A Healthful and Safe School Environment: Chapter 3 A Healthful and Safe School Environment: Protecting the Health and Safety of Students, Faculty, and Staff

Need for Supportive Environmental Conditions in Schools More than 53 million children and almost 3 million adults spend their days in 112,000 public/private school buildings (EPA, 2003) The dynamic external conditions consist of: Physical Emotional Social Political Others

Need for Supportive Environmental Conditions in Schools, cont. Effective action to create and maintain a healthful and safe school environment requires cooperation from the following: Teachers as advocates, including school staff members Students’ involvement Parent and community Involvement

School Environments Multitude of dynamic conditions that are external to the person Two types Supportive: creates healthful choices or protects the well-being of the student (e.g., food service programs) Non-supportive: detracts from commitment for healthful behavior (e.g., vending machines containing junk food)

Enhancing Physical Conditions that Facilitate Optimal Learning & Development School size Lighting Color choices Temperature/ ventilation Noise control Sanitation/ cleanliness Other physical conditions Accessibility

School Size School and classroom size are important environmental conditions Teachers and school professionals have little control over this Student distraction is more likely in large classes compared to smaller ones Small schools offer greater opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities and leadership roles

Lighting Most critical physical characteristic of the classroom Key to the well-being of students and teachers who are confined in a classroom Poor lighting can affect students’ attitudes and mood General classroom illumination requires 50-100 foot candles Adequate lighting promotes effective academic work, discourages unsanitary conditions, and encourages high morale

Color Choices Color can transform a school’s atmosphere from depressing and monotonous to: Inviting Pleasing Stimulating

Temperature and Ventilation Temperatures that are too high deplete energy from students Temperatures that are too low can make students restless and inattentive Optimal classroom temperature should range between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit During humid and/or hot days, make sure students are hydrating on a regular basis

Noise Control Noise can make it difficult for students to learn for several reasons Noise raises stress levels for students and teachers Classroom noise can be controlled by using noise absorbing materials Long-term exposure can lead to hearing loss

Sanitation and Cleanliness Sanitation is the protection of health and prevention of disease by removing filth and infectious materials Personal hand-washing procedures should be stressed among all students and school personnel All schools should have a standard policy promoting this important concept

Other Physical Conditions Here are some possible conditions that could impact a student’s well-being Optimal space for physical activity Watch for “hidden spaces” Storage of chemicals Sun exposure Animals in the classrooms

Accessibility Students with physical disabilities often require modifications to gain access to several facilities Access often requires installation of special equipment or modifications of existing facilities

Emotional Environments Feelings, expectations, experiences that affect students’ development Warm and non-threatening learning environments promote health and learning Teacher’s personality and behavior determine emotional climate

Emotional Security Affirmative behaviors build emotional security Emotional security is a feeling of freedom from anxiety in which individuals feel they can express themselves without fear of reprisal By modeling empathetic behavior, this will foster affirming relationships that are the “backbone” of a healthy school climate Schools can foster sensitivity to differences by incorporating multicultural concepts into their curriculum

Effective Classroom Management The use of managerial skills by teachers to decrease disruptive behavior Promotes student achievement and self-control Having clearly defined classroom rules will diminish discipline problems Discipline is training that corrects and improves student behavior

Providing a Safe School Environment The important concepts are as follows: Teacher responsibilities Safe school transportation Safe playgrounds Disaster and emergency preparedness

Teacher’s Responsibilities Proper reporting of accidents/injuries Assessing/correcting potential safety hazards Providing proper first aid when needed Establishing safety procedures in the classroom Providing appropriate supervision of students at all times

Liability Protection and Safety Guidelines The major aspect of safety liability is negligence Negligence is the failure to conduct oneself in conformity with standards established by law for the protection of others against risk of injury When an injury occurs, a teacher may be held liable as the cause due to carelessness Complete and report all accidents following any injury

Safe Transportation All schools should have a safe drop-off and pick-up zone Adequate adult supervision should be provided at all times All vehicles should be driven in a safe manner while on school premises If public transportation is involved, precautions should be taken to promote safety of each individual

Safe Playgrounds More injuries occur to elementary students on the playground than in any other place Schools are responsible for providing safe equipment Injuries usually involve falling or jumping from playground equipment Maintaining high safety standards will reduce injuries

Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Schools must be ready to deal with a variety of emergencies Planning is of the utmost importance Emergency planning committees develop and implement school emergency plans After a plan is developed, students and staff should be trained on an annual basis

Characteristics of a Secure Physical Environment (U. S Dept Characteristics of a Secure Physical Environment (U.S Dept. of Education, 1998) Supervise access to facilities/grounds Reduce class/school size Adjust time to minimize traffic in hallways Conduct a building safety audit with safety experts Close school campuses during lunch Adopt a school uniform policy Arrange supervision during critical time periods Prohibit students from meeting in critical areas Have adults visible throughout the school Stagger dismissal times/lunch periods Monitor surrounding school grounds Coordinate with local police regarding safe routes to/from campus

School Violence Violence is a major concern, especially since the publicized incidences that have occurred on school campuses Students need to feel free from violence in order to perceive a future and a sense of learning at school Policies must be implemented to build a violence-free school and environment

Zero Tolerance Policies School or district policy that mandates predetermined consequences or punishments for specific offenses Most schools have “zero tolerance” for firearms and other weapons Drugs, tobacco, and violence are others that have been included

Sexual Harassment Unwanted and unwelcome sexual behavior Children and adolescents are also victimized Conduct and/or words that sexually offend or demean are examples Title IX prohibits harassment and sexual discrimination in all public/private educational institutions

Supporting a Drug-Free School Environment Research shows that protective schools can be effective for decreasing drug use The following are considered important to create a physical and psychological atmosphere for youth development Clear policies on drug possession Positive peer programs Drug-free activities Drug-free school zones Tobacco-free school environments

Protecting Against Bloodborne Pathogens Pathogenic microorganisms in blood that cause disease Can result in HIV, Hepatitis B and C Universal precautions are steps all schools should adopt Avoid exposure, especially direct contact with bodily fluids

Supporting Healthy Eating and Nutrition Information given during class on proper nutrition should be reinforced with food served in schools Policies and practices should be consistent Teamwork is needed among teachers, parents, etc., as a shared responsibility Schools are urged to implement the “Ten Keys to Promote Healthy Eating in Schools,” (USDA, 2000)

School Food Services Reinforcement of healthful eating behaviors should reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Nutrition education needs to be offered to food service personnel regularly School meals that are federally funded must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans This includes: School Lunch programs School Breakfast programs Special Milk programs

Providing School-Site Health Promotion for Staff The rationale for health promotion for staff: Keeping employees healthy will result in: Decreased health care costs for staff Decreased absenteeism Increased job satisfaction

Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs Identify needs Use 4 program components Screening Education Policy/environmental changes EAP Maximize participation

A Healthful and Safe School Environment: Chapter 3 A Healthful and Safe School Environment: Protecting the Health and Safety of Students, Faculty, and Staff