Twitter ‌
This is an image of the New York City Department of Education logo.
This is an image of the Office of School Wellness Programs logo that says, Think, Move, Achieve.


School Wellness Weekly

June 17, 2022
June PRIDE and Juneteenth: Celebrating Students' Unique Identities
This school year we’ve seen many examples of the power of PE and Health Education—supported by School Wellness Councils—to create healthy, active, safe, inclusive, and affirming school communities for our students. Students are most likely to reach their full educational potential in positive learning environments that are safe, welcoming, and where they feel a sense of belonging (opens in new window). Educators play a key role as trusted adults—helping students feel seen as who they are, and empowered to recognize and advocate for healthy, socially just schools and communities. 
 
In the spirit of celebrating students’ cultures and unique identities while acknowledging and lifting up their history, we are proud to highlight this month's national holiday and awareness time:

  • June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day (opens in new window), a day that commemorates the end of legal slavery in the United States and celebrates the enduring cultural legacy of Black people in America—it’s also a time to acknowledge and reflect on the ongoing injustices that Black people continue to face.
  • Pride (officially LGBTQI+ Pride Month), a dedicated time to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising (opens in new window) that occurred in our City on June 28, 1969, and to honor the brave individuals who have fought together to advocate for the visibility of and justice for LGBTQ+ people.
 
Read below for instructional guides, webinars, and other free resources to use with students this month and throughout the year; and a highlight of this year’s Big Apple Physical Education Teacher Award winner.


Image: 2018 School Wellness Poster Contest winning high school poster by Jillian Roed, Tottenville High School, Staten Island.
Twitter ‌
Congratulations 2022 Big Apple Physical Education Teacher Award Winner!
Congratulations to Lisa Cohen, Physical Education teacher at P.S. 091 Richard Arkwright (24Q091) in Queens for receiving this year’s Big Apple Physical Education Teacher Award. Lisa’s dedication to students and her commitment to elevating the Physical Education profession are qualities we hope to recognize in all teachers. Read more (opens in new window) about Lisa's love for teaching PE, some lessons she has learned, resources she recommends to help fellow PE teachers, and of course, her inspiration: students.
 
The Big Apple Physical Education Award—now in its sixth year and made possible with funding from New York Road Runners—is part of the NYCDOE’s Big Apple Awards (opens in new window), an annual Citywide recognition program that celebrates teachers who go above and beyond to serve our students and families.

Photo: Big Apple PE Teacher Award winner Lisa Cohen receiving her award at P.S. 91 Richard Arkwright in Queens. Courtesy New York City Department of Education.
Resources for Schools

  • K-12 Student Bill of Rights: A guide for students as they strive to become productive citizens in a diverse society. Includes “The Right to Freedom of Expression and Person (Section II)” and “Student Responsibilities (Section V).”


Opportunities for Schools: Webinars and Virtual Tours

  • Build an Affirming Community with OUT for Safe Schools® Webinar: Learn about the importance of being affirming and inclusive of all student identities, identify strategies to be more inclusive during instruction, learn about the importance of utilizing the OUT for Safe Schools® badges, and more. Bookmark our Professional Learning Catalog (opens in new window) and visit often for upcoming training opportunities.

  • Virtual Asynchronous LGBTQ History Field Trips: Celebrate PRIDE by connecting high school students to LGBTQ+ history with a series of free, 10-minute asychronous video field trips (opens in new window). produced by NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project in collaboration with the NYCDOE. Registration is open until December 31, 2022.

Stonewall Uprising and the History of PRIDE: School staff can join this free, interactive, multimedia tour of the history of PRIDE month on Tuesday, June 28, 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. All teachers are welcome; register (opens in new window) by Monday, June 27. Visit the History UnErased website (opens in new window) for additional opportunities and resources. 


Image: Illustration of Stonewall Uprising showing people carrying posters. Courtesy of History UnErased.
Building the Wellness Community
National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Healthy Lifestyles:
Prioritizing Mental Health

Help families and caregivers make mental health an everyday priority by sharing Healthy Minds Resources with your school community; see resources for families (opens in new window) and PTA leaders (opens in new window). These include:

  • Family toolkit to help guide families and caregivers in building healthy minds
  • Topic-specific family resources for support with anxiety, bullying, and more
  • PTA Healthy Mind videos highlighting examples of families having conversations about mental health
  • Healthy Minds toolkit for PTA leaders