Suffolk, VA – Students in Suffolk are seeing significant, healthy changes this fall. Suffolk Public Schools has made important updates to its School Wellness Policy to ensure students have increased access to water throughout the school day. This change will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the health and well-being of students throughout the division and their overall academic success, with 14,520 students covered under the policy revision and having access to the support they need to stay hydrated during the day. By prioritizing the well-being of its students, Suffolk Public Schools is setting a great example for other school divisions to follow.
This updated policy was developed in collaboration with Rev Your Bev, the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth’s (VFHY) healthy hydration campaign, and its statewide, award-winning high school program, Y Street.
Research has consistently proven that water is the healthiest beverage choice as it acts as fuel for your body. Since 2013, Rev Your Bev and Y Street have devoted and sustained efforts to spread healthy hydration messages to help individuals make drinking water a habit and improve Virginians’ overall health. Suffolk Public Schools’ revised wellness policy now aligns more with Rev Your Bev’s best practices. The revised policy emphasizes water as an essential nutrient and expands access to free, safe, unflavored drinking water before, during, and after the school day in high-traffic areas across campuses. It includes provisions for maintaining hygiene standards for water sources, encourages teachers to model healthy drinking behaviors, and reinforces students’ ability to carry water bottles. These updates signify a stronger commitment to hydration as a critical component of student health and wellness.
VFHY and Y Street are committed to supporting Virginia school divisions’ efforts to maintain a positive, healthy learning environment and serve as a resource for Virginia schools. “The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth is thrilled to have Suffolk Public Schools join as a partner to support healthy hydration. Adequate water consumption is a great habit for youth to develop and a key component to creating positive health outcomes,” said Executive Director Marty Kilgore.
The impact of the updated policy is expected to increase students’ water consumption and promote positive, healthy hydration. Suffolk Public Schools joins the growing list of divisions with comprehensive wellness policies that prioritize water access and promotion, becoming Rev Your Bev’s 22nd partner. “Suffolk Public Schools is excited to announce a new partnership with Rev
Your Bev. This collaboration underscores the division’s commitment to the health and well-being of its students and staff. Through this partnership, Suffolk Public Schools aims to foster a culture of wellness by encouraging students and staff to prioritize water as their beverage of choice. We are thrilled to partner with Rev Your Bev to promote hydration awareness throughout our schools,” said Dr. Lawrence Whiting, Director of Food and Nutritional Services, “By making water more accessible and educating our community on its benefits, we are taking a significant step toward improving overall health and academic performance.”
Suffolk Public Schools will receive free resources such as water bottles from VFHY as part of its partnership with Rev Your Bev to support the division in implementing its updated policy.
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