Knox County initiates more physical activity and coordinated health program

-By Knox County Schools Public Affairs Staff

This school year marks some significant steps for Knox County Schools as the system moves forward with implementing Tennessee Board of Education Policy and state statute mandating a Coordinated School Health Program for all school systems.

One part of the Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) is the oversight and implementation of a state mandated 90 minutes of physical activity per week for every student.

“This year we will be providing system wide staff training on integrating physical activity into the school day,” said Aneisa McDonald Knox County Schools’ Coordinated School Health Specialist.  “We will be working with our Healthy School Team leaders and Coordinated School Health sites across the state to discover best practices.  We will also be making visits to schools during the school day to provide ideas and solve scheduling issues.”
“This is a building year,” said McDonald.  “One size will not fit all.  Every school will have the ability to implement physical activity in a manner that best fits their school’s schedule. We are a work in progress and what schools are doing today may not be what they will choose to do in the future.”

According to McDonald physical activity is defined as a behavior consisting of bodily movement that requires energy expenditure above the normal physiological (muscular, cardio respiratory) requirements of a typical school day.  It should not be confused with Physical Education which is structured classes following state Physical Education standards taught by certified Physical Education Teachers.

This year Knox County received $180,000 from the Tennessee Department of Education to expand our coordinated school health program and to establish a school health coordinator position,” said Laura Boring Knox County Schools supervisor of health and wellness.

“We know that the physical, social, and emotional health of students can support or hinder their academic success and their subsequent success in life,” said Boring.  “We want to be in a supporting role.”
Boring says a coordinated school health program consists of eight interactive components based on a model created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  A core group of Knox County administrators representing the eight areas and the System Wide Health Advisory Council guide the efforts. Healthy School Teams provide leadership for healthy initiatives in schools.

“A 2007 report from the Trust for America’s Health indicated Tennessee had the nation’s fifth highest obesity rate,” said McDonald. We can’t ignore this fact and the associated health risks like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.

McDonald says Knox County is addressing this public health risk in the following ways:

• Continued adherence to established nutrition standards for foods provided to  students during the school day
• Integration of nutrition and health education across the curriculum
• Integration of a minimum of 90 minutes of physical activity a week
• Staff health promotion
• Healthier school environments
• Providing more fruit and vegetable offerings in the school cafeteria

“The Coordinated School Health Program (CSH) is to improve student health and their capacity to learn through the support of families, communities, and schools,” said McDonald. “while implementation of the physical activity mandate is currently high on the priority list, the program is to provide wide ranging support to the healthy of students.  I think we will see the benefits of the program in reduced absenteeism, fewer behavior problems in the classroom, and improved student health and performance.”

“Students who are dealing with poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, violence, substance abuse, or mental health issues, find it very difficult to achieve academic excellence,” McDonald says. “No magic curriculum can overcome these barriers. The Coordinated School Health goal is to build partnerships among schools, families, and communities to solve our children’s greatest health issues.”