Oct. 5, 2023

The Power of Belonging

Think about a time when you felt like you didn’t belong. How did it impact your interactions, motivation, engagement or attention? As humans, we are wired to belong. When we don’t, our bodies often have a “perceived threat” response of fight or flight. When we think about this in terms of our students, we realize that their apathy and/or negative student behaviors might be an outward sign that they don’t feel like they belong.

Belonging is different than “fitting in.” Belonging is the feeling that you are valued and respected in a given context. For students, that context changes repeatedly throughout the school day… on their way to school, in each class, between classes, during break, at lunch, and after school. 

The more you connect your students, the fewer negative behaviors you have to address. Take a minute to reflect on what you do each day to help students feel connected, valued, and respected. What are you currently doing? What more could you do? Consider the following:

• Greet students by name, and help them learn (and use) each other’s names. Using people’s names communicates caring, trust, and respect.
• Give students the opportunity to share what is important to them. Model these activities for students first so they get to know you, too!
• Share five pictures of things that are important to you.
• Decorate a mask that describes who you are behind your mask.
• Create packaging for a seed packet, cereal box, or other item to describe who they are, how they learn, and who they want to be.
• Make sure there is at least one opportunity in every class period for students to meaningfully connect. Make sure you include opportunities for students to connect personally as well as over class content.
• Provide students with sentence starters and probing questions to get over initial awkwardness.
• Every day, select two to three students in every class to talk about things that are not related to school. Be strategic with who you talk to and how you engage them in meaningful conversation.
• Be conscious of which students you have meaningful relationships with and who you don’t. Score the strength of your relationships on a scale of one to five. Look at the data. Are there patterns you should be aware of?
• Give students the opportunity to give feedback or suggestions to create a culture of belonging in your class.

As teachers, we have the opportunity to impact students’ sense of belonging each and every day they walk in our door. Be strategic. Make “belonging” a priority. Encourage colleagues to do the same.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can do to support you, your site, or your district. 

CDE Announces PFT Update

The California Department of Education (CDE) announced that Physical Fitness Testing (PFT) protocols for 2023-24 will be identical to those that were used in the 2022-23 school year including:

• Not collecting any data related to body composition (height, weight)
• Not collecting age or gender data
• Not using the Healthy Fitness Zones as defined by FITNESSGRAM
• Providing students with their personal fitness assessment scores
• Reporting the percentage of students who participate in each of the five required fitness assessments (aerobic capacity, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk extensor strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, flexibility) in the School Accountability Report Card

Teachers should:

• Encourage students to do their best on each fitness assessment so that it is an accurate measurement of their current fitness
• Utilize grade-level standards to determine how PFT scores are utilized for students to set and achieve personal health and fitness goals
• Give students options to test, not in front of peers
• Protect student privacy
• Prioritize an emotionally safe environment to avoid bullying and/or body shaming

For more information, visit the CDE PFT webpage and CDE PFT frequently asked questions webpage.

It is still unclear how CDE will address the Report to the Legislature, Department of Finance and the State Board of Education: Physical Performance Test that was submitted to the State Board of Education in March. Updates will be shared in this newsletter as they are available.

New Resource Defines Required Health Education Content, Resources, and Model Policy

The Health Education Checklist/Planning Tool defines California Education Code and mandates associated with health education instruction. It also features resources, including links to Education Code, case studies, model policy, and more! It is a powerful tool for sites to determine compliance with Ed Code, identify/develop curriculum and provide standards-based instruction. Check it out!

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month

Did you know that California has the highest number of sudden cardiac arrests (SCA) and one of the lowest survival rates? Overall, 2023 has been a flashpoint for SCA awareness, with high-profile incidents like Damar Hamlin and Bronny James generating ongoing media coverage, as well as triggering dozens of state and federal laws, making SCA a critically relevant current event. In the last few months three San Diego youth have been stricken by SCA — two lost. 

Now is the right time to use the free Smart Hearts Don’t Miss A Beat learning module provided by the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation. The curriculum includes teaching tools, videos, quiz, worksheet, and activities to engage students in their own heart health as well as what to do in a cardiac emergency, which is key to increasing SCA’s lower than 10% survival rate. Smart Hearts has elevated kids’ understanding of SCA, evidenced by an average pre/post quiz score increase from 47% to 78% — justification that SCA prevention would make a meaningful addition to your classroom dialogue. Access the materials or use this Zoom Link to participate in Smart Hearts professional learning on Oct. 25 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Contact maureen@epsavealife.org for more information.

SDCOE Announces 2023-24 Professional Learning Opportunities

Please check out the SDCOE 2023-24 Health and Physical Education Professional Learning Calendar for opportunities to participate in the Physical Literacy Institute, Health Education Framework Series, Health and Physical Education Leadership Academy (Tiers 1 and 2), and more! Don’t see what you are looking for? Email Paige Metz to make requests.

SDCOE Health and Physical Education Advisory Kicks off Oct. 11!

Leaders from throughout San Diego County are invited to attend the Fall 2023 SDCOE Health and Physical Education Advisory Meeting on Oct. 11. Join us in-person from 8:30 a.m. to noon as we discuss:

• National, state, and local updates
• Professional learning snapshots
• Trends and best practices
• Resources and funding
• Networking with other districts and sites

California Physical Education-Health Subject Matter Project Professional Learning Institute

The California Physical Education-Health Project’s Professional Learning Institute on Mental Skills for Moving, Learning, and Life kicks off this fall. Join them to learn more about self-regulation, cognitive restructuring, focus/concentration, imagery, goal setting, and more! Trainings are free! Attend as many of the sessions as you can! Check out the flyer for more information.

CDPH and CDE to Host Free Online Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Training

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the CDE are hosting a free California Healthy Youth Act: Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV Prevention Education Requirements training Oct. 12 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Check out the flyer for more information and to register.

SDCOE Three-Day Physical Literacy Institute Is Back… and in Person

The three-day Physical Literacy Institute is being offered in person this fall (Oct. 25, Nov. 15, and Dec. 13) and spring (Jan. 17, Feb. 14 and March 27). Join the conversation to strategically deliver equitable and meaningful instruction designed to increase the physical literacy of all students by incorporating:

• Social and emotional learning
• Universal design for learning 
• Standards-based assessment
• Culturally responsive teaching
• Grading for equity 

The SDCOE Health and Physical Education Leadership Academy (Tier 1) Is Back

SDCOE Health and Physical Education Leadership Academy, the first of a two-tier leadership series, will be offered in person Jan. 24, Feb. 28, March 20, April 10, and April 24. Tier 1 of the leadership academy is designed to develop model pedagogy and practice for teacher recognition as a role model and leader on campuses/in districts. The academy provides a combination of professional learning and on-site coaching to develop and promote best practice. NOTE: Previous attendance at the Physical Literacy Institute or the SDCOE Health Education Framework Series is a prerequisite to participate in the academy.

Professional Reading Recommendations

• Grading for Equity by Feldman
• Meaningful Physical Education by Fletcher, Ni Chroinin, Gleddie & Beni
• UDL Now! by Novak
• Teachers These Days by Carrington & McIntosh
• The One Thing by Keller
• Street Data by Safir
• Dare to Lead by Brown
• Good for a Girl by Fleshman
• The Gift of Failure by Fahey

Email Paige Metz with any professional reading titles that you would recommend to San Diego health and physical educators to feature in the next newsletter.

Mental Health Assistance Poster Templates Available

A new state law requires all schools that serve grades 6-12 to prominently display mental health assistance posters that share resources regarding student mental health. SDCOE recently created three poster templates that can be downloaded and customized to help each site meet this new requirement.

SHAPE America Offers Back to School Resources

The Society for Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America has released a number of back to school resources that include activities, team building, kindness programming, guiding documents and more.

Check out CDE’s Excessive Heat Webpage

As temperatures are likely to stay warm through the start of the school year, it is critical that educators are prepared! The CDE Excessive Heat webpage provides resources and guidance to make critical decisions to keep students safe and healthy. 

Critical Resources for Health Education

• California Health Education Content Standards: Defines what students should know and be able to do by grade level in the following content areas:
• Nutrition and physical activity
• Mental, emotional, and social health
• Injury prevention and safety
• Growth, development, and sexual health
• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
• Personal and community health
• Health Education Framework for California Public Schools: A guide to implementing skill-based health education for students to achieve state health education content standards including classroom examples by grade level
• Links to Health Education Framework by content areas and grade levels
• California Health Education website: Features critical information, tools, and links to provide skills-based health education aligned to the California Health Education Framework. Includes online professional learning, model learning activities, skills/standards posters, resources for administrators, and much more
• Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Toolkit: Use this tool to evaluate curricula or design your own.
• California Healthy Kids Resource Center: Check out health education curricula to vet or use with students for free. Features ASHWG CHYA compliance curricula reviews (scroll down homepage to “Compliance Assessment Tools and Resources” tab to view).
• CDE CHYA webpage
• Mental Health Education (Senate Bill 224): Describes everything you need to know about new requirements for mental health education in California
• Grade 7-8 Mental Health Education Instructional Materials Assessment Tool
• Grade 9-1 2 Mental health Education Instructional Materials Assessment Tool
• New Suicide Prevention Hotline (9-8-8)
• CDE’s Supporting LGBTQ+ website
• SDCOE's LGBTQIA+ Youth webpage
• North County LGBTQ Resource Center and Trans Family Services LGBTQ+ Youth Standards of Care
• San Diego Live Well Tools for Schools Searchable Resource Database

Critical Resources for Physical Education

• Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools: Defines what students should know and be able to do by grade level
• Physical Education Framework for California Public Schools: Guide to implementing standards-based instruction to increase students’ physical literacy
• CDE Physical Education FAQ
• CDE Physical Fitness Testing webpage
• CDE Physical Education FPM instrument
• CDE Heat Guidance for Schools on Sports and Strenuous Outdoor Activities During Extreme Heat
• SDCOE Lesson Planning Template for Physical Literacy
• SDCOE Standards and Performance-Based Assessment template
• SDCOE Guide to Health and Physical Education Distance Learning Curricula

Critical Resources for Quality Instruction

• CASEL Social Emotional Learning Framework webpage: Defines the five competencies of social and emotional learning and how to use the framework
• CASEL Three Signature Practices for Social Emotional Learning Playbook: Activities to welcome students to class, engage them meaningfully with content and end class with an optimistic closure
• What is UDL?, Why to Implement UDL? Videos and The Ultimate Guide to UDL by Katie Novak
• CAST Universal Design for Learning Guidelines
• Ready for Rigor Framework by Zaretta Hammond
• Six Essential Practices for Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Teaching