Friday Beat
May 19, 2017 Edition
The newsletter that takes a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach.
Announcements
National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a new campaign to educate parents and children with asthma about how to prevent attacks. This multimedia campaign includes five Breathe Easies videos, an Asthma Quiz, and other free public service announcement materials. School personnel may also want to check out the EPA’s Managing Asthma in the School Environment resources.
Professional Development Opportunities
Green Clean Schools Leadership Institute—July 13-14, 2017
Facility managers and directors from schools and universities across the country will convene in Park City, Utah, for the Green Clean Schools Leadership Institute. Training will focus on the leadership skills needed to build a green cleaning program. Scholarships are available for select representatives from K-12 school districts; applications must be submitted by June 1.
Funding Opportunities
Fuel Up to Play (FUTP) 60 Funds—Applications due: June 14, 2017
This opportunity is available to any qualified K-12 school enrolled in FUTP 60. Sponsored by the National Dairy Council, state, and regional Dairy Councils, and other organizations, the program provides each school up to $4,000 per year to jump start healthy changes. Eligible schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program and designate a Program Advisor when completing the FUTP 60 application. Schools select one Healthy Eating Play and one Physical Activity Play from the 2017-2018 Playbook.
Health Education
Stinging Insect Allergy Webinar—May 24, 2017
At 3:00-4:00 p.m. CDT, the Allergy & Asthma Network will host Worried? Dr. James Tracy will discuss the signs/symptoms and treatment of insect stings by reviewing compelling case studies. Participants will learn about venom immunotherapy.
Webinar: Distracted Driving among Teens—May 31, 2017
At 1:00-2:00 p.m. CDT, the Children’s Safety Network will host What We Know about It and How to Prevent It. Dr. Ian Reagan of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will explain what IIHS knows about distracted driving as a contributing factor in traffic collisions, contrasting teenage and older drivers throughout to underscore teens' over-representation in these crashes. Dr. Dennis Thomas will review recent research studies that explored higher order skill development in teen drivers to increase their safety on the roadway.
Physical Education Physical Activity
Dangers of Artificial Turf
An article in The Conversation explores why playing soccer on artificial turf may be harmful to kids’ health. Often the preferred playing surface, artificial turf is comprised of tires recycled into tiny “crumbs” that support plastic blades of grass. Primary concerns about artificial turf relate to the cancer-causing materials contained in tires and the lead paint used on the grass blades. During sports activity, players may inhale microscopic bits of these materials. In addition, weed killer and biocide is frequently used on artificial turf. Because the surface is hotter and harder than regular grass, skin burns and concussive injuries are more likely.
Nutrition Environment & Services
Transition Period for Updated Meal Patterns
Last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a memorandum (memo) that addresses updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal patterns, as well as updates to meal patterns in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program (School Meal Programs). The memo outlines a policy allowing school food authorities to adjust to meeting the updated meal pattern requirements during the first year of implementation.
Junk Food Marketing Resources
The Voices for Healthy Kids (VHK) Action Center and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have released new resources to address junk food marketing practices within schools. These are available on the VHK Action Center website in the Junk Food Marketing Toolkit and the School Wellness Policy Toolkit. Food Marketing in Schools Examples depicts the types of food and beverage marketing often found in schools. The Junk Food Marketing Fact Sheetaddresses how districts may update their local wellness policy with a food marketing policy by June 30, 2017.
Health Services
Webinar: Hospital Collaborations with Schools—June 19, 2017
At 1:00-2:00 p.m. CDT, the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) will host this Member Highlight Webinar, which is open to all. Staff from the Children’s Hospital at Pittsburgh and the Children’s National Health System will share steps they have taken to partner with local schools to promote the health and well-being of children in their communities.
Retaining Expired EpiPens
This HealthDay article describes a recently published study that explores the use of EpiPen auto-injectors beyond their expiration date. The effectiveness of the EpiPen depends on how it has been stored; generally, if the liquid epinephrine is not cloudy or yellow, it is safe to use. The article refers readers to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology for guidance on the storage and stability of automatic epinephrine injectors.
Family Engagement
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Programs and Parents
The Education Development Center (EDC) reported on a GDL program in Nebraska that, although successful, needed support from parents in order to achieve greater efficacy. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) provides an overview of GDL programs and information about each state’s laws. Nebraska’s GDL law went into effect in 1998, and by 2016 the number of teen driving fatalities decreased by 60 percent. However, that improved rate was still nearly twice the national average. Researchers at EDC found that parent focus groups were successful in helping to develop a GDL informational card, which the state is disseminating in multiple locations. Refer to the GHSA website to learn about Texas laws related to highway safety, including Teen and Novice Drivers.
Community Involvement
Addressing Chronic Absence Webinar—May 23, 2017
At 1:00-2:30 p.m. CDT, the United Way will host It Takes Two: Adding Early Intervention Strategies. This second of four Attendance Awareness Month 2017 webinars focuses on early outreach and intervention. Attendees will learn what teachers, mentors, school nurses and others can do to identify and help students improve attendance once they show signs of falling off track.
Quote to Note
“One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion.”
— Simone de Beauvoir, French philosopher, writer, and women’s rights activist
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