[For more photos, go to the “New York City Excellence in School Wellness Award Ceremony 2015” gallery]

The New York City Excellence in School Wellness Award Ceremony shined a light on educators’ work to promote health and wellness among their students and in their communities. More than 100 educators, community health advocates, union officials and representatives from the city’s Department of Education and Department of Health and Mental Hygiene gathered at UFT headquarters on June 3 for the event. “You have implemented important ideas,” said UFT Vice President for Non-DOE Members Anne Goldman, a registered nurse, in praising the award winners’ work, which included everything from mental health initiatives to encouraging healthy eating and exercise habits. “You have shown children what a difference it makes when integrating healthy lifestyles in learning and living.” The competition has grown from 61 applicants last year to 89 applicants this year, including 30 first-time applicants. Five schools took home platinum awards, the highest honor granted. Anthony Hernandez, the principal of Manhattan’s PS 72 received a platinum award for the second year in a row, spoke passionately about his school’s program. “If I don’t know roaches can trigger asthma, how do my students and parents know?” Hernandez asked, illustrating the need to educate adults as well as children about health and wellness. “We make sure every child is looked at holistically, not through the eyes of a machine grading bubbles on a test.” Rebecca Lee from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shared some statistics about the 76 award winners: 17 schools provided 120 minutes per week of physical education; 33 schools had implemented “active recess;” 29 had dropped chocolate milk from their cafeterias; 62 had established wellness councils; and 70 had implemented mental health programs.