NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 1

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC Program Descriptor

NSTEP (Nutrition Students Teachers Exercising with Parents), is a not for profit registered charity providing hands-on nutrition and physical activity programs directly into the classroom in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario. Healthy habits for kids for life so children do NOT suffer from chronic disease associated with being overweight. www.nstep.ca The elementary NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE program provides support to teachers, education assistants, support staff, parents, and students in a way that fosters professional development, collaboration with all community stakeholders, and sustainable change in the way a school addresses wellness. Student behaviour for healthier food and activity becomes a habit for life. NSTEP has developed a complete kindergarten to grade 12 comprehensive school health program with lessons incorporated into Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts at elementary level and science integration for Junior and Senior High. In Calgary we have been investing and working with schools with high English Language Learners and their families. Resources have been translated into Dinka, Tryginia, Mandarin, Spanish, English and French. It takes one full year, at a cost of $24.00 per student, a toonie a month per student, (either Sept. or Jan. start) for implementation of NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE. After the full year implementation, the school is designated as a NSTEP Legacy School. Each NSTEP Legacy school receives some NSTEP Coordinator time for what the school community determines best meets their needs. Funding for NSTEP’s programs is received from grants, donations, fundraising, and community connections. If a school or parent council, can contribute to the cost of the program, that would be greatly appreciated. Legacy School cost: $3 per student. Click on link for video of our work in Surrey: https://youtu.be/jWDbO9JrAzI NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE model is delivered to the school community with a sequence of presentations for teachers and school staff, individual classroom follow-up visits, building a wellness team with student leaders, parent education and Snack Attacks. The components of NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE elementary program are:

3 Teacher Presentations (60 minute each) ideally all Teachers, Principal, education assistants, support staff attend the TP

3 Classroom Follow ups for EACH individual classroom and teacher

NSTEP Student Wellness team started second week. This includes 2 students from each

classroom or grade level, plus school health champion plus Public Health Nurse

Initiate walking program/activity program for youth second week, generously donated by John

Stanton from Running Room or another goal activity such as Challenge to Commonwealth

games

2 Snack Attacks (healthy snacks for each student and teacher) with the student wellness team

Parent Education presentation at a school council meeting

Student led parent education “What do you want your parents to learn about with healthy

eating or activity?”

Pre and Post assessment 10 question survey for teachers and students grade 3 and higher

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 2

Year End report submitted to administration compiling pre and post surveys and

recommendations

NSTEP Coordinators educate and impact each student a minimum of 5 times during the year

NSTEP Coordinators educate and impact each teacher a minimum of 8 times during the year

NSTEP Presentation # 1 A. All K-7 teachers would get training on the Foundation lessons;

1. “What are the Three Food Groups and what is an “other”?

2. “What does proportion mean? (Eat Well Plate) What does mindful eating mean?” (Canada’s Food

Guide)

3. Physical activity = brain booster, helps children, adults be better learners.

4. Lesson plans, resources and games are provided for all staff. Staff learns how to play the games and

activities appropriate for each grade level. This is also the staff’s wellness as teachers have told us they

take this knowledge home for their own families.

B. Walking and physical literacy/functional movement are introduced in the first month, linking in

Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts curriculum.

C. Student Leaders for Wellness team (students, teachers and parents) initiated in first month. These student leaders from grade 4 -7, will be the support for building the culture of healthier food and activity choices. They will also help the school community sustain the initiative in future years. D. Individual Classroom Support – After all K-7 teachers have implemented this foundation lesson, NSTEP coordinator/health champion will arrange classroom support day for each class. Kindergarten- grade 3 sessions are approximately 20 minutes classroom time, Grade 4-7 need 25-30 minutes of classroom time (these students usually have more complex questions). Teacher feedback surveys are invaluable for NSTEP and the school to determine if the lessons are meeting the needs of that school community. Our experience is that the classroom support is what teachers like the most with NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE. E. Snack Attack- Snack attacks are healthy snacks for the whole school and student leaders learn about safe food

handling practices, hand washing, assist in preparing the snack and then deliver the snack to their

classrooms and then k-3 classrooms. This peer to peer snack attack encourages all students to try the

snack. It is also an opportunity to learn how to make a healthy snack, potentially try a new food or

foods, and, in the process, learn about healthy food choices and safe food handling (hand washing). This

is the application of the nutrition lessons that the school has been working on. Students learn how to

make this healthy snack so they could repeat this at home and take the education message of eating

more of the 3 food groups to their families.

FOOD ALLERGY LIST by classroom is a requirement before any Snack Attacks. There are 2 Snack Attacks

per school over the one-year time frame.

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 3

TIME FRAME:

NSTEP orders food, looks after food safety, storage, equipment, logistics prior to Snack Attack

Student Wellness team meeting to go over Food Safety, rehearse student teacher checklist for

wellness team as they bring the snack into each classroom

Food and equipment (Turkey roasters T shirts bandana’s etc.)delivered the day prior to Snack

Attack

There MUST be fridge storage space at the school for perishables for this to happen

NSTEPpers arrive at school 30 minutes prior to first bell

Staff room used most of the time for snack attack preparation

NSTEPpers sanitize and wash surfaces for food prep

Student wellness team comes to staff room after attendance and morning announcements

Snack attack prepped and student wellness team deliver to classrooms first to grade 4-7 then K-

3

Usually completed by 10:30 except for schools with over 600 students

Clean up

F. Parent Education- 1. The student led parent education presentations are integral to educating parents, the hardest group

to reach. Student leaders identify nutrition and activity topics they want their parents to be educated on

and build education displays for Parent Teacher Conferences.

2. School Council meetings to introduce NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE to parent school councils are another

opportunity for parent education. These parent volunteers are keen for initiatives such as NSTEP. Many

do a joint plant fundraiser where the net proceeds are shared with the school council and NSTEP. These

joint fundraisers benefit both NSTEP and the school council.

3. NSTEP monthly newsletters for each school focussing on healthy eating and activity education for

parents.

G. Assessment 1. Assessment tool developed by Deanna Ryan NSTEP coordinator and PHN Shelli Edgerton to measure

the behavioural changes in the school environment when NSTEP is implemented. This is delivered at the

beginning of Presentation #1 (baseline) and again after Classroom follow up #3.

2. Individual teacher feedback survey after each presentation, to determine the effectiveness of the

program and meet the needs of the classroom teacher.

3. After each classroom follow up session, individual teacher feedback survey to determine the

effectiveness of the classroom follow up.

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 4

4. Student and teacher evaluation of the Snack Attack.

5. Compilation of all survey’s into year-end report for each school with assessment of where and what

the school needs to continue the initiative for sustainability and capacity.

NSTEP Presentation #2-for all school staff but specific lessons for Grade 2 and 5.

A.1. “Where oh where is the sugar?” Grade 2 lesson

2. “Ups and Downs of Sugar” Grade 5 lesson 3. Assessment tools for measuring and assessing food choices and activity B. Individual Classroom Support: Each classroom receives classroom follow up support from NSTEP Coordinator.

C. Physical Activity-student leaders working on plank off activity, or dance for DPA (Daily Physical Activity) with whole school community. NSTEP Presentation #3 A. For whole staff but specific lessons for grade 3- 7.

1. What is a Whole Grain? Game Terrific Three Food Group Game (grade 3 and up)

2. Breakfast and Brain food. Students are encouraged to include all 3 Food Groups in their meals and snacks and complete 4 day food tracker to evaluate their progress. (Grade 4-7)

3. Food Label Savvy (grade 6 and 7)

B. Individual Classroom Support: Each classroom receives classroom follow up support from NSTEP Coordinator.

C. Physical Activity-student leaders working on Walking program with whole school community This provides an overview for the whole staff as to what each grade is receiving and comprehensive approach for the nutrition and activity components = EAT WALK LIVE - EAT more of the three food groups, WALK more than before, LIVE longer. Be smarter. Same format as presentation #1 and #2, classroom support for each class and feedback survey. Process for NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE in your community

1. Interested individual contacts NSTEP regarding implementation into their school community. These individuals could be teachers, Public Health Nurses, Health Champion from another community or city. It is critical to have a local Health Champion to make the connections in their community with school district. Every school district is different, with different regulations that only that local health champion will know.

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 5

2. Discussion with administration at the school. NSTEP targets a cluster of elementary schools which feed into a common junior/senior high school. The following year we would want to initiate NSTEP Junior/Senior high once those grade 7’s have moved onto the next school setting. 3. Presentation to school staff to explain the NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE Professional Development/Teacher Presentation model. 4. NSTEP will NOT go into a school unless there is support from admin and school staff. 5. Dates for Teacher Presentations, classroom visits, Snack Attack convenient for both NSTEP and the school community. Letter of engagement signed. 6. Implementation and ongoing evaluation that the program is meeting the needs of the school community. 7. NSTEP is a registered charity and the amount of programming we provide depends upon our financial resources. One way schools help contribute to financial resources is through a joint Veggie Plant Fundraiser in May with the School Council. 50% of net proceeds are split between the school council and NSTEP. This provides funds for new schools in the next academic year. 8. University practicum placement students from UBC, SFU Surrey Campus, U. of Calgary Faculty of Nursing and Kinesiology, SAIT, Mt. Royal, U. of Alberta, and Fanshawe College are involved in delivery of classroom presentations. This builds human resource capacity for NSTEP in that community. Some school districts require NSTEP Coordinator’s to have a police check and we comply with these requests. Post-secondary: The NSTEP program is precisely what the education system needs in order to effectively promote healthy living to our youth, and to invoke change in the value systems of a generation whose health has been negatively affected by the electronics era. NSTEP provides the knowledge and awareness that children need in building a foundation for healthy choices throughout their lives, thus lessening the burden on our healthcare system, and creating a strong generation of future leaders of our society. Stacey Laing, University of Alberta Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, Practicum supervisor 9. Donations, grants, community funders cover the $24.00 per student for one full year of NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE $24.00 per student per year. The number of children/schools is limited by the number of funds we receive. The local Health Champion is responsible for seeking local community financial support. We ask schools to purchase the ‘Terrific Three’ mat if this is feasible. All other resource materials are given to the individual school so they have the resources they need at their school to continue and sustain the NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE initiative. Comments:

• “Students were engaged and able to use their background knowledge to help learn new material. Great presentation.”

• “Fantastic presenter/materials age appropriate. Application to now and future, loved that as well.”-Teacher comments from James Ardiel Elementary

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE BC 2019 Page 6

• “As a Vice-Principal I am very impressed that Wendy Lee-Leeners continues to support us with updates and resources in order to ensure that teachers and students will have continual access to this valuable material throughout the year. The emphasis on the importance of proper nutrition and exercise is invaluable to our students and staff.” –St. Bernadette

• “Clearly today’s nutrition presentation was fantastic because my little boy has never eaten anything green unless it was hidden in a chocolate shake since he was 2. Tonight he made us the most delicious spinach/Swiss cheese strawberry appetizers. He couldn’t make them fast enough.”-Parent-Sunnyside

NSTEP EAT WALK LIVE dates for _____________________ School

TP= Teacher Presentation-approximately 1 hour, we need a school laptop, access to internet as our

presentations are in Google Drive

CF=Classroom Follow up for each teacher to sign up for a convenient time for them.

Activity Date

Pre assessment prior to TP #1

Student Wellness Team meeting

TP #1

CF #1

Food Allergy list, by teacher, grade, student name with allergy

Snack Attack #1

TP #2

CF #2

TP #3

CF #3

Snack Attack #2

Post assessment

Yearend report meeting with School NSTEP team