OCCPTA Health and Safety

The American Lung Association’s Flu Clinic Locator at www.flucliniclocator.org can tell you where to get a flu shot in case you miss local announcements on the locations of distribution centers. The flu shot locator website also lists criteria for who should consider a flu shot based upon specific risks. If in doubt, ask your doctor. The flu is not a bad cold; its symptoms include a high fever, cough, sore throat, and body and muscle aches.

Contact Orange County Public School Procurement Services regarding questions about vendors and the Jessica Lunsford Act. The website address is www.procurement.ocps.net. The website also has a section of frequently asked questions that should address many of your concerns.

The office can also be reached by phone at (407) 317-3219.

In June 2004, President Bush signed the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 into law, requiring all local education agencies that receive federal funding for their meals programs to establish school wellness policies. Parents, school personnel, and community members must be involved in the development of these school wellness policies, which must be in place before the start of the 2006-2007 school year. At a minimum, the policies must cover

* Nutrition education goals,
* Physical activity goals,
* Nutrition guidelines for all foods available on campus,
* Other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness, and
* Plans for evaluating the school wellness policy.

As the deadline approaches, many parents and community members are wondering how they can get involved in the development of the wellness policy for their local education agency. In an effort to answer this and many other questions about the wellness policies, the National Food Service Management Institute at the University of Mississippi is presenting “Local School Wellness Policy: A Team Approach,” a two-hour satellite seminar and live interactive teleconference, on Tuesday, October 18. The seminar is open to parents, teachers, school administrators, child nutrition professionals, nurses, community partners, and others interested in wellness policy development. The primary goal of the seminar is to provide child nutrition professionals and other key players in the school and community an opportunity to hear the most current information on school wellness policies. The program will feature school districts that have health and wellness efforts already under way. Participants will also be able to call in and have their questions answered by a panel of experts.

Participation in the seminar is free. If you wish to establish a viewing site, you must register before October 18 at http://www.nfsmi.org/. To find a viewing site in your area, contact Amy Casteel at (800) 321-3054 or acasteel@olemiss.edu.