[{"_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",6429282,"mediaKeyId","5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367","parentId",5880947,"title","Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition invites North Kingstown to Oct.16 event on skills‑based health education","audioSeconds",105,"startMs",113000,"endMs",218000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367&start=113&end=218","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367/thumbnail_113000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6429282/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Rhode-Island-Healthy-Schools-Coalition-invites-North-Kingstown-to-Oct16-event-on-skillsbased-health-education","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429282-1fd9672c442e3934c16f4f0fb253b8c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775332688&Signature=UmxdSi1tXYWmT3LEokqmaaoz4OmdtYsKoV4dnUguUAnrbprD1rqjdbTDDqxrrWCbERMLv5t7sKFsDsVivUFZKA5o16L2WtGApq6e~v2DINBaFgisI6gKjsXhYkXkKcWGKm~juk9JoJd56HAFguR-kmOsRZ5FYcPeH8GcjzhJjrMIGQnJTaaLlKDO60Epztd9OZXUEf0QyJr53UzF5B--Xb-9kWywnpcrBZDNSuLY5u~wM9-7ND4hrkx2ddNk9iJ3GxwB7Th~7Otsc-rT84FvHpZnr53DF7xmLVOSuMvJIg-duyIZ421adFGpd74Vg79NCkADB-6~H7s0dl5T1OiFqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Kingstown","date","2025-10-03T13:56:41Z","article","Karen Weatherall of the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition briefed the North Kingstown Health and Wellness Subcommittee on the coalition’s annual conference, scheduled for Oct. 16, 2025.

The event runs from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.; doors open at 7 and the speaking program begins at 8. Weatherall said the keynote speaker will come from California and will present “What if Health were the Most Important class we teach,” focusing on skills‑based health education and classroom resources for districts. She said the program will include a Farm to School Month feature and a panel on building community and belonging that highlights educator wellness, school meals innovations and youth mental health work from the Washington County Coalition for Children.

“We're really focused on organizing our annual event, which is on October 16 this year,” Weatherall said, noting North Kingstown usually has a table and that she circulated a signup sheet. She told committee members there are roughly 500 seats available at the venue and invited district representatives to sign up as exhibitors or attendees.

Weatherall identified district‑level presentations and USDA‑supported meal innovations from other districts among the planned showcases, and said the event will include resources aimed at helping districts implement skills‑based programs. She asked subcommittee members to consider staffing a table and to share the signup invitation with relevant teachers and school committee members.

No formal action was taken.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NKSD Health and Wellness Advisory Subcommittee Meeting -September 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Karen Weatherall told the subcommittee the Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition is organizing its annual event Oct. 16, featuring a California keynote on skills‑based health education, a Farm to School Month activity and panels on community and belonging.","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},6429283,"Health and Wellness subcommittee plans student poster contest, assemblies and signage to curb vaping",1259,664000,1923000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367&start=664&end=1923","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367/thumbnail_664000.jpg","/articles/6429283/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Health-and-Wellness-subcommittee-plans-student-poster-contest-assemblies-and-signage-to-curb-vaping","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429283-e20f990a064758306861063b5f0841c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775332688&Signature=TfnF7QU9o0ZYa1nQ96F5jOyryK-E-nlpOhF2JazEZyTa7wDOVW8Cz1ASPf5V1HUCguFZblKJ5kj1BHl~SeQjIdOjPg56JY9YOVSPlbjAZoyfk3vGD4pJLQVxUi8tcxm~9Er1VCAH8loSHqPHdFP0xA0M3Ang0Hr5Ic-Eb~N59Wm93jls-xRYuILYHsosjlDgHhzkq0ylnVP~gnny5~FpRp~jVnqXmMPIOjy6JvK-m0aFATSBA1rcLDZRamSFtfqE3~6MjR52wkT1qUa19fx0Hz82Gf4l~kLLgB6WpFnDFoo3t~lPJNjbuBu4QGLE9Y8WQSn8nIZSMzYzwSu9AcLy-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sherry Kennedy, chair of the Health and Wellness Subcommittee and a member of the North Kingstown School Committee, said the group plans a student poster contest, assemblies and new signage to address vaping among students.

The subcommittee discussed hosting an age‑tiered poster contest that would produce signs or digital graphics for use at school entrances and events, with winners displayed in school common areas. “I still like that idea we had about creating the sign and stuff,” Kennedy said, describing a contest with different rubrics by grade level so entries can be judged fairly.

The contest would target elementary fifth graders as a core group and expand to middle and high school levels with different requirements — paper posters for younger grades and digital design for older students. Committee members debated materials, size, colors and how a winning design would be converted into a durable sign or rotated in a display case.

Tricia, Child Nutrition Services, described a visible signage example she saw at the Boston Museum of Science that used portable A‑frames reading “no smoking and vaping on the property” and suggested similar, movable signs for school events. “It just jumped out at you like no vaping on the property,” Tricia said of the A‑frame approach. The committee discussed placing signs at athletic events and dances to catch the attention of adults as well as students.

Members emphasized involving students directly: recruiting middle and high school students and groups (for example, arts, communications or digital design classes) to create content and run peer‑to‑peer campaigns. Kennedy said assemblies in middle schools this week included speakers who discussed consequences and recovery, and that students responded positively: “My daughter personally were excited… it just seemed like it went over really well.”

The subcommittee also discussed incentives and logistics: whether to run one contest per school, grade tiers (for example, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12), and details such as limiting colors or word counts so entries can be standardized for printing and display. They reviewed past contests (Tar Wars and American Heart Association poster contests) as models and proposed a rubric with both objective criteria (visual clarity, spelling) and subjective categories (creativity) to select winners.

Members weighed print versus digital outputs for different ages. For high school, they proposed digital design entries that could be displayed on school screens or social media feeds; for elementary schools, they discussed laminated foam‑board signs to place in fifth‑grade areas. The subcommittee recommended piloting the program this school year and rotating winners annually so the message is continually reinforced.

Committee members suggested coordinating the contest with existing student programs (Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts community projects, Democracy Days) and school clubs to maximize outreach. They also discussed using professional marketing techniques — short “hook” videos and split‑screen formats popular on social platforms — to increase student engagement and attention.

The subcommittee did not adopt a formal motion during the meeting. Members tasked themselves with drafting a rubric, checking printing/material costs and identifying school contact points for rollout. Kennedy said she will follow up with principals and staff to refine logistics and confirm where signs could be displayed in each building.

The discussion concluded with an agreement to develop concrete contest parameters (grade bands, rubric, submission format) and to invite students and teachers from art, communications and digital design to participate in planning and outreach.","The North Kingstown Health and Wellness Subcommittee discussed a multi-pronged campaign — poster contests, assemblies, signage and student-led messaging — to reduce vaping among students, and considered logistics for a year‑long program across elementary, middle and high schools.",{"_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},6429279,"District staff attended Johnson & Wales culinary training to adapt school meals to nutrition standards",76,551000,627000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367&start=551&end=627","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880947-a3e1b2f03b48928361078e163d1c4367/thumbnail_551000.jpg","/articles/6429279/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/District-staff-attended-Johnson-Wales-culinary-training-to-adapt-school-meals-to-nutrition-standards","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6429279-7c71ff2c7d79a540afb65e17ee3e7765/orig.mp4?Expires=1775332688&Signature=LgrEk1FAr1aCHhPoYv3xzPcSi7lPoLzZ436R27RPHnlBKIDlgnXXZXSpuPryWVj7nQAmGk~BWeY-mjNfj8iNuj3C4MU2TtCu1jn~QQcJujVq3uLvReLh1Qd8ekx1amA2zbRgR6TBnUEQVspWIsG8e5mwO8pLPPgprI4qWkWfmrptgjaXSpInQrA0VV1BBauNrXqNf1p3zWgwExk8AezqUb1l~3wLpSWbahRJCffAVcQ7zlcraQAtD75D5~0kaboCjjknkLGfuPVamTXg~goxB5RX7kYRFlNcguCP9Nu1QjVBO6Nx3qOTTAI3CDvSs~kNvIujXtX578LFCG52JzcLRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Karen Weatherall and other committee members described a summer culinary training hosted at Johnson & Wales that offered hands‑on sessions for school nutrition staff to prepare meals that meet nutrition standards while reflecting students’ cultural tastes.

Weatherall said the training involved partners including Farm Fresh Rhode Island, URI SNAP‑Ed and the RIDE Child Nutrition Program and was intended to build staff skills for preparing flavorful, compliant meals without relying on excess salt. “We’re working on really, developing, compliance so they can, you know, fit into the nutrition standards. But more culturally relevant,” Weatherall said, adding that Johnson & Wales provided kitchen space and instructors for the training.

Participants praised the sessions and suggested bringing Johnson & Wales staff and students into school kitchens for on‑site training and planning. One committee member said the district plans to schedule Johnson & Wales visits during a professional development day in March.

The subcommittee noted this training as a model for hands‑on professional development to support Farm to School Month and other meal innovation efforts; no formal vote or contract was mentioned.","Committee members praised a summer culinary training hosted at Johnson & Wales for school culinary staff, aimed at making school meals more culturally relevant while meeting nutrition standards; district staff plan follow‑up training and PD days.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition invites North Kingstown to Oct.16 event on skills‑based health education

Health and Wellness subcommittee plans student poster contest, assemblies and signage to curb vaping

District staff attended Johnson & Wales culinary training to adapt school meals to nutrition standards