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Student Health Advisory Council - 2/12/08


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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County

Billings, Montana

 

February 12, 2008

 

The School Health Advisory Council met Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 4:00 pm in room 213 of Lincoln Center. Virginia Mermel presided over the meeting. Attending were, Thomas Harper, Bette Hunt, Bev McHugh, Bernie Mason, Karen Dawson, Paul Manning, Ann Nichols, Bruce MacIntyre and new members Ann Guthals, Kay Schwartz, and student Chris Meyers from Billings Senior High School. Guests were high school students, Carey Eggen from West High and Kelly O’Leary from Senior High.

 

 

Introductions

Virginia Mermel welcomed the new committee members Ann Guthals, Kay Schwartz, Student Chris Meyers and guests.

 

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the January 8, 2008 meeting were presented. Bruce MacIntyre moved and Beverly McHugh seconded that the minutes be approved. Motion passed unanimously.

 

Updates

Virginia Mermel informed the committee that the Billings Schools have 88 Fit Kids school teams, which is a 52% improvement over last year for the Big Sky Fit Kids Program. The district also has 42 teacher teams (360) participating in the Shape Up program. This is a 260% increase over last year.

 

The Farm Bill that is being considered by the Senate has one nutrition title – which is the food stamp title. Food Stamp funding at the national level is running out so it needs to be reauthorized. Virginia Mermel and Dayle Hayes attended a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce on January 12th and had an opportunity to visit with Jon Tester and asked him to look into the House version of the Farm Bill which is much more generous with its food stamp provision. Virginia was informed that Senator Baucus has been put in charge of merging the Senate and the House versions of the Farm Bill.

 

Virginia Mermel informed the committee that the Family Services Inc, in Billings takes food from the Montana Food Bank Network and distributes food every 7-10 days. Whereas the Billings Food Bank services various other agencies and can only give 3-days worth of food once a month to individual families. Virginia will make sure this information gets to school counselors.

 

Evaluation Forms

USDA will not have the SHAC Evaluation tool available this March, therefore, SHAC will need to develop its own tool. Members need to look at the handouts provided and be ready to discuss this topic at the next meeting.

 

Kelly O’Leary – Senior High Student

Kelly attended theSchool/Community Committee meeting the previous night and was asked by Kathy Aragon to bring her ideas forward at the SHAC meeting.

 

• Menus are not decided by the students – would like the Student Council to have more input

• Would like to see a Good Earth kiosk at Senior High

• Would like to see healthier fundraising brought into the community

 

Bette Hunt will set up a Focus Group Meeting with the students at Senior High.

 

Fund Raising Issue

Virginia Mermel handed out a draft of Healthy Fundraising Guidelines that were prepared by Montana Team Nutrition, a draft of some guideline development tips Virginia accumulated from other sources, and a draft of healthy Concession Stand Guidelines prepared by Bev McHugh.

 

Discussion took place on how SHAC is trying to ease into healthier choices in the school concessions. It was decided that we need to reach not only the principal at the school but the teachers that coordinate the activities and groups and present the guidelines to them.

We need to set up a time table for the change and we need to target the district as a whole. Thomas Harper informed the committee that he would contact Dave Williams, Activities Director, about attending the next SHAC meeting to discuss the fundraising and concession issues. Kay Schwartz suggested going through the advisors in the high schools in order to start the change process. Another idea that was shared by Karen Dawson was a Non-Event Fundraiser.

 

Chris Meyers – Senior High

Chris Meyers, a student in Kay Schwartz’s class at the Career Center presented his HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) project about Student Obesity Trends that was selected from six other proposals from around the state. Only two were chosen.

 

Most concerning was data that showed only 10% of middle and high school students in Billings get the necessary exercise each day, whereas as 36% of middle and high school students state wide do. Other troubling data included the fact only 19% of students meet their daily calcium requirement.

 

Upcoming Meetings

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - 4:00-6:00 P.M. Room 213 Lincoln Center.

 

 

Respectfully submitted:

 

_________________________

Virginia Mermel, Chair

____________________

Cindy Curnow, Recorder

 

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