View in browser Forwarded to you? Subscribe today!

School Wellness Weekly 01.31.20

Be an Ally and Help Build Safe, Supportive, and Inclusive Schools

"So I'm going to ask you to make a commitment today, aside from making new friends, aside from hearing some incredible people, I want you to make a commitment that you will find, and be an ally to that person in your school, in your community, somewhere, so that they know that they can always be supported." — Chancellor Richard A. Carranza Chancellor Carranza charged the audience with this task on Monday, January 27, where hundreds of middle and high school students, and school staff from across the five boroughs came together at the High School of Fashion Industries in Manhattan for the 3rd Annual Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Summit. GSAs, typically in a high school or middle school, provide a place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and work to end harassment or discrimination of LGBTQIA+ students. The DOE is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive school environment, free of harassment and discrimination for all students. Your school will have the opportunity to highlight and build upon ongoing programs that help students, staff, and communities embrace diversity and focus on preventing bullying, intimidation, and bias-based harassment during Respect for All Week, February 10-14. Educators and school staff can prepare for the week by reviewing and promoting the Guidelines to Support Transgender and Gender Expansive Students and the Guidelines on Gender Inclusion, available on the Guidelines on Gender page of the DOE website. Middle schools will culminate the week by celebrating National No One Eats Alone Day on Friday February 14, a nationwide event that teaches students how to make friends at lunch, and works to prevent bullying before it starts. Sign up today to request a backpack full of promotional and swag items—No One Eats Alone Teacher Guide, wristbands, stickers, posters, balloons, and supplies for a community art project. One backpack per middle school and all registrants will have immediate access to No One Eats Alone materials online. Don't forget to incorporate the New York City Health Education Scope and Sequence documents into your classroom instruction, all available on WeTeachNYC. Educators can help build safe, supportive, and inclusive school environments for every student with lessons like the Foundations for Adolescent Health and the Social, Emotional and Health units: New York City K-5 Health Education Scope and Sequence New York City Grades 6-8 Health Education Scope and Sequence New York City Grades 9-12 Health Education Scope and Sequence Image: Students at the 3rd Annual GSA Summit at the High School for Fashion Industries in Manhattan. Photo credit: Left to right; Joseph Romulo (1) (2); Elizabeth Reed (3).

Wellness Highlights

Grades 6-12 Teachers: First Health Education PLC on February 3 The Office of School Wellness Programs will lead the f irst Health Education Professional Learning Community session i n Queens on Monday, February 3. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are a great way for educators to discuss problems of practice in meaningful and strategic ways, and work together to strengthen instructional practice and leadership skills needed to champion health education and wellness in their school communities. Physical Education PLC members are also welcome to attend.  Deadline Extended: Advanced Certificate in Health Education The deadline to apply for the Advanced Certificate in Health Education program has been extended to Monday, February 3, at 5 p.m. Part of the NYCDOE's Health Ed Works initiative to revitalize health education for all students, this 18-credit program is offered by the Office of School Wellness Programs and the Office of Teacher Recruitment and Quality in collaboration with Lehman College. For more information about eligibility requirements and submitting an application, please review this flyer .

Image courtesy of  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Parents and Grades 6-12 Students: Strategies to Combat Youth Vaping Learn about vaping risks and helpful strategies to curb youth vaping at the See Through the Vapor forum on Thursday, February 6 . To combat the vaping epidemic, Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVe) and the Prevention & Education Partnership (PEP) are joining forces at this event to provide the most relevant, up-to-date information available.

Physical Education

Image:.PE class at PS 79 Francis Lewis in Queens . Photo credit: Krisanne Johnson Attend the February PE Professional Learning Community (PLC) Meeting Sign up for the next Professional Learning Community meeting in your borough on Monday, February 10 . PLCs offer the opportunity to collaborate and discuss instructional problems of practice. Upcoming Professional Learning February 5: IEP Writing and Co-Teaching Strategies for Physical Education Teachers: Grades K-12 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in Queens. February 7: Make It Work: Mastering PE in Creative Spaces for Secondary Physical Education: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers in non-traditional settings, sign up for this session in Brooklyn.  February 11: PE Basics 1: Planning for Fitness & Assessment: Grades K-5/6 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in the Bronx.  February 13: Strategies for Inclusive Physical Education: Grades K-12 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in Brooklyn. February 13: Secondary PE Basics 3: Planning for Community Building: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in Staten Island. February 25: PE Basics 1: Planning for Fitness & Assessment: Grades K-5/6 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in Queens. February 26: Strong and Fit: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers, sign up for this session in Staten Island.

Health Education

Image:.Students fill out a sleep survey at Townsend Harris High School in Queens . Photo credit: Upcoming Professional Learning February 11: Elementary Health Education Basics 3: HIV/AIDS: Grades K-5/6 instructional staff who teach the mandated HIV/AIDS lessons, sign up for this session in Manhattan. February 12: Middle School Health Education Basics 3: HIV/AIDS: Grades 6-12 instructional staff who teach the mandated HIV/AIDS lessons, sign up for this session in Manhattan.  February 14: Condom Availability Program (CAP) Training: Grades 9-12 staff, sign up for this session in the Bronx.

Building the Wellness Community

Healthy Schools Thrive with a Strong School Wellness Council The DOE Wellness Policy encourages all schools to have a School Wellness Council, with parents, students, school staff, and community members working together with school administration to promote a healthy school community. Make sure to sign up for these upcoming School Wellness Council Basic opportunities to learn how to create and sustain a council: February 6: School Wellness Council Basics 1: Creating a Council and Implementing Wellness Programs: Grades K-12 school staff, family members, and community partners, sign up for this session in Brooklyn. February 12: School Wellness Council Basics 2: Strengthening Leadership and Building Capacity: Grades K-12 school staff, family members, and community partners, sign up for this session in Staten Island.

Attention High School Students: Free Advocacy Leadership Course Are you a high school student who wants to learn how to be an effective advocate for yourself, your school, and your community? Then apply for the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York YouthAction Community Leadership Course (YCLC) by February 21 . Every fall and spring, 25 high school students from all five boroughs participate in the YCLC—a free, 9-week program that meets Monday afternoons at CCC's office in Manhattan. Free Training for Tweens and Teens: Poison Prevention and Medicine Safety As part of National Poison Prevention Week, the NYC Poison Control Center is offering a training session on Emerging Issues in Poison Prevention and Medicine Safety: Tweens and Teens on Wednesday, March 18. The deadline to register is March 13 . Contact Lauren Schwartz at lschwar1@health.nyc.gov with questions.

News I Hate Football. I Let My Daughter Play It Anyway. (The New York Times, 1/10) Nearly One in Four in U.S. Have Cut Back on Eating Meat (Gallup Poll, 1/27)

Physical Education | Health Education | PE Works | Adapted PE | CHAMPS | Move-to-Improve  | Condom Availability Program |   NYC FITNESSGRAM | School Wellness Councils Professional Learning Catalog | Wellness Hub