[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6577164,"mediaKeyId","3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd","parentId",3167612,"title","Subcommittee approves minutes and sends chemical health/student safety policy to policy subcommittee","audioSeconds",246,"startMs",702000,"endMs",948000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd&start=702&end=948","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd/thumbnail_702000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577164/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Subcommittee-approves-minutes-and-sends-chemical-healthstudent-safety-policy-to-policy-subcommittee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577164-3f74037a32810e697c977d6ab041ee00/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495619&Signature=MU8ZECF1EdbwvFzSdMQ5k~sV88Lgp4hRG8PZJO4ArEgC477IwV61VzLJyQMa68Wtd2TSYMnt4fdrUQyqIfUybT-CDSaLZ~1JdL8s33WlzSjPBCXRE5t72aOAXpjMHpap81fFeqWaqzofeiExlFN0n81trRqIjOkw1rxRAUq3R7vSGaq08I6cuMkysB1~m-MKWDXTu~wMsRZ1ENPXbu-MJksQKPVEAQh8LN6q027zm94JgpeCKhgF2ZrXJpPfxYR~TPQuXYvvvuJ7~z86WxYI9RwKbOV-3ai1t~oiKH5ake-QQHpxFs7xn4r9zC7~--cC-Dl1~SNgH~m02dkhCaYNUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Kingstown","date","2025-05-01T12:53:23.463Z","article","The North Kingstown Health and Wellness Subcommittee on April 30 approved minutes from prior meetings and voted to send the chemical health and student safety policy back to the district policy subcommittee for further review.

The minutes for the Dec. 4, Jan. 8 and March 26 meetings were brought forward and approved; the transcript records the motion passing without a named mover in the minutes discussion. The subcommittee chair called for the vote and the chair announced, “Alright. So the motion passes, and all the minutes are now up to date.”

Committee members discussed confusion over how the chemical health and student safety policy reached the subcommittee and agreed that the policy will return to the policy subcommittee for additional review and edits before it proceeds to the full school committee. The discussion noted that student-assistance counselors and the three school counselors at the middle schools should be asked to review and provide input; several members said an administrator should send the materials to counseling staff to solicit clear responses.

Sally Davidson (equity, belonging and community engagement coordinator) moved to send the policy to the policy subcommittee; the motion was seconded and the committee voted in favor. The chair summarized next steps: the policy subcommittee will review counselor feedback and the subcommittee chair will prepare a summary of changes and reasons for any edits before the policy is forwarded to the full school committee.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of minutes (Dec. 4, Jan. 8, March 26): Passed; mover/second not specified in the transcript; no roll-call tally recorded.
- Motion to move chemical health and student safety policy to the policy subcommittee: Mover — Sally Davidson; second — unnamed (chair); Outcome — approved; no roll-call tally recorded. The motion was for referral for review, not final adoption of policy changes.

No additional formal votes were recorded at the April 30 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NKSD Health & Wellness SubCommittee Meeting - April 30, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Health and Wellness Subcommittee approved prior meeting minutes and voted to move the chemical health and student safety policy to the policy subcommittee for further review and recommended counselor input.","taxTitle","North Kingstown, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",73306,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577169,"Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition updates subcommittee on wellness assessment webinar, universal preschool meals bill and Recess Rocks anniversary",427,143000,570000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd&start=143&end=570","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd/thumbnail_143000.jpg","/articles/6577169/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Rhode-Island-Healthy-Schools-Coalition-updates-subcommittee-on-wellness-assessment-webinar-universal-preschool-meals-bill-and-Recess-Rocks-anniversary","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577169-232404b8ba9e843864cd3c750af08319/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495619&Signature=l5WkF08623cDGrBvsleFGM9uhcEQaG5n8osnaeo2M2Y1dObLMmvn7MpR7Sr3hMmmgpu2woaQ5AGYR2cL-p3sIs6YZ~C5j27Z4jvlsAqkw9KvNEIqmAS2Nm1vbgw9b~CkdOsxFok6p2zyZRp1qeneGJ9pIQqzdqOKBlutgnWyxQbyrVg7LBWdjVLpa-0VYfec0OFQ66~7AVkrsoHk-CfmysAfckvRH5NA-o4wHbo~rv-SwVxvp0~5UUqbXCs6FdKDXFPFNivQGnKMOQIxrweAwyBFicTxawdIRadgQpNOppPYsbY1gevVnodaBaJwWCDl3aZVptKna9fKR3zm6dQoaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Karen Weatherill, representing the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition, told the Health and Wellness Subcommittee that a universal preschool meals bill had its first hearing in House Finance and was held for further study. “It was held for further study like most bills,” Weatherill said, adding that leadership changes in the state Senate have made budgeting uncertain.

Weatherill described a proposed three-year rollout that would, if enacted, provide free meals to all elementary students in year one, add middle school students in year two and include high school students in year three to ease budgeting pressures.

Weatherill also reminded the committee of a virtual webinar on assessing local wellness policies scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, at 4 p.m., hosted by the Rhode Island Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Program. The webinar will cover the federal requirement that districts assess implementation of wellness policies at least once every three years and tools to support school-level and district-level assessments. “We developed a checklist spreadsheet,” Weatherill said, and noted that some national tools have limited coverage of state laws and regulations, so the coalition will review multiple assessment instruments.

She said the webinar will be open to wellness committee members, school food service managers, business managers and any interested committee members; the coalition and the Child Nutrition Program will circulate the registration link.

Weatherill also highlighted statewide and local events: Recess Rocks’ 10th anniversary will include contests for elementary students, winners will be invited to the statehouse on June 3 for a governor’s proclamation and the coalition will publicize teacher professional development tied to educator wellness and restorative practices on May 18 at the North Club Beach House in Narragansett.

Committee members asked about the triennial assessment timing and whether the district should begin its review sooner; Weatherill advised planning for the assessment and coordinating participation from principals, food-service staff, PE teachers and parent leaders so each school completes a school-level review that feeds into a district summary.

No formal action on state legislation or the webinar was taken at the April 30 meeting.","Karen Weatherill of the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition briefed the subcommittee on a House Finance hearing for a universal preschool meals bill, an upcoming webinar on triennial local wellness policy assessment (May 20), and Recess Rocks 10th-anniversary activities including a June 3 statehouse event.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6577174,"North Kingstown Prevention Coalition outlines school-based vaping prevention and media-literacy programs",2043,995000,3038000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd&start=995&end=3038","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3167612-e38fb30aa73741525b15934f256ef9fd/thumbnail_995000.jpg","/articles/6577174/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/North-Kingstown-Prevention-Coalition-outlines-school-based-vaping-prevention-and-media-literacy-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577174-2169df3877611ba4623e67505162d409/orig.mp4?Expires=1775495619&Signature=TSglAaZYLSTu1P2WlrZHTZn879Xua8oF6aT3lJk-gC6-YrBVI311PUlcIBkizqYUTDZlEO4hdyhWRW9rZSWy2r41bwc7ZmE6zKAwCY8W-gIlk9KRnUpi2sFv0IitBCney9uP03xtlkhgSWOShup4aAIzw5dWeuJ6-peToYmRUOxELZsi0StZ0AzsHc9QQgeBoYRGWrY8kPx3KjSxvOXu4D8S1MDG8i6LpFtXZLj9Yu6o8U52PDqcEnz~YR8vaE2Z-tkxABfKFLcsTxPhApxXa5-NKowWkVjHzDldWbzLcfDp1sxLvpEtXUnnwxQwfu11MwSFUDZWuCdzE7INXa~6Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kayla Van Gordon, leader of the North Kingstown Prevention Coalition, told the Health and Wellness Subcommittee on April 30 that the coalition is shifting from tabling at community events to delivering school-based, evidence-backed prevention programming.

The coalition’s flagship classroom programs are Media Detective (grades 3–5) and Media Ready (grades 6–8). “The whole goal is ... to analyze media messages, recognize unhealthy behavior, and prevent substance abuse through the power of media literacy education,” Van Gordon said. She described the curriculum as modular and adaptable; a full session runs about 10 hours but can be shortened or split into multiple visits to fit school schedules or after-school programs.

Van Gordon described hands-on activities used in the programs, including an exercise showing what is in a vape — with visual displays of substances such as paint thinner and insect repellent — to give students a concrete understanding of product contents. “When we did it at the Washington County Fair, we had an adult get his way through it, and we watched him walk over and throw his fake away because it was just such a moment,” she said.

The coalition receives grant funding from the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals and can train school staff to deliver the programs. “Although I’m a trained teacher, I can’t go to every school. We would train other teachers at other schools if they wanted to get involved,” Van Gordon said. She said the coalition does not charge schools for programming or materials.

Van Gordon outlined complementary strategies: distributing posters and signs (many are free from the state health department), coordinating medication take-back events with the police department, providing free lock bags for medications, running compliance checks with local retailers, offering parent-focused programs (two evidence-based parenting groups for ages 3–5 and 6–12), and maintaining an online “parent backpack” of resources that includes crisis phone numbers and local services.

Committee members discussed ways to integrate the curriculum with district health instruction. The subcommittee’s members and district staff noted that health education now emphasizes skill standards, including identifying credible information — a natural fit for media-literacy lessons — but acknowledged limited instructional minutes in the school day. Committee members suggested after-school, summer programming or targeted lessons (for example, a fourth-grade or seventh-grade lesson) and using school events such as sports nights, open houses and family days to present assemblies and parent education.

Van Gordon offered the coalition as a school resource for assemblies and sports-night presentations, and she said the coalition has previously provided assemblies on opioid overdose and other topics. She also said the coalition will continue tabling at community events to maintain visibility.

The subcommittee did not take formal action on program adoption at the April 30 meeting; Van Gordon said she will return to the committee for further conversations about implementation and scheduling.","The North Kingstown Prevention Coalition presented evidence-based programs and community resources to the Health and Wellness Subcommittee, emphasizing media literacy, parental supports and free town services to prevent youth vaping and substance misuse.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee approves minutes and sends chemical health/student safety policy to policy subcommittee

Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition updates subcommittee on wellness assessment webinar, universal preschool meals bill and Recess Rocks anniversary

North Kingstown Prevention Coalition outlines school-based vaping prevention and media-literacy programs