March 8, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer
The formation of a Hingham Public Schools District Wellness Committee is in the works, as required by state law.
Executive Director of Student Services Dr. Suzanne Vinnes is leading the effort. The purpose of the committee is to recommend, review, and help implement school district policies addressing school nutrition, nutrition education, physical activity, and related issues that affect student health. These efforts will support the school district’s opportunities to receive grant awards.
The Committee will be comprised of Vinnes as the school administrator representative, a parent/guardian, student, nurse, food service representative, a School Committee member, and a member of the public.
The Committee will have oversight of reviewing district-wide policy to promote student wellness; ensuring that all foods and beverages made available during the school day are consistent with school lunch program guidelines and that the HPS physical education program is aligned with Department of Elementary & Secondary Education standards; and assessing all education curricula and materials pertaining to wellness.
The Committee's charge also includes development of annual goals, objectives, and mechanisms to measure progress and an annual report to the superintendent of schools.
In related business, School Committee member Liza O'Reilly, Chair of the Wellness Subcommittee, provided an update.
Among the School Committee's goals for the current year is "furthering efforts on equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging."
In support of that objective, the Wellness Subcommittee is reviewing the equity of extracurricular and athletic programs, according to a letter that was sent to booster groups, school PTOs, and other organizations recently. Financial and operating information from each was also requested.
The goal is to gain "a fuller understanding of the key needs each community is working to fill. In addition, the information will help inform future budgeting and prioritization conversations, address legal compliance requirements [including Title 9], encourage the sharing of best practices across organizations, and create areas of collaboration between the superintendent, faculty, committee, and the community at large."
O'Reilly reported that the Subcommittee has begun reviewing the information received by various groups. "We've received [responses from about 65 to 75 percent of them," she said. "People are doing a lot of excellent work on behalf of our students, but the responses also raise a lot of questions."
The subcommittee has started making a list of recommendations of what to take a look at, from a services-provided standpoint to finances, according to O'Reilly. "There's a lot of information to sift through," she said.