Mens sana in corpore sano (“a sound mind in sound body”) is a famous ancient Latin expression that still rings true today.
To ensure that local Catholic schoolchildren grow up healthy and strong, the Fidelis Care Catholic Schools Grant Initiative has awarded the Office of the Superintendent, Catholic School Support Services, a grant for $90,500 to develop a new health and wellness curriculum for elementary schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
One of the goals of Preserving the Vision, the diocesan strategic planning process for Catholic elementary schools and academies, is to develop multiple partnerships with colleges and universities to assist schools and academies in providing the necessary resources and materials to advance the mission of Catholic education.
To that end, the College of New Rochelle will play a major role in the development of this new curriculum under the leadership and oversight of Associate Superintendent for Strategic Planning and Curriculum, Anthony Biscione.
The grant was authored by both the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Thomas Chadzutko, and Biscione at the urging of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.
Health and Wellness
A diocesan wellness committee will be formed to work in collaboration with the College of New Rochelle’s School of Education and School of Nursing.
The grant will also seek to continue the work begun by the Office of the Superintendent, Catholic School Support Services, by focusing on the needs of the Latino population in the Diocese of Brooklyn as identified by the leadership team of ACE Consulting, University of Notre Dame.
While the curriculum that will be created with the funds will benefit all Catholic schools, one of the major aspects of the grant will be the implementation of student-sponsored health fairs in identified Latino communities in both boroughs.
The mission of Fidelis Care New York is to make affordable health care available to all families in New York State, especially in areas where education may be needed.