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Fall 2019
School Wellness Teams
In compliance with requirements of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), the Fairfax County School Board has established a wellness policy (2100) for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) that promotes the health and well-being of students and staff. The components of the local wellness regulation include physical education; physical activity; health education; health services; healthy and safe school environment; counseling, psychological, and social services; health promotion for staff members; family and community involvement; food and nutrition (general); nutrition education, promotion, and food marketing; and nutrition guidelines that influence student and staff health and wellness.
As part of the requirements of Regulation 2100, schools shall develop and establish a wellness committee to implement activities that support the wellness policy. Schools are encouraged to invite and include staff, parents and/or guardians, community members, students, and the school public health nurse to be a part of the school’s wellness committee.
All schools are asked to identify two school based Wellness Team Representatives and one Staff Wellness Liaison. Each school should update this information in the Contacts Database.
Roles of Wellness Team Members
 Teacher and students dribbling basketballs
- Plan and Implement activities that support the Wellness Policy and help to improve student and staff health and wellness
- Invite and encourage staff, students, parents and/or guardians, and members of the community to participate
- Serve as a liaison in school communities to share student and staff wellness information
- Provide support, as requested by the principal, for school based wellness reporting
- Provide Wellness Team contact updates to the Contacts Liaison for your school.
Wellness Team Resources
Do you need some help getting started with your Wellness Committee? The following links will provide you with information and resources to help you along the way:
The FCPS Wellness Policy (P2100) and the FCPS Wellness Regulation (R2100) can be viewed on the policies and regulations page located here: https://www.fcps.edu/policies-and-regulations
Action for Healthy Kids—Game On
Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Wellness Policies
CDC—Local School Wellness Policy
Fuel Up to Play 60
Hallways to Health
USDA—Tools for Schools
2018-2019 Wellness Reporting Now Available
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHJFKA) requires each local education agency (LEA) that participates in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a Local Wellness Policy (LWP) that meets the newly expanded requirements outlined in the final rule of the HHFKA, as well as provisions related to implementation, evaluation, and publicly reporting the progress.
FCPS schools completed wellness reporting via survey in May 2019. Individual school reports and the division level executive summary are now available on the FCPS Wellness Reporting webpage at https://www.fcps.edu/node/36633.
Ideas for School Wellness Activities and Information
Team Nutrition has a variety of back to school health and wellness ideas and resources. Some examples include:
- MyPlate handouts, posters, bingo cards and recipes
- Taste test ballots
- School garden resources
- Family fun night resources
Team Nutrition also has a free Popular Events Idea Booklet with ideas for 20 themed events, both large and small. The booklet includes handouts, templates and other free resources to support these events.
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Healthy and Active Fall Celebrations
 Thanksgiving Celebration
Thanksgiving is a great time to remind your school community about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Why not plan a Turkey Trot, a Pumpkin Run, or even a Pie Burner Run for your students and their families? Maybe you want to have a simple but healthy classroom celebration. Here are some tips to help plan a healthy and active Fall celebration:
Fun and Healthy Thanksgiving Treats for Kids
Healthier Generation-How to Host a Turkey Trot
Turkey Trot Ideas for your School
Hats Off!
 Students walking to school
International Walk to School Day
Hats Off to the many schools who participated in this year’s International Walk/Bike to School Day on October 2nd. Each year, students and staff in over 40 countries participate in this global event which promotes physical activity and helps to reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools. This event has also inspired safer routes to schools. Please see the following websites for more information:
Walk & Bike to School Day
Safe Routes to School
Your Health Matters
Hats Off to Liberty Middle School for beginning a new program titled “Your Health Matters.” This program promotes a healthy lifestyle by providing information in the morning announcements and through their News You Choose Newsletter. So far this year, Liberty Middle School students and staff have learned about healthy eating (myplate.gov), processed foods, and the importance of water for your body. What a great way to provide information to the school community!
Family Nutrition Program
Hats Off to Rose Hill Elementary School and the Virginia Cooperative Extension for offering a free Family Nutrition Program. This program guides the participants to make healthy choices, practice new food preparation skills, save money at the grocery store and discover ways to become more active. This is a wonderful way to learn how to eat smart and move more.
Would you like to share how your school is encouraging staff and student wellness? Please send a short description of your program or activity to Teresa Gallahan @ tlgallahan@fcps.edu
Employee Health and Wellness News
Thriving Schools Minigrant Projects
In the fall of 2018, schools had the opportunity to earn a $2,500 grant through the Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools Minigrant Program. The competitive grant was awarded to 20 schools within FCPS to and funds were used to promote teacher/staff health and wellness. Winning schools implemented their proposed projects in the spring of 2019. Projects included staff break room makeovers, installing water bottle refilling stations, and purchasing fitness and food preparation materials for staff use.
 Bren Mar Park Elementary School Remodeled Break Room
Colin Powell Elementary School Remodeled Break Room
Key Center School Fitness Equipment
Glasgow Middle School Food Preparation Equipment
Food and Nutrition Services News
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services welcomes back all students to an exciting new school year! For faster processing time, families are encouraged to reapply for Free and Reduced-Price Meals online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application by October 8, 2019. If you wish to use a paper application, please contact your school’s main office or the Food and Nutrition Office at (703) 813-4800.
FNS is committed to providing all students healthy and nutritious meals throughout the year. Families can view FCPS school menus with photos, nutrition facts and allergen information (as applicable) by visiting the NutriSlice website at https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu. NutriSlice is also available as a free app families can download onto their smart phone. Using NutriSlice allows families and students to plan for their school day ahead of time. If your student plans to purchase any menu items don’t forget to reload money onto your student’s cafeteria account using your www.MySchoolBucks.com account.
Fairfax County Health Department News
Flu season is around the corner! Now’s the time to get your flu shot! They best way to prevent the flu is to vaccinate against the virus every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu causes more hospital visits among young children than all other preventable diseases. The flu vaccine is recommended for any child ages 6 months and older as well as adults – especially those who work with high risk individuals or people who suffer from chronic illnesses.
Vaccinations are available at your local pharmacy, doctor’s office, health clinics or the Fairfax County Health Department: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/flu/fight-flu. And remember, along with your flu shot there are several other ways you can protect yourself this season:
- Wash your hands often.
- Protect yourself from those who may be sick.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Cover your cough.
- Stay home whenever you are ill.
Although the timing of flu season is unpredictable, seasonal flu activity typically begins in October and can last until May. It is recommended that you take action sooner rather than later to fight this serious, yet preventable disease.
Lastly, the CDC provides additional resources that will help you maintain optimal health this year. Be sure to check out the video below and learn more about how you can #FightFlu (Source: CDC).
 Flu Can Be Very Serious
Health and Physical Education News
Hollin Meadows Elementary School has a traffic garden on their blacktop. What is a traffic garden?
A traffic garden is a series of lines and markings that allow students to practice their bike safety skills on a simulated road interacting with other bicyclists and the traffic signs. Pictured below is Hollin Meadow’s principal, Jon Gates, a champion of bike programs. The FCPS Safe Routes to School program provides opportunities for students to gain bike skills and bike and pedestrian safety knowledge. Another component of the program is promoting active transportation and physical activity. International Walk to School Day in October and Bike to School Day in May are two events that students, parents, and community members can engage in to support active transportation and increasing physical activity.
One quarter of all trips in the U.S. are 1 mile or less, and yet most of these trips are taken by car. Increasing walking and biking reduces traffic congestion and the cost of road maintenance. A one-mile walk takes less than 20 minutes. For the physical health and wellbeing of students, parents, families, and the community, consider opportunities to enjoy the fall weather by walking or biking to school, work, and places in your neighborhood. Active transportation increases activity levels, lowers stress, reduces air pollution, and reduces those long Kiss and Ride lines. Help ensure a healthy community – put down the car keys and walk, bike, or use another mode of active transportation.
Mental Health News
Please join us for FCPS' 6th Annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference! The event will be held:
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2019
Time: 8:00 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m.: FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Inova's Act on Addiction Summit
Place: Fairfax High School
We are proud to partner with Inova and Kaiser Permanente on this year’s conference. The morning will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. A special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, will take place in the morning as well. Inova will be presenting the Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 p.m.-4 p.m. Breakout sessions, exhibit tables, and resources will be available to all attendees throughout the day.
FCPS and the Fairfax County Health Department have created a PSA on student stress. Learn about stress, resources, and healthy ways students can manage their reactions from a public health nurse, school psychologist and students from McLean HS.
https://www.facebook.com/fairfaxcountyhealth/videos/2936786486349774/
News from the Office of Safety
Halloween Events: Make It Fun, Keep It Safe
Halloween is one of the fall season’s highlights for our students, and many schools plan special events to celebrate the occasion. Here are a few tips to help event planners.
HAUNTED HOUSES – Is your event going to be a Haunted House? If so, a permit from the Fire Marshal may be required. The key design factor that defines an event as a “Haunted House” is the creation of an environment that results in the egress path is not readily apparent due to visual or audio distractions. A maze constructed inside a darkened room would be considered a Haunted House and would have to meet all of the requirements of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC.) NOTE: If your school is not equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler system, a Haunted House will NOT be approved by the Fire Marshal! ALTERNATE EVENTS – The restrictions and costs of creating a true Haunted House can be avoided by changing the design of your event. Here are two options:
- If individual classrooms are used for different “themes”, then the requirement of non-combustible decorations does not apply, even if your school does not have a fire sprinkler system. Remember to not have decorations in the halls. No permit is required.
- A “Haunted Village” can be created in the cafeteria or gymnasium that features booths around the perimeter walls that can be individually decorated. If the emergency egress is not confusing, it doesn’t need to meet the requirements for Haunted Houses. No permit is required.
Soccer Goal Safety
 Soccer balls
“I don’t really worry about the dangers, but I never would have thought that would happen,” said a parent after a ten-year-old boy was killed in May 2007 in Winchester, Virginia after a soccer goalpost fell on top of him, crushing him to death. Portable goals can be unsafe because they are unstable when they are either unanchored or not properly anchored or secured. All local youth athletic leagues’ portable goals and FCPS portable goals used on non-competition athletic fields (Middle and Elementary schools) must be properly secured into the ground during use and stored off the athletic fields using chains to mitigate any turnover risk per FCPS Safety Manual, Regulation 7350.2P, Chapter 7, IV, A. Physical education staff should routinely check any goals on their sites for compliance.
For more information please contact Safety and Security at:
(571) 423-2010
TODAY IS YOUR DAY
To START fresh.
To EAT right.
To TRAIN hard.
To LIVE healthy.
To BE proud.
-Bonnie Pfister
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