Creating Healthy Schools and Communities of Erie and Cattaraugus Counties

School Wellness Newsletter

December 2024

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Join us for a two-day conference dedicated to advancing school wellness! This event will feature a diverse range of presentations on topics including indoor gardening, healthy celebrations, classroom physical activity and the Farm to School movement. We are thrilled to welcome Nick Kline, Director of Active Schools, as our keynote speaker, who will share insights on promoting physical activity and wellness in schools. Throughout the conference, you'll have the opportunity to hear from local schools about their innovative wellness initiatives and explore strategies for enhancing the well-being of students and staff alike. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and be inspired by what’s happening in our community!

We encourage you to register early for the conference and to consider submitting a presentation proposal to share your wellness initiatives with your colleagues. Conference registration fees are waived for all CHSC funded districts as well as community partners that work in CHSC funded districts.

Submit Presentation Proposal

Presentation proposals are due by January 16, 2025


School Wellness Networking Meeting

Date: January 9, 2025

Time: 2:30-3:30 pm

Topic: School wellness communication

Location: Zoom meeting

Join us for our virtual networking meeting where wellness leaders from different schools and districts come together to share what they have had success with and to leverage the expertise of colleagues to overcome problems. 

This quarter we will be discussing how committees are communicating- both within the committee, to faculty, to students and to the community. You can share newsletters, flyers, and social media posts that you've used and discuss any communication issues that you are facing.

Register

Recent Activities

School Wellness Project Proposals

We are thrilled to have received 34 school wellness project proposals last month! Some of the areas that schools have identified to work on this year are: 

  • Training teachers in yoga
  • Indoor recess improvement
  • Outdoor recess improvement
  • Heathy concession stands
  • Healthy celebrations
  • Classroom cooking
  • Active seating
  • Indoor gardening

We are getting in touch with the lead person on all of these proposals to get any clarifications we need and will be starting to make purchases in early January.

Thank you to all the committees who took the time to plan these amazing projects!


Gardening Grants Available

Grow with Us

​​​​New York Agriculture in the Classroom is offering a grant for schools to earn plant grow systems for their schools and classrooms to engage students in learning through food and eating healthy food year-round.

The Grow with Us Grant will provide schools an opportunity to apply for one of four options: a bundle of three Tower Gardens, 3 tier grow rack with led grow lights, a vermicomposting Worm Café, or a compost tumbler.

Schools should apply for the system that best meets their educational goals and available classroom or outdoor space. New York Agriculture in the Classroom aspires to provide teachers the tools to facilitate experiential learning opportunities using agriculture as the context for learning.

Applications are due January 9, 2025

Learn more

GroMoreGood Grassroots Grant

Brought to you by the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation and KidsGardening and will provide 170 programs with grants of $500-$1500 to start or expand their youth garden.

Organizations must:

  • Support, work with, or serve communities with a majority of individuals that are under-resourced (systematically denied resources and opportunities based on race, gender, ethnicity, income level, abilities, geographic location, etc., or currently experiencing hardship such as a natural disaster, etc.)
  • Have fifteen or more youth participate in the garden program.
  • Have received less than $10,000 in grants for the garden program during 2023 and 2024 combined.

Application opens January 6th and the application deadline is January 31st.

Learn more


Resource of the month: SNAP-Ed Teacher's Room

SNAP-Ed NY teaches people how to shop for and cook healthy meals on a limited budget. They provide tools, tips, and tricks to help people make nutritious food choices and choose a physically active lifestyle.

They recently launched a school wellness resource called SNAP-Ed Teacher's room. The goal is to provide teachers with the resources and guidance needed to create a healthy, active learning environment. This interactive display provides resources for nutrition and physical activity in the classroom and across the school building.

Check out the Teacher's Room


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355 Harlem Road
West Seneca, NY 14224

716.821.7520
swhiteway@e1b.org
www.e1b.org/creatinghealthy