SHWAC

8100 N Congress Ave, Kansas City, MO 64152

The Park Hill School District is proud to announce the implementation of the Student Well-Being Plan, a collaborative effort that included representatives from all 10 components of the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model. The plan was presented to the Park Hill School District Board of Education in January 2026 and implementation is already underway. Progress measures will be reviewed annually to identify focus areas for student well-being each school year. Oversight and accountability for the Student Well-Being Plan will be the responsibility of the School Health and Wellness Advisory Council (SHWAC). Thank you to everyone who contributed to this important work as we continue to evaluate and expand opportunities to support student well-being.

Medical emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere. It is important for those in charge to have the lifesaving knowledge to jump in when these emergency situations happen. During a recent professional development day, the elementary physical education teachers spent their time becoming recertified in CPR/ First Aid and AEDs. The new, multiple hour course helped refresh these teachers in the responsibilities and actions that should occur when dealing with an injury or cardiac arrest event. We are excited in Park Hill to know there are 12 more people in the district that could potentially save the life of a member of our school community.

During the Health and Wellbeing unit, students analyzed influences on their health. Students identified various forces, both internal and external, and explored how they shape their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors/actions. Through discussion and real-life scenarios, students examined how things such as family, friends, media, culture, dreams/goals, personality, community, and knowledge can positively or negatively impact their health and wellbeing and then created a plan for future exposure to that influence.

All school buildings in the Park Hill School District (PHSD) were designated Heart Safe as of September 2025. Academic Services and the Student Well-Being Center at Zona Rosa received certification in November 2025. The District Office, Support Services, and the Aquatic Center are scheduled for certification in the coming weeks. We remain on track to become a fully Heart Safe School District by the end of February 2026.

One goal many PHSD nurses set and already achieved this year is to become Stop the Bleed instructors. District nurses are now using this training to educate staff in their buildings on how to respond to life-threatening bleeding emergencies. All building MERT teams will receive Stop the Bleed training and will incorporate it into at least one MERT drill each school year. The district and Health Services leaders are proud of our nurses for their dedication to emergency preparedness and also grateful to Park Hill staff for their enthusiastic participation.

In February, our Nurse Educator/Trainer, Sarah Light, and Director of Health Services, Tammy Saylor, will provide Stop the Bleed training to 40 Platte County Sheriff’s Deputies. Health Services values this collaboration and looks forward to strengthening their partnership with this important community resource.

During the month of February, the Platte County Health Department will offer immunization clinics at each Park Hill middle and high school. School nurses dedicate significant time each year contacting families of students who may benefit from these onsite clinics. This year, more students than ever registered to receive immunizations at school, providing a convenient opportunity to meet immunization requirements for the upcoming school year.

Since its expansion this year, the Staff Wellbeing Team has had a busy few months, launching initiatives that support both physical health and emotional wellbeing to help Park Hill staff feel healthy and supported. Learn more about what we’ve been up to, and what’s next to keep Park Hill staff thriving!

Program Data Updates:

With one semester of data collected, Staff Wellbeing Coordinator, Shelby Nace, is beginning to identify emerging trends in staff needs and utilization of services. Below are a few highlights from our first semester with Shelby available to staff:

• 57 overall referrals to Staff Wellbeing Coordinator
• Approximately 5 hours of crisis support provided
• 82 total individual staff wellbeing appointments
• Certificated Staff: 46 vs. Classified Support Staff: 36
• Male: 17 vs. Female: 65
• Burnout and anxiety tied as the top concerns presented at first appointments
• The most common focus areas of wellbeing appointments were tied between:
• Exploring mental health options (e.g., finding a therapist, reviewing benefits)
• Talking through a specific challenge related to work and/or home
• 100% of surveyed staff said they would recommend a staff wellbeing appointment to a colleague
• 100% agreed or strongly agreed they felt supported by the Staff Wellbeing Coordinator
• 100% agreed or strongly agreed that resources or suggestions offered were helpful

Health Enhancement Coordinator, Megan Brooks, also continues to support staff on their physical health journeys. Here’s a look at how Megan was able to meet staff needs in the first semester of the 25-26 school year:

• Fitness Center: 156 members / 1,142 visits
• Metabolic Testing: 99 tests administered
• Onsite Flu Vaccine Event: 529 employees, retirees and spouses
• Onsite Mammograms: 42
• Fitness Testing/Program Consultations: 99
• 100% of staff surveyed were highly satisfied with the fitness services they received.
• 100% of staff surveyed felt the fitness staff met their needs and expectations.
• Positive outcomes recorded by those who were surveyed include: Improved fitness levels, increased energy or motivation, better understanding of nutrition, weight management progress, stress reduction, and a better understanding and way to track nutrition goals.

In addition to in-house programming, Park Hill’s partnership with our EAP Program, Revive & Thrive through BHS remains strong with 7% of staff (up from 2025 - annualized 130 cases) reaching out for support. Current EAP data and staff wellbeing surveys indicate that the most common concerns among staff include emotional wellbeing, anxiety, and relationships.

Upcoming Staff Wellbeing News:

Summertime Adult Support Groups: Based on early staff feedback and recurring themes across individual wellbeing appointments, Shelby will be piloting two adult support groups this summer:

• Navigating Grief and Loss
• Adult Neurodivergence in Educational Settings

Each group will meet weekly over the course of eight weeks. If you—or someone you know—may be interested in participating, please complete the interest form here:

https://forms.gle/vqzs1e32Miw8mQiu7

Health Screenings:

Megan has been hard at work organizing annual district health screenings for Park Hill staff! These screenings make it easy for Park Hill employees to get preventative screenings to help keep their health on track!

As a reminder, a Biometric Screening (either onsite on one of the available dates listed in the booklet, independently through a personal physician, or at a LabCorp location) is required before June 30th, 2026, if you are a staff member and currently have health insurance through Park Hill. Staff receiving health benefits will also be required to complete the online Health Risk Assessment and earn 3000 points in the "A Healthier You" portal through MyBlueKC.com before June 30th, 2026. Completing these requirements allows the board to continue to subsidize your Park Hill insurance plan. Failure to complete these requirements will result in having to contribute $75 per month towards the cost of your health insurance.

Please utilize this booklet for step-by-step instructions or contact Health Enhancement Coordinator, Megan Brooks at BrooksM@parkhill.k12.mo.us, with questions, concerns, or if in need of additional support logging in to the "A Healthier You" portal.

As Nutrition Services wraps up the winter menu at the end of February, the culinary team celebrates a season full of comfort, creativity, and connection - served at a remarkable scale. Across the district, Nutrition Services serves:

• More than 7,000 lunches every school day, reaching approximately 65% of students in attendance.
• Middle school lunch participation continues to climb at the fastest rate, with nearly 70% of middle school students dining at school daily.
• In addition, about 20% of elementary students eat breakfast at school each day, contributing to nearly 2,000 breakfast meals served daily across all grade levels and helping students start their day nourished and ready to learn.

Throughout the winter season, students enjoyed a variety of warm, seasonal favorites, including Chili with Cinnamon Rolls, Breaded Chicken Drumsticks, Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup, and Hearty Meatball Subs. Secondary schools also enjoyed Tamales during the holiday season and a brand-new, from-scratch Jambalaya recipe at the high schools. These meals brought smiles to students’ faces and made our cafeterias a place to gather and enjoy the season together.

Behind the scenes, the Nutrition Services team makes time to celebrate one another. Staff birthdays are honored by crowning the birthday team member as “royalty for the day,” complete with a crown and plenty of well-deserved recognition—another way the team continues to build connection, appreciation, and a positive workplace culture.

In March, Nutrition Services is excited to roll out their spring menu, bringing fresh energy and new flavors to school cafeterias. Highlights include National School Breakfast Week (March 2–6), National Sloppy Joe Day (March 18), and Earth Day (April 22). Elementary students will enjoy a new Apple Berry Salad and Italian Pasta Salad, while secondary students can look forward to Big Bite Burgers and Signature Subs.

To bring back a nostalgic twist, all schools will celebrate Way Back Wednesday on March 25. Did someone say Square Pizza?

Park Hill Nutrition Services is also thrilled to partner with Kansas City Food Hub, a farmer-owned, farmer-run local food distributor, to bring fresh, locally grown strawberries to our district this spring. This partnership allows us to highlight local flavors, support our community, and continue offering meals that are both nutritious and delicious.

The school nutrition team is grateful every day for the support of district families, students, and the community. They look forward to a spring filled with fresh flavors, happy memories, and shared meals together.

National School Counselor Week was held February 2-6. The role of school counselor – formerly known as guidance counselor, especially at the secondary level – has been around since the mid-twentieth century. The rise of the profession was fueled by many global events, including World War 2 and the “space race” with the Soviet Union. The birth of the profession was in response to a differentiating workforce and the growth of the middle class that required skilled professionals assisting secondary students (and those returning from war) to guide them about their career and corresponding postsecondary education options.

Since then, the profession has grown to include academic advising and interventions, along with supporting students’ social, emotional, mental, and behavioral health needs. It is the latter set of responsibilities that have grown in intensity and focus in the past several years. School counselors’ roles in helping students be psychologically and emotionally ready for learning were never more apparent than during and just after a global pandemic.

But what do school counselors actually do? Through the comprehensive school counseling program – a program first developed right here in Missouri by the “father of school counseling,” Dr. Norm Gysbers, a Mizzou professor – is now in its 5th edition supported and promoted by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Called the ASCA National Model, the Missouri version includes direct (face-to-face interactions with students) and indirect (working with others who support students, such as teachers and administrators) services meeting the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of students. School counselors do this through the school counseling curriculum (classroom lessons, with curriculum available on Park Hill’s website), responsive services (meeting the needs of students in crisis), individual student planning (academic, behavioral and career plans), and system support (planning and collaborating to make all this happen).

But again, what do they actually do? In one Park Hill elementary school, the school counselor helped increase the percentage of students who reported they had positive emotion regulation skills. Bullying reported by students in another elementary school participating in small groups designed to empower them decreased by 4%. In both elementary and middle schools where students participated in small groups, students reported stronger social/emotional skills on the Panorama SEL survey.

At the high school level, a higher percentage of students completed career inventories to guide their career and college planning through targeted interventions of high school counselors. Because of data collected by school counselors, transition activities from elementary to middle schools were improved and included more student support personnel, including School Resource Officers and students hearing directly from their middle school principals.

As we wrap up National School Counseling Week (Feb. 2-6), please take a moment to thank your student’s school counselor and ask about their contributions to your student’s school!

Park Hill Social Workers Mission Statement:

Park Hill Social Workers respectfully collaborate with students and families by removing barriers, as well as ensuring access to information, services, and resources, to promote successful futures and enhance well-being.

Resource connection is a cornerstone of school social work because it bridges the gap between students’ needs and the supports that allow them to learn and thrive. By connecting students and families to school-based and community resources—such as mental health services, basic needs support, and enrichment opportunities—school social workers reduce barriers that impact attendance, behavior, and academic success. These connections strengthen protective factors, promote equity, and ensure that challenges outside the classroom do not prevent students from fully engaging in their education.

This year, the social work team has partnered with several community organizations to help remove barriers for students and families. Here are some of the highlights:

• 537 students received backpacks in August through our partnership with Restore Community Church

• 76 families received hygiene items (items such as shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and toothpaste) through referrals made by social workers to our partner reFRESH

• Our Level Up Kids School Liaison Social Worker has ensured over 420 students, so far, have received dental care and over 320 students have received eye exams and glasses if needed

• In partnership with Boost KC, over 400 students were referred by social workers to participate in Operation School Bell, which allow them to shop for new clothes, socks, underwear, and winter coats, hats, and gloves

• This spring, the social workers at Chinn, Tiffany Ridge, and Hopewell are collaborating to organize a resource fair and spaghetti dinner for their families in need

• Southeast’s social worker is organizing a resource fair for families that will be held in March

In addition to the above are the daily conversations with students and families to identify needs and connect them to critical support. This includes sharing food pantry lists, guiding families to organizations that assist with rent or utility support, and making referrals for mental health services and housing resources.

Park Hill School Based Mental Health Therapy Program Mission Statement

The Park Hill SBMHT will remove barriers and increase access to mental health services for ALL students, primarily focusing on the under/uninsured, McKinney Vento & Foster Care students, and those with high safety needs and limited/no access to care.

Caseload: 20 students

Waitlist: 12 students waiting for therapy

4 elementary students

4 middle school students

4 high school students

The district continues to invest in the safety and security of our staff and students through increased safety measures within buildings, upgraded surveillance technology, and additional training for staff regarding safety and security.

The district has partnered with Strategos International to place School Protection Specialists (SPS) in our elementary schools. Four SPSs rotate at every elementary school in the Park Hill School District. While we partner with our local police departments for our School Resource Officers at the middle and high school level, these new specialists for the elementary level will be specifically dedicated to our elementary schools.

Park Hill Schools are in compliance with Missouri Senate Bill 68 in regard to safety and security within the district. This includes the areas of:

• Age-appropriate drills
• Anti-intruder locks
• School safety coordinators
• Comprehensive Emergency Response Plans

A multi-disciplinary district safety team has been formed for the 2025-2026 school year. This group will:

• Review current district processes and procedures.
• Make recommendations and considerations within the district.
• Partner with local community first responders and emergency managers.
• Provide valuable feedback for safety program audit.
  

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child, or WSCC model, is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) framework for addressing health in schools. The WSCC model is student-centered and emphasizes the role of the community in supporting the school, the connections between health and academic achievement and the importance of evidence-based school policies and practices.

The WSCC model has 10 components:

1. Health Education
2. Physical Education & Physical Activity
3. Nutrition Environment & Services
4. Health Services
5. Counseling, Psychological & Social Services
6. Social & Emotional Climate
7. Physical Environment
8. Employee Wellness
9. Family Engagements
10. Community Involvement

Learn more about each of the 10 components.

Source: CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child