Health & Wellness
“Addressing the Needs of The Whole Child”
Last year, Colonial became the first district in Delaware to establish a Division of Health & Wellness. We created the division to support Colonial’s mission to provide Access and Opportunity and to ensure that the mental and physical health of our students and their caregivers is addressed with the same level of attention and concern as our students’ academic and cognitive achievement.
During this time of remote learning because of COVID-19, this mission is more important than ever. We are focusing on three areas:
- Ensuring the continuity of services for students by
- Addressing the social-emotional wellbeing of students by keeping students connected with their School Counselors
- Addressing the physical well-being of students by keeping students connected with their School Nurses
- Addressing the engagement of students by working with our Attendance Team to reach out to students who are having difficulty connecting with remote learning
- Addressing the needs of the whole child by keeping students connected to support services, such as the School Wellness Centers
- Providing for the self-care needs of staff by
- Developing and distributing the Colonial Staff Self-Care Resource Series
- Providing encouragement and support for families by
- Developing and distributing the Colonial Student and Family Wellness Resource Series
I hope that you find the information on this site helpful. Please reach out to me with your ideas and feedback about how we can work together to keep Colonial Nation strong!
Jon M. Cooper, EdD
Director
Division of Health & Wellness
Jon.Cooper@colonial.k12.de.us
Data Access for Student Health or DASH
How do I sign up? click here
Dear Colonial Students, Parents/Guardians, and Families: The Colonial School District strives to help students be physically and emotionally well so they can be academically well. To reach this goal, Colonial is partnering with Nemours Children’s Health System (Nemours) and the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) on a project to support our students’ health and attendance in school. Through this project, the Data Access for Student Health or DASH, parents or guardians can give permission to Colonial to securely share attendance information and if the student has an IEP or 504 plan with their doctor(s), nurse(s), and medical office staff. This information will help the healthcare professionals work with families to provide outreach and medical attention to children who are missing school and may not be aware of potential services available.
Why are Colonial and Nemours partnering on this project?
At this time, Colonial and Nemours share the goal of having physically and mentally healthy children at school, every day, ready to learn. For many students with medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, sickle cell anemia, and diabetes, this can be harder. Colonial and Nemours are partnering to support children’s health and well-being so that doctors and nurses know more about school attendance and education plans. Ultimately, our goal is to help students improve their academics.
How will this project help my child?
Doctors, nurses, and their staff can provide outreach and medical attention if your child is missing school. The medical care team can also support other common issues for getting to school, such as transportation or childcare needs. They will also now know if a child has an IEP or 504 plan and can encourage a family to discuss educational concerns and potential supports/services with the school.
What schools are participating in this project?
All Colonial schools are participating in this project. Colonial was selected for this project because many students get their medical care at the same doctors’ offices. This allows Colonial to closely partner with those doctors and nurses. What medical providers are participating in this project? Physicians and Nurses from Nemours are actively participating in this project. We are continuing to promote this project to other medical providers in New Castle County to encourage their participation in the near future.
Is my child eligible to participate in this project?
All Colonial students (Preschool through 12th grade) are eligible to enroll in this project. At this time, only students who have a primary care provider through Nemours will receive outreach, if needed. If your student is not a Nemours patient and is struggling to attend school, we encourage you to contact your student’s school to discuss concerns and potential resources.
Do I need to sign up every year?
Enrollment is one-time and valid for the entire time your student attends a Colonial school.
How can I learn more?
If you have questions, please speak with your child’s school, school nurse, or medical provider. You can also contact me at jon.cooper@colonial.k12.de.us or 302-323-2700. A Frequently Asked Questions document is at http://www.colonialschooldistrict.org/healthandwellness/.
Take Care Delaware program
The Take Care Delaware program promotes safeand supportive homes, schools and communitiesthat protect children and help childrenexperiencing trauma heal and thrive.