Passport to Healthy Schools in Sullivan County

(USPS) 525-100

We’re On Our Way to a New Destination

CCE Sullivan is partnering with Sullivan County schools and community organizations on a journey to better health outcomes. Through the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) public health initiative, CCE Sullivan has been launching and managing exciting programs, which we’ll share in this book!

Will You Come on This Journey with Us?

Consider this book your passport to integrating health and wellness into your school or organization. Our hope is that the 12 programs shared within these pages will inspire you to reach out to CCE Sullivan today! Ask us how we can bring an existing program to your school, or collaborate and come up with a new initiative. Together, we can create healthy school environments that support kids in their own wellness journey.

Meet SueAnn Boyd Healthy Schools Coordinator SueAnn has been with CCE Sullivan for 18 years, focusing on youth nutrition and wellness. She has facilitated programs promoting healthy habits in schools in Sullivan County. SueAnn was instrumental in acquiring the CHSC grant for Sullivan County. She has received many awards including the Board of Education Award from Fallsburg and Monticello School Districts, Certificates of Merit from NYS Assembly Woman Aileen Gunther and former Senator Jen Metzger, and a Mid-Career Excellence Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi National Honorary Extension. SueAnn lives with her husband Richard and their rescue dog, Bella.

Meet Bee Moser SNAP-ED NY Senior Nutritionist Bee holds an M.S. in nutrition from the University of Vienna in Austria. She is also a personal trainer and has been teaching fitness since high school. Bee has lectured throughout Europe and has been published in major magazines. She has developed vitamin concepts and worked as a nutrition and fitness supervisor for a record company, preparing Top 40 artists for hectic life on the road. After a decade in Manhattan, Bee lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, son, and two senior cats.

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YOUR ITINERARY Big Apple Crunch Cooking with Cornell Healthier Celebrations Winter Sports Project Ag in the Classroom Math & Movement Yoga in Schools Stencil Proejct Lunchroom Makeovers Early Childhood Education Farm to School Sensory Experience Our Traveling Companions Trip Stats

Pages 4-5 Pages 6-7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Pages 14-15 Pages 16-17 Pages 18-19 Pages 20-21 Page 22 Page 23

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Before Your Trip! Learn About CHSC Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) is a public health initiative of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), with the goal of reducing the major risk factors of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in 85 high-need school districts and associated communities, including seven municipalities in Sullivan County.

NYSDOH provides grant funding to CCE Sullivan to increase demand for, and access to, healthy, affordable foods and opportunities for daily physical activity.

The Sullivan County communities covered by CHSC programs include Thompson, Bethel, Mamakating, Fallsburg, Forestburgh, and Liberty, serving all Sullivan County school districts including Sullivan BOCES. CHSC provides technical support, equipment and supplies, and mini-grants to schools, municipalities, worksites, and businesses working to make healthy choices easier for Sullivan County residents. Program areas supported by CCE Sullivan through CHSC include school-based and worksite wellness and municipal Complete Streets planning assistance.

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The Journey: Taking a Bite Out of Unhealthy Snacking Habits PLANTING THE SEED...

In our journey towards healthier schools, we took a detour to apple country in 2020 by hosting our very first Big Apple Crunch at select schools across Sullivan County.

OFF & GROWING!

Big Apple Crunch is a fun event celebrating apples! Each year, around October 24th, school kids across New York State take a bite of an apple grown in New York at the same time.

This program is going strong in its 4th year here in Sullivan County. Kids look forward to this event and enjoy knowing they are part of something bigger. We post pictures of the event on the CCE Sullivan social media pages.

Apples are worth celebrating. They’re healthy, delicious, and part of our legacy in New York State, home to thousands of apple orchards.

In fact, New York produces about 30 million bushels of apples annually.

TAKE A BITE WITH US Our goal is to get as many schools in Sullivan County on board as we take a bite out of unhealthy habits - and focus instead on nutritious snacks!

The Big Apple Crunch first kicked off in 2012 as a partnership between nonprofit group GrowNYC and the NYC Office of Food Policy.

CCE Sullivan discovered the program in 2020 and decided to participate as a way to encourage kids to taste apples.

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The Journey: Cooking Up an Interest in Culinary Skills CREATING AN ORIGINAL RECIPE Cooking with Cornell was an exciting partnership with Fallsburg Central School District that taught nutrition and cooking skills to students in seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. Food safety was also a prime focus of the program.

Here’s how it all started...Fallsburg Central School District reached out to CCE Sullivan to help create a series of cooking classes for The Empire State After School Program. The result? The Cooking with Cornell experience!

One day a week after school, the students would put on red aprons emblazoned with the CCE logo – and prepare food together.

Recipes were selected that spotlighted a fruit or vegetable as the main ingredient. the to enjoy n w o d it s prepare!

Students worked hard to y food the

Camaraderie emerged as a pivotal element of the program. After preparing the meal, students sat down together as friends and enjoyed the food. Many students remarked that they rarely sat down at home around the table, and this was a special treat for them.

After each class, students took home the day’s recipe and even specific utensils or other items needed to prep the recipe. They also took home the confidence and skills they acquired that day as they cooked with Cornell.

LET’S COOK UP A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Teaming up to create a lattice top c on a homem lassic ade pie.

CCE Sullivan is your trusted resource of choice for recipes and nutrition information. Our team can provide best practices for programs similar to Cooking with Cornell. Just reach out – and let’s cook up a plan.

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Dear SueAnn, Everyday after school I was so excited to enter your class and learn new recipes, techniques, and skills. I tried many new healthy recipes that before your class I would have never imagined would be so delicious.

Every night I would go home and share the leftovers and make the recipes on Sundays. My family and I were elated to say the least because your recipes helped us incorporate more vegetables into our diet in a delicious way. Above all I really enjoyed the community we built, I enjoyed collaborating and cooking/baking. I enjoyed the process and getting over slight learning curves.

Above all I enjoyed sitting down and enjoying the mea l we’d all made together whilst having a conversation abou t what we thought and how we felt and discussing future recipes where everyone had a say and was comfortable to share thei r opinion and contribute to what they thought we should do next while everyone intently listened.

This was by far my favorite after school activity, till this day I still make these recipes and enjoy them with my fam ily.

Thank You! -Avena, Fallsburg Middle School

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The Journey: Celebrating with Active Fun LET’S GET THIS PARTY CARTED Move over cupcakes and candy, there’s a new way to celebrate birthdays and special occasions in classrooms across Sullivan County.

Centering school parties around sweets has many disadvantages. It can be too expensive for parents to purchase desserts for a classroom. Plus, sugar can create behavioral issues for many kids. CCE Sullivan knew there was a better way…so we teamed up with Benjamin Coser Elementary School in Fallsburg to start the Celebration Cart project.

A three-tiered cart is loaded with both indoor and outdoor activity supplies; think parachutes, jump ropes, board games, crafts, and even nutrition games. The kids were thrilled when a classmate’s birthday meant the celebration cart arrived! Soon, elementary schools in Liberty and Monticello joined in. Now, Eldred is in the process of preparing their own carts.

BLENDING FUN AND FITNESS Another fun alternative to sugar-loaded parties is the Blender Bike. CCE Sullivan purchased an accessory that turns any bike into a blender via pedaling. Fallsburg School District now offers parents the option of purchasing yogurt and fruit from the school’s cafeteria so students can celebrate their birthday by powering the blender to make smoothies. CCE has purchase Blender Bike equipment for Liberty, Monticello, Sullivan West, and Livingston Manor districts and is in the process of doing so for Tri-Valley.

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The Journey: Warming Up to Outdoor Winter Activities BCES

SNOW WON’T STOP US Winter in Sullivan County can be tough on children who benefit from outdoor activity, but who may be stuck indoors when snow piles high. That’s when CCE Sullivan stepped (or should we say snowshoed?) in...

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It all started in the Fallsburg School District, as ground broke on the Benjamin Cosor Elementary School (BCES) trail in 2016. How could this beautiful trail on school grounds be utilized in the long winter months? In partnership with Sullivan 180, CCE Sullivan purchased snowshoes in children’s sizes and storage racks from local outdoor gear retailer, Morgan Outdoors. The owner of Morgan Outdoors provided lessons on how to wear and walk in the shoes. The program was a success – and schools in Livingston Manor and Liberty followed in Fallsburg’s snowy footsteps.

CCE Sullivan continues the winterfocused fun, recently purchasing sleds for a daycare in Liberty so kids can enjoy winter and be active!

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The Journey: Bringing Agriculture to Life IT STARTED WITH GRAPE JUICE...

The year was 2017, and SueAnn Boyd was asked by a Cornell Master Gardener Volunteer to bring grape juice to a classroom as a favor.

The juice was a way for students to connect to a special book called “The Grapes Grow Sweet” by Lynne Tuft. It was that year’s featured selection through New York Ag in the Classroom’s Ag Literacy Week. When the Master Gardener Volunteer retired, SueAnn then partnered with CCE Sullivan 4-H Program Manager Barbara Moran to keep growing the program.

A standout year was 2021, when children returned to class after the pandemic. The year’s book was “Tales of a Dairy Godmother” and the activity was making ice cream!

Each year, SueAnn and Barbara seek out volunteers to read the year’s book to classrooms across Sullivan County. There is also a suggested activity that brings the book to life. Once Ag Literacy Week has ended, participating classrooms get to keep the book and add it to their library.

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WILL MORE CLASSROOMS CATCH ON? CCE Sullivan can support other classrooms if they are interested in Ag Literacy Week - and ensuring children understand and appreciate where their food comes from.

Makin g ice cream to tie into the Dairy Godmother book.

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The Journey: Adding Up the Benefits of Math & Movement MAT MATTERS When you think of math, do you also think of movement? Probably not. Most of us picture ourselves at a desk when “doing math.”

However, Suzy Koontz, the New York-based founder of Math & Movement, discovered that by combining math concepts with physical games, young children learned faster and had fun in the process.

CCE Sullivan was thrilled to bring Math & Movement to schools in Sullivan County by introducing the interactive math mats.

Brin gin g n um b e r s to life on play groun the d gets k ids movin g!

Liberty School District was the first to roll out the Math & Movement program. Suzy and her team came to Liberty and trained volunteers and teachers. Then, Liberty held a Family Fun Night and laid out dozens of the new mats for parents and children to try. From hopscotch to giant clocks, the interactive maps made learning fun.

The response by all attendees was very positive. You can see for yourself in the video - just scan the QR code on this page. In fact, Suzy said it was the best attended family fun night she had ever seen.

THE MOVEMENT CONTINUES Today, the mats are used in Monticello and Liberty elementary schools - and are even integrated into the math cirriculum.

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Would your youth-focused organization or school like to explore the mats? Let us know, and we’ll bring the movement to you!

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The Journey: Stretching Towards Mindfulness in Education CALM AND FOCUS IN THE CLASSROOM The origins of yoga in Sullivan County classrooms started nearly a decade ago as SueAnn first learned of a company called Yoga4Classrooms. She worked to bring the student-focused mindfulness and yoga exercise into schools in the area.

In 2016, a grant through CHSC made it possible for a handful of schools in Monticello, Fallsburg, and Liberty to train educators in the Yoga4Classrooms process. Students truly enjoyed the yoga sessions and mindfulness exercises, and teachers noted the calming and focusing impacts of the program.

Today, yoga for students is offered through Childlight Education Company (CEC) and is available to all districts in Sullivan County. So far, CCE Sullivan has provided the yoga and mindfulness training to over 100 teachers, educators, daycare providers, non-profit organizations, and other educators. Recently, CCE offered training in Yoga and Mindfulness for Diverse Abilities, so that those of all ability levels can benefit from the calming focus of yoga and mindfulness.

Educators being trained to bring Yoga to their classrooms!

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The Journey: Laying the Groundwork for Active Fun BLACKTOP AS BLANK CANVAS ct e confli ss... h T : E re BEFOR wheel in prog on resoluti

The CCE Sullivan CHSC team is always looking for ways to incorporate fitness into student life. In 2017, SueAnn discovered a company that creates stencils to turn playground pavement into activity stations. She brought the idea to the Wellness Committee at Liberty Elementary.

Liberty embraced the idea! Students and teachers mapped out which stencils they wanted and where to put them.

From hopscotch to foursquare, yoga poses to a “conflict resolution” wheel, playgrounds across Sullivan County are now more engaging and spark active fun! Fallsburg, Monticello, Livingston Manor, and Sullivan County Boces Districts have all rented the stencils from CCE Sullivan or have purchased them through grant funding.

STENCIL US IN

AFTER : Students u se t h e wheel for calm durin g conflict .

CCE Sullivan can provide the stencils for you to use. Just contact us to learn more!

to udents t s e t i v n encils i active!

The st t e g d n an have fu PAGE 13

The Journey: Prioritizing Health at School Lunch ASSESSING THE STATE OF THE LUNCH PLATE About a decade ago, the healthier lunchroom movement began gaining momentum in cafeterias across New York. Research suggested that school lunches were lacking in nutrition and in options that were tasty as well as nutritious. Over the years, CCE Sullivan teamed up with Liberty, Fallsburg, Sullivan BOCES, and Monticello School Districts to reinvent the school lunch.

The project involved assessing the current state of the lunchroom using a scorecard. From what food was served to how it was presented and even what it was called; everything was documented. Then, changes to encourage healthy choices were put in place!

INSIDE THE HEALTHY LUNCHROOM Some of the healthy changes included moving the healthiest items to the start of the lunch line, putting low fat plain milk in front of the sugar-laden chocolate milk, and displaying abundant fruit baskets throughout the serving area. The most nutritious foods were placed in the easiestto-reach areas. Another aspect of the lunchroom makeovers involved large format signage featuring fresh, enticing produce. The signage was displayed on windows and hung from the ceiling, promoting healthy options.

In addition, salad bars were added to select cafeterias with photos and names of each ingredient. The salad bars emphasized choice, so children could have fun assembling their own creations from healthful options.

THE FUTURE LOOKS NUTRITIOUS...AND DELICIOUS Once the changes were implemented, CCE and the participating districts ran assessments to measure the program’s success – and to continue optimizing lunchrooms for healthy eating.

Lunchroom staff were involved at every step. They were trained on how to prepare and present food to students, and even how to make fun suggestions! If you’d like to freshen up your district’s cafeteria, just reach out to us today.

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Foodser vice sta ff bein g to make tr over th e lunchr ained oom!

SueAnn & Dara Smith, Sullivan West CSD Food Service Manager

Two students sh ow off their healthy salad ba r selections.

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The Journey: Healthy Experiences for Little Learners STARTING THE WELLNESS JOURNEY EARLY

SOWING THE SEEDS OF WELLNESS

Research consistently shows that a positive impact on a child’s early learning experience will continue to pay off as they grow and develop. That’s why CCE Sullivan, through the CHSC program, is investing in early childhood education initiatives. The goal is to provide daycares and preschools with tools and programs that integrate nutrition, physical activity, and wellness into their daily lives.

At TLC Daycare, there was a perfect spot for a vegetable garden. This would be a physical activity, a sensory experience, and an opportunity for little learners to see where their food comes from – and to grow some of their own! CCE Sullivan provided TLC Daycare with the garden soil plus all the gear needed for the little gardeners...from gardening gloves to little shovels. Over at Valley Daycare, CCE Sullivan supplied a wheelbarrow, galvanized steel raised beds and other items to support an on-site vegetable garden.

JUMPING INTO HEALTHY HABITS CCE Sullivan takes a customized approach to bringing the benefits of nutrtion and wellness to early education facilities, including athome daycares. For example, Sullivan BOCES wanted to engage little ones in more physical activity during winter. So, we provided tricycles, used in the hallways to keep kids moving even during inclement weather.

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY FOR YOGA Recently, CCE Sullivan’s CHSC team has been working with the ChildLight Education program to provide a custom training protocol for early educators. CCE Sullivan’s CHSC team is training daycare providers so that they can help toddlers and young children experience the benefits of mindfullness and yoga.

A t ra m p olin an at-ho e was purchase d for me dayc are faci lity.

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SueAnn Boyd reads at St. John’s Pre-K Harvest Festival .

Little gardeners transfer soil to garden beds at TLC Daycare.

ner of Morgan Lisa Lyons, ow s snowshoein g!

Outdoors, talk

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The Journey: Connecting Local Farms to Local Schools PLANTING THE SEEDS OF HEALTHY EATING. The New York State Farm-to-School Program was created to connect schools with local farms and food producers to strengthen local agriculture, improve student health, and promote regional food systems awareness.

CCE Sullivan, Sullivan 180, and Harvest NY have implemented this program in partnership with districts across the county.

Here is a snapshot of just a few elements of this ground-breaking program!

INTEGRATING FARM-FRESH INGREDIENTS

OCTOBER IS FARM-TO-SCHOOL MONTH Kids go to the farm…and the farm comes to the kids! That’s the concept behind this special month. CCE Sullivan and Sullivan 180 take students to nearby farms for handson learning experiences. Children meet real farmers, learn about agriculture, and see where their food comes from.

In the cafeteria, students are introduced to produce sourced from local farms through featured dishes. They can pick up a handout that introduces them to the farmer who grew their food. Sometimes, farmers such as Matt Burns of Burns Farm will come to the school!

TASTE TEST THURSDAYS Taste Test Thursdays spark student interest in healthy cooking and NYS farm products. CCE Sullivan and local school districts partner to cook up a healthy recipe featuring in-season produce that students can taste —right in the cafeteria! Students can take a printed recipe home to share with their family.

The CCE Sullivan CHSC team supported the Livingston Manor School District in their mission to serve locally grown produce in healthy, tasty ways. CHSC bought a prep sink, new knives, and blast chiller and Sullivan 180 bought a vacuum sealer so that Livingston Manor Chef Stephen Rogers could purchase and then prepare local produce. Chef Rogers is passionate about cooking up nutritious and satisfying dishes that kids love such as hearty soups and flavorful pizzas. He also wanted students to experience the fresh taste of locally grown produce, and this program gave him that opportunity…

A chiller and sealer empowered Chef Rogers to source produce at its peak in the summer, and then use it in the fall and winter months in his recipes. Culinary training was also provided to Chef Rogers and his team on everything from knife skills to food preservation. Chef Rogers was even able to take advantage of the 30% NY Initiative, which reimburses school districts that source at least 30% of their ingredients from New York farms. Chef Rogers is now working with Roscoe School District to integrate the farm-to-school concept into their cafeteria.

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prepped Fresh-picked produce is aff. and vacuum sealed by st

Offerin g s amples of a healthy and delicio us pumpkin bake!

n s a la d a e b i n i annell tin g .

Yum! C or taste tes f prepp ed

SueAnn hosts a fa rm to school taste testing even t for kids.

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The Journey: Finding Space for Sensory Experiences Educators and therapists are more aware than ever before that children have varying sensory needs. Today, there are also many toys, systems, and tools that can provide differing types of sensory input. To support children with sensory needs, many educational facilities are creating sensory rooms. SueAnn Boyd brought this idea to a Sullivan County Occupational Therapist, who was working at Sullivan BOCES. She agreed, a sensory room would be a great asset for students!

Together with CCE Sullivan, Sullivan BOCES created a wish list of items for the new sensory room. From swings to an engaging sensory wall, an inflatable bubble ball to scooters for indoor use, everything was thoughtfully selected and arranged so that sensory experiences can be customized for each child.

If your daycare or school is interested in creating a sensory room, talk to us - we can help in many ways!

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All smiles as a child hangs out in the colorful tunnel

This swin g press ure a provides c n d se n s o r y al m i n g input.

A sensory wall invite s exploration with sights, sounds, and textures. e a big p er balls ar m u b le b a t a Infl nsory room. e s e h t in hit

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Thank You to Our Travel Companions, Partners in the Journey!

SUNY Sullivan Town of Bethel Town of Fallsburg Town of Forestburgh Town of Liberty Town of Mamakating Town of Thompson Trailkeeper.org Tri Valley Central School District Action Toward Independence American Heart Association Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Bold Gold Media Group Brian Brustman Land Services & Woodworking Burns Family Farm ChildLight Education Company Daniel Pierce Library Eldred Central School District Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library Evergreen Community Center Fallsburg Central School District First Presbyterian Church of Liberty Garnet Health Jeffersonville Public Library JK Enterprises John Snow Inc. Lazy Pond Bed & Breakfast Liberty Central School District Liberty Farmers’ Market Liberty Public Library Livingston Manor Central School District Majestic Farm Mamakating Library Monticello Central School District Monticello Farmers’ Market Morgan Outdoors Nemours Childrens Health New Hope Community New York State Dept. of Health Newman Signs

Ochs Orchards Roscoe Central School District SNAP Ed- Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley Region Somewhere in Time Farm Stonewall Farms Sullivan 180 Sullivan Agencies Leading Together (SALT) Sullivan BOCES Sullivan County Bee Keepers Association Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce Sullivan County Childcare Council Sullivan County Democrat Sullivan County Government Sullivan County Head Start Sullivan County Legislature Sullivan County Public Health Services Sullivan West Central School District Sunshine Hall Library of Liberty Village of Monticello Western Sullivan Public Library Winterton Farms WJFF Radio Catskill

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Healthy Schools in Sullivan County: Unpacking the Numbers

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Join us on the Journey Towards Greater Health & Wellness in Sullivan County Schools!