Coordinated School Health

Health education is a planned, sequential, pre-K-12 curriculum and program that addresses the physical, mental and emotional, and social dimensions of health. The activities of the curriculum and program are integrated into the daily life of the students and designed to motivate and assist students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors. It allows students to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated health-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices. The curriculum and program include a variety of topics such as personal health, family health, community health, consumer health, environmental health, family living, mental and emotional health, injury prevention and safety, CPR, nutrition, prevention and control of disease, and substance use and abuse.

The FSSD is committed to comprehensive health education through classroom curricula taught by school counselors and physical educators, and specialty programs offered by our community partners, like the Williamson County Health Department.  The Health Department also works with our Morning and Afternoon Care (MAC) program to offer fun after-school programs promoting healthy living through the “We Can” curriculum and interactive games.

For related links, please visit the Department of Education Coordinated School Health online. 

Physical education is a planned, sequential pre-k -12 curriculum program that follows national standards in providing developmentally appropriate, cognitive content and learning experiences in a variety of physical activity areas such as basic movement skills; physical fitness; rhythm and dance; cooperative games; team, dual, and individual sports; tumbling and gymnastics; and aquatics. Quality physical education promotes, through a variety of planned individual and cooperative physical activities and fitness assessments, each student’s optimum physical, mental, emotional, and social development; and provides fitness activities and sports that all students, including students with special needs, can enjoy and pursue throughout their lives. Qualified professionals such as physical education teachers and physical activity specialists provide physical education and related fitness activities.

Franklin Special School District’s physical education teachers are among the best in the nation.  In addition to meeting every requirement the state has for activity and classroom instruction time, FSSD teachers are dedicated to helping students learn about fun exercise as a component of a healthy lifestyle.

For related links, please visit the Department of Education Coordinated School Health online. 

Health services are provided and/or supervised by school nurses to appraise, protect, and promote the health of students. All school nurses are supervised by a District Nursing Supervisor. School nurses take care of minor health issues at schools and perform health screenings required by the State.

FSSD has a Wellness Committee with representatives from multiple disciplines. The committee evaluates and monitors all areas of health including physical activity, school nutrition, health screenings, immunizations, illness rates and prevention, and psychological needs of students, as well as provides educational programs on health issues for all stakeholders. Feedback is sought from staff and stakeholders using the State of Tennessee School Health Index evaluation tool. Student/parent surveys are also built into the Wellness Committee’s monitoring process.

FSSD also partners with the Williamson County Health Department and Williamson Medical Center to provide information and services. These services include assessment, planning, coordination of services and direct care for all children, including those with special health care needs. Health services are designed and coordinated with community health care professionals to ensure early intervention, access and referral to primary health care services; foster appropriate use of primary health care services; prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems; provide emergency care for student and staff illness or injury; provide daily and continuous services for children with special health care needs; promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment; and provide educational and counseling opportunities for promoting and maintaining individual, family and community health.

Community Resources 
The FSSD partners with the United Way of Greater Nashville as well as other local community agencies to match services to families in need.

Nutrition Services support the Coordinated School Health Program by introducing healthy eating patterns and concepts to students, reinforcing nutrition concepts introduced in the health education curriculum, and contributing to students’ overall health and readiness to learn in the school community. Nutrition services assure access to a variety of nutritious, affordable and appealing meals in school that accommodate the health and nutrition needs of all students. School nutrition programs reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria to meet the complete nutrition needs of students. Each school’s nutrition program also offers a learning laboratory for classroom nutrition and health education that helps students develop skills and habits in selecting nutritionally appropriate foods, and serves as a resource and link with nutrition-related community services and educational programs. Qualified professionals such as experienced, knowledgeable school food supervisors and registered dietitians provide these services.

Close ties with family and community are an important component as schools work together to support a lifestyle conducive to good work habits and good health. If you are interested in helping with this initiative or with special health events in your school or district, please contact the Coordinated School Health office.

The FSSD Child Nutrition Department works with schools across the district to prepare menus that meet and/or exceed the daily nutritional requirements for healthy eating at a nominal price. 

Health promotion for staff includes opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education, and health-related fitness activities. These opportunities encourage school staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and a greater personal commitment to the school’s overall coordinated health program. This personal commitment often transfers into a greater commitment to the health of students and creates positive role modeling. Health promotion activities have improved staff productivity, decreased absenteeism, and reduced health insurance costs. Schools throughout our district provide opportunities for our staff to be as healthy as our students.  Walking trails are at many schools, and staff-sponsored wellness programs have been put in place to address specific school desires.  District-wide administrators have participated in stress management, pandemic flu, and other healthy lifestyle professional learning opportunities.

Counseling, mental health, and social services are provided to assess and improve the mental, emotional, and social health of every student. All students receive these services, including developmental classroom guidance activities and preventative educational programs, in an effort to enhance and promote academic, personal, and social growth. FSSD understands that students sometimes have personal issues that can impede the learning process.  So,  services are provided to help in appropriate ways.  Every school has at least one licensed, certified school counselor who follows the statewide curriculum. FSSD also partners with The Guidance Center, Franklin’s local mental health agency, to provide counseling services to children who meet certain criteria.  The district employs school psychologists to provide testing services for special needs. Students who may have special needs are served through the administration and interpretation of psychometric and psychoeducational tests, observational assessments, individual and group counseling sessions, crisis intervention for emergency mental health needs, family/home consultation, and/or referrals to outside community-based agencies when appropriate. The professional skills of counselors, psychologists, and social workers, along with school health nurses, are utilized to provide coordinated “wrap-around” services that contribute to the mental, emotional, and social health of students, their families, and the school environment.

School Social Workers

The FSSD School Social Workers bring unique professional knowledge and skill to the schools by building relationships between students and their environments. Through assessment, crisis intervention, and coordination of community services, school social workers help students, families, and school systems overcome barriers that interfere with learning. 

Developed by the Tennessee Children’s Cabinet, kidcentral tn is a one-stop shop for Tennessee families to connect with important information and resources provided by state departments. This website organizes content from across departments, making it easier for families to find what they need. In addition to articles about valuable topics relating to health, education, and development, kidcentraltn.com features a comprehensive directory of state services for children and families and is searchable by zip code.

Healthy school environment concerns the quality of the physical and aesthetic surroundings; the psychosocial climate, safety, and culture of the school; the school safety and emergency plans; and the periodic review and testing of the factors and conditions that influence the environment. Factors and conditions that influence the quality of the physical environment include the school building and the area surrounding it; transportation services; any biological or chemical agents inside and outside the school facilities that are detrimental to health; and physical conditions such as temperature, noise, lighting, air quality, and potential health and safety hazards. The quality of the psychological environment includes the physical, emotional, and social conditions that affect the safety and well-being of students and staff. Qualified staff such as facilities and transportation supervisors, principals, school and community counselors, social workers, psychologists, school health nurses, health educators, and school safety officers assesses and plan for these factors and conditions in the school environment.

The involvement of students, parents, community representatives, health specialists, and volunteers in schools provides an integrated approach to enhancing the health and well-being of students both at school and in the community. School health advisory councils, coalitions, and broadly-based constituencies for school health can build support for school health programs. School administrators, teachers, and school health staff in all components actively solicit family and student involvement and engage community resources, expertise, and services to respond effectively to the health-related needs of students and families. Qualified professionals such as principals, teachers, and school health staff, in partnership with students, parents, and volunteers provide leadership in this area. FSSD values its relationship with the larger community and has partnered with many local agencies and community groups.  Most notable among the partnerships are the Emergency Medical Services, the Williamson County Health Department, Williamson Medical Center, The Guidance Center, Mercy Clinic, One Gen Away, Graceworks, Williamson County Parks and Recreation, GetFitTn, and others.