In the Forest Hills School District in the Johnstown area, they're seeing changes — "small changes," nurse Elizabeth Katrancha allows. "Small steps. But, the students are more aware."
Aware of healthy eating habits. Aware of the sugar content in foods. Aware of healthful living.
It started with a computer program.
Using Highmark Healthy High 5's Health eTools for Schools — a secure, Web-based portal for improving student wellness — nurse Katrancha was able to document students' weights and quickly generate yearly reports to parents on Body Mass Indexes (BMI) that are mandated in schools by the Commonwealth.
"Parents are more aware of problems," she says, "and doing more at home."
In the Johnstown area, nurses at 102 schools are using Health eTools to record student health data more efficiently, freeing up time to address student health concerns.
Change didn't end there. For the last two years, as Forest Hills tracked BMIs using the eTools program, they were able to compare weights — and offer new and better choices.
"We no longer have soda machines on during the day," nurse Katrancha says. "Instead, we have juice and milk. When there are snacks, sugar isn't the first ingredient. Fundraisers using candy bars have been reduced. We sell fresh fruit — oranges and grapefruit. And students' birthday parties are celebrated with hats and ribbons instead of food."
The change is not only in the kids' physiques. "This really plays into their self-esteem," she says. "We teach them these are things they can choose. Maybe they won't choose the right things all the time, but at times they will make the healthier choice."
Learn more about Highmark Healthy High 5 Health eTools for Schools.
This story was originally published in an April 5, 2009, advertising supplement for Highmark Healthy High 5.