Skip to main content

Wellness Meeting Minutes - October 2025

Wellness Committee Minutes - October 2025

October 6, 2025 

3:15-4:15 PM 

 

In Attendance 

  • Stacey Lazzar – Abbot-Downing & Christa McAuliffe 
  • Alison Casco – Abbot-Downing 
  • Brittany Mahany – Beaver Meadow 
  • Allison Davis – Broken Ground 
  • Leslie Barry – Concord High School 
  • Laura Anderson – Central Office 
  • Donna Reynolds – Central Office 
  • Fern Seiden – Central Office 

Absent 

  • Tessa Akins – Abbot-Downing  
  • Jenny Fennelly – Mill Brook  
  • Sarah Williams – Mill Brook  
  • Kristen Curren – Rundlett Middle School  
  • Melissa Witherspoon – Central Office 
  • Elizabeth Boucher – Board of Education  
  • Bevan Tulk, Guardian/ Community Member 

Discussion

  • There was a verbal review of meeting norms. 
  • It was announced that the new Abbot Downing nurse will be joining our committee for the November meeting.  

Party/Celebration policy review 

  • Fern gave update on party/celebration policy review 
  • The School Board said nothing will change in the policy and that this discussion needed to go back to the schools.  
  • Fern said none of the principals had a problem with putting more specific guidelines in place.  
  • The handbooks say to leave decisions to individual teachers.  
  • Fern suggested we revisit this with the principals.  
  • Brittany said if the principals aren’t willing to act on it then it’s a moot point.  
  • People complain about issues with handing out treats but don’t really want the change.  
  • Fern said there are significant reasons to make changes, such as inequity, allergies, disruptions.  
  • Leslie asked if we could add a few lines of language in the handbooks. 
  • Fern said we should ask the principals to make the changes.  
  • Allison said her school would not be happy if food was restricted. 
  • Brittany suggested just doing a friendly reminder to parents to not bring in unhealthy foods.  
  • Fern will bring this up one more time to the principals.  
  • Stacey asked what other schools do with students that come in with coffee.  
  • The policy states only water is allowed in water bottles.  
  • Allison said she doesn’t allow students to bring food into her classroom.  
  • Stacey mentioned parents are pushing for a nut-free area.  

Wellness Policy Awareness 

  • Fern suggested sharing the Wellness Policy at school staff meetings.  
  • She suggested putting policy into AI to get a condensed version for staff.  

 

School Nutrition Department Update 

  • Donna gave overview of the Child Nutrition Administrative Review that will take place in February 2026. Review of the wellness policy falls under this umbrella.  
  • The following areas will be reviewed: 
  1. How does the public know about the wellness policy? 
  2. When and how does the review and update of the wellness policy occur? 
  3. Who is involved in reviewing and updating the local school wellness policy and what is their relationship with the SFA? 
  4. How are potential stakeholders made aware of their ability to participate in the development, review, update, and implementation of the local school wellness policy? 
  5. How does the public know about the results of the most recent assessment on the implementation of the local school wellness policy? 
  • Donna gave an update on the final rule in child nutrition programs: 
  1. Gradual limits on added sugars 
  2. Reduction in sodium 
  3. Long term requirements for whole grain 
  4. Provisions to strengthen Buy American requirement 
  • There was a discussion on where the district is at for collecting free and reduced applications.  
  • Fern said the homeless percentage has gone up dramatically.  
  • Fern said the cut in services is impacting our students.  
  • Brittany mentioned there has been an increase on students qualifying for free meals under the McKinney-Vento act.   
  • Stacey said some teachers are providing snacks to students.  
  • Allison said kids eat for sensory reasons.  
  • Fer said we could put information on free and reduced priced meal applications in our newsletter.  

Book Shared by Fern 

  • Fern gave all wellness committee members a book by Elena Aguilar entitled Onward.  
  • Fern suggested that we could use this book as a guiding framework for this committee.  
  • Fern suggested the committee break up the reading by each taking a chapter and report back to the committee. 
  • Allison, Brittany and Stacey will each read a chapter before the November meeting and we will include in the November newsletter.   

 

Submitted by Donna Reynolds 10/20/25