School Wellness Weekly

01.17.18


Coming Soon!

Office of School Wellness Programs Student Contest 2.0!
We’re revamping our popular student poster contest for the 2017-18 school year to amplify students’ voices and include some great new prizes. Stay tuned for the official contest launch in School Wellness Weekly the week of January 29. 

Without giving too much away, our new contest will give students the opportunity to share creative messages about the school health and wellness issues that they care most about in their school communities. This year we’re especially encouraging schools with digital media, journalism, design, advertising, and video and photography programs to participate. 

We know our students want equitable physical education, respectful communication, high-quality health education, and the knowledge needed to stay safe and healthy – it’s time to let them announce it! 

Get ready to share the details and guidelines for this year's contest with your school community! 

There's still time to register — but space is filling up fast!

Free NYC High School Health and Physical Education Conference in Brooklyn    
High school health and PE educators: join over 300 of your peers in networking and professional learning at the Health and Physical Education Conference on  1/29  at Progress High School for Professional Careers in Brooklyn (14K474). Featured speakers include Dr. Dean Kriellaars, a noted authority on physical literacy from the University of Manitoba, Canada; and Karen B.K. Chan, an expert on sex education and emotional literacy.  Register today .  The Office of School Wellness Programs is hosting this event in partnership with NYS Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AHPERD).   
 
First-Ever Citywide Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA)  S u m m i t    
Don’t miss the NYCDOE’s largest gathering of middle and high school staff and students engaged in making NYC schools safer and more affirming for LGBTQ+ students, staff and families.  Register for the inaugural Citywide GSA Summit   taking place on   1/29  at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan (02M475). Separate workshops will be offered for students and faculty advisors of GSA clubs. Space is limited, and we expect this event to be at capacity.   
Physical Education
January 19: Make it Work: Mastering PE in Creative Spaces for Secondary Physical Education.  Grades 6-12 physical education teachers,  register   for the session in Staten Island.  

January 26 or 29: Secondary Teachers with Weight Rooms: Learn Skills and Strategies for Safe Physical Education Instruction.  Join  Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS)  for a full-day session. Grades 6-12 PE teachers register for the  1/26   session in Manhattan or the  1/29   session in the Bronx. See our  2017-18 Professional Learning Catalog  for additional dates.   

January 29: Elementary PE Basics I: Lesson Planning to Incorporate Fitness and Assessment (formerly Physical Best Specialist Certification Workshop). Grades K-5 physical education teachers,  register  for the session in Brooklyn.  
Health Education
Cover Your Basics: Grades 9-12 Comprehensive Health Education and Sexual Health Ed, and Grades 4-5 Puberty Education training  
Register for these professional learning workshops to  build subject area mastery, expertise in delivering instruction, and collaboration among colleagues:    

  • January 25: High School Health Education Basics I: Comprehensive Skills-Based Health Education. Register for the session in Queens.  
  • January 26: High School Health Education Basics II-A: Sexual Health Education. Prerequisite: High School Health Education Basics I. Register for the session in Queens.  
  • February 2: Elementary Health Education Basics II: Grades 4-5 Puberty Education Training. Grades K-5 health education teachers, register for the session in Manhattan. 
Health Educators: Discounted Training from Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC) in January 
Planned Parenthood is offering 50% off the cost of any training listed on their  PPNYC Sexual and Reproductive Health Training Calendar for 2018 if you register by  1/31. PPNYC's Training Institute provides trainings and resources to professionals who want to stay up-to-date on sexual and reproductive health topics. Continuing Education Credit Hours are available for NYS licensed social workers and certified health education specialists.  Register for a training today at their Queens or Manhattan location.   
Teachers and Leaders
Free Training on Leading Health and Wellness Initiatives at Your School ( Parents Welcome! )  
Grades K-12 school staff, parents, and school community members:  Register  for a free workshop on  1/23  in Brooklyn to learn strategies and skills for inspiring your school community to prioritize physical and health education, healthy food, and school-wide wellness programs. You’ll also learn best practices for establishing school and community partnerships.   
Building the Wellness Community
Limited Opportunity! School Dance Assemblies to Promote Healthy Relationships and Communication
Gibney Dance Company, in partnership with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, is offering a limited number of free  Hands are for Holding school assemblies appropriate for grades 4-12 students. The company uses dance as a point of entry for discussion, led by mental health professionals, focused on identifying signs of bullying, abusive relationships and providing preventative actions for young people. To book an assembly, email Devin Oshiro at devin@gibneydance.org and mention the code "RESPECT." Requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.   

Free Conference: Ending Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault
Join adults and youth at  Day One ’ s 2nd annual  You(th) Already Know! conference on 2/3 at St. Francis College in downtown Brooklyn. Presentations, workshops, and performances by young people and their adult allies will focus on recognizing and ending dating abuse, sexual harassment and intimate partner violence in NYC.  
 
School Wellness Council Resources: Printable Healthiest Self Wellness Toolkits  
Bookmark Your Healthiest Self Wellness Toolkits from the National Institutes of Health and share them with colleagues and at your next school community wellness event. Each illustrated card flips front to back and lists practical, evidence-based tips to improve individual well-being for students, family members, and staff: 
 
Apply for the NYC Excellence in School Wellness Award  
The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Excellence in School Wellness Award recognizes elementary schools for their efforts to create a healthy school environment that helps promote student health and improve academic achievement. All NYCDOE elementary schools are eligible to apply by  3/1 . Visit the Healthy Schools page   for more information; email healthyschools@health.nyc.gov with questions .