Jenny Anderson
Springfield High School
Jenny Anderson, Springfield High School and River Valley Technical Center’s school nurse, has served in the district for 28 years providing health care to students of all ages. According to her colleague, Rosie Decamp, “Anderson doesn’t stop with health care. She pursues opportunities to positively impact the overall care of students and families in the greater Springfield community. She has always gone the extra mile and she lives and breathes it. Anderson is our wellness committee’s leader and has most recently worked to facilitate the creation of a district-wide wellness policy to be presented to the superintendent and school board.”
Anderson is well versed in researching, writing and obtaining a variety of grant dollars to supplement the school health programs. She secured funding to support sexual health informational material purchases, a consent campaign and a condom policy and protocol. She is a steadfast advocate for the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, (WSCC) which calls for greater alignment, integration, and collaboration between education and health to improve each child's cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development and to coordinate school health programs as a whole. “As a result of my persistence, I was able to obtain funds to a district-wide school health coordinator,” she said. Anderson also obtained tobacco prevention funds and physical activity/nutrition funds to purchase smoothie machines, tether balls, snowshoes, water bottle filters and a basketball hoop.
“I maintain a food pantry /school supply closet, easily accessible to students,” she said. “There are several students coping with food insecurity. I want to make sure there are foods available to them free of charge.” Anderson is a role model for all staff and students, promoting wellness not only with her enthusiasm but also with her consistent encouragement. She attends several school functions including sporting events and extracurricular activities. Anderson raised four children and has six grandchildren.
