Health & Wellness
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes that schools play an important role in promoting the health and safety of children and adolescents by helping them establish lifelong health patterns. Healthy students are better learners, and academic achievement bears a lifetime of benefits for health (CDC, 2024). At Mesa County Valley School District 51, we value Student and Employee Wellness and strive to improve our policies and practices to ensure everyone thrives! Review our D51 Strategic Plan to learn about our district's priorities and goals.
District Wellness Advisory Council
About the DWAC
Timeline
- 2016-2017 school year: the D51 Director of Nutrition Services wrote a planning grant through the Colorado Health Foundation to update the D51 Wellness Policy (ADF and ADF-R). After being awarded the grant funding, a Wellness Coordinator/Health & Physical Education Content Facilitator was hired to lead wellness efforts. Learn more about the CDC's Local School Wellness Policy requirements here.
- 2017-2018 school year: the District Wellness Advisory Committee (DWAC) was formed and began meeting to learn about The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child Model (WSCC).
- 2018-2019: the DWAC updated D51 Wellness Policy to support schools to become healthier communities for their students.
- 2019-present: Several schools have designated a School Wellness Champion to support wellness efforts in their schools. Wellness Champions focus on Staff and Student Wellness, Nutrition Education & Promotion, and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs.
- The Wellness Policy was most recently updated and approved by the School Board in July 2023.
To learn more,visit the D51 Healthy Schools website!
Current DWAC
The District Wellness Advisory Committee's Mission Statement:
Empowering the D51 Community through wellness policies and practices to ensure every child thrives.
The Wellness policy addresses Staff Wellness, Nutrition Service and Promotion, and Comprehensive Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP). D51 also includes Mental Health in the DWAC.
2023-2024 DWAC Members
Staff Wellness
- Connie Mack, D51 Benefits Manager
- Michelle Wilcox, D51 Benefits Specialist
- Trent Wuster, FMHS Teacher
- Jackie Truckey, FMS Assistant Principal
- Terry Schmalz, New Emerson Principal
- Teri Lefebre, BMS Assistant Principal
- Jayme Chiaro, Chipeta Principal
- Zach Moore, Pear Park Principal
- Marguerite Tuthill, Monument Health
- Kenra Haftel, Triad EAP
- Rob Henderson, Novo Benefits
Nutrition Services / Promotion
- Dan Sharp, D51 Dir of Nutrition Services
- Emina Gibic, D51 Dietician
- Amanda McQuade, CSU Program Coordinator for The Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief
- Katie McKew, D51Nurs Svs Coord
- Shiloh Fox, Cooking Matters Coord (Hilltop)
- Tessa Kaiser, Exec Dir Kids Aid
- Carrie Colosimo, D51 REACH Advocate
- Jill Davis, Community Health Worker
- Karla Klemm, Mesa County Public Health
Physical Education / Physical Activity
- Ayme Zortman, D51 Wellness Coordinator
- Brandy Brenwell, Broadway PE Teacher
- Ryan Schoephoerster, MGMS PE Teacher
- Aaron Wagoner, CHS PE Teacher
- Elizabeth Sharp, CMU Professor
- Sarah Brooks, MC Mobility Manager
- Emily Moen Eastman, Girls on the Run
- Jimmy Hollar, City of Grand Junction
Mental Health
- Dan Bunnell, Exc Dir Student Services
- Amy Frazier, Dir SEL & Behavior
- Jason Tally, Mental Health & Crisis Coord.
- Jennifer Daniels, Suicide Prevention Spc
- Kayla Wetzel, School Counselor Coord.
- Jamylyn Traub-Klingel, D51 Child Welfare Education Liasion
- Elizabeth Clark, Behavior Spec.
- Shauna Hobbs, CHS Asst. Principal
- Dave McCall, Chipeta Principal
- Lisa Mills, Mesa County Public Health
- Ken Valentine, Mindsprings
2023-2024 DWAC Members
Staff Wellness
- Connie Mack, D51 Benefits Manager
- Michelle Wilcox, D51 Benefits Specialist
- Teri Lefebre, BMS Assistant Principal
- Jayme Chiaro, Chipeta Principal
- Zach Moore, Pear Park Principal
- Marguerite Tuthill, Monument Health
- Kenra Haftel, Triad EAP
- Rob Henderson, Novo Benefits
Nutrition Services / Promotion
- Dan Sharp, D51 Dir of Nutrition Services
- Emina Gibic, D51 Dietician
- Amanda McQuade, CSU Program Coordinator for The Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief
- Katie McKew, D51Nurs Svs Coord
- Shiloh Fox, Cooking Matters Coord (Hilltop)
- Tessa Kaiser, Exec Dir Kids Aid
- Carrie Colosimo, D51 REACH Advocate
- Jill Davis, Community Health Worker
- Karla Klemm, Mesa County Public Health
Physical Education / Physical Activity
- Ayme Zortman, D51 Wellness Coordinator
- Brandy Brenwell, Broadway PE Teacher
- Ryan Schoephoerster, LOM Assistant Principal
- Aaron Wagoner, CHS PE Teacher
Mental Health
- Dan Bunnell, Exc Dir Student Services
- Amy Frazier, Dir SEL & Behavior
- Jason Tally, Mental Health & Crisis Coord.
- Jennifer Daniels, Suicide Prevention Spc
- Kayla Wetzel, School Counselor Coord.
- Jamylyn Traub-Klingel, D51 Child Welfare Education Liasion
- Elizabeth Clark, Behavior Spec.
- Connie Young, Mental Health Promotion Specialist
- Dave McCall, Chatfield Principal
- Lisa Mills, Mesa County Public Health
- Ken Valentine, Mind Springs
WSCC Model
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, or WSCC model, is CDC’s framework for addressing health in schools. The WSCC model is student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement, and the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices. The WSCC model has 10 components:
- Physical education and physical activity
- Nutrition environment and services
- Health education
- Social and emotional climate
- Physical environment
- Health services
- Counseling, psychological and social services
- Employee wellness
- Community involvement
- Family engagement
Learn more about each of the 10 components.
A Collaborative Approach to Learning and Health
Data
Our schools use several surveys to measure the health and well-being of our students and employees.
Employee Wellness Surveys:
- Panorama Staff Survey
- administered yearly in November-December
- Teaching & Learning Conditions Colorado (TLCC)
- administered by the State of Colorado in the even-numbered school years.
- Smart Source Survey
- inventory of best practices that occur in schools. This survey is is completed in the fall of odd-numbered school years. Results for this survey will be available the summer of 2024.
Student Wellness Surveys
- Panorama Wellness Survey
- Panorama Culture and Climate Perception Survey
- Healthy Kids CO Survey
- This survey is completed in the fall of odd-numbered years by secondary students. This survey is voluntary and both parents and students may opt out of the survey.
- Results will be available the summer of 2024.
- You can view data, when released, and previous years data on the Healthy Kids CO Survey Dashboard.
- Smart Source Survey
- Smart Source is administered to K-12 schools in the fall of odd-numbered year and is completed by a small group of key adults in each building to report best-practices. Adults that complete the survey include: Administration, Registered Nurse, Physical Education Teacher, Culinary Manager, Counselor, Psychologist, Health Teacher, etc...)
- Students do NOT take this survey, but the results directly impact them by improving the health and wellness practices in their schools.