Bay-Waveland School District

Bay-Waveland Schools District focusing on Mind, Body & Spirit

By Meaghan Chapman
Sea Coast Echo
Aug 14, 2009

With a new school year under way, the Bay-Waveland School District is implementing a handful of new programs in hopes of nourishing both the minds and bodies of its students toward an overall state of well-being.

For its part, the Mind, Body, Spirit Foundation — spearheaded by four district employees — is reaching out to students to form a chapter on each campus in the district.

Child Nutrition Administrator Brad Barlow said the foundation is hoping the clubs will fill a void, serving as an additional outlet for health and wellness activities in the community.

"The Bay-Waveland community has always been health-centered," he said. But, "After Katrina, there has been a huge need for community activities that get people out and about."

Club members will participate in organized walks with faculty and staff — on the Bay of St. Louis Bridge each Monday after school — as well as in races and other activities that promote healthy living.

The Mind, Body, Spirit Foundation was founded by Bay Waveland School District Public Relations Coordinator Penny Rodrique, Bay High Principal Andy Parker, Bay-Waveland Middle School Principal Cherie Labat and Barlow.

In addition to promoting healthy bodies, Bay High also will be promoting a healthy state of mind with its upcoming "Challenge Day" program Aug. 25 to 27.

Seventy-five volunteer facilitators from the community will serve as role models for the youth during the three-day-program which addresses issues of teasing, violence, suicide, peer pressure, and alcohol and drug abuse, among others.

"The overall goals of the program are to increase personal power and self esteem, to shift dangerous peer pressure to positive peer support and to eliminate the acceptability of teasing, violence and all forms of oppression," Superintendent Becky Ladner told community members in a recent release. 100 students will benefit from the program, held at Bay-Waveland Middle School Gym, during each of the three days.

Rodrique said students will be challenged — by teachers, police officers, elected officials, church organizations and others — "to be the change they wish to see in their world."

The program, she said, is designed especially for schools to help kids feel safe, loved and celebrated.

On the nutrition front, the district is seeing an increase in the amount of student breakfast participation this year through offering a variety of healthy options and a later breakfast for some.

Barlow said North Bay Elementary School, in particular, has seen about an 11 percent increase of students eating breakfast so far this year — bringing the total to nearly 350 breakfasts served per day.

About 57 percent of elementary school students and 38 percent of secondary school students regularly ate breakfast during the last school year, he said.

To increase secondary school breakfast participation, Barlow said the district recently secured a $1,500 Action for Healthy Kids — School Breakfast Expansion grant through the Kellogg's corporation. The grant afforded Bay-Waveland Middle School the opportunity of purchasing a TV to display the day's menu and school announcements, in addition to "grab and go" disposable food containers and additional carts for students opting for a later breakfast.

Barlow said its important for kids to take advantage of the breakfast program on a daily basis to increase their "mental awareness and related academic achievement, but also to combat food insecurity or hunger."

The breakfasts — which includes items such as whole-grain pancakes, fresh fruit and reduced-fat milk — meet a quarter of the students' reference daily intake of calories, total fat, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

"For some students, this will be the first meal that they have eaten since lunch at school the day before," he said.
The district also receives federal and state reimbursement dollars due to higher breakfast participation at its schools. Schools in the Bay Waveland School District resumed session on Aug. 6.

Roast of Dr. Kim Stasny, June 13, 2009

The Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation issues $8,000.00 in Scholarships

The Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation was created to address two major issues facing Mississippi. "We wanted to promote teacher education by issuing scholarships for current and prospective educators while encouraging our community to practice healthy lifestyle choices," stated Penny Rodrique co-founder of the Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation. Mississippi is currently the most obese state in the nation and statewide we are facing a teacher shortage that is only going to intensify over the next five to ten years.

On May 2 the Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation sponsored a 5K Run and a 1 Mile Health Walk in Old Town Bay St. Louis. All proceeds from this event and others like it went to fund the scholarships.

The Bay High School student scholarship went to graduating senior, Christine Nguyen. She received a $4,000.00 scholarship at the senior awards ceremony Tuesday, May 12. Christine will be attending the University of Southern Mississippi where she will major in English. According to Toy Watts, counselor at Bay High School "Christine does what is right, because it is right. Her character is impeccable."

Christine said she attended the Mind, Body & Spirit 5K Run on May 2 because she wanted to support the organization that is promoting teaching in our community. She said "I ran the race instead of walking it because I wanted Dr. Parker to know I wasn't taking the easy way out." Dr. Andy Parker, the principal at Bay High School is one of the four founders of the Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation.

The other four $1,000.00 scholarships went to teachers who are already employed by the Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District, and who plan to pursue an advanced degree. These teachers are: Sandra Smith, a first grade teacher at North Bay Elementary School. Johnnette Bilbo, a third grade teacher at Second Street Elementary. Patches Oliver, a fifth grade science teacher at Bay-Waveland Middle School. And Stephanie Necaise, an English, drama, public speaking and broadcasting teacher at Bay High School.

Race Photo Gallery

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Mind, Body & Spirit Foundation