Growing Well with Mercy
The Growing Well with Mercy school program, presented by Mercy Hospital of Folsom, offers free health education to Folsom, Rancho Cordova and El Dorado Hills area elementary schools.
OUR MISSION
In collaboration with parents, teachers, and school health officials, the Growing Well with Mercy programs seeks to increase the number of elementary school children in the Mercy Hospital of Folsom’s service area that learn and practice healthy lifestyle habits, including hand washing and choosing nutritious foods throughout the day. Designed for grades K – 6, the presentations last approximately 30 minutes for hand-washing classes and 45 minutes for nutrition classes. The topics are age-specific, feature hands-on activities, participatory discussions, and are designed to be consistent with classroom curriculum. Teachers and parents are provided with educational tools to reinforce the lessons.
AVAILABILITY
Each school may schedule up to two days of presentations (two per day, per school) Dates can be grouped or spread throughout the year. Hand-washing presentations can be scheduled on Wednesdays only at this time. There are other options for Nutrition sessions. Starting and ending times for each day need to fall between 9 and 11 a.m. Please reserve dates now for the 2011-2012 school year.
HAND-WASHING Grades K – 1:
This lesson focuses on how germs are spread, and when and how to properly wash your hands. The presentation uses Glo Germ, a non-toxic substance that glows under a black light to show how germs are spread by hand-to-hand contact. Kids take home an informational flyer and other reinforcement materials on proper hand-washing.
NUTRITION Grades 3 – 6:
The objective for this lesson is to encourage children to make healthy food choices and increase their level of physical activity. The lesson features the new USDA My Plate and focuses on increasing certain foods (vegetables, fruits and whole grains), while reducing others such as sugary drinks. Lessons can be built around your school garden. This activity also includes a discussion about “Go Foods and Grow Foods.” Kids take home a healthy snack and a variety of reinforcement materials.
IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS: REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULING A PRESENTATION
- To see available dates, visit our Classes & Events section and look for Hand-washing or Nutrition under Growing Well with Mercy.
- Once you have registered, complete the Presentation Schedule below to book your times and presentation types.
Important reminders, regarding scheduling:
- Please limit the presentations to no more than 30 students and do not combine classes.
- Please inform us of any Special Education and ESL classes.
- Please advise us if you have a school garden. If you would like, we can incorporate our nutrition lessons around your garden.
FORMS TO BE COMPLETED
To schedule a presentation, your primary contact must complete the Presentation Schedule and the appropriate Memorandum of Understanding provided below. Download the appropriate files, complete the requested information and e-mail them as an attachment to jan.wilcox@chw.edu. You may also fax them to Jan Wilcox at 916.817.2409.
Presentation Schedule
Memorandums of Understanding:
If your school district is not listed above, e-mail jan.wilcox@chw.edu for a copy.
For more information, call Jan Wilcox, Community Outreach Specialist, at 916.817.8673.
