A New Year's recipe for well bodies.

Finding just the right mix of contributors serves as one of the puzzles we attend to each month as part of our editorial planning. On this month's theme--the connection between good health and good learning--there is no shortage of possible pieces to fit and directions to consider.

So I was especially pleased to land Rich Abramson as one of the featured writers. Abramson is an ambitious superintendent in Readfield, Maine (located in the Central Maine Lakes Region, for those like me with limited knowledge of Maine geography), where he has made health and wellness a priority in word and in deed since starting in 2001.

Abramson models the importance of fitness personally and professionally. He collaborated with the school board of the Maranacook Area Schools to pass a comprehensive school wellness policy 18 months ago and now is implementing some provisions. He is one of two superintendents nationwide invited by the Dannon Institute to help promote good nutrition among students. On his blog profile, he lists fitness as his first interest.

In his article that begins on page 18, Abramson uses candor when referencing the district's wellness initiatives. Not every staff member and parent was enthusiastic, with some at first faulting the school district for pushing physical activity in intrusive ways. "We listened carefully to their concerns and assured everyone our goal was to be supportive, not directive," the superintendent writes.

At the start of a new year, Abramson builds an appealing case for taking school wellness off the to-do list and putting it to work. It could be one of the smartest investments and resolutions a school leader can make.

Jay P. Goldman

Voice: 703-875-0745

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