For additional resources on these topics and others related to school health
education and services, visit the School Health Program Web site at
www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth
Quote to Note:
“For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.” Audrey Hepburn, actress
Notices and Postings:
2010 Awards for Excellence in Texas School Health - Applications Now Available
The AFE program awardsapproximately $13,500.00 in CASH prizes to schools or districts that implement effective school health programs that promote lifelong student health. Sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services and funded by the Texas Health Institute and the Texas Pediatric Society Foundation, thisinitiative, now in its 21st year,recognizes programs just getting started with seed money and honors andrewards existing, successful programs and those that have made improvements or expansions to programs awarded in the past. To learn more or to access an application and instructions, go to www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/awards.shtmor contact Ellen Smith at or 512-458-7111, ext. 2140.
Bullying and Harassment in Texas Schools
What follows is a reminder from TEA to provide support and information on the prevention of a bullying event that has significant and adverse consequences. The goal is to increase awareness in the district about this serious issue so current events can be stopped and future events prevented.
The law: The Texas Education Code, Chapter 37 Section 37.001, requires each independent school district in Texas to have a local policy that prohibits bullying, harassment and making a hit list and ensures that district employees enforce those prohibitions; and provides, as appropriate for students at each grade, methods, including options, for:
1. managing students in the classroom and on school grounds
2. disciplining students; and
3. preventing and intervening in student discipline problems, including bullying harassment and making a hit list.
Make sure that all staff are aware of current school policy and have current training on how to recognize and prevent bullying and harassment.
Reporting: It is important for
1. each student to report any bullying or threats to the nearest teacher or adult at school as soon as possible;
2. teachers and adults in the school to be aware of how students are treating each other and to intervene when inappropriate behavior is recognized;
3. staff to be well trained and ready to take the appropriate action; and
4. students to feel comfortable to approach staff with their concerns.
For resources, go to www.tea.state.tx.us/index4.aspx?id=2822&menu_id=798 Safe and Drug Free Schools.
Second HHS Funding Announcement for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Released – Letter of Intent Deadline: May 10, 2010
The Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) has released thesecond funding announcement for the President's teen pregnancy prevention and sex education initiative. This funding announcement is for the $25 million for grants for innovative strategies and also includes an additional $10 million from the innovative strategies portion of the Personal Responsibility EducationProgram created through health care reform. The announcement may be viewed at www.hhs.gov/ophs/oah/prevention/grants/announcements/tpp_tier_2/foa_tpp_tier_2.pdf. The OAH and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families will host a technical assistance webinar for this Tier 2 funding on Friday, April 23rd from 1:00-3:00pm EST. More information about the technical assistance webinar may be found at www.hhs.gov/ophs/oah/prevention/grants/announcements/index.html.
Physical Activity and Education:
DASH Releases Report about Physical Activity and Academic Achievement
CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) released a new report, entitled The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance, on April 14, 2010. The report indicates that school-based physical activity may help improve students’ grades and test scores and positively affect other factors that influence academic achievement. The report and executive summary are available on the DASH Health and Academics Web site at www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/index.htm#3. Additionally, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education has released a brochure for the public that briefly summarizes the findings of DASH’s report. It is available at www.LetsMoveInSchool.org or www.aahperd.org/naspe. Read an article about the release at www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-04-14-letsmoveinschool15_ST_N.htm.
P.E.P. Grant Applications – Release Date Unknown
The 2010 Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Grant applications were not released on April 7th. Proposed changes were published in the Federal Register on March 16th, with a public comment period ending on April 15th. The Department of Education will respond to all comments and the finalized RFP will then be announced on an as yet unknown date. To access the Federal Register announcement, go to www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/announcements/2009-1/011609b.html.
Counseling and Mental Health Services:
Majority Rules
Extreme Youth Leadership (EYL) provides students a vehicle to create social change through Majority Rules. Majority Rules works with a cross-section of students to create a social norms campaign in their school or community. With so many students saying “Everyone’s doing it!” EYL uses Majority Rules to find what the “it” is that everyone seems to be doing. The result of the program shows that the majority of students are making the right choice, while fewer are making negative decisions. This positive majority provides a safe place for the student body to belong to and lets them know that they don’t have to use alcohol, tobacco, other drugs or have sex to fit in. For more information or to bring this program to school free of charge until the end of this school year, email .
Nutrition Services and Education:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-Healthy Eating Research Grants – Deadline: May 13, 2010
Healthy Eating Research is designed to support research on environmental and policy strategies aimed at promoting healthy eating among children and preventing childhood obesity, especially among lower-income and racial and ethnic populations at highest risk for obesity. For more information, go to www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20922.
Fast Food
A lunch of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy and lean meat is ideal, but if the fast food place is near the school, it may be difficult to pass up for lunch. However, by making informed choices and remembering portion sizes, enjoying a fast food meal once in a while without the guilt, is still possible. For more, go to http://tracker.diabetes.org/fast-food.php.
Health Education:
Report Finds Inhalants are Drug of Choice in Early Adolescence
A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration saysthat inhalants trail only alcohol among the substances used by 12-year-olds to get high. More 12-year-olds -- 7 percent of those surveyed -- said they have tried inhaling substances like gasoline and paint solvents for their intoxicating effects than have tried marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined. For complete information, go to www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1003110303.aspx. For a chart of the results, go to www.oas.samhsa.gov/2K10/inhalents/Spotlight001AdolInhalant.htm.
New National Survey Shows that More than a Quarter of Youth Drank Alcohol in the Past Month – Underage Drinking Prevention Campaign Launched
Alcohol contributes to the three leading causes of death among 12- to 20-year-olds (unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide). And research shows that those who start drinking before age 15 are six times more likely to have alcohol problems as adults than those who start drinking at age 21 or older. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Ad Council recently launched a new series of national public service advertisements (PSAs) to encourage parents to talk to their children about drinking alcohol at an early age. The PSAs are available online at www.underagedrinking.samhsa.gov.
Teen Birth Rate Declined in 2008
After two years of increases, the nation’s teen birth rate headed back downward in 2008. The National Center for Health Statistics released preliminary data that show a decline of 2% to 41.5 births per thousand girls age 15-19.
The U.S. teen birth rate declined dramatically between 1991 and 2005, but then rose in 2006 and 2007 (a total of 5%), which caused concern that the gains of the last 20 years were reversing. Overall, the teen birth rate declined by one-third between 1991 and 2008. To view the data, go to www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_16.pdf and for an analysis of the data, go to www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/birthdata.
April is STD Awareness Month
April is STD Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of sexually transmitteddiseases (STDs) on the lives of Americans and the importance of preventing, testing for and treating STDs. To find out more, go to www.cdcnpin.org/stdawareness.
Report on Promising Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs for Latino Youth
This recent research brief details eight programs that have been shown through careful evaluation to either delay sex, improve contraceptive use, and/or reduce teen pregnancy in Latino youth. To access the research brief, go to www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/SS/SS43_TPPProgramsLatinos.pdf.
What’s Working Around the Nation:
Arizona school goes Above and Beyond the National nutritional guidelines for students
The Children's Success Academy in Tucson, Ariz., does not offer a lunch program and adheres to strict guidelines over what types of food students can bring to school. Refined sugar and white flour are forbidden, as are any items that can be classified as processed foods. Read about it at http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_d26e56b7-b1d5-52d8-bdef-9717ce18a61b.html.
Portland, Oregon school tracks homeless students to keep them in class
Students who attend the Community Transitional School in Portland, Oregon, are mostly homeless or come from low-income households. Officials at the private school that is funded by donations work to ensure that students stay in school by tracking them as they move and sending their buses to pick them up at locations that often vary weekly or even daily. While fuel bills can run as high as $1,000 a month, officials say the school is the only constant in some students' lives. Read about it at www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/04/for_homeless_kids_portland_sch.html.
Comprehensive Policies, Reports, Research and Resources:
Sebelius promotes community schools
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said schools should be havens, where students and families can visit health clinics and find other programs and activities outside of the traditional school day. Sebelius promoted the community-school model as the keynote speaker at the Coalition of Community Schools' National Forum in Philadelphia. "If a child is not healthy, they will not learn, they can not learn, they are not equipped to learn," she said. Read more at www.philly.com/philly/news/20100407_Sebelius_calls_for_schools_to_become_community_havens.html.
Fact Sheet on Obesity Prevention in Children
Arecent Child Trends fact sheet, What Works for the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity Among Children, reviews 50 programs whose impacts on nutrition, physical activity, and/or weight loss have been rigorously evaluated. The programs targeted children and youth from one to 19 years of age. To access the fact sheet, go to www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends_2010_03_25_FS_WWObesity.pdf.
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The articles and external links to other sites appearing in the Friday Beat are intended to be informational and do not represent an endorsement by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The sites also may not be accessible to people with disabilities. External email links are provided to you as a courtesy. Please be advised that you are not emailing the DSHS and DSHS policies do not apply should you choose to correspond. For information about any of the programs listed, contact the sponsoring organization directly. For comments or questions about the Friday Beat, contact Ellen Smith at (512) 458-7111 ext. 2140 or by email at . Copyright free. Permission granted to forward or make copies as needed.
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