Wellness Annual Report

Introduction

Health and learning are inextricable intertwined. Health problems and risk behaviors of: inadequate diet, physical inactivity, drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, intentional and unintentional injuries, and sexual behavior which result in HIV/AIDS, STDs, and unintended pregnancy significantly compromise student health, learning, and overall academic achievement.

Research in the fields of education and health present a compelling case for the causal role that health plays in closing the education achievement gap. The nation's schools are committed to helping all children succeed. Yet, every school day children and adolescents come to school with physical, mental, emotional, and social health issues which prevent them from fully participating in and benefiting from the efforts of school administrators and teachers to help every child learn and achieve. Health promoting behaviors improve health, increase the likelihood of academic success, and support and promote healthy families and communities. Coordinated school health is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as a strategy for improving student's health and learning in our nation's schools.  

The healthy development of children and adolescents is influenced by many societal institutions. After the family, the school is the primary institution responsible for the development of young people in the United States.

The health of young people is strongly linked to their academic success and the academic success of youth is strongly linked with their health. Thus, helping students stay healthy is a fundamental part of the mission of schools. After all, schools cannot achieve their primary mission of education if students and staff are not healthy.

• Health-related factors, such as hunger, chronic illness, or physical and emotional abuse, can lead to poor school performance.
• Health-risk behaviors such as substance use, violence, and physical inactivity are consistently linked to academic failure and often affect students' school attendance, grades, test scores, and ability to pay attention in class.

The good news is that school health programs and policies may be one of the most efficient means to prevent or reduce risk behaviors and prevent serious health problems among students. Effective school health policies and programs may also help close the educational achievement gap. 

The Downingtown Area School District(DASD)

DASD recognizes and supports the link between student health/ wellness, and learning. The DASD local wellness policy and school wellness goals establish the foundation for creating K-12 health school communities. The DASD District Wellness Advisory Committee and K-12 School Health Councils advocate for and raise awareness of the connection between student health and academic success.

In the Fall of 2023, the Downingtown Area School District developed the 2024 - 2030 Strategic Plan.  With community and school engagement in the process student health and wellness was identified as a priority for student learning and success.  

Portrait of a Graduate:

• Prioritizes Health and Wellness:
  • Makes informed choices to promote healthy lifestyle and relationships.
  • Builds on strengths to overcome challenges.
  • Self-advocates to address needs.
• Goals and Measures:
  • Goal 1 - Students feel safe, connected, and engaged.

Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child
(ASCD & CDC, 2014)

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model “provides an important framework to address the collaborative relationship between learning and health.” The whole child approach ensures that each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged and sets the standard for comprehensive, sustainable school improvement and provides for long-term student success. The new model calls for greater alignment, integrations, and collaboration between education and health to improve each child's physical, social, and emotional development. 

The new model includes the (5) tenets of the Whole Child including: Health, Safe, Engaged, Supported and Challenged. The new expanded model includes the home and school community: Health Education, Physical Education and Physical Activity, Nutrition Environment and Services, Health Services, Counseling and Psychological and Social Services, Social and Emotional Climate, Physical Environment, Employee Wellness and Family and Community Engagement.

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model focuses attention on the child, emphasizing a school-wide approach and acknowledging learning, health, and the school as being a part and reflection of the local community. The overarching message of the new model is “Coordinating Policy, Process, and Practice” and “Improving Learning and Improving Health”. Schools have contact with 95% of U.S. children ages 5-17 and schools represent the primary institution responsible for childhood development, after the family.

It is essential that schools have an effective and comprehensive school health model in place during these critical years of social, psychological, physical and intellectual development.  

Whole School, Community, Child  

Wellness Team Activity Totals: 

In all, K-12 WELLNESS COMMITTEEs reported SUCCESS with 123 strategies

K-6 Wellness Team Activities

78 Reported Strategies across Three Goals

Goal #1:

To increase protective factors and decrease risk factors associated with mental health and substance use.

Outcome: Increase prevention of substance use and abuse through education and awareness for parents, students, and staff.
Outcome: Engage youth in advocacy initiatives to raise awareness and educate peers on effects of substance use and abuse.
Outcome: Increase mental health and suicide prevention education for parents, students, and staff.  

Goal #2:

To sustain a healthy school environment for healthy eating and physical activity.  

Outcome: Meet criteria and compliance with the Downingtown Area School District student wellness policy including, nutrition education, physical education, physical activity, nutrition standards for food service, and other school-based activities.  

Goal #3:

To promote a healthy school environment to meet the health and wellness needs of staff.  

Outcome: Increase knowledge and skills of DASD staff to support physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.  

7-12 Wellness Team Activities

45 Reported Strategies across Three Goals

Goal #1:

To increase protective factors and decrease risk factors associated with mental health and substance use.

Outcome: Increase prevention of substance use and abuse through education and awareness for parents, students, and staff.
Outcome: Engage youth in advocacy initiatives to raise awareness and educate peers on effects of substance use and abuse.
Outcome: Increase mental health and suicide prevention education for parents, students, and staff.  

Goal #2:

To sustain a healthy school environment for healthy eating and physical activity.

Outcome: Meet criteria and compliance with the Downingtown Area School District student wellness policy including, nutrition education, physical education, physical activity, nutrition standards for food service, and other school-based activities.  

Goal #3:

To promote a healthy school environment to meet the health and wellness needs of staff.  

Outcome: Increase knowledge and skills of DASD staff to support physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.

Background

Living Well @ DASD was created almost 20 years ago. Our initial goal at the time was to help our employees “shape” their own future with a healthier lifestyle in order to help them in turn “shape” the future of their students.  As we grew into this initiative, it became apparent that we could influence other factors with our wellness program.  We saw that we could have a positive impact on the budget by containing the ever-increasing health care costs and reducing absenteeism along with the costs related to absenteeism.  In addition, the positive response from staff can have an effect on increasing morale and productivity.  As the program has evolved and the need grew, we began to promote awareness about the importance of mental health and stress management.

Taking all of these factors into consideration, Living Well @ DASD has continued to maintain the following mission and supporting goals over the years. However, the program has used varying activities in order to achieve these goals. 

DHS-East Staff

Mission

To create a progressive and sustainable wellness program that increases knowledge and skills in order to enhance the mental, social, emotional, and physical well-being of staff.

Goal #1

To increase awareness of lifestyle choices, to encourage overall health and wellness, and to promote the resources available to employees to meet their wellness goals by creating an effective communication plan that reaches all employees through multiple vehicles.

Goal #2

Provide staff with resources that allow them to address their wellness needs and improve their health.

Goal #3

Contain costs and increase fiscal responsibility. 

Goal #4

Develop a culture that promotes and enhances student growth by combining efforts of student and staff wellness to have a District Wide Coordinated program.

Goal #5

Increase participation in various staff wellness endeavors. 

Staff wearing red to support Heart Health Day and Valentines Day!

Overall Staff Wellness Program

Staff Wellness is included as a goal in the District’s Health and Wellness Action Plan. Our strategy to support our goals included:

• Developing a district level staff wellness committee to identify, facilitate, and communicate programs and resources.
• Partnering with K-12 wellness liaisons to communicate staff wellness activities, programs, and resources.
• Creating professional development addressing physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of DASD staff.
• Developing messaging, strategies, and programs to support staff wellness.

Flu Shots

In 2024-2025, DASD again offered an on-site Flu Shot Clinic through Rite Aid that allowed our employees to have their insurance billed directly. Our clinic was a success.  Over a period of two days, we actually inoculated well over 200 staff members. They were also able to provide Covid, TDAP, Pneumonia, Shingles, RSV, and/or Hep A and B, if the person qualified.

MC6GC: Be Kind to All Kinds

Happy Holiday Challenge: Maintain don't Gain

Holiday Challenge

As part of our commitment to employee well-being, we implemented a Holiday Wellness Challenge aimed at helping participants maintain their current weight throughout the holiday season—a time often associated with increased risk of weight gain. The initiative focused on fostering sustainable, health-conscious habits through self-monitoring and proactive planning.

Participants were encouraged to engage in weekly self-weighing, a practice shown to support weight management by increasing awareness and motivation. In addition, tracking daily food and beverage intake was promoted to help individuals stay within their personal calorie goals. Monitoring physical activity was also emphasized, with a focus on recognizing the cumulative benefits of consistent movement, regardless of intensity. To further support individual success, participants were advised to develop personalized strategies using the tools and guidance provided throughout the program.

Ongoing communication and resources were offered to reinforce these key behaviors, providing participants with the support needed to stay accountable and make informed choices during the holiday season. This initiative reflects our ongoing dedication to fostering a culture of health and well-being within our organization. 

Follow the Path to Wellness: A Healthy Habits Challenge

4-Week Healthy Challenge

From February 3rd to March 2nd, this individual challenge encouraged staff to engage in various healthy habits over the course of four (4) weeks to help establish routines that will stay with them for the rest of their life.

To kick off our self-guided Follow the Path Towards Wellness program, we launched week one with a structured focus on developing consistent, healthy habits. Each week, participants were introduced to three specific wellness habits, with detailed guidance provided via weekly communications to support successful implementation. Our goal was that these habits served as the foundation for fostering long-term lifestyle improvements and were the focus of targeted support and education.

Participants were encouraged to engage with the program through their wellness portal by clicking each habit icon to access additional details. Upon completing a habit in its entirety, they were instructed to mark it as complete within the system. The program was designed to be flexible yet goal-oriented, allowing participants a total of four weeks to complete eight out of the twelve habits presented. To stay on track, participants were expected to complete three habits each week, following the designated order.

While engagement in the Follow the Path Towards Wellness program was steady, overall participation levels were lower compared to some of our previous initiatives, such as the walking challenges. This highlights an opportunity to explore new strategies for increasing involvement in future habit-based programs, possibly through enhanced promotion, incentives, or streamlined tracking tools.

This structured yet adaptable approach ensured clear guidance while promoting accountability and sustained engagement among participants who enrolled.

Spring Walking Challenge

DASD Walking Challenge -Spring Challenge

This year, the District launched the DASD Walking Challenge, a dynamic wellness initiative designed to foster school spirit, promote physical activity, and encourage friendly competition among employees across all DASD buildings. The program offered participants the opportunity to represent their school, compete for individual and team prizes, and work collectively to achieve wellness goals. In addition to the competitive element, the challenge supported personal health objectives such as reducing stress, boosting energy, calorie burning, weight management, cardiovascular improvement, and overall fitness.

Beginning in April, this district-wide initiative featured individual interval challenges. Participants had access to a dedicated mobile app, developed by Wellworks in partnership with Independence Blue Cross, which provided real-time tracking and progress updates. The structure of the program was designed to gradually increase in difficulty, motivating participants to build endurance and sustain engagement over time. 

Weekly communications, including health tips and motivational content, were distributed to all staff. Importantly, even those who did not actively participate in the challenge still received valuable wellness information that could be applied to their personal health journeys. By combining physical activity with school pride, team collaboration, and accessible health education, the DASD Walking Challenge successfully reinforced the District’s commitment to employee wellness in an engaging and inclusive manner.

This challenge was an overall huge success in terms of participation. This 8-week walking challenge began on March 31st and ended on May 25th.  All 16 schools plus Central Office competed. We had 404 participants from all of our buildings.  The buildings were their “team” which made for great competition and community. The total amount of steps by all teams recorded was 207,296,881 which translates to roughly 103,648 miles.  The average steps per participant was  513,111.  There were individual prizes given every interval along with a team prize given at the finish. Throughout the 8 weeks participants developed a healthy habit, built a strong community attained sense of accomplishment. Our overall winner was the STEM Academy – for the second year in a row!

Health Advocate

In 2013-2014, the District introduced Health Advocate.  Health Advocate is the nation’s leading independent healthcare advocacy and assistance company that provides several personalized services.

For employees, Health Advocate is a free, confidential program that offers EAP+Work/Life benefits to help employees address difficulties in their life by providing short term assistance with personal, family, and work issues that are having an impact on their life and ability to focus on work. There are 8 free sessions for counseling per issue, one free session for legal, and one for financial work per issue.  In addition, it simplifies the navigation of the health care system by helping employees find the right doctors, resolving billing and insurance claim issues, explaining benefit coverages, helping parents or in-laws with the complexities of Medicare, and much more!

Some of the topics that Health Advocate focused on this year were Cope with the seasonal blues in healthy ways, Make kindness your default setting, Keep pet safety top of mind this season, Take these 5 steps to better manage your finances, Stay healthy and safe this summer, Taking mindful breaks at work, and How Mental Health Affects Physical Health.

Employees and their dependents are contacting Health Advocate mainly for emotional issues including relationships, anxiety, depressions, and stress. The advocacy service is also used for locating specialists, care coordination, and claims issues. We are proud to be able to offer this free and confidential resource to our employees. 

Health Advocate has a mobile friendly design and app, which allows for easy access to help on the go, placing all of your Health Advocate EAP+Work/Life benefits right at your fingertips.  

SwiftMD:Now also known as Revive Health

A benefit that was added in December 2016 and vigorously promoted was SwiftMD, a telemedicine company.  In July of 2023, all employees became eligible to participate in the telemedicine benefit with SwiftMD. The wellness effect of this benefit is to give employees as well as their dependents easier and quicker access to healthcare to treat minor illnesses with the hope of reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity from a healthy employee.

 SwiftMD is available at no cost to the employee. With this benefit, employees can consult with U.S. board-certified doctors at any time over the phone or Internet, from home, office, or on the road.  These physicians can diagnose, recommend treatment, and submit prescriptions to the pharmacy of choice.  

The most common uses of our program are for sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, and conjunctivitis.  The program provides the District cost savings when an employee uses this service as an alternative to a more costly venue such as a hospital or urgent care.  In looking at the number of employees and dependents taking advantage of this resources, we find that our numbers continue to grow each month! 

Outcomes

Through the years, we have looked at varying measurements to help shape our evolving wellness programs such as:

• The cost of health care
• The cost of sick days.
• Participation in wellness related activities
• Feedback provided by employees
• Utilization and trends found in DASD’s health claims

Over the years, our wellness program has contributed to influencing costs related to employee attendance and medical claims. However, as in recent years, we are still unable to draw a direct correlation between the program and these specific costs.  While healthcare expenses continue to rise, utilization is beginning to stabilize as we move further beyond the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, rising healthcare service costs are expected to persist.  Additionally, the cost of hiring substitute teachers due to staff absences have increased significantly. Although our wellness initiatives alone cannot offset these escalating costs, they do play a role in helping to mitigate them. As such, we remain committed to strengthening and expanding our wellness efforts moving forward.  

Next Steps

Looking ahead to the 2025–2026 school year, the Wellness Advisory Committee is actively working to address the wellness needs we have identified. We welcome new team members and fresh ideas to help us reach our goals.

Our overarching goals will remain the same, but our strategies must continue to evolve to remain innovative and inclusive. Achieving a robust wellness program will require continued investment of time, funding, and resources. We value our staff and recognize that their wellbeing significantly affects both their professional performance and personal lives. Prioritizing health and wellness is an investment that benefits everyone. 

Goal #3:

Wellness Subcommittee: Goal (3)

Sustain a healthy school environment for healthy eating and physical activity

DASD Food Service in Partnership with Aramark  

As Downingtown Area School District’s Food Service Partner, our Aramark team is passionate about creating an excellent student dining experience to save families from losing time together to pack a lunch! We are always looking to improve our program to be more exciting, healthy, and fun for both our team and our students. We encourage lifelong, healthy behaviors through an approach that is student-centric, evidence-based, comprehensive, integrated, and based on operating experience and excellence.   This year, our focus areas were: Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) audit, welcoming our registered dietitian, encourage healthy eating, expand nutrition education, engaging families and students through transparency tools, and incorporate sustainable practices into everyday operations.  

PDE Audit

To uphold the integrity of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast  Program (SBP), the Pennsylvania Department of Education initiated their Administrative Review for DASD in Fall 2024. These reviews assess several critical areas, including the certification and benefit issuance process, accuracy in meal counting and claiming, compliance with USDA meal pattern and nutritional quality requirements, management of the nonprofit school food service account, and proper handling of USDA Foods.  In addition, overall program compliance is evaluated in key areas such as Civil Rights, On-site Monitoring, Local School Wellness Policies, Competitive Food Services, the School Meal  Environment, Food Safety, Reporting and Recordkeeping, and Outreach. Our most recent review prior to this took place during the 2021 school year, where we were found to be fully compliant, meeting all nutrient standards, demonstrating strong staff training, and maintaining a well-organized, responsive environment.  

Following the most recent review in Fall 2024, we are proud to report continued full compliance with all applicable standards. We remain committed to maintaining excellence in our school nutrition programs and look forward to our next review in five years. 

Welcoming our Registered Dietitian

As we entered the new school year we hired our Registered Dietitian Connor Cooke. Connor graduated from West Chester University with his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Nutrition and Dietetics. As well as completing his internship program with the university, Connor provided educational events as well as educational posts to help foster our nutrition education initiative. Connor also helped guide students/parents with allergies and provided a safe environment and food for all students to eat. Making sure the food we serve meets USDA regulations is our highest priority, which was ensured with Connor’s help. In addition, Connor was an intermediate between the wellness committee and food services. 

To Encourage Healthy Eating

Today, our perspective on food has shifted significantly from the past. Where we once ate whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, we now understand the vital role food plays in how we feel, think, and perform. With this knowledge, we prioritize offering the healthiest options possible without sacrificing the flavors students have come to love.  

Our goal is to take the foods students already enjoy and transform them into the best, most nutritious versions they can be. Below, you’ll find a look at some of the initiatives we’ve implemented at each grade level (elementary, middle, and high school) to encourage healthy eating habits and support student well-being.  

Choose My Plate: Offerings for the 24-25 school year continued to include foods that were nutrient dense, high quality, safe, wholesome, healthy (including snacks), environmentally responsible and local when available.   

Elementary Program Menu:

One goal for our team this year was to try and get our students to take advantage of the amount of  fruits and vegetables they can take for a meal. We know that fruits and vegetables provide a wide  range of benefits for our health some of which would be fiber, vitamins, and minerals. By providing  a wide range of fruits and vegetables this provides the students plenty of options and many of them are favorites to students. We are always trying to find menu options that students love, but make them the healthiest they can be. With that being said, our Elementary lunch menu also saw many new fresh and healthy menu options! Students enjoyed the following new vegetarian/  healthier menu items that were well received:  

• Tandoori Chicken and Rice
• Wafflelaco
• Homemade Pizza (whole grain crust)
• Apple Pack
• Smoothies for breakfast (strawberry and bananas)
• Garbanzo Potato Bowl
• Lentil Chili Walking Taco

Middle School Menu:

Our middle school students are always looking for new items to help satisfy their palate. By offering a variety of flavorful, health-conscious choices, we aim to strike the right balance between taste and wellness. This helps the students discover that eating well can also be delicious and fun. Each new item we add to the menu is carefully selected with their preferences, energy needs, and overall development in mind.  

Some new items that were well received:

• Turkey Barbacoa Tacos
• Hummus Packs (veggies and hummus)
• A rice base dish with vegetables and chicken
• Buffalo Veggie Nuggets
   

Secondary Program Menu:  

At our High Schools lunch and learn was implemented which would put many of the students in the lunch line at once. However, with the addition of two locations at our High Schools (West and East) we saw a smooth lunch process where students were able to get their lunches quickly and efficiently. At the High School level we saw many students enjoy the burrito and grain bowl option. This provided students with a healthy option that they could customize to meet their needs. With that being said the salad and pasta bars allow for this same customization and they continue to be popular among students. One other new option to the menu was a flat bread pizza which would have a different topping almost every time it was on the menu to keep it fresh and exciting for the students as this was yet another popular item!  

Expand Nutrition Education  

In an age where we're constantly flooded with information, it can be difficult to know what to trust. Providing accurate, reliable information in a fun and engaging environment is key to helping individuals make informed, confident decisions.  

Throughout the school year we had nutrition themed events to help educate and encourage healthy eating not only in our cafeteria lines, but at home as well. Our biggest event was a smoothie bike during lunch. This event discussed the benefits of the ingredients being used. For example, the strawberry and banana smoothie discussed the importance of vitamin C, potassium, protein (yogurt), and hydration (water). During our discussion we explained that these important nutrients come from specific ingredients being used. These ingredients can be found on our breakfast and lunch lines! At the same time discussing other ways to incorporate fruits in their diet through other types of smoothies. The best part of this event was that some students were selected to blend their classmates' smoothies!

During the event students were coming up to the table explaining what kind of smoothies they wanted to make at home and what they would have put in the smoothie if they had the choice. 

 Wellness Wednesday:

Continuing to provide nutritional information can help increase participation in consuming more  fruits and veggies. Through Wellness Wednesday we can discuss the benefits of fruits and veggies  with some fun facts. Utilizing these posts at home to have discussions about food as well as help  parents navigate a world where information about food can be found everywhere, which can be overwhelming.

Engage Consumers:  

At Aramark, we are committed to transparency and building trust with our consumers. We believe it's important that everyone knows exactly what they’re purchasing. From the ingredients we use to how our food is prepared. Our goal is to create a dining experience where individuals feel confident, informed, and comfortable with the choices they make.  

To further engage our consumers and parents who decide their students’ lunches we offer our platform Nutrislice. This platform shows many of the items offered and their nutritional value as well as their nutritional content. This includes calories, fat, sodium, sugar, etc. As well as a carb count chart to help our nurses and students who are diabetic and need an accurate count for insulin.  Nutrislice also shows the ingredients that are in the food which is perfect for parents or students that are looking to avoid certain ingredients. Helping people choose options that align with their dietary needs. 

Allergy/Dietary Needs:

Since our Registered Dietician (RD) has joined our team, parents have had a direct point of contact for allergy  questions/concerns. In addition, any nutrition/dietary questions that can help students and parents make informed decisions on what their student may be eating. Food can be complicated, but one on-one conversations as well as a walk through in our kitchens have helped parents gain a better understanding and help them feel at ease when their student dines with us. Getting fast and efficient answers provides less stress for our students and parents so they can stop worrying about student lunches and spend more time with their families. 

Incorporate Sustainable Practices:

At Aramark we see our size and reach as an opportunity to help reduce the environmental impacts of disposables, as reflected in our package reduction strategy launched in 2018. Our goal is to substantially reduce our reliance on single use plastics and other disposables while embedding circularity across our operations.  

Across our operations we have removed Styrofoam from our kitchens and limited our use of single use plastics. Our trays are reusable. If  we move to throw away trays, they are paper products. We limit the use of other plastic products like straw and our cutlery is is usually a spork to limit the need for multiple plastic utensils (fork, spoon, etc.).  

Our pre-order technology allows us to minimize waste. Making sure students always get a meal, but without over producing. At Aramark we are always searching for new technology or techniques that can help our operations limit waste and be sustainable.  

Looking Forward

Nutrition Requirements:

As the years come and go our team is always looking at the new information put out by the USDA to see where we need to change our food to better meet the student body needs. The information below is about changes that have been made and the changes we will see in the upcoming years!  

On April 25, 2024, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the final rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals and other USDA Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), as well as advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security. The changes are based on a comprehensive review of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input on the CNP meal patterns, and lessons learned from prior rule-makings. While this rule-making is effective July 1, 2024, USDA is gradually phasing in required changes over time.  

These changes will be seen in schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and Breakfast program.  

Added Sugar:

Product-based limits to be implemented by school year 2025-2026 (beginning July 1, 2025): Breakfast cereals may have no more than 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce. Yogurt may have no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces (2 grams of added sugars per ounce).  

This guideline has already been implemented in our meals, which are mainly found in our breakfast items, but can also be found in our yogurt that we include with our lunch packs. 

Milk:

We will also be seeing a change in milk this Summer specifically for chocolate and strawberry flavored. This will be implemented on July 1st, 2025. The new guideline is that flavored milk will contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fluid ounces, or for flavored milk sold à la carte in middle and high schools, 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.  

As our students consume more fruits and vegetables and nutritional requirements continue to evolve, we are making meaningful strides in student nutrition. With the ultimate goal of working toward a healthier, happier next generation. That said, consuming the food is just one part of the puzzle. Education is equally essential in empowering students to make informed, lifelong choices about the food choices they make.  

Added Sugars:

Weekly dietary limits to be implemented by school year 2027-2028 (beginning July 1, 2027): In addition to product-based limits described earlier, the final rule also establishes a dietary specification limiting added sugars to less than 10 percent of calories across the week in the school lunch and breakfast programs. 

Sodium:

There will be new sodium requirements in the coming years which will be based off the meals average over the course of the week. Lowering sodium in food will aim to improve the health of our students now, but also in the future.  

Limits:

Education and Transparency:

As we start building toward the next school year we will continue our nutrition-themed events and cultivate a healthy eating environment. As well as Wellness Wednesday posts that focus on a  particular food item. With the ultimate goal of helping our students learn healthy eating habits.  This is something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. With that being said, smoothies were a popular item with the students this past year and we are looking to bring smoothies as a frequent option students can choose for breakfast.  

Next school year we also plan to enter the classroom. Teaching students about food service and what goes into the whole operation. As well as having smaller group nutrition education with athletes to help them optimally fuel their seasons. The difference between a great athlete and a good one can come down to how they fuel up for the day.  

With education being important we will still be looking to continue to provide transparency for students with allergies and making sure Nutrislice is a tool that is used frequently. As well as starting for the secondary schools, utilizing Nutrislice as a mobile ordering system to increase the already speedy service that is provided by our team. 

School Updates:

The addition of all-day kindergarten next year we will see more diners and a change in lunch schedules. However, with our pre-order technology we will be able to provide the same speedy service our students are used to.  

As for some kitchen updates we are looking at the construction on our Beaver Creek and West Bradford kitchens to be completed by the start of next school year. Providing our students with a brand new up to date kitchen! A perfect start to a new school year. 

Engaging parents in DASD Wellness

The Downingtown Area School District works in close partnership with the Communities That Care of Greater Downingtown. CTC plays a vital role in promoting and supporting healthy school communities to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors linked to substance use and abuse and mental and emotional health issues.

Strategies Completed:

Communities That Care of Greater Downingtown (CTC) and DASD Wellness:

In partnership CTC and DASD offered a virtual parent speaker series to increase education and awareness on mental health and ATOD topics focused on the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (2023) risk and protective factors and provided parents with resources and support during the school year. CTC also hosted several collective partners as featured speakers on the Parent to Parent Podcasts, and attended K-12 joint home and school association meetings and CTC also attended secondary schools’ Back to Schools Nights and created a video to share at the K-5 buildings’ Back to School events.  

CTC of Greater Downingtown partners with the DASD to oversee Healthy Youth Positive Energy Clubs (HYPE) for students in Grades 6-12. HYPE clubs are student driven to promote healthy choices and advocacy for substance use prevention and mental health. 

Engaging Youth in Peer Prevention Activities:

HYPE: Healthy Youth Positive Energy

HYPE Clubs:

• 6 Clubs total:
  • Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center
  • Lionville Middle School
  • Downingtown Middle School
  • Downingtown High School East
  • Downingtown High School West
  • Downingtown STEM Academy
• Number of Participants = 163
• Number of Activities = 49

List of activities HYPE clubs completed this year:

Mental Health Promotion

• Students brought attention to “World Suicide Prevention Day” where students and staff wore yellow to school. They also partnered with the Aevidum Club and wore yellow to that week’s football game. HYPE Club painted signs that hung around the school and their message was broadcasted on the morning announcements.
• Students honored “Remembrance Day 9/11” where all students and staff were asked to wear red, white, & blue to school. They also painted signs that were hung throughout school and information was provided on the morning announcements.
• In October, one club participated in Anti Bullying Prevention Month by wearing blue, painting signs and hanging them throughout the school. They also created a video bringing awareness that was played on morning announcements.
• Through a Halloween themed activity, "Don't Ghost your Mental Health - Treat yourself with Wellness Resources", students spread mental health awareness by providing a mental health trivia game with prizes and a graphic with suggestions for taking care of their mental health.
• For Valentine’s Day, students handed out lollipops and encouraging stickers. They also decorated the hallway with paper hearts where students wrote kind messages to each other.
• Several clubs at the school, including HYPE, contributed to the planning and execution of the 6th annual Miles for Mental Health event in mid-May.
• Student shared information about the Teen Talk Line of Chester County, including when and how to access it, who should access it and how to become a volunteer for the program.
• Students hosted a school wide pickle ball tournament as many students in this school use activities like pickle ball to cope with stress.  Other coping options were shared through flyers at the event. The tournament was open to students and teachers and had about 50 participants and a large audience.
• In honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, students planned their school’s annual Wellness Day that serves as a mental day off for students. The mission is to reduce the stigma around mental health and allow conversations to be held around the topic. They had games, crafts, and Zumba. They also passed out kind messages on lollipops to boost moods.
• Students passed out positive notes on lollipops to boost student mood and initiate conversations revolving around mental health.
• Schoolwide Mental Health Awareness messages were created by students and shared school wide.
• Students all wore blue to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Day.
• Students helped organize and promote Unity Day with activities to bring their school community together.

Healthy Living Promotion

• Students promoted their HYPE clubs at multiple school wide club fairs to help increase participation and share information about the club. They also hung signs around the school with club details, including meeting dates, to encourage students to join.
• With the help of a couple of other school clubs and thanks to donations from students, staff, teachers, classrooms and many departments, the HYPE club organized an extremely successful 7th Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive.  They provided a holiday meal for 20 families at their school and donated hundreds of pounds of food to the DASD food drive.
• Students created a Holiday Bingo Challenge for students to complete over the winter holiday. The Bingo card had squares on it for Healthy Holiday Treat, Volunteer, Look at Holiday Lights with Family and Walk Outside.  The kids enjoyed participating and the winner received a Wawa gift card.
• One club organized an entire Wellness Week. They coordinated fun activities including, volleyball, kickball, spike ball and World Cup. The week offers a variety of ways for students to get outside and take a day for themselves. Crafts, such as bracelet making, and chalk were also offered.
• To celebrate Valentine’s Day and show love and support for each other, students decorated cookies and shared them across the school.
• Another club celebrated Valentine’s Day by having large red hearts displayed in their Atrium with positive affirmations.
• Students from multiple clubs shared information about HYPE club at their school to incoming students on Move Up day in the spring.  It is a chance to share the mission of HYPE to students before they are enrolled in the building in hopes of getting off to a productive start come fall.
• Students helped bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month by dressing in pink and they hung painted signs around the school.
• Black History Month was celebrated by signs hung on classroom doors of a black influencer, such as: biologist, president, athlete, actor, actress, etc.
• Students celebrated a Winter Wellness Day and a Spring Wellness Day with physical and mindfulness activities for all staff and students.  Healthy snacks and water were provided.
• Students helped organize, advertise and welcome Saquon Barkley to their school.  He shared his inspirational message of overcoming adversity and the importance of hard work and wellness.
• Autism Acceptance/Awareness Month was promoted by students with posters hung throughout the school and a picture was taken with staff and students of all abilities.
• To promote various healthy habits, a Healthy Lion (school mascot) was hidden around the school with prizes to students if found.

Red Ribbon Week

• Students passed out bracelets with a “Just Say NO” drug free message to reiterate this years Red Ribbon Week theme of "Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free".
• Information and stats about alcohol, vaping, and drug use were shared on morning announcements throughout the week.
• Red candy and stickers were handed out to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. In addition, they encouraged students to wear red and gift cards were raffled off to those who did.
• Ribbons were shared in teachers’ mailboxes that were worn to show support.
• Students wore all red and passed out red ribbons at one club to commemorate Red Ribbon Week.  They also created a video to submit to the Red Ribbon contest.
• Students offered a pledge to not do drugs and alcohol to all students in their building. Participating students signed the pledge issued by the Red Ribbon Foundation stating their intent to not use any substances. Pledges were then added to a poster which was decorated and hung in the hallway.

Drug and Alcohol Awareness/Prevention Activities

• During National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week, drug and alcohol prevention messages were shared with their peers via posters hung throughout the school.  They highlighted not only facts, but consequences of using drugs and alcohol.
• In celebration of National No Smoking Day, students brought awareness by asking all students and staff to wear gray to school.  The club also painted signs that hung throughout the school and created a video that was played on the morning announcements. Their hard work and dedication to this event helped to inform students and staff of the dangers of smoking cigarettes and vaping.
• Students held a vaping activity where throughout the week vaping facts and information, including consequences of vaping, were shared.  The culmination of the event was a school-wide game of Rock, Paper, Scissors at the end of the week to bring awareness to the topic.
• Students created a video shared on the morning announcements highlighting the effects of vaping, especially in teens. The message also encouraged students to join the HYPE club to learn more about vaping and the damage it causes.
• Anti-Vape and Tobacco Use messaging was created by students and hung around the school building.

Acts of Kindness

• Students held a "You've Been Mugged" event to anonymously boost morale around the school by leaving a mug filled with treats.  Recipients would then pass it along and surprise another person.
• To celebrate and draw attention to World Kindness Day students provided KIND bars for staff to let them know how much they appreciate them.
• In honor of World Kindness Day, students created a kindness chain where students wrote down something that makes them happy on paper and then stapled it to the next link to form a chain. The chain was hung in the main lobby of the school.
• A Kindness Challenge was held where the club made paper tickets for teachers to give out to students when they witnessed them being kind.
• For Teacher Appreciation week, students created holiday cards for all the teachers with a Drug Free pin
• HYPE Kindness tickets were distributed throughout the week to bring attention to No Name Calling week and rewarding those students who showed kindness.

Projects with CTC Community Partners

• Students participated in Project Sticker Shock in conjunction with Chime Holcomb Behavioral Health at Rocco's Pizza in Exton.  The students put stickers on 100 pizza boxes to not only remind adults that it is illegal to provide alcohol to anyone under 21 and what the consequences are of doing so, but to encourage conversation at the dinner table on this topic.
• Students hosted Deni Tobin from Crime Victims Center of Chester County who presented "Being an Active Ally" with students during their Lunch and Learn period. He discussed the importance of identifying their networks of support, building a strong community they want around them and bystander intervention strategies.
• Students attended TRU Day at the Capitol on May 6th in Harrisburg, where they advocated for tobacco prevention funding and addressed youth tobacco use.  This event was coordinated by Chime Holcomb Behavioral Health. 

Conversation Cafes

• Conversation Cafes, where 2023 PAYS data was shared with students and they were asked to give their thoughts on the current climate of drugs and alcohol and mental health in their school, were completed at all three high schools and at both middle schools in DASD.  The Cafes were an opportunity for students to share specifically what they thought was going well in their school in terms of drugs and alcohol prevention and mental health, as well as what improvements are needed.  The students also gave feedback on what they think adults need to know that they don't know.  The small group conversations among the students were lively and open and the larger group benefited from hearing all the comments.  156 total students attended across the five Conversation Cafes.

Providing Prevention Education and Public Awareness Parent Engagement

Parent to Parent Podcast

CTC’s podcast, “Parent to Parent Real Life Tips to Raise Resilient Kids”, released 8 new episodes in its fourth and final season this school year. Overall there has been a total of 6,870 listeners over 54 episodes for the podcast series. During the 2024-25 school year there were just over 1,500 downloads. Episode topics included: meeting the Kindergarten to 12th grade DASD Prevention Specialists, cultivating happiness, opioid and fentanyl use trends in Chester County, what is “California Sober” and how to talk to your kids about sexual health and relationships. The Podcast webpage had over 1,500 views this year. 

Episodes:

• 47. Nothing That Isn't Yours! Opioids & Fentanyl Use in Chester County featuring Kathy Collier, Chester County Department of Drug and Alcohol Services
• 48. How to Be Ok When Our Loved Ones Are Not featuring Maggie Burchill from our partner Caron Treatment Centers
• 49. Cultivating Happiness with Selena Morresi from our partner Caron Treatment Centers
• 50. Meet the DASD High School Prevention Specialists featuring Sarah Brooks, LPC (Lead Student Assistance Program Specialist), Matt McFadden, MSS, LCSW (Downingtown West High School), Jocelyn White, MEd, LPC, (Downingtown West High School) and Jennifer Stull, MA, LPC (STEM).
• 51. Meet the DASD Elementary School Prevention Specialists featuring Sarah Brooks, LPC (Lead Student Assistance Program Specialist), Erin Connolly, LCSW, C-SSWS, CYT (Lionville and Shamona Creek Elementary); Rena Davis, LSW (Bradford Heights and Pickering Creek Elementary); Laura Sirico, LSW, MEd, HSV, C-SSWS (East Ward and Springton Manor Elementary); and Natalie Martinez, LSW, HSV (Beaver Creek and Uwchlan Hills Elementary).
• 52. What is California Sober? With Be a Part of the Conversation featuring Kim Porter and Bob Lamb from our partner Be A Part of the Conversation.
• 53. Smarter Parents featuring Deni Tobin, Violence Prevention Education Supervisor at our partner the Crime Victims Center of Chester County.
• 54. DASD & CTC Parent Speaker Series: Power of Parents featuring Beth Bruton from partner Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems.

Parent/Caregiver Speaker Series

CTC has partnered with the Downingtown Area School District (DASD) to offer a Parent Speaker Series, including one in person event and two pre-recorded online webinars.

• Nicotine, Vaping and Smoking - Understanding Psychological and Physiological Health Risks for Adolescents: Our featured speaker David Fialko, is an Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist and a Nationally Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist and has over 20 years of experience working in the field of addiction sciences. David represents The Council of Southeast PA, Inc., where he provides counseling and intervention programs for students, tobacco cessation programs for adults, and prevention education for communities and public health providers. In this recorded webinar David shared the risks of nicotine use, the link to dopamine and nicotine and other substance use, and how parents can prevent use and intervene with their children who may be using nicotine products.
• Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition Film Screening: CTC and DASD hosted this in-person event at East Ward Elementary School. The film explored issues that elementary school aged kids, parents and educators are facing, i.e., smartwatches in class, unhooking from and monitoring video gaming, social media pressures, exposure too young and what research shows is a healthy amount of screen time. The screening was followed by an interactive group discussion where parents shared challenges, provided one another with advice, and problem solved strategies based on the movie’s main themes.
• Power of Parents: CTC recorded a webinar about how parents have the power to help their children make smarter, safer choices. Our featured speaker, Beth Bruton from Holcomb Behavioral Health Systems, shared MADD’s Power of Parents® program which empowers parents of middle school and high school students to have ongoing, intentional conversations about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking and other drug use. This event was also available as an episode of the Parent to Parent podcast to offer an audio-only option. 

• Parent to Parent Blog:  This year Chrissie Dziembowski continued writing the Parent to Parent Blog to share parenting thoughts and reflections. In 2024-25, 8 blog posts were shared with a total number of visitors to the Parent to Parent blog and Podcast web pages just over 2,600 page views.  
• Parent to Parent Group Meetings: There were seven monthly Parent to Parent Group meetings held during the 2024-25 school year held from October to May. The groups met at the Marsh Creek 6th Grade Center and there were 28 parents that attended in total.
  • Meeting topics included:
    • Age Appropriate Expectations
    • Vaping of THC and Marijuana
    • Difficult Conversations: What to Talk About and How to Do It In An Age-appropriate Way
    • The Empowerment of Failure
    • The Importance of Parental Support in Problem-solving
    • Setting Clear Expectations and Consequence for Behavior
    • Power of Parents - Parent Speaker Series Discussion

Overall parents that attended felt the groups were “Very informational! Learning the right way to ask my kids questions. How, Why, What?” and participants enjoyed, “Getting to interact with other parents of kids the same age as mine.”  

Due to attendance being the primary challenge of parent engagement in the groups, CTC is shifting its parent focus to community level strategies, like environmental campaigns, that may be implemented in partnership with school, business and community partners.