Wellness Annual Report

Introduction

Health and learning are inextricably 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 Strategies to Support Portrait of a Graduate

78 Reported Strategies across Three Goals

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.  

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.  

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 Strategies to Support Portrait of a Graduate

45 Reported Strategies across Three Goals

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.  

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.  

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.

2025-2026 Climate Data

Connection to Wellness:

The DASD Climate Survey directly connects to wellness by measuring how safe, supported, and connected students, staff, and families feel within our school community. These indicators reflect the core conditions that influence emotional well-being, engagement, and overall school climate. By using this data to guide decision-making, the district strengthens its commitment to fostering environments where all individuals can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Key 2025–2026 Climate Data Points (examples):

• Overall School Climate Average: 3.18 / 4.0
• Safe School Climate Average: 3.23 / 4.0
• Student Support Average: 3.15 / 4.0
• Social Emotional Learning Average: 3.01 / 4.0
• Student Participation:
  • Elementary (Grades 3–5): 2,364 students
  • Middle School (Grades 6–8): 1,963 students
  • High School (Grades 9–12): 2,401 students
• Staff Participation:
  • Teachers: 415
  • Staff: 235
  • Administrators: 10
• Family & Community Input:
  • Parents/Guardians: 868
  • Community Members: 65
     

Student Engagement Survey

Connection to Wellness:

The DASD Student Engagement Survey directly connects to wellness by measuring how connected, involved, and engaged students feel in their school communities. Student participation in extracurricular activities is a key indicator of belonging, which is strongly linked to improved mental health, academic success, and overall student well-being. By understanding engagement patterns, the district can strengthen opportunities that support relationships, school connection, and positive student identity.

Key 2025–2026 Student Engagement Data Points (examples):

• Total survey participation (Grades 6–12): 3,873 students out of 7,576 (approx. 51% response rate)
• Engagement focus areas measured include:
  • Extracurricular and after-school participation
  • Sense of belonging and connection to school
  • Access to student involvement opportunities
  • Leadership, athletics, arts, and club participation
• Opportunities for involvement span across:
  • Athletics
  • Arts and performing arts
  • Clubs and academic enrichment programs
  • Community service and leadership opportunities
  • STEM and career-focused activities
• Engagement pathways are available across all levels:
  • Elementary, middle, and high school programs
  • School-based and community-based involvement opportunities

Student Life Meetings in November 2025

Connection to Wellness:

In November, the DASD Student Life Committee facilitated a districtwide session across all five secondary schools focused specifically on mental health, alcohol use, and substance use, using prior PAYS data as a foundation for discussion. This meeting provided critical insight into how stress, peer influence, and awareness of supports shape student well-being and decision-making across buildings. By elevating student voice in this structured forum and connecting feedback directly to school-based practices, the committee strengthened a proactive, prevention-focused approach to student wellness.

Key November 2025–2026 Student Life Committee Data Points / Themes (examples):

• Districtwide November session held across all 5 secondary schools (Downingtown East, Downingtown West, STEM Academy, Downingtown Middle School, Lionville Middle School)
• Purpose of session:
  • Review and reflect on prior PAYS data trends and talk about trends students are currently seeing.
  • Explore student experiences related to mental health, substance use, and alcohol use.
• Student feedback themes gathered:
  • Students generally identify at least 2 trusted adults (teachers, counselors, or staff) they feel comfortable approaching
  • Some students reported hesitation to access mental health supports due to privacy concerns or uncertainty about where to start
  • Strong interest in real-life, authentic voices when learning about substance use prevention and awareness
• Key factors influencing student behavior (as reported by students):
  • Stress (academic and personal)
  • Curiosity and experimentation
  • Peer influence and social dynamics
• Substance use topics discussed:
  • Vaping, alcohol, and drug use patterns and perceptions
  • Student desire for more relatable, age-appropriate prevention education
• Outcomes and follow-up actions:
  • Feedback compiled and shared with building principals and Pupil Services
  • Input used to inform ongoing refinement of district wellness and prevention programming
  • Continued alignment with Strategic Plan Goal 1: Students feel Safe, Connected, and Engaged 

District-Wide Presentations and Programming

• Grades 3–5 Resilience Presentations:
  Students in grades 3–5 participated in resilience-focused presentations in response to climate data indicating that some students were giving up too easily when faced with challenges. The sessions emphasized perseverance, coping strategies, and positive decision-making as essential skills for both academic and personal success. This work directly supports wellness by helping students build emotional regulation, persistence, and confidence when navigating challenges.
• Middle School Bystander Intervention & Safe2Say Training:
  Middle school students received instruction on bystander intervention, focusing on how to recognize unsafe or unhealthy situations and how to appropriately support peers in those moments. The presentation also reinforced the use of Safe2Say Something as a tool for reporting concerns, along with key safety messaging to empower student responsibility. This directly connects to wellness by promoting student safety, peer support, and proactive behaviors that strengthen a positive school climate.
• Grade 9 Dignity Driven Leadership Training:
  Ninth grade students participated in Dignity Driven Leadership training centered on respect, empathy, and ethical decision-making in both academic and social settings. The training encouraged students to understand the impact of their actions on others and to lead with integrity within their school community. This supports wellness by fostering a culture of belonging, respect, and positive student leadership across the school environment.

Portrait of a Graduate

The Portrait of a Graduate is directly connected to wellness because it explicitly includes wellness as a foundational milestone for student success, emphasizing the development of healthy habits, resilience, and self-awareness. It frames wellness not only as physical health, but also as emotional regulation, stress management, and the ability to navigate challenges effectively. By embedding wellness into graduation expectations, DASD ensures that students are intentionally developing skills that support mental health and overall well-being. It also reinforces the idea that students must be supported in building confidence, balance, and coping strategies alongside academic growth. Ultimately, this alignment positions wellness as an essential outcome of education, not an additional or separate priority.

School Climate and Student Engagement Team

The work of each building-level School Climate and Student Engagement Team (SCSET) directly supports wellness by intentionally fostering environments where students, staff, and families feel safe, valued, and connected. Through ongoing review of climate data, student feedback, and school practices, these teams identify barriers to belonging and implement strategies that promote emotional, social, and academic well-being. Their efforts to strengthen relationships and improve school culture help ensure that students feel supported not only in their learning but also in their overall development. By promoting kindness, respect, and inclusion, SCSET initiatives contribute to reducing stressors and enhancing positive mental health across buildings. Collectively, this work reinforces a consistent, districtwide commitment to wellness through connection, belonging, and proactive support systems.

Other Considerations

While I am not directly responsible for these initiatives within my department,  I believe they should be highlighted in the wellness report due to their meaningful and sustained impact on student well-being across the district. Both efforts reflect intentional system-level decisions designed to improve student health, balance, and overall school experience, and they have consistently been reinforced through student feedback and Student Life Committee discussions.

Lunch and Learn:
The Lunch and Learn program directly supports wellness by providing students with structured time during the school day to pause, recharge, and reduce academic stress. It promotes mental and emotional well-being by allowing students to connect with peers, participate in clubs, or seek academic and personal support from teachers. This balance between structured learning and unstructured restorative time helps reduce burnout and strengthens overall school climate. By intentionally building in time for connection and rest, the program enhances both daily student experience and long-term well-being.

School Start and End Time Adjustments:
The district’s adjustments to school start and end times that began in 2024–2025, and continued into 2025–2026, reflect a research-based commitment to adolescent wellness and improved learning conditions. By aligning schedules with sleep science, the changes support better rest, increased focus, improved academic performance, and stronger overall health for students. This topic was also frequently discussed in Student Life Committee meetings, where students noted the benefits of more predictable schedules and improved readiness for the school day.

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. 

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 2025-2026, DASD again offered an on-site Flu Shot Clinic through Albertsons Companies, Inc. (Sav-On/Giant) 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.

Portrait of a Graduate:

Prioritizes Health & Wellness: 

• Makes informed choices to promote healthy lifestyle and relationships.
• 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. 

Progress on Prior Year Goals:

As we moved into the 2025–2026 school year, we finalized a few initiatives from the previous year, including nutrition updates, construction, and nutrition education.

Nutrition Updates:

Updates from the USDA focused on limiting added sugars in certain products. Breakfast cereals are now capped at 6 grams of added sugar per dry ounce, and yogurt at 12 grams per 6 ounces (2 grams per ounce). For flavored milk, the limit is 10 grams of added sugar per 8 fluid ounces, or 15 grams per 12 fluid ounces for items sold à la carte in the middle schools. All applicable products were reviewed and successfully adjusted to meet these updated standards. 

Kitchen Construction:

At the start of the 2025–2026 school year, construction was completed on the Beaver Creek and West Bradford Elementary School kitchens. The updated spaces offer a more modern, welcoming environment for students as they enjoy healthy, nutritious meals. 

Nutrition Education:

In addition, we focused on expanding nutrition education to give students knowledge they can carry with them and use to make healthy choices throughout their lives. Last year, one of the most popular activities was the smoothie bike, along with lessons on the benefits of smoothies. These events were such a hit, we headed into the summer looking for more ways to continue building and expanding our nutrition education efforts.  

Key Focus Areas 2025 - 2026

At the start of each school year, we identify key areas within the foodservice program that can help strengthen our overall wellness efforts. Over the past year, our focus has been on supporting student wellness through expanded nutrition education, heritage months, and menu updates. Students were actively engaged through tastings, new menu items, and limited-time menu offerings, which helped build interest and gather valuable feedback. In addition, updates to USDA requirements led to changes in some of the products we serve. Our team was recognized for its efforts and continued to make adjustments throughout the year to better meet student needs and support our wellness goals. 

Elementary Program Menu:

In our elementary schools, we continue to adjust our menus to better meet both the needs and preferences of our students. As well as bringing more healthy staples to the menu. The yogurt parfaits and smoothies have been an overwhelming favorite for students at breakfast. 

Breakfast:

• Omelets
• Smoothies
• Parfaits

Lunch:

• Chicken Fajita flatbread
• Turkey dinner for Thanksgiving
• Cheeseburger nachos with pickle queso
• Three-Bean Salad

Secondary & High School Program 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.  

Menu items that were well received - Middle School:

• Spicy Chicken Street Corn Mac & Cheese
• Buffalo Bacon Cheddar Waffalaco (a waffle taco)
• Cheeseburger Nacho with pickle queso
• Buffalo Veggie Nuggets
   

Menu items that were well received - high School: 

• Thanksgiving Meal
• Chili
• Gochujang Chicken Sandwich

Nutrition Education:

As a team, we remain committed to providing meaningful nutrition education for our students, with the goal of equipping them with knowledge they can carry forward throughout their lives. This year, we made even greater progress toward that mission expanding our presence in classrooms, more education in the cafeteria, and strengthening the connection between nutrition and athletic performance. By bringing these areas closer together, we’re helping students better understand how what they eat directly impacts how they feel, perform, and grow. 

East Ward wellness day:

This year, East Ward Elementary dedicated an entire day to wellness and food services were able to join in on the action. We spent time talking with students about key nutrients like fiber, protein, and iron and what they do for the body. From there, we made real-life connections, exploring other foods that provide those same nutrients so students could start thinking about their own choices. To wrap it all up, they even had the chance to try a three-bean salad putting what they learned into action in a fun and hands-on way. 

An interactive discussion between East Ward students and Mr. Cooke about Fiber!

Engage Consumers:

Not every student chooses to purchase lunch with us, but we still make an effort to engage all students through taste testing of items served that day and different heritage months.  

These tastings give students the opportunity to try foods they may have never experienced before. They also provide valuable feedback to help us decide whether to add new items to the menu. Even if a student doesn’t enjoy a particular item, we’ve still introduced them to something new and it may be something they may come to appreciate in the future. 

Different heritages bring their own rich cuisines to the table. These tastings expose students to a variety of cultures they may not encounter in their everyday lives, while for some, the featured foods may be familiar staples from their own homes. 

Foodservice Subcommittee:

Foodservice participates in a wellness subcommittee dedicated to supporting overall student well-being. This group regularly meets to review and update the district’s wellness policy, ensuring it remains current, compliant with guidelines, and aligned with the needs of students and the school community. In addition to policy updates, the subcommittee engages in meaningful discussions on a wide range of wellness topics, including nutrition standards, nutrition education, and promoting healthy eating habits among students. 

The subcommittee also evaluates school-based practices such as classroom celebrations, fundraising activities, and food-related events to ensure they support a positive and health focused environment. Collaboration with educators, administrators, and other stakeholders allows the committee to take a well-rounded approach to wellness.  

Triennial Assessment:

This year hit our three year mark where we needed to perform an assessment of our district’s wellness policy. Federal regulations under 7 CFR 210.31 require Local Education Agencies (LEAs) that participate in the National School Lunch Program to complete an assessment of their local school wellness policy at least once every three years and make the results available to the public. This triennial assessment must evaluate the implementation of the wellness policy and include the following: 

• The extent to which schools within the LEA are in compliance with the local school wellness policy; 
• How the LEA’s wellness policy compares to model local school wellness policies; and 
• A description of the progress made toward meeting the goals outlined in the policy. 

This assessment not only includes food service, but physical education as well. In addition, it has other miscellaneous wellness activities. We reviewed our wellness policy and discussed the necessary changes. It is now available on our district website to be viewed. 

Awards & Recognitions:

Going into the school year Action for Healthy Kids ™ partnered with the USDA for Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards. This is to recognize school districts for improvements in their food service programs. Below are some of the possible rewards schools can receive. 

• Breakfast Trailblazer
• Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer 
• Lunch Trailblazer 
• Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer 
• Innovative School Lunch Makeover 
• Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals 
• Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals 
• Innovation in Nutrition Education 

As a district we received the breakfast trailblazer and innovation in nutrition education. The criteria for the breakfast trailblazer award included significantly reducing added sugars in school breakfast menus, typically through swaps like whole fruit in place of juice or lower-sugar grain items. While, the innovation in nutrition education criteria is using creative approaches to teach students about healthy eating, from taste tests and school gardens to classroom partnerships and parent engagement campaigns.

These two rewards are just the beginning as we continue to strive for excellence within our foodservice program. 

Nutrition Updates 2026:

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was signed in January of 2026. In addition, beginning June 8, 2026, foodservice operations for the National School Lunch and Breakfast program have the option to offer whole and reduced-fat milk to children two years of age and older. The new federal regulations also extend the exclusion of saturated fat in fluid milk from the weekly dietary specifications in both school lunch and school breakfast when the milk is served as a beverage, on cereal, or blended in a smoothie. The following is a summary of the milk requirements: 

• Fluid milk served to preschool children 1 year old must be unflavored whole milk; 
• Fluid milk served to preschool children 2 through 5 years old may be unflavored whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free milk; and
• Fluid milk served to K-12 students may be unflavored or flavored, whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free milk.

Looking Forward:

Nutrition Updates:

Going into Fall 2026, there are no new federal guidelines for school nutrition programs. However, there remains a continued emphasis on gradually reducing added sugars and sodium in school meals, encouraging districts to make steady progress toward healthier options for students. At Aramark we aim to be one step ahead to make sure our students are also one step ahead.  

Program Growth:

To keep growing, it’s important that we’re always thinking ahead. With that in mind, we’ll be bringing in interns during both the fall and spring. This gives them a chance to learn about the foodservice side of things, while also bringing in fresh ideas and outside perspectives that can help us continue to improve our program. 

Thank You:

As we wrap up the 2025–2026 school year, we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve the students and staff of Downingtown. It’s been a rewarding year, and we hope our work has made a positive difference in their daily routines. This could be through a good meal, a new food experience, or simply a welcoming place to eat. 

Looking ahead to the 2026–2027 school year, we’re excited to keep building on that foundation. We remain committed to providing meals that are both nutritious and appealing, while also finding new ways to help students learn about healthy choices. Our goal is not just to serve food, but to continue supporting students’ overall well-being in ways that feel meaningful and lasting. 

Engaging parents in DASD Wellness

The Downingtown Area School District works in close partnership with the Communities That Care of Greater Downingtown (CTC). 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 attended K-12 joint home and school association meetings and attended secondary schools’ Back to Schools Nights.

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 = 100
• Number of Activities = 65

List of activities HYPE clubs completed this year:

Mental Health Promotion

• Students brought awareness to World Suicide Prevention Day by wearing yellow and sharing painted posters around the school.  A school wide picture was also taken, and a video was shared on the morning announcements.  
• To celebrate Anti Bullying Prevention Month in October, students wore blue, posted signs around their school and shared a video on morning announcements.  
• In conjunction with their school Aevidum club, students held a Mental Health Fair where mental health resources and information was shared school wide.  
• Students organized the 7^th annual Miles for Mental Health run alongside other clubs.  Money raised is donated to Mental Health of America. 
• Mental health awareness posters were hung around the school to share mental health information on signs and ways to improve mental health. 
• Happy Halloween mental health candy grams were created by students and given out.  The candy grams had health awareness messages on them.
• Students wore blue to bring awareness to Mental Health Awareness Day.
• A mental health butterfly mural was created by students in the school with the help of the Art teacher.
• Students created, organized and ran a Mental Health Hackie Sack Competition to bring attention to mental health struggles and showing students that there are many activities, like playing hackie sack, that can boost mood and improve social connections.   
• For Valentine’s Day, students wrote messages of encouragement and selfcare/healthy choices on candy hearts and displayed them throughout the building.
• For Unity Day students created large banners for all students to sign as a team bonding/school spirit activity.
• Students decorated cookies with HYPE messages for Valentine’s Day and shared with other students.  
• Students made encouraging posters and hung them throughout the building to “Get HYPEd” for PSSA testing.
• One club celebrated “No Name Calling” week in January by having seniors write positive and encouraging notes to freshman.
• To celebrate Mental Health Awareness month in May, HYPE students wrote out positive sayings on post-it notes and put them on lockers throughout the school.
• KIND bars were shared with staff and students to promote kindness. 

Healthy Living Promotion

• Students held both a winter and spring Wellness Day where students had the opportunity to participate in activities such as weight room, cardio room, meditation class, arts and crafts and outdoor cardio activities.  
• Around Thanksgiving, students wrote on paper feathers what they are thankful for.  The feathers were displayed in a large Gratitude Jar in the school.  One feather was drawn as a winner and received a gratitude journal and gift card.  
• Over winter break, students participated in a heart health bingo game filled with healthy challenges for students to complete while on break.  
• Students created a Healthy Lion game where a stuffed lion was hidden around the school with heart health messages on him for the students to find. 
• Students spread positivity with gratitude through handmade thank you notes given to teachers and staff.
• One club joined forces with their school leadership group and held a food drive for the Downingtown Food Pantry.  Homerooms were encouraged to bring in non-perishable items.
• Students created “12 Days of HYPEmas” to spread joy leading up to the holidays.  Holiday trees with 12 ways to stay healthy, positive and motivated throughout the holiday season were hung in visible areas of the building.  
• A “Chain of Positive Choices” was created by students while they discussed healthy goal setting and making good choices as the most important step to achieving any goal.  Students wrote positive messages on each link and the chain was displayed in the main hallway.  
• Students promoted their HYPE clubs at multiple school wide activity fairs to share information about their club and to increase participation.  
• Small self care packages, including chapstick, tissues and hot chocolate were shared with students on the last day of school before winter break.  The message “It's ok to feel under the weather, just SNOW you’re not alone!” were attached to each package.  Self care reminders were also shared that week on morning announcements. 
• One club focused on healthy relationships and self love on Valentine’s Day.  Healthy messages written by the student body during Lunch and Learn were exchanged for a heart-shaped lollipop with a dog tag. Students were also asked to write down things they love and hang them on the wall in the atrium.
• HYPE students shared information about their club to incoming 9^th graders by tabling at their READY Day Activities Fair in the spring. 
• One club hosted a school wide pickle ball tournament to showcase healthy habits to reduce stress.  
• A craft and game day was hosted by students during Mental Health Awareness month to encourage students to take breaks and do something they enjoy.

Red Ribbon Week

• Red Ribbon bracelets were shared school wide with a “Pledge to be Drug Free” message to promote this year’s national Red Ribbon Week theme, Life is a Puzzle, Solve it Drug Free.  
• Students passed out Red Ribbon stickers, lollipops and other red candy to celebrate Red Ribbon Week.  Students also were encouraged to wear red and gift cards were shared through a raffle with those that did. 
• Red Ribbon Week ribbons were given to staff to show support of the clubs Red Ribbon Week’s activities.  
• Representatives from Caron Treatment Centers visited a HYPE club during Red Ribbon Week to share information on alcohol as well as resources for students.  
• Alcohol related facts and information was shared on morning announcements at several schools during Red Ribbon Week.  
• Students made posters that were displayed around the school with alcohol use awareness and anti-vaping messages.
• Students wearing red were entered in a gift card drawing by writing their name on a red strip of paper during their lunch period.  The strips of paper were assembled and made into a chain that hung in the school office with a Red Ribbon Week poster.
• Red Ribbon Week pins and pledge cards were handed out to students.  Students were encouraged to sign the pledge to not use drugs.  
   

• Drug and Alcohol Awareness/Prevention Activities

• Students organized a No Vaping campaign that included posters hung around the school with information on the consequences of vaping, as well as vaping facts vs. myths. 
• Students created a Don’t Drink and Drive video that was shared on screens throughout the school.  
• Students handed out anti-vaping messages on DumDums and Smarties as students walked into the building the day before Valentine’s weekend and said, “Keep your heart and lungs healthy.”
• For Teacher Appreciation Week, students handed out drug free pins to the teachers to wear. 
• Anti vaping and alcohol posters were shared around the school for Alcohol Awareness Month in April. 

Projects with CTC Community Partners

• Students participated in Project Sticker Shock at Rocco’s in Exton where stickers with the reminder that it is illegal to give alcohol to minors, were put on pizza boxes.  This campaign not only serves as a reminder to adults but encourages family discussions around this topic while enjoying pizza!
• All three high school clubs participated in a spring alcohol prevention campaign in partnership with Downingtown Area School District.  Students at each school recorded three thirty second alcohol related videos that were shared on screens inside the schools in time for prom, graduation and senior week. 
• ROCKY, which stands for Resilient Outgoing Confident Kind Youth, is CTC’s mascot.  He visited multiple HYPE clubs where he was treated like a star with pictures with students to raise awareness for CTC and HYPE clubs.  
•  In partnership with Holcomb Behavioral Health, eight HYPE students went to the state capital in Harrisburg, PA, to participate in Day at the Capital, an advocacy day sponsored by TRU ( Tobacco Resistance Unit ).  The HYPE advisors that attended with their students reported, “we are getting to know our way around and have popped in on representatives we are starting to connect with! Very exciting! The students did a fantastic job preparing their speaking points and connecting with the staffers. We feel like we can take more initiative in reaching out to them early in the year to make sure we are meeting and seeing more of our local reps! We went from being led around three years ago, to feeling empowered and plan to use our time even more effectively in the future.”  

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” discusses topics related to raising healthy kids - everything from drug and alcohol use to mental health to supporting independence.   There are 54 episodes that are available for download on the CTC website.  Although no new podcast episodes were recorded during the 2025-26 school year, there were still 245 views of episodes.  

Parent/Caregiver Speaker Series

CTC has partnered with the Downingtown Area School District (DASD) to offer a Parent Speaker Series, which included four pre-recorded online webinars.

Topics included: 

The Age of Angst – Managing your Child’s Anxiety This presentation focused on helping parents better understand and support children experiencing anxiety. It emphasizes that anxiety is a normal and unavoidable part of life, not something that can be completely eliminated. Instead, the goal is to help children learn how to manage and respond to anxiety in healthy, effective ways.  Quinlin shares practical tools, such as encouraging exposure, teaching coping skills and modeling calm behavior.

Challenges and Strategies for Students with School Avoidance:  School avoidance is a complex and challenging issue for students, parents, and school staff. This program brings together experts from our community who directly work with parents, students and DASD schools to understand the contributing issues of school avoidance and identify helpful strategies and resources to support parents and students. 

Neuroscience for High Risk Behavior: Protecting and Growing Executive Functioning Skills explains how alcohol, drugs, technology overuse, and other high-risk behaviors disrupt the developing brain systems that support planning, self-control, and decision-making in children and teens. The presentation gives parents a brain-based framework for “neurowhereabouts” (stages of neurodevelopment) and shows how targeted, developmentally appropriate strategies can strengthen executive skills instead of letting risky behaviors wire in. Attendees leave with practical prevention and intervention tools, such as brain-savvy parenting scripts, daily routines, and skill-building activities, that they can immediately use to reduce risk and support healthier, more resilient youth.

Prevention Resources and Education for Parents:  Vaping: Selena Morresi from Caron Educational Alliance explores vaping among youth. She shares an updated look at the vaping landscape including nicotine pouches and explains the four main reasons teens vape: curiosity, stress, boredom and peer pressure. Using science and practical strategies, Selena connects each reason back to adolescent brain development and provides resources parents/guardians can use to guide conversations and support their teens.

This school year over 485 parents viewed a recording of the Parent Speaker Series events.