Success Stories

Bath Elementary, Bath, MI. The Coordinated School Health Team at Bath Elementary has created their own fact sheet - CSHT Fact Sheet - to show what they were able to accomplish in a short period of time. For more information contact Meg Costello at 517.641.6771 or Diane Golzynski at golzynskid@michigan.gov.

Calhoun County Intermediate School District. On April 20, 2005, the Calhoun County Intermediate School District hosted a Healthy Schools Summit to promote the relationship between nutrition and learning. Led by a team of dedicated partners including Calhoun County MSU Extension, Lakeview Community Schools Foodservice, Regional Health Alliance, Calhoun Intermediate School District, The Michigan Department of Education, The Battle Creek Community Foundation, The Michigan School Food Service Association and Oaklawn Hospital, the all-day summit gave attendees a chance to meet, brainstorm together and learn about key issues that affect student health and academic performance, such as poor eating habits, lack of exercise, unhealthy school vending options, non-nutritious foods served at school parties and candy or other high-calorie, non-nutrient dense foods sold as school fundraisers. The summit gave professionals a chance to rally around student health – a topic that continues to receive more and more attention as childhood overweight rates continue to rise. Each school representative that attended the summit developed goals he or she would like to accomplish during the next year. “We’ll be assessing the goals of each school district and lending a hand to the schools to implement changes,” said Paul Yettaw, foodservice director for Lakeview Schools and one of the summit coordinators. “You have to take baby steps going into it,” recommends Yettaw. “Start slowly.” For more information on how to hold a summit in your community, contact Paul Yettaw at pyettaw@bc-lakeview.k12.mi.us.

Central High School, Grand Rapids, MI. When it comes to student health, it’s hard to find an area that Central High School (CHS) is not improving. Major accomplishments made by the comprehensive school health team at CHS include improving cafeteria and vending selections, limiting hours on vending machine availability and implementing classroom nutrition education and healthy cooking demonstrations. This year, CHS students partnered with Spectrum Health Hospital’s HeartReach program and helped develop the media portion of a social marketing campaign on the prevention of diabetes. CHS is collaborating with local community partners from Kent County MSU Extension, the Kent County Health Department, Spectrum Health HeartReach, Grand Rapids Public Schools and the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, to create a healthy school environment. For more information contact Karen Puhek, CHS school nurse and comprehensive school health team facilitator at (616) 819-2335.

East Lansing High School, East Lansing, MI. Click here to read about changes happening at this high school from a student’s perspective.