A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSAP) is a multi-component approach by which school districts and schools use all opportunities for students to be physically active, meet the nationally-recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and develop the knowledge, skills, and confidence to be physically active for a lifetime.  A CSPAP reflects strong coordination and synergy across all the components: quality physical education as a foundation, physical activity before, during, and after school, staff involvement, and family and community engagement.  

 

 

 

 

Health Education is a planned, sequential, pre K-12 curriculum and program that addresses the physical, mental and emotional, and social dimensions of health. The activities of the curriculum and program are integrated into the daily life of the students and designed to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease and reduce health-related risk behaviors. It allows students to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated health-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices. The curriculum and program include a variety of topics such as personal health, family health, community health, consumer health, environmental health, family living, mental and emotional health, injury prevention and safety, CPR, nutrition, prevention and control of disease and substance use and abuse. Qualified professionals such as health educators, teachers, school counselors, school health nurses, registered dietitians, and community health care professionals provide health education.  To find out what our health educator, Kate Galyon, is doing in your schools, be sure to check out the Nutrition Lesson page!

 

Health Services are provided and/or supervised by school health nurses to appraise, protect, and promote the health of students. These services include assessment, planning, coordination of services and direct care for all children, including those with special health care needs. Health services are designed and coordinated with community health care professionals to ensure early intervention, access and referral to primary health care services; foster appropriate use of primary health care services; prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems; provide emergency care for student and staff illness or injury; provide daily and continuous services for children with special health care needs; promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment; and provide educational and counseling opportunities for promoting and maintaining individual, family and community health. Qualified professionals such as school health nurses, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, dentists, health educators, registered dietitians, school counselors, and allied health personnel including speech therapists and occupational or physical therapists provide these services.  

 

 

 

 

Nutrition Services assure access to a variety of nutritious, affordable and appealing meals in school that accommodate the health and nutrition needs of all students.  School nutrition programs reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria to meet the complete nutrition needs of students.  Qualified professionals such as experienced school food supervisors provide these services. For more information about the district's nutrition program visit the Food Service page. 

 

 

The Healthy School Environment component relates to the quality of the physical and aesthetic surroundings; the psychosocial climate, safety, and culture of the school; the school safety and emergency plans; and the periodic review and testing of the factors and conditions that influence the environment.

 

Factors and conditions that influence the quality fo the physical environment include the school building and the area surrounding it; transportation services; any biological or chemical agents inside and outside the school facilities that are detrimental to health; and physical conditions such as temperature, noise, lighting, air quality and potential health and safety hazards. 

 

The quality of the psychological environment includes the physical, emotional and social conditions that affect the safety and well-being of students and staff.  qualified staff such as facilities and transportation supervisors, principals, school and community counselors, social workers, psychologists, school health nurses, health educators, and school safety officers assess and plan for these factors and conditions in the school environment. Visit the Tennessee Department of Education's School Climate page for related information. 

 

 

Student, Community and Family Involvement: Involvement of students, parents, community representatives, health specialists, and volunteers in schools provides an integrated approach for enhancing the health and well-being of students both at school and in the community.  School health advisory councils, coalitions, and broadly-based constituencies for school health can build support for school health programs.  School administrators, teachers, school health staff in all components activity solicit family involvement and engage comm7unity resources, expertise, and services to respond effectivity to the health-related needs of students and families.  Qualified professionals such as principals, teachers, and school health staff, along with students, along with students, parents and volunteers, provide leadership in this area.

 

 

 

Counseling, Mental Health, and Social Services are provided to assess and improve the mental, emotional, and social health of every students.  All students receive these services, including developmental classroom guidance activities and preventative educational programs, in an effort to enhance and promote academic, personal, and social growth.  Students who may have special needs are served through the administration and interpretation of psychometric and psycho-educational tests, observational assessments, individual and group counseling sessions, crisis intervention for emergency mental health needs, family/home consultation, and/or referrals to outside community-based agencies when appropriate.  The professional skills of counselor, psychologists, and social workers, along with school health nurses, are utilized to provide coordinated “wrap around” services that contribute to the mental, emotional, and social health of students, their families and the school environment.  Qualified professionals such as school and community counselors, school and community psychologists, school health nurses, social workers, and qualified staff from community agencies provide these services.

Staff Wellness:Teachers and other school employees are charged with educating and caring for one of our most precious assets – our students. Therefore, it is imperative that school employees are supported in their efforts to stay healthy and active so that they can do their job most effectively. Wellness opportunities such as health assessments, health education and physical fitness activities are provided to all school staff, including the administrators, teachers and support personnel, to improve their health status. These opportunities encourage staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and greater personal commitment to the overall coordinated school health program. This personal commitment often transfers into greater commitment to the health of students and serving as positive role models. Health promotion activities conducted on-site improve productivity, decrease absenteeism, and reduce health insurance costs. Qualified professionals such as principals, supervisors, health educators, school health nurses and school personnel/human resources directors provide leadership in this area.