Wellness Teams:

Best Practices & Resources

Questions we need to address

• What is your approach/strategy to finding wellness team members?

• What seems to keep parents/teachers most engaged? (In other words, what is their motivation?) • What impact does the support or lack of support of the principal have on the wellness team? • What is your biggest challenge/difficulty in keeping wellness teams alive in your schools?

Why have a Wellness Team?

• EVERYONE has a role in implementing CATCH/Coordinated School Health (CSH) on the campus.

• The Wellness/CATCH Team – The Team mobilizes the school community and guides the process of implementing CATCH/CSH. • CATCH Coordination Kit – The CATCH Team Coordination Guide serves as a roadmap to help coordinate campus wide implementation of CATCH.

What is an ideal Team?

An effective Team

• Having the right people on the Team is vital to the success of CSH. • A few characteristics of an effective Wellness Team: – Strong, motivated leader/Champion – Variety of representatives – Administrative support (e.g., making the Wellness Team a standing committee)

How to identify your Team members

• Who will be the Champion? (They do not have to do it all!) • Who has a vested interest on your campus?

• Who else can you think of?

Engaging your Team

• Create a set meeting time & keep meetings short & simple – 4 th Wednesday of each month at 10:05am • Send reminder emails regularly – Meetings, events, tasks, deadlines • Send minutes out to Team after each meeting • Make meetings and being part of the Team fun!

• Work with the PTA

Engaging your Team cont.

• Recognize your Team – Celebrate Success!

– CATCH Resources – Faculty meetings/Announcements • Hold the Team accountable – Delegate roles/responsibilities that match member’s interest and skill set – Create a buddy system amongst the Team – Utilize CATCH Team Coordination Guide • Big Picture Document • Theme Checklists

Example: Del Valle MS (DISD)

How Del Valle MS identified their Team and keeps their Team engaged… – Principal supported a standing CATCH Team Meets the 1 st Monday of each month at 7:00am – All components, including Food Service are present at each Team meeting – Support staff handle all logistics and administrative assistance

Central Texas CATCH Teams Del Valle MS

What role do administrators play? -

• Be an active Team member & wellness leader – Attend team meetings – Utilize CATCH Coordination Kit to promote and support CSH – Role model healthy habits • Support the Team’s action plan – Encourage implementation of CATCH/CSH campus-wide (e.g. CATCH lessons, activity breaks, Family Fun Event, etc.) • Create policies surrounding CSH – Standing CATCH Team – Water First Policy – Open Gym

Barriers to keeping the Team alive

• Lack of administrative support • Time & Competing Responsibilities • Academic Demands • Maintaining Momentum • Setting Realistic Goals • Keeping a Positive Perspective • Lack of district support and accountability

Sustaining Wellness Teams at the campus level

• Incorporate CATCH/CSH into Campus Improvement Plan • Make CATCH/Wellness a standing committee with a standing date and meeting time • Make CATCH a standing agenda item for all faculty meetings

CD Fulkes ’ CATCH Team

Sustaining Wellness Teams at the district level

• Suggest strategies for CIP (e.g. standing Wellness Team & regular meetings) • Ask for a CATCH/Wellness contact list from principals & encourage principals to make CATCH/Wellness a standing committee • Report district progress with CATCH/CSH at Principal, SHAC and School Board meetings • Solicit success stories for CSH newsletter

Central Texas CATCH Teams

Straight from the CATCH Team’s mouth…

• • • • • • “Our CATCH Team began as a 7 member Team in year one and has grown to over 20 faculty and staff .” “We have CATCH Day on Mondays where teachers wear their CATCH t-shirts and are encouraged to implement an activity break in their classroom.” “We now have 30 minutes of physical activity during advisory every Monday/Wednesday/Friday.” “Instead of complete mayhem, it was beneficial learning, the CATCH activity breaks helped my classroom management and the students really enjoyed them.” We have also rescheduled the lunch hour to include 30 minutes of physical activity, called “Activity Time.” “To increase physical activity opportunities, the PE teachers open the gym in the morning before classes, during lunch, and have started an intramural and cardio track program .” “Students, teachers and staff are drinking more water, making healthier food choices and being more physically active; CATCH has become part of what we do.”