School Wellness Weekly

12.01.17


World AIDS Day
Today, December 1, schools across the city can honor this year's 29th annual World AIDS Day by organizing student events and activities that commemorate lives lost to the virus and celebrate strides made in HIV and AIDS prevention, testing, and treatment.  

Take concrete action: Contact your School Wellness Council and principal, and urge your school to host a workshop on HIV and the prevention of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These trusted partner organizations can provide guest speakers and programming:   


Make sure your students know where they can access free, confidential HIV and STI testing: 


Education and prevention are key to an AIDS-free generation, so make sure your instructional staff is teaching the yearly lessons on HIV/AIDS (using the NYC DOE’s HIV/AIDS Curriculum ) that are required for all NYC students in grades K-12. Help build a foundation for academic and lifelong success by teaching our students how to make healthy and informed decisions, manage relationships, and communicate effectively.   

Above photo: Quilt Week, panels commemorate people from the school community who have died from AIDS-related complications. Edward R. Murrow High School (21K525), November 29, 2017. " We are the H.E.A.R.T. Club. Murrow's HIV & AIDS, Education, Awareness & Activism, Resource, Team. Here at H.E.A.R.T. club, we raise awareness for HIV and AIDS. Our club is most commonly known for hosting Quilt Week in December every year. During Quilt Week, we inform students about HIV and AIDS, how many people are affected, how they can prevent getting infected, and give interesting facts and statistics. ." Photo: Sarah Cocuzzo
Physical Education
Elementary PE Basics II: Lesson Planning for Skill Acquisition.  Grades K-5 physical education teachers can  register here for th e  12/5   session in Brooklyn or register here for the 12/6   session in Queens .
Health Education
Learn more about building safer, more affirming schools for LGBTQ students with these free health education trainings: 

  • December 11: Elementary, Middle and High School Health Education: Being Upstanders for LGBTQ Youth – An OUT for Safe Schools Webinar. Grades K-12 staff learn more and register here. 
  • December 15: Middle and High School Health Education Basics IV: LGBTQ Affirming Schools. Grades 6-12 staff learn more and register here.  
Teachers and Leaders
December 4: Physical Education Professional Learning Communities (PE PLCs). Meetings take place in every borough during Monday professional learning time. Register here by today . November PLCs attracted 425 PE teachers who participated Citywide!

December 13: Administrator Physical Education Professional Learning Community. Supervisors of secondary-school physical education programs meet to work collaboratively and network with other administrators to improve PE instruction in the school. Principals, assistant principals, deans, and other secondary administrators of physical and health education  register here . 

Cultivate Leadership Within Your Staten Island School Wellness Council  
Grades K-12 school staff, parents, and school community members will learn strategies to lead their school community in improving and sustaining wellness in their school with this free training on  12/7  in Staten Island. Learn inspired leadership skills and best practices to establish school and community partnerships. Register by  12/6 .     
Building the Wellness Community
World AIDS Day Youth Awareness Event: Let's Talk About Sex  
Youth and families can join Mount Sinai's YASS (Young Adult Sexual Services) team at its World AIDS Day Youth Awareness event on  12/2  at Johnson Community Center in Harlem. This carnival-themed event features games, food, and presentations on accessing sexual health information and services, including PrEP and PEP. For more information, email Nephtalie Dorceus, YASS Coordinator, nephtalie.dorceus@mountsinai.org .

NYC Excellence in School Wellness Award Application Now Open  
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 NYC DOE elementary schools are eligible to apply by  3/1 . Visit the  Healthy Schools page for more information; contact   healthyschools@health.nyc.gov  with questions.  

Tweens and Teens: Start a Community Garden to Help Feed Your Community  
Katie’s Krops  is helping youth ages 9 to 16 end hunger in their communities by starting vegetable gardens and donating the harvest to those in need. Youth ages 9-16 can apply to become a 2018 Katie's Krop Grower and receive a garden center gift card worth up to $500. Winners can also apply to attend a growers’ summer camp and for college scholarships.  Applications  must be postmarked by  12/31 . 

Free Teacher Resource from New York Agriculture in the Classroom:   The Case of the Missing Pumpkin  
Use a  free lesson  this fall season to introduce your K-2 students to the concepts of lifecycles. Students will use a pumpkin as a planter and use literary connections to map the lifecycle of the pumpkin. 

Neighborhood Grants from Citizens Committee for New York City  
Resident and school-based groups in low-income neighborhoods are encouraged to apply for a  Citizens Committee micro-grant  of up to $3,000 toward work involving community and school improvement projects throughout NYC. Interested? Register for a free information session.  Submit  applications by  1/22.  Questions? Contact Shawn Whitehorn: swhitehorn@citizensnyc.org  or 212-822-9563