health and prevents disease through research, education, and outreach. The STAR award is awarded to individuals from the public health community who have gone above and beyond for the benefit of their constituents. Congratulations Roxanne! 

View the full release on the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health website or click here.


The More You Know:

  • Starting Sunday, Nov. 26, major U.S. tobacco companies began running court-ordered ads on television and print that provide information on the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke, as well as the companies’ intentional design of cigarettes to make them more addictive. Learn more at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids website or by clicking here.
  • Tobacco 21 is the effort to raise the minimum legal tobacco sales age to 21. Since almost 95 percent of addicted adult smokers started smoking by the age of 21, raising the minimum sales age to 21 would prevent youth tobacco use and save from a lifetime of addiction. In Minnesota, the cities of Edina, St. Louis Park, Bloomington and most recently, Plymouth, passed Tobacco 21 legislation. If interested in learning more about Tobacco 21 efforts in your community, please contact SHIP@co.carver.mn.us.

Action Item

  • Forward this newsletter to three people that either live, learn, work or play in Carver County and encourage at least one to sign up for the distribution list.

Upcoming Events


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jvann@co.carver.mn.us

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