Friday, September 23, 2011

MARY ELLEN KIRRANE NAMED HEALTH COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR BY THE AMERICAN SCHOOL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

FROM BROCKTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS- Mary Ellen Kirrane, M.S.Ed, has been named Health Coordinator of the Year 2011 by the
American School Health Association. She will be recognized at the organization’s annual

conference in Louisville, Ky., on October 12.

Ms. Kirrane is recognized for her professional leadership in the coordination of school health

across the Brockton Public School District in Massachusetts, where she serves as head of the

wellness department, K-8.

In her role, she oversees the implementation of the pre-K-8 wellness curriculae and coordinates

all district wellness initiatives. For the past 18 years, Ms. Kirrane has written and implemented

several system-wide grants that have impacted the district greatly. Middle school fitness centers,

international nutrition events, peer programs and violence prevention curriculum have just been a

few of the changes that her grant work has produced for the district. Ms. Kirrane acts as a liaison

with other departments and community agencies in implementing local and state health

mandates, most recently the newly signed Anti-Bullying Prevention and Intervention Model Plan

project.

Ms. Kirrane received a Bachelors of Science in Health Education from Northeastern University

in 1981 and a master’s in administration from Suffolk University in 1988. She is also certified as

an elementary school principal and she has completed the New England Division of School

Health Institutes Coordinated School Health Leadership Program.

One of Ms. Kirrane’s major focuses has been in advocacy for broadening health education in the

Brockton Public Schools. She has worked closely with classroom teachers to integrate health

concepts and skills into daily lessons. Ms. Kirrane has often begun presentations by reminding

administrators and teachers that, “all teaches are teachers of reading, writing and arithmetic and

also can be teachers of wellness when given the right tools.”