School Health

• Essex North Supervisory Union

• North Country Supervisory Union

• Orleans Central Supervisory Union

We help schools develop wellness teams to build a culture of good health and wellness using the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.

• School Health in Vermont 

• Healthy Schools - Environmental Health

• Local School Wellness Policy Action Implementation Tool

• Nutrition/Physical Activity Guidance for Schools and Child Care

• Prevent Domestic and Sexual Violence

• School Wellness Policies

We assist school nurses so they can better support student and family access to health services. Learn more about how we work with school nurses.

Today’s students come to school with more challenges related to health and learning than ever before. Essential School Health Services focuses on improving student outcomes, school attendance, the mitigation of challenges such as chronic health conditions, complex medical needs, and other barriers related to social determinants of health, such as poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, food and housing insecurity, and lack of health care.

The Health Department and the Vermont Agency of Education sponsor the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The YRBS was developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, injury and social problems among middle and high school students. We share this public health data with schools and communities to promote response to decrease risk behaviors.

We encourage schools to use YRBS data to make decisions about how to support student health. One way to do this is the Getting to Y program, which is an opportunity for students to take a lead in bringing meaning to their own Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, and to take steps to strengthen their school and community.

We help schools use their YRBS data to plan and implement wellness policies, procedures, and practices. This ensures initiatives are data-informed and resources are focused on issues and populations with the greatest need.

Getting to 'Y'

We collaborate with local schools in the Getting to 'Y' initiative. Getting to ‘Y’ is an opportunity for students to take a lead in bringing meaning to their own Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, and to take steps to strengthen their school and community. Lowell Elementary School has participated in Getting to ‘Y’ for two consecutive years. Their first Community Dialogue Night in 2015 engaged school board members, law enforcement, local coalitions, and Health Department staff, as well as other members of the community. We support local schools with engagement in Getting to ‘Y’ by providing data resources, updates on local and state legislation, as well as connections to other community partners pertinent to the strengths and challenges identified by the students. This year Lowell students opted to plan and carry out a Healthy Choices Fair for all the students in the school.

Youth Risk Behavior Survey by Supervisory Union

We help schools support access to medical care and promote medical and dental homes for children and youth. We support school and health care provider relationships and sharing health records.  We support efforts to ensure families know recommended times for well-care visits, and what to expect at the visits following Bright Futures guidelines.

The 802 Smiles Network of School Dental Health Programs connects Vermont's various school dental health programs under one umbrella. Its goal is to eliminate oral health disparities and improve oral health for all Vermont children.

Safe Routes to School

We support Safe Routes to School, a comprehensive program based on a simple premise: our kids should be able to safely walk and bike to school. Walking and biking to school helps students develop independence, improves academic performance, helps reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, and helps create a stronger community.

We support local education agencies in meeting the objectives of the Medicaid Administrative Claiming agreement.