2021 Schools Setting Updates

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Wabasha-Kellogg Elementary implements a sensory path with SHIP support.

Preschool through 6th grade students now have access to a sensory path in their school hallways thanks to support from the Minnesota Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP). The goal of the sensory walk is for students to have a calming path to walk on and to create movement when they are feeling they cannot focus in the classroom. The path allows students to use movement and stretching to help them refocus and return to class feeling calmer.

The teachers and school social workers use the sensory walk to teach students to self-regulate, manage stress, and control their impulses all while in a supportive and comfortable environment. As a result the sensory path is increase a positive learning environment for students in their classrooms.

According to Leanne Kruger, school social worker with Wabasha-Kellogg Elementary school, students have embraced the effort. “Students have commented “This is so much Fun!” she said.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and commercial tobacco-free living.

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

SAIL partners with SHIP on a Heavy Lift Sensory Area project to help students with emotional regulation.

SAIL (Students Achieve Integrative Learning) students have various sensory needs. Some students need a calming quiet space to regulate their bodies. Others, mostly the older students, need to use their large muscles to regulate themselves.

The SAIL program in Kellogg had the calming, soothing sensory needs met but not the space for large muscle use. SAIL wrote a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant to equip a room and turn it into our Heavy Lift Sensory area. In the room they have a boxing bag, medicine ball, and several exercise bands. Students may choose which sensory tool they want. Some need the punching bag to work through whatever has them upset. This is not intended to simulate hitting another person, but to teach healthy ways to relieve stress. They purchased a few different-sized sets of boxing gloves for the students to use. They were able to put mats on the walls around the room to protect the students.

Some of the students like to use the exercise bands either alone or with the bar that was purchased. All students were shown various ways to use the bands. The medicine ball can be used alone or with another student or staff. One student commented that it wasn't heavy enough until he did about five abdominal twists.

Students were taught what the room was for and how to use the equipment. They were taught that the room and equipment should be used as a preventative measure and to try to not wait until they are overwhelmed by emotions.  Students are monitored while using the equipment. If a student isn't in control enough to use the room, they use other techniques until they are ready. This room has been used almost daily since it was installed.  The overall goal of the program is to teach the students healthy, life-long tools to keep emotionally and physically regulated. Thanks to SHIP the program has been able to build up its tool kit. 

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and commercial tobacco-free living.

Students’ comments about the Heavy Lift Sensory Area are as Follows:

"This is amazing. It helps me get calm.”

"I can't believe the school lets me use a punching bag! It helps me a lot."

"I feel better after I exercise.”

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

SHIP support Immanuel Lutheran School in implementing additional physical activity resources.

Disc golf has been implemented at Immanuel Lutheran school’s Preschool through 8th grade to be utilized during recess and physical education class.

The popular game was brought to the school with the goal of increasing opportunities for physical fitness for the school’s students by offering a wide variety of equipment. Disc golf is an activity that can involve an entire class while still allowing students to practice social distancing, if necessary, during the pandemic.

The disc golf equipment was purchased with the help of the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and commercial tobacco-free living.

Michelle MacPherson, RN, wellness coordinator with Immanuel Lutheran School says that the school values the support SHIP provided. “The 9-square game that we implemented a few years ago is still a favorite of all students and is consistently utilized by all students when the weather is nice. I anticipate the disc golf will be a highly successful addition as well,” said MacPherson.

The students share MacPherson’s assessment of the new game. Kayla, a nine-year-old student at Immanuel Lutheran said that she really liked trying out the disc golf game. “It was something new to do during recess and PE," she said.

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

Wabasha-Kellogg Elementary implements student well-being activities with the support of SHIP.

Wabasha-Kellogg Schools has created a calming corner in each Elementary classroom they call the CALM CUBBY.  It is a place for students to use when they are feeling overstimulated, overwhelmed, upset, or need a break.

The CALM CUBBY Project helps to improve a student’s social-emotional health by providing a place for them to go to calm down in a safe environment. Strategies and tools are available to students successfully calm themselves then return to learning in a more positive state. This project also includes a calming sensory path in the school hallway which creates a movement break allowing students to return to class feeling more focused.

What is Well-being?

Well-being includes the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning by creating equitable, healthy and positive conditions that promote well-being and resiliency.
Learn more at CDC: Well-being in All Policies.

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200. SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living.

MnDOT is bringing back their annual Walk to School Day event-October 6.

MnDOT is bringing back the annual Walk to School Day event! Recognizing that this fall many schools are in session in different ways, you are welcome to register your participation as an entire school, a neighborhood, or a family. MnDOT knows that these events are important opportunities to encourage physical activity and promote safety in your neighborhoods and near schools. MnDOT encourages you to register to participate in a way that is best for your school and fits local public health guidance.

Register today and MnDOT will send reflective zipper pulls, bookmarks and other goodies to all schools that register to share on your event day. Families, neighborhoods, and schools please register by Tuesday, Sept. 28.

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200. SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living.

SAIL (Students Achieve Integrative Learning) implements Walk! Bike Fun! curriculum and reports success.

The Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum is a two-part curriculum designed specifically for Minnesota's schools and youth education programs. It is structured to meet Minnesota education standards and is an important part of the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Safe Routes to School Program. Walk! Bike! Fun! helps children ages five to 13 learn traffic rules and regulations, the potential hazards to traveling, and handling skills needed to bike and walk effectively, appropriately and safely through their community.

Click on the graphic to read about the SAIL Program success in Kellogg, MN this spring.

For Educators and Community Members:

Request the Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum from the MN Bicycle Alliance here, then consider being trained to be eligible to access the BikeMN bike fleet like SAIL has done. Training for Educators or Training for Community Members.

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200. SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living.

PARSNIP - Pilot to Accelerate Regional Support for Nutrition at Institutions from Producers.

Renewing the Countryside is seeking school and community participation in a fun, new Farm to School pilot project in southeastern Minnesota. Sponsored by Renewing the Countryside and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the pilot project is known as PARSNIP - Pilot to Accelerate Regional Support for Nutrition at Institutions from Producers.

The goal of the project is to determine the potential benefits of strategically placing a regional coordinator who focuses on working with and connecting local schools, early care settings and local farmers on the Farm to School Program.  

“Farm to School is a win-win any way you look at it,” says Sara George, a farmer from Pepin, WI, who is the lead on the project, along with Renewing the Countryside Creative Director, Brett Olson. “It improves the health of our children, kids get a chance to learn about where their food comes from and it helps support our local farmers.”   

But George says there are also challenges with the PARSNIP program. Schools operate during what farmers refer to as the shoulder seasons of September through May.  There are questions about what crops are available during that time, and concerns about quantities needed to feed a school. She says that schools also often ask how to access local farmers in their area and wonder about the easiest ways of placing orders.   

PARSNIP will begin the project by engaging with four to six schools in Goodhue and Wabasha Counties, not only encouraging local food purchases but also building a network around Farm to School.  The effort will undertake an aggressive outreach campaign that will involve presenting to different community groups in each county, including Kiwanis, 4-H, school boards, social services and public health, church groups, city councils and township boards. The presentations will focus on sharing what Farm to School is all about and letting individuals know how they can get involved.   

The project will also provide technical assistance and support to the farmers and food service directors to help make the effort work. They will not only include food service directors, but also other school staff, principals, superintendents, school board members and kitchen staff to help facilitate a team for the food service director to lean on for support and encouragement in their Farm to School work.  

George brings the experience of not only understanding the farming aspect of Farm to School, but also has had the opportunity to work in an institutional kitchen that uses as much locally grown product as they can.  That experience has led to an understanding not only of the obstacles associated with Farm to School, but also of the opportunities, especially when people listen, look and learn together.

There are over 40 farmers in the local area that are already interested in engaging in this work. If you want to learn more about this project or would like to request a presentation for your group, email Sara George or call her at 715-651-5046 to learn more.

SHIP has supported the origins of this project through grant funding to Wabasha Farmers Market. If you are interested in getting involved with Farm to School or other school healthy eating projects, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating and commercial tobacco-free living.

Wabasha County SHIP encourages schools to partner in well-being activities.

Well-being includes the presence of positive emotions and moods (e.g., contentment, happiness), the absence of negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety), satisfaction with life, fulfillment and positive functioning by creating equitable, healthy and positive conditions that promote well-being and resiliency.
Learn more at CDC: Well-being in All Policies

Examples of allowable SHIP expenses include:

If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

Lincoln High students share their new active living skills in a video.

Tom Horner, physical education teacher at Lincoln High in Lake City, shares the school’s Bike/Blade/Run unit was a major success. Students in hybrid and distance learning were all working on this project.

Student comments after the unit ended:

Go to our resources page for tools that may help with distance learning. If you’d like to learn about partnering with Wabasha County SHIP, email Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator or call 651-565-5200.

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