Healthy Living

To ensure we are addressing all our students’ social-emotional and mental health needs, we will be engaging and becoming a Peace Learning Circle School, formerly known as TRIBES. Peace Learning Circles is a research-based, CASEL Select social-emotional learning program that prioritizes the healthy development of every child. It is designed to engage the school community in goal-oriented collaboration to create a caring and supportive environment that establishes positive expectations and promotes the active participation of all students.  

TRIBES Agreements & School Rules

Our Learning Agreements along with our school rules are posted and reviewed daily along with activities that promote community building.  Students and families are asked to adhere to the following TRIBES Agreements:

• Attentive Listening – Follow directions the first time they are told
• Appreciations/No put downs – In school use your indoor voice
• Mutual Respect – Take care of all classroom books and  materials
• Personal Best – Finish all of your classwork on time
• Safety with Body and Heart – Keep hands, feet and objects to yourself

In addition, as a healthy living school we will continue to practice healthy habits, which include eating well, staying active and making the right choices on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes.  
We will continue to engage families and students by providing workshops and establishing a School Wellness Council (SWC). Members of the SWC will support and improve the health and well-being of students, staff, and the school community.

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Snack Program

We continue to promote a healthy eating environment by providing healthier food choices to all our students during a scheduled snack period. Students continue to learn while eating a delicious fresh fruit or vegetable that is delivered to their classroom on a daily basis.  

The goal is to: 

• Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience;
• Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption;
• Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health; and
• Encourage nutritious snacking.

Allergic to salad

The organization provides us with an experienced chef that educates students with the skills and knowledge regarding healthy eating and nutrition.  Students learn chopping and mixing techniques, experiment with various vegetarian, nut free ingredients. and work in groups to prepare step-by-step recipes reflective of diverse backgrounds. PS 971 will offer family workshops to engage and  build community and support wellness at home.

Allergic to Salad, is a food educational grant that we received to supports us in educating our students and our families on healthy eating.  

Coalition of Healthy School Foods

This nonprofit organization promotes plant-based foods and nutrition education in our school. They educate our school community about the effect of our food choices on health, the environment, equity, and other social justice issues. We will continue to host family cooking nights by organizing chef visits to teach us how to cook a simple yet healthy meal as we cook alongside the chef.   Recipes always reflect the diverse backgrounds of our community. This is part of a food education grant that PS 971 received. 

Rising New York Road Runners

PS 971 is a member of the Rising NY Road Runners.  Our goal is to encourage kids to move and inspire them to build skills, confidence, and the desire to be physically active for life. As a healthy living school, we will inspire our students to join the after school running club and participate in the 1 mile races offered by the New York Road Runners. 

Smile New York Dental Program

Coming Soon! Smile New York Outreach, LLC (“Smile Program”) will be joining us, in the Spring of this school year.  It is a NY State Department of Health Approved organization and School Based Dental Health program. 

They will offer dental exam, cleaning, fluoride treatment, x-rays and sealants, and primary care (Silver Diamine Fluoride on back teeth to treat cavities which may discolor any former cavities to a brown or black color) where applicable.  Free of charge to all our students.

Physical Education

Our students receive physical education classes three times a week.

Move to Improve

Move to Improve is a free classroom-based physical activity program that helps elementary school teachers in district public schools enhance their lessons by integrating physical activity into academic instruction to get students moving. Activities are adaptable for different ages, academic levels, and physical abilities. Research shows that:

• Physical activity helps students to be healthy
• Physically active students do better in school
• Daily physical activity can help students focus and behave better in class