Parents focus on students' wellness

A group of Orange County parents are trying to ensure that county schools are a healthy place for their children. The Wellness Policy Focus Group was initially formed by Amy Buchanan and Bette Winter, parents of Locust Grove Elementary School students. However, the group has now branched out county-wide after several parents from other schools became interested.
Although the group initially wanted to focus on improving the healthiness of school food options, now, according to Winter, they have branched out into other areas, focusing mainly on revamping the county's wellness policy.
"The policy is bare-bones now," she said. "We would like to see a wellness committee made up of parents, workers, administrators and students working together to come up with [a revised] wellness policy."
According to Buchanan, the group is working on drafting a revision to the current policy and would like to see many things addressed including the food quality, more active/healthy education and more trailer air filtration.
"I'm a concerned parent of four children at Locust Grove Elementary School and a member of the PTO," she said. "I would like to see some things changed for the wellness of the children."
For Winter, also a concerned parent, she would like to see a non-food rewards based program in which children would be rewarded with things other than food, more physical activity for students, and also the integration of locally grown foods to the school menus.
"Orange County prides itself on being a rural county," she said. "I think it would be beneficial for farmers and students if locally grown foods [were part of the school] food options. I think we can do better for our kids."
Winter, after obtaining permission from the school principal, will soon be turning the unused courtyard at Locust Grove Elementary School into a garden with herbs and other plants where students will be able to see the stages of plant growth.
"[Hopefully] it will get them thinking about the environment and what they eat," she said. "It's getting them involved in the process."
Winter hopes that the development of a wellness committee will be a start to the revision of the policy.
"It's going to take time but we have to start somewhere," she said.
Winter is also quick to caution that the intent of the group is not to attack school food service provider Sodexho or anyone else.
"Our intention is not to beat up Sodexho," she said. "We know they can choose levels of food quality because they [provide food] for Mary Washington Hospital [and diabetic options.] We know they have other choices that aren't saturated in [sugar].
"We are not out for anyone's blood," she added. "We are about making Orange County better for the kids."
Buchanan also notes that the group is trying to find ways to make the changes without affecting the school budget, which is looking bleak.
"We have professional grant writers who will be volunteering," she said.
Currently, the wellness policy is mandated by the county's Health Advisory Council and is endorsed by the Orange County School Board. According to the policy statement, the policy encourages a holistic approach to staff and student wellness that is sensitive to individual and community needs.
According to Jack Noonan, director of food services for Orange County Public Schools, the wellness policy is in accordance with state guidelines and is always a work in progress. The Health Advisory Council will meet Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. to discuss the policy.
"We're meeting to discuss the wellness policy in order to create a more healthy policy," he said. "We want to make it better."
As far as any collaboration with the focus group, Noonan says he wants the policy to be amicable for everyone.
"We certainly want to work with them to make things workable for everyone," he said. "We want to make everything better, and healthier, for kids."
The Wellness Policy Focus Group will meet Jan. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in a meeting room at the Wilderness Library to discuss their proposed changes to the wellness policy. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.