North Dakota South East Education Cooperative
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Email: ndseec.info@k12.nd.us

1305 9th Avenue South
Fargo, ND 58103

Phone: 701.446.3170

Fax: 701.446.3176

Healthy Schools Summit

March 21, 2018 | Dakota Medical Foundation, Fargo

We are excited to bring back yet another fantastic Healthy Schools Summit to the Fargo/Moorhead area!
Our purpose is to create a culture of wellness by equipping schools with innovative tools to strengthen
the connection between healthy students and improved learning!

This summit is created through a partnership between the South East Education Cooperative, PartnerSHIP 4 Health,
Dakota Medical Foundation, and Fargo-Cass Public Health.

Agenda

8:00 - 8:30am Registration
8:30 - 8:35am Welcome
8:35 - 9:35am Keynote: The Park Brook Elementary School Experience! Focus on Fitness
Learn from experiences of how increasing physical activity has helped increase
academics and decrease negative behaviors.
Principal Scott Taylor & Behavior Interventionist Dan Nelson
9:35 - 9:45am BREAK
9:45 - 10:45am Keynote: WOW! You Mean my IQ Isn't = to My Income? Confessions of a Failed Student
to Build Poverty Awareness Competencies with Educators
From a woman living in poverty, Julia will challenge you to think differently.
Julia Dinsmore, Motivational Speaker
10:45 - 11:30am Keynote Speaker Breakout Sessions
Scott Taylor (Park Brook Elementary Principal): Focus on Fitness—School-Wide
Implementation --Moving From Theory to a Way of Being! Hear about the implementation
process of his Focus on Fitness program from gaining support of the staff for this initiative to
developing community partners. He'll share how he was able to gain the support from staff
members to use kinesthetic seating and use lessons that include movement; has encouraged
and created an atmosphere where staff are willing to work before/after school and weekends to
increase fitness levels of the students. This session encourages and welcomes a dialogue about
how to implement healthier choices for academic growth and positive behaviors in a school.

Dan Nelson (Park Brook Elementary Behavior Interventionist): Movement: A New Way of Teaching
Learn strategies, insights, and procedures for increasing movement and fitness in the classroom.
Understand how teachers are using kinesthetic seating, and lessons that include movement. Take a
look at some of the research that staff have found valuable, resources, and practical examples for
immediate classroom implementation. Participants should gain an understanding of the importance
of fitness and movement in the classroom, envision how it could look in their classrooms, and leave
with at least one action step when they return to their classrooms.
Julia Dinsmore (Motivational Speaker): Julia's breakout will be a continuation of her keynote
presentation with ample time for questions & answers!
11:30 - 11:50am GRAB LUNCH
11:50am - 12:50pm Keynote: How Implementing Active Schools Impacted My School!
Hear about a pilot study Kelliher School District was involved with to increase physical activity,
plus hear about the District's staff wellness program!
(Tim Lutz, Kelliher, MN School District Superintendent)
12:50 - 1:00pm BREAK
1:00 - 1:40pm Breakout Session Round #1 | Local Successes
Wellness Policy Implementation [System]
Alternative Breakfast [Healthy Eating]
Before and After School Physical Activity [Physical Activity]
1:40 - 1:45pm TRANSITION
1:45 - 2:25pm Breakout Session Round #2 | Local Successes
Staff Wellness [System]
Increasing Participation & Decreasing Waste [Healthy Eating]
Active Recess [Physical Activity]
2:25 - 2:30pm TRANSITION
2:30 - 3:10pm Breakout Session Round #3 | Local Successes
Healthy Fundraising [System]
Food Allergies [Healthy Eating]
Active Classrooms [Physical Activity]
3:10 - 3:15pm Closing | Breakout session facilitator will share closing comments with attendees
3:15 - 4:15pm Food Vendor Fair - Special Diets & Smart Snacks | Optional
Attendees are invited to visit with various food vendors featuring foods that could be used with
any student with allergies to all high-allergy foods, and will also feature different Smart Snacks
labeled with allergy contents.
4:30 - 7:30pm Culinary Skills Training - Cultural Cuisine | Optional
As an extension of the learning environment, the cafeteria presents an opportunity to assist
students in developing cultural competency by exposing them to flavors from around the
world! Click here for full Flyer. Separate registration is required - please register here.

Keynote Speakers

Scott Taylor headshot

Scott Taylor

Park Brook Elementary Principal

Scott Taylor has served for the past ten years as principal of Park Brook Elementary
located in Brooklyn Park, MN. Based upon research, readings and intuition, Scott
implemented an intense school fitness program at the school referred to as ‘Focus on
Fitness’. Park Brook Elementary was on the AYP list for not meeting educational
goals, and in a school of 360 students, had 55 suspensions the year prior to his arrival.
The school has reduced negative behaviors and suspensions, with no suspensions
several years. Academic growth has ranked towards the top in the Osseo Area
Schools, which is the 5th largest district in the State of Minnesota. He has worked as
a special education teacher at the elementary and secondary levels, a social studies
teacher, and as a Behavior Intervention Teacher. Scott received his B.S. in education
and history from Northern Arizona University, his M.S. in special education (E/BD)
from St. Cloud State University, and his administrative license from St. Mary’s University.

Dan Nelson headshot

Dan Nelson

Park Brook Elementary Behavior Interventionist

Over the past seven years, Dan has helped implement and expand an
intense school fitness program at Park Brook Elementary referred to as ‘Focus on Fitness’.
During this time, the school has reduced negative behaviors and suspensions, with no
suspensions for several years. At the same time, academic growth has increased. Park
Brook is a high needs school with 85% of the students receiving free or reduced cost
lunches, and about 30% of the students receiving ELL services. Dan was a classroom
teacher in 3rd-6th grades for fifteen years before working at Park Brook. He has worked in
high needs schools his entire career. He received his B.S. in Elementary Education from
Minnesota State University Moorhead, his M.S. in Teaching and Learning from St. Mary’s
University, and his administrative license from The University of St. Thomas.

Julia Dinsmore headshot

Julia Dinsmore

Motivational Speaker

Julia is an author, poet, singer-songwriter, and poverty abolitionist who is best-known for
her poem, “My Name is Not Those People.” Julia uses creative voice and storytelling to
talk about the one thing we too often ignore – class and poverty in America. From church
basements to the halls of congress, Julia has presented in her edu-performance style,
calling those who listen to join the work of creating a just world for those experiencing
poverty and marginalization. She is a teacher for students in high schools and ivy leagues.
She has taught students at Stanford University, Brown, Swarthmore, and Amherst College,
among others. She is most well known for her classes in neighborhood “porch sitting” which
she calls an alternative to service-learning! Julia is a mother and grandmother who lives in
the Twin Cities of Minnesota and is deeply committed to her communities there. She has
been a Community Faculty member with HECUA; Inequality In America (Higher Education
Consortium for Urban Affairs) in St Paul for the past 30 years and has been part of shaping
the creative community-based pedagogy of the institution.

Tim Lutz headshot

Tim Lutz

Superintendent of Kelliher School District

Tim Lutz is in his tenth year as superintendent of Kelliher School in north-central Minnesota.Lutz
started his educational career as a high school English/Language Arts teacher. After a number of
years in the classroom, he was hired as a school counselor and worked as both a high school and
elementary counselor. He received his specialist’s degree and spent four years as a school
principal before starting as superintendent at Kelliher School. Tim's wife, Karyn, is a registered
dietitian and works as a food and nutrition consultant through the Northwest Service Cooperative
in a number of schools in northwestern Minnesota, including Kelliher School. Tim has been a
champion of school health and wellness initiatives for a number of years and enjoys being active
with his students and staff. He also enjoys working in the Kelliher School garden and derives satisfaction from helping students learn where healthy foods come from.