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School Wellness Weekly
05.14.20
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
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While caring for our mental health is always a priority, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that nurturing our social, emotional, and mental well-being is essential to our overall health and our ability to be resilient in the face of challenges. Teaching students lessons from the standards-based health education curriculum is an important way to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to stay mentally and emotionally healthy.
See below for links to online resources for teachers and families, as well as inspiration from a health education teacher making remote learning a success.
Resources for Teachers:
Resources for Families/Caregivers:
Accessing Mental Health Services:
- The School Mental Health Program provides a variety of resources, including borough-specific telehealth options, where students and family members can get counseling, referrals, prescriptions, and screenings by phone.
Photo (left to right):
2018 School Wellness Campaign contest winner, Kayla Sie, 26Q074; 2018 School Wellness Campaign contest submission, Emily Feng Zhang, 13K430
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Health Education Teacher Making Remote Learning a Success
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What’s it like to teach health education remotely in New York City, and what does success look like?
Hear from
Saraa Elkhaloui,
Health Education teacher at MS 340 North Start Academy in Brooklyn
, who generously shared her experience helping students develop the knowledge and skills they need to stay socially, emotionally, and mentally healthy. Saraa is a certified science teacher and is gaining her Health Education certification through our
partnership with Lehman College
.
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Remote learning in New York City is a testament to what New Yorkers are all about: perseverance. This is true about our health care workers who are on the front lines and about our students, who continue to pursue their education through any means necessary. Teaching health education remotely has highlighted the importance of mental health. For me, success is getting students to understand that social distancing does not mean social isolation.
Throughout the school year, my health class focused on different aspects of mental and emotional health, including dealing with depression, stress, and anxiety and asking for help from others. I believe these skills are being put to the test as students deal with the stressors of COVID-19 and have to distance themselves from friends they interacted with constantly. It is impossible to be teaching health remotely and not have discussions about it. To empower my students to stay safe, we have been learning about viruses and how to make homemade masks. Our online discussions focus on simple actions students can take to stay healthy.
It is vital to student health to ensure that students ask questions, even when it comes to sensitive topics. In the classroom, creating a safe space that is both supportive and anonymous is essential. This is easily accomplished by having question boxes for students to leave their inquiries. In an effort to maintain this support virtually, I have created a Google form where students have the option of asking health questions anonymously. This allows students the same privacy and support they would receive in the classroom.
What I have learned:
- It is extremely important to ensure that students do not feel isolated or alone. Check in regularly with both students and families.
- Allow students to engage with each other through collaborations and discussions. This allows them to feel a sense of unity and engagement with their peers.
- Have students respond to their classmates’ comments using accountable talking stems to ensure a more meaningful discussion.
- Our directions need to be CLEAR.
- Starting with a lesson and ending with what students are watching on Netflix is OK!
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Stay Informed: Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS)
The NYC Department of Health (DOHMH) is currently investigating cases of PMIS, a new health condition appearing in children in New York City and elsewhere. DOHMH is also investigating the possible association between PMIS and COVID-19 in children. PMIS is a rare condition. However, because it is life-threatening, it is important that parents know the signs and symptoms, so they can get help right away. Review the following information:
Wellness Wednesday Activity of the Week: Handwashing Saves Lives!
Washing your hands may be the most important act that you can do to lower the risk of spreading infection to others. Soap, water, and a handwashing tune can help you do it properly! This week's
Wellness Wednesday
activity focuses on keeping your family healthy by learning how, why, and when you should wash your hands. Check out the
activity page
for fun videos and a challenge to create your own handwashing song for your family.
Let us know how your school is participating in Wellness Wednesday NYC, and share a photo or video* of yourself completing one of the activities with @DOEChancellor, @LRobinsonNYC, and @NYCDOEwellness. Use these hashtags:
#WellnessWednesdayNYC
#NYCSchoolWellness
#DOEConnected
#WellnessWednesday
#DSCW
#MovetoImproveNYC
*
Remember that to ensure safety online, students should not post images or videos of themselves on social media without approval from a trusted adult.
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First Look: Big Apple Award Physical Education Finalists
The Big Apple Awards is an annual Citywide recognition program that celebrates DOE educators who inspire students, model strong instructional practice, and enrich their school communities. This year, we give you a sneak peak at the six outstanding educators who are being honored as Physical Education finalists:
- Eric Banks, P.S. 398 Walter Weaver (17K398), 4 years teaching PE
- Vanessa DiServio, Hudson High School of Learning and Technologies (02M437), 16 years teaching PE
- Chris Esquierdo, P.S. 163 Flushing Heights (25Q163), 13 years teaching PE
- Danielle Hnath, P.S. 193 Alfred J. Kennedy (25Q193), 5 years teaching PE
- Ciara Morse, P.S. 94 David D. Porter (26Q094), 4 years teaching PE
- Allison Trevaskis, Passages Academy, Horizon (79X695), 12 years teaching PE
Big Apple Award winners will be announced in June. In the meantime, stay tuned for a deeper look at each of the educators in the next issue of
School Wellness Weekly
.
Physical Education Assessments for Grades 3-12
As part of our continued partnership with the Office of Periodic Assessment (OPA), an "Optional Quizzes" folder is now included in the 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 PE grade-band folders in the DOE Google Drive on
TeachHub
. OPA offers educators a variety of quizzes for PE via Google Forms. The quizzes prioritize health-related fitness concepts that can be integrated into remote learning opportunities for students and can be customized. Each folder contains a “Read Me First” document with guidance on how to use the quizzes. For an overview of OPA's work with assessments across the DOE, visit the Periodic Assessment Remote Professional Learning
Microsoft Streams Channel
(requires DOE log in). Questions? Email
[email protected]
.
Register for Physical Education Online Professional Learning Communities
Our Physical Education PLC’s are now available online so that educators can maintain their networks and share their experiences while school sites are closed. Online Professional Learning Community sessions will take place on Microsoft Teams; see dates and registration links for the remainder of the school year in our
Professional Learning Catalog
.
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All School Staff: Free Access to the
HealthSmart
Curriculum
To help your school prioritize student well-being through health education, we have extended digital access of the recommended
HealthSmart
curriculum to all DOE staff. Anyone with a DOE email can
register
for a free
HealthSmart
account. The Digital Edition of
HealthSmart
features online versions of all Teacher Guide lessons at each grade level that link instantly to the relevant teacher resources and student materials. For more guidance on selecting and adapting digital
HealthSmart
lessons, log in to
TeachHub
. Within the health education folder, you will find K-12
HealthSmart
guidance documents, as well as recommended lessons added weekly.
Now Available: Grades 6-12 Health Education Online Professional Learning Communities
The Office of School Wellness Programs has also transitioned our Health Education Professional Learning Communities to an online structure. Health Education Online Professional Learning Communities (HE OPLC) are an opportunity to connect with other DOE teachers and provide feedback on lesson plans and resources available on
TeachHub
, share current practices for engaging students and families, and identify best practices and challenges in providing physical education instruction remotely. The last 30 minutes of the session will be for any specific questions regarding tech and other support.
- Middle School HE OPLC, May 27: Register by May 26
- High School HE OPLC, May 26: Register by May 22
Free OUT for Safe (Remote) Schools Webinar on May 21
OUT for Safe Schools is a national initiative that helps educators, administrators, and other school district employees “come out” as visible allies for LGBTQ students.
Register
for the OUT for Safe (Remote) Schools Webinar to learn how to be a “remote upstander” and recommend affirming and age-appropriate online resources to your students. Visit our
Professional Learning Catalog
for more information.
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Building the Wellness Community
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Join the Rising New York Road Runners Virtual Challenge for May
Rising New York Road Runners’
Active at Home
is a new online resource that provides physical literacy-based activities and games for students, families, and teachers to implement at home. Keep kids motivated to stay active with the
Virtual Challenge
throughout the month of May. Students complete five weekly fitness activities: No equipment is necessary, and each activity includes detailed instructions and photos for adults to help kids with proper form, including fun ways to create a race bib that kids can use and a printable certificate for them to receive when they complete the challenge.
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Free Nutrition Resources For the Entire School Community
The Laura M. Tisch Center's
Food-Ed Hub
has free, family-friendly food and nutrition education lesson plans, videos, recipes, and activities developed by partner organizations that can be used by the entire school community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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