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Wellness

Welcome to Wellness
 "A community of happy, healthy learners focused on
Physical, Nutritional, and Mental Wellness."

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CORE MESSAGES

  • Healthy students learn better — Strong health supports academic performance, behavior, and cognitive skills.

  • Schools shape daily habits — Students spend most of their day at school, often eating two meals and getting key physical activity there.

  • Healthy students strengthen communities — Investing in student wellness builds healthier communities long‑term.

  • All students deserve health access — Nutritious food and physical activity are essential for academic success.

  • Healthy employees thrive — Wellness boosts productivity and reduces absenteeism.

   Get Involved                             Share Suggestions

Mission Statement

To improve the health and well-being of every member of the Dolphin Family by educating our students and staff on the importance of good nutrition and regular physical activity and by providing an environment that supports these healthy habits.

SUCCESS STORIES

  • Eat the Rainbow — Classrooms burst with color as teachers tied vibrant, nutritious foods into lessons and outfits.

  • Farm to Table — Culinary, agriculture, and hospitality students grew produce, built recipes, partnered locally, and hosted a standout spring event.

  • Microgreen Tasting — High schoolers researched microgreens, created a custom dressing, and led taste‑tests for elementary students on field day.

  • What’s Your Superpower? — HOSA and culinary students shared colorful fruit at Earth Day, spotlighting the power of “eating your colors.”

  • New Snack List — Elementary snack offerings got a healthy makeover, reducing sugary choices and adding better options.

  • Sitting Is the New Smoking — Teachers gained access to convertible standing desks to support movement throughout the day.

  • Dolphin Walk — ROTC, committee members, and city partners are building campus walking paths, complete with signage and a student‑designed mileage‑tracking app.

  • Water Forward Campus — More refill stations, cafeteria water access, and reusable bottle encouragement are pushing hydration to the forefront.

  • Staff Professional Development — CNP staff collaborated with a local chef to elevate cafeteria meals within federal and state guidelines.

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Harvest of the Month with Recipe Feature - Monthly fruit or vegetable spotlight 

  • Walking School Bus & Independent Walkers- Daily

  • Bike Train - Monthly

  • Staff Physical Challenge

    • Wednesday Walks: October 29-May 20 

    • Q1-Staff Physical Challenge - Fall Dolphin Walk - September 6- October 3

    • Q2-Staff Physical Challenge - Heathy Bingo - October 27-November 16

    • Q3-Staff Physical Challenge - 4x4 Healthy Habits - January 12-February 6

    • Q4-Staff Physical Challenge - Spring Dolphin Walk - March 17-April 11

  • Harvest Festival- September 25

  • Baldwin County Walk to School Day Fall- October 7

  • Eat The Harvest - November 2-6

  • Quarterly Culinary/Chef Ann Foundation Tastings- TBA

  • A Better Plate Professional Development for Employees: October 21-23

  • International Food Festival: November 18

  • Nutrition & Wellness Committee Meeting: January 12

  • Dolphin Dash- February 20

  • Baldwin County Walk to School Day Spring- April 28

  • Eat The Rainbow - May 3-7

  • Nutrition & Wellness Committee Meeting: May 4

  • National Bike to School Day- May 5

  • Auburn Nutrition Bus- TBA

  • Farm to Table Event- TBA

  • Junior City Council Farmers Market- TBA

  • Adult Education Cooking Classes- TBA

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PHYSICAL WELLNESS

Movement builds momentum. This pillar encourages active moments throughout the day to strengthen bodies, lift moods, and support lifelong wellness.

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NUTRITIONAL WELLNESS

Nourishment fuels everything. This pillar highlights simple, sustainable choices that boost energy, support learning, and keep our bodies thriving.

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MENTAL WELLNESS

Steady minds shape strong days. This pillar supports emotional balance, stress awareness, and the daily practices that help us feel grounded and connected.

CommunityWellnessPartnership
The Gulf Shores City Schools Nutrition and Wellness Committee  is launching a Community Wellness Partnership. We are inviting local fitness and wellness businesses to partner with us by offering special benefits to our employees.
Click on the following link to sign up:
Community Wellness Partnership

Community Partnership Launch — Gulf Shores City Schools is creating a Community Wellness Partnership through its Nutrition & Wellness Committee.

Employee Engagement Opportunity — Local fitness and wellness businesses are invited to offer special benefits to over 300 school employees.

Business Visibility Benefits — Partners gain increased visibility, community recognition, and the chance to support educator wellness.

Examples of Offers — Suggested contributions include discounted memberships, fitness classes, personal training, or other wellness services at reduced rates.

Wellness Guide Feature — Participating businesses will be featured in the new Employee Wellness Guide, with a sign‑up link provided.

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A smiling girl in a gray hoodie and black leggings holds up a plant with roots and a large leaf, standing in front of a raised garden bed with green onions and a school building in the background.
A young girl in a maroon hoodie holds a basket of fresh eggplants and peas in the foreground, with raised garden beds and a fence visible in the background.
A young girl in a yellow shirt smiles while eating fruit in the foreground, with another child in a blue shirt visible in the blurred background at a table.
A young girl with a backpack stands in front of a small, multi-compartment blue library box, holding a book, with trees in the background.
A young girl with a colorful backpack walks on a paved path in the foreground, while a group of children walks ahead of her on the same path, surrounded by a forest of tall trees in the background.
A young woman in a brown hoodie smiles at the camera holding a bowl of food in the foreground, while other teenagers work in a kitchen in the background.
A young girl in a purple hoodie stands at a cafeteria serving line, reaching for food in a metal tray, with a display of red apples in the foreground and a stainless steel counter and serving station in the background.
A group of children stand in front of a mobile nutrition lab with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
A young girl with a large red bow in her hair smiles while eating a strawberry in the foreground, with a classroom setting featuring desks and a closet visible in the background.
A young girl smiles while holding an orange slice in front of a lunch tray with spaghetti, carrots, a roll, and salad, with other children and tables visible in the background.
In the foreground, small cups of orange food sit in a metal tray, while in the background, a child's hand reaches for food from a serving line staffed by people in blue gloves.
A large tray of colorful cherry tomatoes in the foreground sits on a stainless steel counter next to a sink with a bunch of herbs, while trays of green tomatoes and bags of ingredients are visible in the background.
Six smiling girls sit at a picnic table with a pan of food in the foreground, while a parking lot full of cars and trees are visible in the background.
A young boy with glasses grins while holding a bitten apple in the foreground, with a lunchbox and other children in the background.
A young boy with glasses grins widely at the camera, holding a fork over a lunch tray filled with a salad, apple, and a small bowl of food, while other children are visible in the blurred background of a classroom or cafeteria.
Children in the foreground are enjoying their lunches at a long table, while adults and other children are visible in the blurred background of a classroom.
Two boys in the foreground playfully hold orange slices in their mouths while a line of children eat lunch in the background.
A smiling boy with glasses in the foreground sits at a table with a lunch tray, while other children and a blurred background are visible behind him.
Three young men stand in a kitchen with a tray of stuffed bell peppers in the foreground and shelves of supplies in the background.
A young man in a grey hoodie and blue sweatpants holds up freshly harvested carrots from a raised garden bed, with another person in a black t-shirt standing behind him and a concrete mixer visible in the background.
Two young men stand in a sandy outdoor area, one holding a container of green beans and the other holding a bunch of radishes, with a brick wall and shade structures in the background.
Bunches of colorful Swiss chard and crates of lettuce are displayed on a table at a market, with a plastic cup of pink liquid in the background.
A person harvests a large cabbage from a raised garden bed in front of a greenhouse.
Rows of vibrant green and red lettuce fill the foreground, with more blurred rows stretching into the background of a greenhouse.

Committee


Dr. Matt Akin
Dr. Stephanie Harrison*
Amanda Talantis*
Jennifer Guthrie*
Tanya Hill*
Kelly Walker*
Jennifer Murphy
Lauren Bodenhamer
Alison Ferrell
Jan Garfinkle
Joe McAleer
Misty Balster


Kristen Madsen
Dr. Alicia Early
Dr. Tim Webb
Jamie Hill
Kimberly Pennington
Jill Morgan
Delaney Blain
Jackie Smith
Reagan McClung
Jenna Romano
Laura Goulden
Jacqueline McGonigal
Joe McAleer


Ellyson Lawrence
Lindsey Palamara
Matthew Palamara
Amanda Brudat
Holly Howell
Jason Watts
Lacey Childress
Kelly Green
Courtney Steffek
Melissa House
Martha Morales
Jan Garfinkle

Includes school administrators, teachers, parents, city representatives and a GSBOE member.
* Chairs