Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Nutrition And Wellness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rhode Island Healthy Schools Coalition updates subcommittee on wellness assessment webinar, universal preschool meals bill and Recess Rocks anniversary
Summary
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.
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.
