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School Wellness Weekly

02.28.19


Happy National Nutrition Month!  
Spring is around the corner, and so is National Nutrition Month , which makes March the perfect time to focus on school gardening and on teaching students how to make healthy food and beverage choices throughout their lives.

Learn how to teach standards-based nutrition health concepts and skills at the elementary level by reviewing Unit 2 in the New York City K-5 Health Education Scope and Sequence. Nutrition and Physical Activity is a key unit in the Health Education curriculum at all grade levels.
 
School Wellness Councils also play an integral role supporting nutrition education and creating healthier school environments. Whether it’s applying for grants to launch or enrich a school garden, working with a neighborhood market on a healthy snack shelf, or planning and hosting a family wellness night, School Wellness Councils are an effective and inclusive way to build strong nutrition and wellness programming for the entire school community.
 
To get involved in a School Wellness Council or to start one at your school, talk to your parent coordinator and register for an upcoming School Wellness Council Basics workshop via our Professional Learning Catalog . For more information about School Wellness Councils, email wellnesscouncil@schools.nyc.gov.

Photo credit: Kirsten Luce
National Nutrition Month Resources


Wellness Highlights
Last Chance to Apply! Free Opportunity to Earn an Advanced Certificate in Health Education
The DOE, in collaboration with Lehman College, is offering K-12 health education teachers who are not certified the opportunity to apply for an 18-credit program leading to an Advanced Certificate in Health Education . Tuition and fees are paid by the DOE, and most of the coursework is online. To be eligible, teachers must currently teach health education, but not hold a New York State teaching certificate in health. Coursework begins in June 2019 and concludes in the spring semester of 2020. Participants must attend a mandatory orientation at Lehman College on 5/1. The deadline to apply is 3/4 . For more information about the program and eligibility, email J’Koi Hailstock with the subject line “Health Ed Program.”  

Health Education Teachers: 2-Day Teaching Strategies Workshop March 7-8
K-12 health educators are invited to register here for a special Leadership Pathway Training in Brooklyn, 3/7 and 3/8, to learn how to apply National Health Education Standards to instructional practices and assessment development. This training will model over 20 different teaching strategies. Leave with multiple ideas for lessons and ways to engage students, including a comprehensive health education unit plan, and a well-developed end of unit assessment item.

Physical Education
Register for March PE Professional Learning Community Meeting
Network and share instructional practices by joining fellow physical education (PE) teachers at this month's City-wide professional learning meeting in your borough on 3/11 . Meetings take place in every borough during Monday professional learning sessions for K-12 PE teachers. Register for your borough meeting here .

Upcoming Professional Learning:
Register for one or more of these dynamic physical education trainings, from community building to teaching physical education in limited spaces. 

  • March 1: Strong and Fit: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers, register for this session in the Bronx.
  • March 1: Make It Work: Mastering PE in Creative Spaces for Secondary Physical Education: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers, register for this session in Queens.
  • March 5: Secondary PD Basics II: Lesson Planning for Skills Application: Grades 6-12 physical education teachers, register for this session in Brooklyn.
  • March 6: PE Basics III: Lesson Planning for Community Building: Physical Education teachers K-5 can register for the Brooklyn session and 6-12 can register for the Queens session.
  • March 6: IEP Writing and Co-Teaching Strategies for Physical Education Teachers: Grades K-12 physical education teachers, register for this session in Queens.
  • March 7: Elementary PE Basics 1: Lesson Planning to Incorporate Fitness and Assessment: Grades K-5 physical education teachers, register for this session in Brooklyn.
  • March 15: Make it Work: Mastering PE in Creative Spaces for Elementary Physical Education: Grades K-5 physical education teachers, register for this session in the Bronx.
Health Education
Photo: Kirsten Luce

Upcoming Professional Learning:
Register for one or more of these exciting health education trainings that delve into emotional intelligence, gender identity, and diversity.   

  • March 1: Middle School Masculinity: Awareness, Affirmation, and Conscious Transformation Training: Grades 6-12 health education teachers, register for this session in Manhattan.
  • March 5: Condom Availability Program Training: Grades 9-12 health education teachers, physical education teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, school aides, SAPIS counselors and other staff, register for this session in the Bronx.
  • March 12: High School Social and Emotional Intelligence with Karen BK Chan: Grades 9-12 health education teachers, register for this session in Manhattan.
  • March 13: K-12 Diversity: Competency Across Difference Training with Karen BK Chan: Grades K-12 health educators, register for this session in Brooklyn.
  • March 14: Grades 6-8 Mental and Emotional Health Training with Karen BK Chan: Grades 6-8 health educators, register for this session in the Bronx.
  • March 15: Grades K-3 Growth & Development Training with Karen BK Chan: Grades K-3 health educators including classroom teachers, register for this session in Brooklyn.
Building the Wellness Community
Photo: Kirsten Luce
Make Recess More Effective with Asphalt Green
Join Asphalt Green to learn about conflict resolution strategies and recess games that work in any indoor or outdoor space on 3/18 . Grades K-5 school staff including aides, teachers, and administrators are encouraged to register for this session in Queens .

Apply by March 1: Win Recreational Equipment with the Get Moving Video Contest
Health and PE teachers can win prizes from FlagHouse–which sells sport, recreation, special needs, and other equipment–by entering the NYS AHPERD Get Moving NY video contest by Friday, 3/1. This year’s theme is “Show Us Your Healthy Lifestyle.”

Nominate Students to Write and Perform Music for Change
Nominate passionate high school musical artists and activists by 3/8 to participate in the rFuture workshop and performance, a program offered by the Office of Sustainability and Clean Green Music Machine. Students will be paired with professional music mentors and write an anthem for a sustainable future.

High School Students: Apply by 3/1 for Agriculture Scholarships up to $1,500
Do you know high school seniors interested in pursuing a career in agriculture? The New York Farm Bureau 2019 Agricultural Youth Scholarship could help them meet their goal. Three scholarships ranging from $1,000-$1,500 will be awarded. Application deadline 3/1.

Planting Seeds of Biodiversity
To celebrate National Nutrition Month, enrich your school garden with Slow Food USA ’s sustainable seed resources. Their annual Plant a Seed Campaign kit tells the valuable story of food sustainability and biodiversity. Request a FREE seed kit while supplies last .

Essay Contest For Youth in Foster Care
New York City students currently or previously in foster care are encouraged to enter the Youth Communication essay contest for cash prizes. Application deadline is 3/8 and requires a letter of recommendation from an adult. 

Nutrition Gets a Hip-Hop Twist
Make healthy eating fun by taking your elementary-age kids to the MC Veggie Fresh Rocks the Mic workshop with author Shanon Morris and GrowNYC on Saturday, 3/9 , at 10 a.m. in Manhattan.
Office of School Health Corner
International HPV Awareness Day is March 4th

Have you heard of HPV? It stands for Human Papillomavirus and it is the most common sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the United States. About 3 out of 4 people will be infected with HPV in their lifetime. Most HPV infections will go away on their own, but some infections can stay in the body for years and can cause genital warts and/or cancer in men and women.

The good news is that HPV is completely preventable! The HPV vaccine is the best way to prevent HPV because it is safe and effective. It is recommended that boys and girls get vaccinated as early as 9 years old. It is important to get your first dose as early as possible because the vaccine works best if it is given before becoming sexually active. Plus, a child who begins vaccination before their 15th birthday will only need two doses of the HPV vaccine instead of three. Another reason to start vaccination early!

The HPV vaccine is available for students at their School Based Health Center (SBHC) or CATCH clinic, as well as at pediatricians’ offices, public health centers, and other primary care clinics. The vaccine is part of the Vaccines for Children program, which means you may be able to get it for free ! Children need their parent’s permission for most vaccines, but New York State law allows sexually active minors to get the HPV vaccine confidentially.

To learn more about the HPV vaccine and take a step towards preventing cancer, read more about HPV online , visit your SBHC, or talk to your health care provider today.
School Wellness Tip
Being a food adventurer is all about trying new things and not being afraid to eat something green! As the weather gets warmer and you plan field trips and community events, think about visiting one of the Grow NYC greenmarkets with your students or family. Check out GrowNYC's many Education Programs, including school garden and curriculum resources. Farmer’s markets are a great way to explore where food comes from!