On March 5, 2014, Los Nietos School District Superintendent, Jonathan Vasquez, hosted a second interagency community health meeting of the 2013-2014 school year. The Los Nietos School District, in collaboration with PIH Health, formed the highly successfully community health partnership called the “Healthy Los Nietos” project. This year “Healthy Los Nietos” has wanted to expand and add other community health organizations to a “Healthy Los Nietos” collaborative in order to help provide awareness, education, and intervention to the students and parents in the Los Nietos Community. The “Healthy Los Nietos” project was created when Los Angeles County Health statistics indicated that out of 128 cities and communities in the Los Angeles County, the Los Nietos/West Whittier area ranked 118 out of 128 in obesity prevalence (with 1 representing the lowest prevalence).
Superintendent Vasquez facilitated the meeting’s agenda by first thanking the attendees for their commitment to join the “Healthy Los Nietos” collaborative. He described the strides that have been made in providing health education to all students in the Los Nietos School District since the last collaborative meeting that was held in October of 2013. He described how this year’s focus has been in providing increased student and parent health education in order to raise awareness about health issues that are prevalent in the Los Nietos Community. Los Nietos teachers this year have used the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum, the Think Together after school program has incorporated Healthy Los Nietos initiatives, and free parent health education classes have been offered through the use of PIH Health parent educators. Through the parent education classes, parents have been trained as parent health advocates and are currently helping to spread the “healthy living” word with other parents and will be joining the District’s Wellness Committees. Parents also have worked with Director of Nutrition Services, Kurt Chou, as he has described the ways the cafeteria food has been changed at all four schools to incorporate more fresh fruit and vegetables, and how parents can prepare food at home in a more health conscious manner.
Additionally, Aeolian Principal and CATCH Administrative liaison, Becky Speh, described how all four schools identified “CATCH Champions” this year and held regular meetings to coordinate health events. The largest Los Nietos Health event this year is scheduled for March 7, 2014 and is called “Stepping into Health” day. All Los Nietos School District students and employees received water bottles and pedometers thanks to a $75,000.00 grant from the Safeway Foundation that was awarded to the “Healthy Los Nietos” project. “Stepping into Health” activities were designed to get students and staff involved in actively moving, and increasing their water intake. All four schools will hold student activities such as a jog-a-thon, dance-a-thon, and doing aerobic activities at school assemblies.
Next, Superintendent Vasquez introduced Ed Ramirez, Community Services Supervisor for the City of Santa Fe Springs, who described an upcoming joint Health Fair (Santa Fe Springs and Los Nietos School District) to be held on May 10, 2014 at Rancho Santa Gertrudes School. Mr. Ramirez asked members in attendance to join in the health fair and provided information about the event that is expected to have over 1,000 visitors. Many of the community partners expressed interest in joining and participating in the Health Fair.
The last part of the agenda was dedicated to getting input as well as buy-in to joining the “Health Los Nietos” collaborative. Principal Becky Speh, helped facilitate a discussion about goals for a Healthy Los Nietos Community, and what might be the things that are already in place, and what things might be missing in order to make an interagency collaborative strong and sustainable in the Los Nietos Community. All attendees had an opportunity to provide input, ask questions, and describe their interest in joining the collaborative. After a successful two hour meeting, Superintendent Vasquez thanked the attendees and invited them back to the third health meeting that will be held in May of 2014.
Among some of the guests in attendance at the second health collaborative meeting were: Andrea Avila, Field Deputy for LA County Supervisor Don Knabe; Lindsey Lastra, LA County Department of Public Health Educator; Ed Ramirez, Community Services Supervisor for the City of Santa Fe Springs; Ed Carlson, Director of Operations, Think Together; Christina Cuevas, Director of Children’s Programs for the Salvation Army Transitional Living Center; John Guzman, Chairman for Los Nietos More Advocates for Safe Homes (MASH); and Lori Tiffany from Activate Whittier. Also in attendance were representatives from PIH Health: Ricardo Lopez, PIH Community Healthy Educator; Brigida Davila, PIH Health Outpatient diabetes educator; Vanessa Ivie, PIH Director of Community Health Education; Dr. Ingrid Patsch, Associate Program Director of the Family Residency Program; Ray Schmidt, PIH Health Community Benefits Committee.
Los Nietos Principals Becky Speh, Marla Duncan, Octavio Perez, and Shannon Brann Zelaya, joined Superintendent Vasquez in welcoming the guests in attendance and answering questions about Los NIetos health initiatives.
Superintendent Vasquez facilitated the meeting’s agenda by first thanking the attendees for their commitment to join the “Healthy Los Nietos” collaborative. He described the strides that have been made in providing health education to all students in the Los Nietos School District since the last collaborative meeting that was held in October of 2013. He described how this year’s focus has been in providing increased student and parent health education in order to raise awareness about health issues that are prevalent in the Los Nietos Community. Los Nietos teachers this year have used the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum, the Think Together after school program has incorporated Healthy Los Nietos initiatives, and free parent health education classes have been offered through the use of PIH Health parent educators. Through the parent education classes, parents have been trained as parent health advocates and are currently helping to spread the “healthy living” word with other parents and will be joining the District’s Wellness Committees. Parents also have worked with Director of Nutrition Services, Kurt Chou, as he has described the ways the cafeteria food has been changed at all four schools to incorporate more fresh fruit and vegetables, and how parents can prepare food at home in a more health conscious manner.
Additionally, Aeolian Principal and CATCH Administrative liaison, Becky Speh, described how all four schools identified “CATCH Champions” this year and held regular meetings to coordinate health events. The largest Los Nietos Health event this year is scheduled for March 7, 2014 and is called “Stepping into Health” day. All Los Nietos School District students and employees received water bottles and pedometers thanks to a $75,000.00 grant from the Safeway Foundation that was awarded to the “Healthy Los Nietos” project. “Stepping into Health” activities were designed to get students and staff involved in actively moving, and increasing their water intake. All four schools will hold student activities such as a jog-a-thon, dance-a-thon, and doing aerobic activities at school assemblies.
Next, Superintendent Vasquez introduced Ed Ramirez, Community Services Supervisor for the City of Santa Fe Springs, who described an upcoming joint Health Fair (Santa Fe Springs and Los Nietos School District) to be held on May 10, 2014 at Rancho Santa Gertrudes School. Mr. Ramirez asked members in attendance to join in the health fair and provided information about the event that is expected to have over 1,000 visitors. Many of the community partners expressed interest in joining and participating in the Health Fair.
The last part of the agenda was dedicated to getting input as well as buy-in to joining the “Health Los Nietos” collaborative. Principal Becky Speh, helped facilitate a discussion about goals for a Healthy Los Nietos Community, and what might be the things that are already in place, and what things might be missing in order to make an interagency collaborative strong and sustainable in the Los Nietos Community. All attendees had an opportunity to provide input, ask questions, and describe their interest in joining the collaborative. After a successful two hour meeting, Superintendent Vasquez thanked the attendees and invited them back to the third health meeting that will be held in May of 2014.
Among some of the guests in attendance at the second health collaborative meeting were: Andrea Avila, Field Deputy for LA County Supervisor Don Knabe; Lindsey Lastra, LA County Department of Public Health Educator; Ed Ramirez, Community Services Supervisor for the City of Santa Fe Springs; Ed Carlson, Director of Operations, Think Together; Christina Cuevas, Director of Children’s Programs for the Salvation Army Transitional Living Center; John Guzman, Chairman for Los Nietos More Advocates for Safe Homes (MASH); and Lori Tiffany from Activate Whittier. Also in attendance were representatives from PIH Health: Ricardo Lopez, PIH Community Healthy Educator; Brigida Davila, PIH Health Outpatient diabetes educator; Vanessa Ivie, PIH Director of Community Health Education; Dr. Ingrid Patsch, Associate Program Director of the Family Residency Program; Ray Schmidt, PIH Health Community Benefits Committee.
Los Nietos Principals Becky Speh, Marla Duncan, Octavio Perez, and Shannon Brann Zelaya, joined Superintendent Vasquez in welcoming the guests in attendance and answering questions about Los NIetos health initiatives.