Happy New Year from the Healthy Schools Section Chief
Happy New Year SHAC Leaders,
Welcome back to another great year. 2018 is sure to be a success. As we begin a new year, it is a perfect time to reflect on past accomplishments and goals for the future.
Your SHAC is an amazing resource to help you reach your school health and wellness goals. Keep them engaged and active this year. Sharing data with your SHAC is a great way start meaningful conversations, find hidden resources and deepen team engagement.
The Healthy Schools Section is always available to support you and your work!
Here’s to a great 2018!
Ellen
SHAC and Whole Child Resources
 Monthly Webinars
Health and Physical Education and Physical Activity
January 23rd, 2018 at 10:00 am
We will discuss these two components of the model in detail. Join our expert presenters, Burt Jenkins and Michele Wallen.
Register Here!
Nutrition Environment and Health Services
February 27th, 2018 at 10:00 am
You don't want to miss this information packed webinar, as we explore these two components.
Register Here!
Upcoming Events
Annual SHAC Meeting
March 20th, 2018
Summerfield, NC
Registration Information Coming Soon!
|
 |
|
Meet our Team
Madison is the current Program Assistant for Healthy Schools Section for the Department of Public Instruction. He is a graduate of North Carolina Central University, where he received a BA in Political Science.
Madison is a Native of Blythewood South Carolina, but has been In NC since 1994, so he is Carolina Bred!
After graduation from NCCU, Madison launched his career in Durham, N.C where he began his education career teaching middle school social studies. After a few short years of teaching he decided to return to school to receive a MPA with a concentration in educational policy and administration (UNC).
Currently he is working on his PhD in Higher education, at Oregon State University.
During his free time, Madison enjoys traveling to the beach, mountains and outside of North Carolina, cooking cheese cake, grits and casseroles, and collecting hot wheel and model cars with over 3000 cars in the collection.
Madison continues to be a great role model with the community at large. He currently serves on the National Student Leadership Foundation Board, Upward Bound Site Director, NCCU Young Alumni, and Soul City revitalization/Welcome to NC Project.
We are glad to have Madison a part of the Healthy Schools Team.
|
A New Year, New Name, Renewed Commitment
Dear NC SHAC,
2018 is going to be a very exciting year for our organization! We’ve got a new brand and I want to make sure you know all about it. The Dairy Alliance is an evolved name for a modern brand. It represents a true, positive change throughout the organization that is focused on our customer promise: Own, live and share the dairy story. We believe in the power of dairy to support healthy people, communities and the planet. That belief pushes us to be a better representative of our dairy farmers, a stronger advocate for the health benefits of dairy and a greater champion for the dairy community. Our renewed commitment means that we will be more than simply a strong supporter. We will be a true ally for our farmers and our community partners.
We all have parts to play in the successful future of dairy and we promise to be here, supporting our allies with new ideas, innovation and even deeper commitment. We can create a positive future for dairy, but we can only get there one way - together.
What does this mean for you? We, the team members of The Dairy Alliance, have renewed our promise to not only our farmers, but also our schools and industry partners to create a positive impact using dairy products. Dairy is an essential ingredient to life. Moving forward, we will continue to work in alignment to ensure dairy products are in demand, available and innovative.
 Action for Healthy Kids
SuperFit School Challenge
Is your school working to ensure that your students are physically fit and eating nutritious food, only to have your efforts thwarted by candy or cookie dough fundraisers? Imagine being able to raise more funding for your school while providing students with a fun, active event! We did!
This year, you can take your school’s fundraising activities to a new, healthier level with the SuperFit School Challenge. The SuperFit School Challenge is a physical activity and nutrition education-focused fundraising program that fits into your PE class and helps students practice what they learn, plus you get to keep 70% of all funds raised! Wondering where the other 30% goes? Right back to support mission of Action for Healthy Kids to ensure every kid is healthy, active and ready to learn. Schools not only fundraise for their school but for school wellness across the county.
Interested? School that sign up will receive:
- ¥ All of the materials and equipment for a 5 station obstacle course in an easy to assemble package delivered right to your school
- ¥ An optional toolkit with Eat Better and Move More activities to train for the big day
- ¥ A customized online fundraising platform that allows students to send personalized fundraising emails to family and friends
- ¥ Support and technical assistance from Action for Healthy Kids
So kick the candy sales to the curb and implement a healthy fundraiser that your students will love and will raise more money for your school! To learn more and to sign up, go to www.superfitschoolchallenge.org or contact your North Carolina Action for Healthy Kids State Coordinator- Brittany Ledford at bledford@actionforhealthykids.org
School Health Team Trainings Available!
North Carolina Action for Healthy Kids is excited to offer complimentary training for School Wellness Teams! Topics include:
- • Making the Case for Healthy Schools
- • School Wellness Policy 101
- • How to create a Healthier School Food Culture
- • How to add more activity into the School Day
- • Assessing your School's Wellness Environment
- • Developing and implementing an Action Plan
Contact Brittany Ledford, North Carolina State Coordinator, to schedule a training today!
|
Resources - Trainings, Funding and Materials
Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth is pleased to provide the latest installment in a series of online modules to support teacher professional development, Answering Difficult Questions from Adolescents about Sexual Health.
In response to teachers having the skills needed to answer questions, this module provides three simple strategies for answering questions at three stages of adolescent development. The strategies are applied to example questions that a teacher might receive and example age appropriate answers are provided. Viewers will then have the opportunity to view a video of an educator putting all the strategies together to answer student questions.
The module can be accessed via this link http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/pilot/testmodule and we encourage our state partners to share with their school districts. This module is currently not located on Advocate’s website; once you open the link, please bookmark it.
Thanks to NC educators for piloting this national resource to make it available for all!!
Hazards of Electronic Cigarettes
The Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, N.C. Chronic Disease and Injury Section, has issued new materials to educate health care providers, school leaders, parents and other care givers and the public on the pressing issue of young people’s use of electronic cigarettes and similar nicotine delivery devices.
E-Cigarette Health Advisory (5 pages): This is a detailed overview of the current science regarding these tobacco products, with particular focus on young people, pregnant women and the unborn. This long version has detailed references and is appropriate for public health and health care leadership who want the whole story.
Nicotine: No Amount is Safe for Young People (Infographic): This infographic is useful to educate the general public about the health hazards of nicotine, with an emphasis on young people’s exposure through e-cigarette use. Available in PDF and JPEG formats.
E-Cigarettes 101: A Fact Sheet: This two-page fact sheet includes important references and less detailed information than is in the full advisory. This piece could be especially useful for community leaders, school leaders and PTA leadership.
E-Cigarettes Expose Youth to the Health Risks of Nicotine: This one-page overview still has references at the bottom, but covers only the main and most important facts. This piece is especially appropriate for the public, parents (and other caregivers), teachers and other school staff, and busy administrators and decision-makers who would prefer a one-pager over a longer document. It may be the perfect handout for a meeting, for example.
Thank you so much for your interest in this important topic for the health of young people in North Carolina!
Opportunity
Dr. Tracy Scull and her team, with innovative Research & Training, have been working on several grants to develop and evaluate media literacy education programming to reduce adolescent risk behaviors and promote adolescent health. They first started to apply media literacy education to substance use behaviors and more recently have used this strategy to promote sexual health.
They recently completed an NIH-funded project to develop and evaluate a web-based program for promoting sexual health in young adults called Media Aware (www.mediaawarecollegeprograms.com) that resulted in many positive outcomes for youth. The results from the RCT have recently been published online in the Journal of American College Health (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07448481.2017.1393822?journalCode=vach20&).
The project they are working on now is to adapt that evidence-based program for use in high schools and evaluate the program with a small group of 9th and 10th grade classes. The evaluation will involve students completing two online questionnaires, and there are incentives for schools, teachers, and students for participating. They are looking for approximately 8 classrooms to be a part of this study sometime before April 2018 (if possible).
Please see contact Abigail Morrison if you are interested in learning more at: amorrison@irtinc.us or 919-493-7700, ext. 104.
Success Story
The annual Golden Modes Awards, sponsored by Go Triangle, recognize companies, organizations and people who demonstrate the best use of resources to influence Triangle-area employees’ commute options. Ultimately, they reduce the number of people who drive alone to work, in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve our air quality.
NC Department of Public Instruction was recognized for the Employer Commute Champion award in November 2017. As part of employee wellness, the Healthy Schools Section launched the department’s Bike Share Program in July 2016, which provides employees a nice way to get some exercise and enjoy the fresh air while taking a break from daily activities. Bikes, bike racks, helmets, and more were purchased through a grant from the NC DHHS.
NC DPI is setting the bar by launching the first bike share program by State Government in downtown Raleigh.
You can view the Golden Modes 2017 Award Videos here!
If you would like to check out a bike, please see the Department’s lobby receptionist, Cynthia Ferguson.
You will also need to:
* wear a helmet during use, whether your own or one provided by NC Healthy Schools.
* sign a liability waiver form and leave with Cynthia.
* carry identification, but must leave your DPI employee ID with Cynthia, as security.
* report any problems you may experience.
|
