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      Research has clearly shown the connection between a student’s health and wellness and his or her school success. Participants in the 2012 Kentucky Coordinated School Health Conference will:

* Explore the linkages between coordinated school health programs and a wide variety of positive student outcomes, including increased academic achievement, attendance and graduation rates and decreased achievement gaps;

* more clearly understand your role and how you connect to the program review;

* and learn how to bridge the gap between what schools know and what they do.

   The conference is June 24-25 at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington, and is co-sponsored by KSBA and the Kentucky Department of Education's Coordinated School Health Program. Here is the general schedule:

Sunday, June 24

Healthy Schools Celebration

      Join us to honor the exceptional work being done in coordinated school health. More than 40 schools will be recognized for their achievements.

      Dr. Steve Davis, acting commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, will speak about the connections between health and academics, while Felicia Smith, associate commissioner at the Department of Education, will discuss Kentucky Coordinated School Health and its potential impact on the goals of Unbridled Learning.

      School districts that have implemented a model 100 percent Tobacco-Free School Policy will be recognized. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation will recognize schools that have worked to improve their physical activity and nutritional environments through its Healthy Schools Framework. The Southeast Dairy Association also will be part of the celebration, with Fuel Up to Play 60 “STARS.”

Monday, June 25

2012 seminar topics include:

Tobacco policies and school success
Coordinated School Health – what’s worked and what hasn’t

Join the League – make a difference – implement Fuel Up to Play 60

Bullying and suicide: what you need to know

School employee health

Healthy Schools program

Increasing family/community involvement through facility use agreements

School leaders in comprehensive school-based physical activity programs

Impact on school policy, environmental change through Students Taking Charge

Boosting school breakfast participation: Academics, health and the bottom line

Healthy Hungry-Free Kid Act federal updates

Health services: Tracking data related to financial impact and student achievement

Community connections through the Family Resource & Youth Services Centers

Policy-Practices-Programs: How to connect what you do with what you say

Keynote Speech: Coordinating the Chaos: Promoting Student Health, Sound Nutrition, and Quality Learning in an Era of Insane Demands on Education

   Dr. John Skretta will describe practical steps and helpful strategies for educators who are striving to embrace a healthy school culture and promote a coordinated school health approach in their schools and districts. His emphasis will be on key lessons derived from practical experience in a growing district. Dr. Skretta is a 2010 Alliance For A Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Champion and superintendent of the Norris School District outside of Firth, Neb.

Conference registration fee

      The registration fee is $75 per person or $250 for a team of five. To receive the group rate, all five members must be named on the same form. Each attendee beyond five will receive a discounted rate of $50 if they are included on the same form as the group. This fee includes admission to all sessions, Monday lunch, conference materials and exhibits. Online registration is available here http://www.ksba.org/protected/EventView.aspx?id=7G32BPAI. A pdf version also is attached to this article.

      Hotel registration: A block of rooms is being held at the Marriott Griffin Gate under KSBA’s name for the nights of June 24-25; you must make your reservations by calling 1-800-266-943. The rate is $94 (plus tax) for a single and includes breakfast for one in the hotel restaurant. These rates are guaranteed until June 4, (pending availability), so please make reservations as soon as possible.