Shippensburg presenters outline triennial review of school wellness policy; staff wellness committee launches "Healthy Hounds"

Missus DeLong, a district staff member, told the Shippensburg Area School District board on Feb. 10 that the district has reconvened a wellness committee to carry out the required triennial review of School Wellness Policy 2-46.

The district formed a reconstituted committee in April 2024 and adopted the name Healthy Hounds. “We are a peer group of dedicated employees committed to educating and promoting healthy, happy and safe lifestyles for our Shippensburg community,” DeLong read from the group’s mission statement during the Committee of the Whole presentation.

The committee used the Pennsylvania Department of Education assessment tool on Jan. 21, 2025, and identified goals across seven policy domains: public involvement/notification/assessment; nutrition education; nutrition promotion; physical activity; physical education; other school-based wellness activities; and nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold on school property. DeLong said the committee planned an action-planning meeting during the district’s upcoming “unconference.”

Key goals the committee proposed include more communication to families through announcements and newsletters; training for all staff on the wellness policy and ways to integrate health into curriculum; sharing a list of healthier snack options from Chartwells, the district’s food services provider; pursuing daily age-appropriate opportunities for students to accumulate 60 minutes of physical activity as recommended by the CDC; forming a student food advisory group for menu feedback; and educating booster clubs and PTOs about federal nutrition rules for concessions and fundraisers.

DeLong described recent pilot activities the group organized for staff and students. The district offered a half-day of staff wellness activities in June 2024 and ran a winter wellness “bingo” in January 2025 that drew 83 staff participants; prizes include gift cards, a three-month Planet Fitness membership and a free personal day. DeLong credited a $2,500 “Live Healthy” grant from Capital Blue Cross and local support from Sue Fink and the Greyhound Foundation for funding outdoor play equipment used at the middle school.

Board members and public speakers asked clarifying questions during the presentation. One board member asked whether mental health was covered by Policy 2-46; DeLong answered that mental health is included broadly under wellness but that there is no single separate mental-health policy and that related items appear across other policies and building-level programs. In response to a public comment about energy drinks being sold at the high school, DeLong said the products meet federal school-lunch program standards but that she and food-services staff are discussing removal. “Getting rid of those is not out of the question,” she said.

The committee signaled plans to post the new assessment and implementation goals on the district website and to accept new participants. DeLong said the larger district wellness committee will meet again before the end of the year to review progress.

Why this matters: School wellness policies direct nutrition and physical-activity programming for students and shape what food is sold and served on campus. The committee’s stated goals touch on family communication, staff training, student activity and nutrition, and the district has adopted specific, short-term activities — from staff wellness events to a student food advisory — intended to improve implementation.

The district did not take a formal vote on the policy today; DeLong presented the triennial assessment and recommended goals for implementation and public posting.