DAISY Meeting - 09082015
Members present: Dawn Smith, Sue Ellen Cottle, Karen Levings, Alice Bland, Lisa Jones, Sue Sloan, Beth Lanier, Bonnie Johnson, Bridgett Huffman, Edie Barfield, Jasmine Williams, Dana Adams, Lindsay Goolsby, Jane Hensley, Karen House, Lawana Corbett, Donna Landes, Lindsey Reaves, & Ben Thigpen.
Edie Barfield welcomed everyone and introduced the ECU senior nursing students who are completing their community health clinical rotation with some of our school nurses this semester.
Minutes of the May 22, 2015 meeting were read and approved.
Dana Adams reported that the Steps to Health Program was a success last year. 160 students ( 50-51 3rd graders, 59 2nd graders, and 51 Kindergarten students)participated at the two school sites of Wallace Elementary and BF Grady. This year they are expanding the program at BF Grady Elementary school and targeting all the students in K, 2nd, & 3rd grades. This will extend the reach of the Steps to Health program to approximately 300 students and their families. Edie Barfield noted that there was a lot of positive feedback from the Wallace community from last year’s program and we are are very fortunate to have this program being offered to our students.
Dr. Ben Thigpen, Lisa Jones & Heather Best attended the Healthy School Conference in Wilmington, NC this summer. Dr. Thigpen reported that Duplin County Schools was one of 15 school systems that were invited to attend the conference. A site visit on Oct. 8, 2015 has been planned to assess and evaluate our Action Plan for School Health. This plan is an on-going 5 year endeavor and we are currently in year 3 of this process. In this current school year, we will be providing Ally Training for our school social workers and guidance counselors. This training assists with strategies to work with students who may exhibit sexual orientation issues. Other information brought back from the conference in WIlmington was a program called “Darkness to Light” which seeks to help students with sexual orientation concerns.
Dr. Thigpen presented to the committee that Duplin County Schools was selected by the CDC to participate in the 2015 North Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey for this school year. The survey is being administered to randomly selected high schools or middle schools From our district, students in Health and PE classes at James Kenan, North Duplin, and Wallace Rose Hill will be given the survey between October 5th through December 4th. 2015. It was discussed that the number of teens who smoke cigarettes has decreased over the last 10 years; however use and experimentation with e-cigarettes and hookah have increased significantly.
Dr. Thigpen also indicated that he would like feedback from the DAISY membership on any topics, concerns, or issues that may need to be included on our School Health Action Plan. Dr. Thigpen explained that every LEA relies on advisory committees such as our DAISY Committee to help address areas or topics of concern.
Agency Sharing
Bridgett Huffman, NC Cooperative Extension, shared that the Duplin County Fair will be October 14th through the 17th. They will be taking fair entries on 12th and 13th at the Cooperative Extension Office. She also shared that the Youth Livestock show will be on October 18th and 19th for Duplin County.
Bonnie Johnson, NC Public Health Dental Hygienist, indicated that effective July 1, 2015 that her coverage area has expanded from 4 counties to 8 counties. This spreads her a little thinner than she is used to, but she is still planning sealant projects to benefit student is several schools in Duplin County: beginning with North Duplin Elementary in October, Warsaw Elementary in March and Kenansville Elementary January or February. Mrs. Johnson’s role has also been expanded from the school aged population to the frail and elderly population in nursing homes.
Jasmine Williams, 4-H Prevention Coordinator, informed the committee that Red Ribbon week for Duplin County would be the week of October 23rd- October 31st.. Rose Hill Magnolia Elementary, Wallace Elementary, Chinquapin Elementary, & the Duplin Early College have signed up to participate at this time. New this year is a 6th grade book mark contest. Ms. Williams stated that the budget is strained for this year and stressed the importance of schools requesting early so that supply needs can be met.
Sue Ellen Cottle, Duplin County Schools Lead Nurse stated that the nurses are currently working to secure all documentation for immunizations and health assessments for kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students as well as the new Meningococcal requirement for 7th grade students. Mrs. Cottle stated that most have submitted the required documentation. All documentation is due by the 30th day of school and if not submitted, then the student would not be able to attend school until documentation is submitted.
Staff Flu Clinics for Duplin County Schools have been scheduled through Realo Drug Store.
Hearing and visions screenings for students have been scheduled and will begin on Oct. 6, 2015.
Duplin County School Nurses are very happy and excited to have ECU school nurses helping them with the start up activities of the new school year.
Over the Counter Medication Permission forms and Medical History Questionnaires are currently being collected on all students. Edie Barfield talked about the benefits of the OTC program last year. She indicated that 143 students out of 650 student participated in the OTC program last year at her school alone. She reported that there were 225 administrations to those 143 students. This indicates that there were at least 225 incidences that the students who took medications for minor complaints were able to remain at school instead of missing instructional time or needing to go home. These results are similar at the other school sites across the county.
Nurses are continuing to work through the abstinence grant to provide puberty and healthy living curriculum through the Alice B. Aycock Poe Center in Raleigh. There plan is to schedule a field trip for all 4th, 5th and 6th graders to visit the Poe Center in Raleigh. The students will be able to go through age appropriate programming for family life curriculum and for nutrition . The field trip expenses which include the cost of the Poe Center visit, boxed lunches and transportation will be covered through the abstinence grant.
Lindsey Goolsby, NC State University Dept. of Youth, Family and Community Service-
Reported that Duplin County has been selected to participate in a new Comprehensive School Health Initiative which seeks to create an environment which enforces healthy living through behavior changes and modification. Some of these efforts will include:
Supporting the school cafeteria to increase fruits and vegetable consumption and harvest of the month activities.
Distributing a quarterly newsletter to parents on how to cook with your child
Encouraging daily physical activities and healthy choices
Working to establish a School Garden with 4th grade students
Offering staff development on how to include Energizers in all subject areas.
Ms. Goolsby indicated that she is looking forward to partnering with our district to promote healthy living in this grant made possible thru the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act
Donna Landes, Eastern Baptist in Warsaw, updated the committee on the many services that the Eastern Baptist Association has to offer the different agencies that exist within the DAISY Committee.
Backpack buddies
Eye Glasses for students
Toy store - which helped 967 families last year in Duplin & Sampson Counties.
Food pantry at Warsaw Baptist on the 1st Tues of the month and Kenansville Baptist on the 3rd Friday or Sat of the month. The only requirement are a brief application that is requesting name, address and number in the family. This is a first come first serve program, so you must come early.
Clothes closet at the association at a cost at $.25 for each piece.
Household items.
Hygiene items
Mrs. Landes stated that she can be reached at 910.293.7707 or 910.990.5646 and to please give her a call with any needs that our agency might have.
Karen House, Duplin County Schools Transportation, informed the committee of the new extended side arms for 5 of our buses and that it was doing a great job and of the new crossing procedure that is being taught in the classroom to our students. .
Sue Sloan, Director of Foods Services for DCS, stated that there has been no change in operation and they were continuing to follow the current regulations and are providing free breakfast across the county.
The next DAISY meeting will be held on October 13, 2015 at 12:00 noon here at the BOE.
Edie requested to submit any items that were in need of an action plan Dawn Smith, Dr. Ben Thigpen or Edie Barfield.