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School Wellness Weekly
January 10, 2022
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Creating Community for Educators:
Official Launch of Our Professional Learning Opportunities for 2022
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The New Year often brings many changes. For New York City, welcoming 2022 also means welcoming Mayor Eric Adams and Chancellor David C. Banks, both of whom have advocated for a whole child approach (opens in new window) to education. Throughout this leadership transition, our mission as the Office of School Wellness Programs remains consistent, and aligned with that approach: Help New York City public schools create conditions where Health and Physical Education thrive, and engage school communities with programs to support student well-being.
Why is this so important? Students need to learn essential skills to keep themselves and others safe, healthy, and physically active during the pandemic and throughout their lives. But we know that our school communities are facing challenging times right now. We need to support the people who teach those necessary skills to our young people: Health Education and Physical Education teachers, School Wellness Council Champions and many other school staff. Providing a sense of community for them, virtual spaces to connect with one another, and assistance navigating lesson plans, policies, and classroom strategies can help “refill their cups” just enough so educators feel ready and empowered to show up for students. Check out just some of the ways to do this:
We are excited to launch a full slate of professional learning opportunities for 2022—more than 50 sessions throughout the remainder of the school year. Check out our Teacher-Leader Edition from January 6 (opens in new window) for session highlights and registration details; and read below for:
- Flashback Monday item highlighting last year’s Big Apple Award winner, and the launch of this year’s nomination process
- Registration for High School Professional Development Day on January 31
- Tips for building the wellness community: School Wellness Council Best Practices session, free and low-cost dental services for students, and resources to help students quit vaping
Photo credit: New York City Department of Education, Office of School Wellness Programs
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Registration Now Open for High School Professional Development Day on January 31
Join Office of School Wellness Programs content specialists—and trusted partner organizations—to connect with other DOE secondary-level educators and wellness champions on Monday, January 31, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Select from multiple 90-minute webinars designed to help educators deliver high-quality instruction in PE and Health Education and support student well-being. To register, visit the High School Professional Development Day page (opens in new window) in our Professional Learning Catalog.
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Health Education and Physical Education |
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Flashback Monday: Read about Sasha Roopchand, Health and Physical Education teacher at the Brooklyn Green School (opens in new window)—2020-2021 Big Apple Physical Education Award recipient. As an advocate for high-quality PE and Health Education instruction, Sasha embodies the qualities we hope to see in all teachers. She created a school environment where students feel safe to connect with one another and to challenge themselves. She has built relationships with students and families that extend beyond the classroom to support student growth and learning and believes that a child's zip code should not determine their future.
Photo: Sasha Roopchand, The Brooklyn Green School, 16K898, credit: New York City Department of Education
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2022-2023 Big Apple Awards Update
The Big Apple Awards (opens in new window) nomination process is open until this Friday, January 14, 2022! The Big Apple Awards is an annual Citywide recognition program that celebrates teachers who go above and beyond to serve our students and families. This year, principals have the opportunity to recommend any teacher from their school, and up to an additional three teachers in these special categories:
- Physical Education
- Arts (visual arts, drama/theater, music, or dance)
- Early childhood
Principals may also nominate an outstanding Health Education teacher. Recommended teachers will be considered for the Big Apple Award and—if selected—will have the opportunity to:
- serve as a Big Apple Awards Fellow during the 2022-2023 school year;
- take part in the Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Council; and
- receive a grant to use towards their classroom.
Continue to read School Wellness Weekly and follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) for the announcement of the winners later in the school year.
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Building the Wellness Community |
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Register for a Free Webinar on School Wellness Council Best Practices on January 25
It’s more important than ever to bring together parents, students, school staff, and community members who can work together and with school administration to promote a healthy and resilient school community. Sound familiar? It should, because that’s the purpose of a School Wellness Council (opens in new window). Help your council start 2022 on a successful note by connecting with other Wellness Champions during our virtual School Wellness Council Best Practices session (opens in new window) on Tuesday, January 25, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Explore strategies to strengthen your wellness council and tips for engaging your school community—including students.
From making sure the school provides high-quality PE and Health Education, to creating healthy snack policies and school gardens, promoting inclusivity and diversity, and helping students stay healthy and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, School Wellness Councils play an integral role in the health and well-being of our school communities.
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NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Resources |
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In Case You Missed It: Free and Low-Cost Dental Services in Schools
Indulging in candy canes, chocolate, and sweet treats is often a guilty pleasure during the holidays—but not good for your teeth. In New York City, of the children examined in schools, nearly 40% have untreated tooth decay. Help students get a healthy start to the new year by connecting them with free and low-cost dental exams and the dental care they need.
The DOE, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, offers no-cost dental services to students in schools—with parental consent—regardless of whether they have health insurance. See complete information about this free opportunity, plus resources and tips for the entire school community, in our issue of School Wellness Weekly on December 17, 2021 (opens in new window) (scroll down to “Building the Wellness Community”).
Families and caregivers, see these flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
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Learn the Risks and Help Students Quit Vaping
Vaping socially often means sharing space, not wearing a mask, and even sharing devices, which can all increase risk of COVID-19 exposure. E-cigarettes also contain harmful chemicals and can cause lung injury. Since COVID-19 can also affect the lungs, vaping may put kids at increased risk. Additionally, almost all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can affect how a young person’s brain works. It can make their memory and focus worse, which may make it harder to learn.
Families and caregivers can protect kids by talking to them about tobacco, e-cigarettes, and alternative products.
When trying to quit vaping, cravings and slip ups may happen, which can be stressful and emotional for both youth and families. To increase success, it is important to get support and keep trying.
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Teens can get free advice, tips, and inspiration for quitting by texting “DROPTHEVAPE” to 88709 to join This Is Quitting (opens in new window).
- Families and caregivers can also talk with their child’s health care provider about resources and strategies to help them cope with nicotine withdrawal. Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover service to help quit vaping.
- Families and caregivers can get daily advice to support their teens in quitting vaping by texting “QUIT” to (202) 899-7550.
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