By Tim Robertson Staff Writer
PLYMOUTH — Teachers, administrators, health professionals and some parents met Monday to discuss the policy implemented by Plymouth Community Schools this year to promote wellness among students. The meeting was the first of two scheduled by Plymouth Achieving Stronger Schools (PASS) to discuss wellness issues in the schools.
PASS Vice President Bob Sturtevant said the goal of the meeting was to gather questions and input on the policy from the community.
“We felt it was an issue that a lot of people had concerns about,” Sturtevant said. “PASS is primarily interested in getting issues out on the table for people to talk about.”
Assistant Superintendent Dan Tyree opened the meeting with an explanation of how the policy was formed and what it includes. Tyree said he expects the wellness policy to change and evolve over time. “This is going to be ever changing,” he said.

Tyree said he worked with a group of 42 parents, teachers, administrators and students to create the current wellness policy. The policy was formed between September, 2005 and the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year after federal and state legislation requiring schools to have wellness policies came into effect.
The policy guidelines include requirements for physical activity and nutrition made available to students. Fifteen minutes of recess and five minutes of structured physical activity for young students are two requirements. The nutrition guidelines require a salad option to be available at every school lunch and an increase in the protein content of school breakfasts. Vending machines in the schools are now required to carry more healthy options. At Lincoln Junior High School, the machines must carry only items meeting criteria outlined in the state “Better Choice” legislation.
Tyree said some of the more confusing or controversial guidelines dealt with food from students’ homes or food brought to the school by parents. Fast food is now banned at the schools. Tyree said allowing such unhealthy options to be eaten during school contradicted the school lunch program. However, Tyree said that sack lunches sent from home are not taken away from students. “We are not going to try to control what the parents send unless it comes in a (fast food) bag,” he said.
Food brought in for class parties or to celebrate students’ birthdays is limited under the wellness policy. Tyree said that too much food, especially unhealthy food, was being eaten in classrooms. He said teachers told him parents sometimes brought in cakes or snacks for students’ birthdays without warning. “Elementary teachers said to me, ‘We don’t even know when it’s coming. They just show up,’” he said.
The current policy allows classes nine in-class celebrations involving food each school year. Five of those celebrations must include only healthy food options.
Josie Puglisi, mother of two Plymouth students, said she is concerned with how the wellness policy has been received. “I am all for wellness and all for health,” Puglisi said, “but, when talking with parents and teachers about this policy, it has constantly been in a negative light. I would like to see how we can make it more positive.”
Tyree said a vital element of the wellness guidelines is the awareness it brings to students and the rest of the community. He said parts of the policy like showing students the calorie and fat content of the meals they eat at school and introducing younger students to healthy snacks can make a long-term difference in the way they and their families view nutrition and in the prevalence of child obesity. “If wellness is promoted and marketed, people will be more aware,” Tyree said. “It is really about awareness and marketing and getting it out there.”
Sturtevant asked Tyree why PCSC’s wellness plan is more comprehensive than those of other area school systems. Tyree said he and the wellness committee worked to ensure that the policy clearly matched the federal and state legislation. “It’s hard for me to sign my name to it if we really don’t have it,” he said.
PCSC Director of Nursing Lisa Letsinger said she likes the way the policy has been handled. “This policy is a good policy,” Letsinger said. “It leaves possibilities for our community. That’s what we all want; we want healthy kids and a healthy community.”
The next PASS meeting on wellness is scheduled for May 15, at 7 p.m. in the Education Center at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center-Plymouth.