September Content:
- Back-to-School Digital Toolkit
- Meet Jennifer Corso: State School Health Nurse Consultant
- Opportunity for Youth Health Advisors (YHA)
- Fireside Chat and Tele-town Hall on Youth Vaping Prevention & Support in Schools
- Regional Health Education Training Series
- NEW: Specialized Instructional Support Annual Report
- North Carolina Immigrant Eligibility for Nutrition Programs—New English and Spanish Flyers Available
- Opportunity for Elementary Physical Education Teachers!
- September is National Fruit and Veggies Month / School Nutrition Opportunities
- 2023 NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data is Available!
- September / October Health Observances
Back-to-School Toolkit
Start the school year strong! Back-to-school is a great time to make sure students are maintaining their physical and mental health.
Schools play a critical role in providing students with health education, helping students feel connected, and referring students to mental and physical health services.
Check out this toolkit with social media posts and graphics to help promote health and well-being as students head back to school.
Access the Toolkit.
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Meet Jennifer Corso: State School Health Nurse Consultant
MSN, RN, CHPH, NCSN
Jennifer Corso serves as the State School Health Nurse Consultant with the NCDHHS, Division of Child and Family Well-Being.
She has been part of the School Health Nurse Consultant team since 2021. Prior to joining the consultant team, Jennifer was the Director of School Nursing with Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools.
As a public health nurse, she served in Guilford and Forsyth counties as a school nurse and/or communicable disease nurse and nursing supervisor. Jennifer holds a master’s in nursing education and is a Nationally Certified School Nurse.
Please join us in welcoming Jennifer to her role!
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Opportunity for Youth Health Advisors (YHA)
Please consider sharing this opportunity for any North Carolina rising freshman through rising senior to apply for the Youth Health Advisor (YHA) Team with the Division of Child and Family Well-Being. The purpose of the YHA team is to engage and empower adolescents to become active leaders in promoting health and wellness in their communities. Through education, awareness, and action, the team works to increase understanding of adolescent health issues, reduce health disparities, and encourage young people to make healthy choices. The team hopes to help create a healthier future for all youth by supporting growth and development, fostering collaboration and teamwork, and empowering young people to make a positive impact in the world. The YHA team is an inclusive group of young people and welcomes applications from youth who identify as having special health care needs.
To learn more about being a Youth Health Advisor, please review our webpage and introduction video. To review the 2024-2025 YHA New Member Application Letter, click here.
YHA Application
We appreciate you sharing this application opportunity broadly with your network. Please reach out with any questions: Brianna.Session@dhhs.nc.gov
Fireside Chat and Tele-town Hall on Youth Vaping Prevention & Support in Schools
On Sept. 12, 2024, NCDHHS will host a live, virtual Fireside Chat & Tele-town Hall on Youth Vaping Prevention & Support in Schools. As educators, school support staff and community leaders, we play an essential role in addressing youth vaping. Please join me for this important conversation to learn how we can best support students in North Carolina.
Across the country, more than two million students use e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, and one in four students vape every day. In North Carolina, more than 12% of high school students use tobacco products and more than 9% use vapes. Many middle and high school students who vape want to quit and have tried to do so – together we can help them get there.
During the town hall, expert panelists will share guidance and answer our questions about:
- How vaping impacts youth
- Ways schools and community partners can help prevent youth from vaping or help them quit
- Where to find free vaping prevention resources and programs
Fill out this form to RSVP yes and receive a calendar reminder for the event.
The fireside chat will stream live for anyone to join from NCDHHS Facebook and YouTube accounts. You can also dial into the event by phone by calling 855-756-7520 Ext. #106460.
North Carolina Immigrant Eligibility for Nutrition Programs—New English and Spanish Flyers Available
As kids head back to school, let’s ensure every student has the fuel they need to thrive!
The NC Justice Center and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy are excited to release this new information sheet in English and Spanish discussing immigrant eligibility for nutrition programs: SNAP, WIC, Sun Bucks, and School Lunch/Breakfast. These safety net nutrition programs reaching families in the community and at school are proven to reduce food insecurity.
Learn more: https://www.ncjustice.org/publications/north-carolina-immigrant-eligibility-for-nutrition-programs/
Regional Health Education Training Series
We are excited to announce the fall regional health education training series. These trainings are open to all current teachers, educators and other staff/administrators. Stipends for time and attendance and substitute teacher pay are available. All trainings are one-day trainings and are held from 9am-4pm, with a one-hour break for lunch from 12-1pm. Lunch will be provided. Please register today!
ACEs & Substance Use Prevention
September 25, 2024
Greenville, NC
Register
A deeper understanding of the impact of adverse childhood experiences on the brain. Additionally, the workshop will explore substance use among youth, with a particular focus on the impact of stress and adversity. Attendees will have an opportunity to identify strategies that could be used in a classroom or school environment to build resilience and positive emotional regulation.
Teen Dating Violence and Media & Internet Usage
November 6, 2024
Charlotte, NC
Register
Build on data and knowledge related to teen dating violence to implement practical approaches and awareness for students and staff. Development of strategies and approaches to working with students to address online safety and awareness with a focus on social media safety will also be addressed.
Effectively Teaching Reproductive Health & Safety Education
December 4, 2024
Winston-Salem, NC
Register
Overview of reproductive health and safety legislation and standards, and multiple examples of interactive instructional and assessment strategies aligned with these standards.
NEW: Specialized Instructional Support Annual Report
In anticipation of the revised School Mental Health Policy, beginning with the 2025 school mental health plan reporting, all PSUs will be required to submit data for the SISP annual report. This is a new requirement and report on quantitative instances of student contacts for referrals, interventions, and services provided by specialized instructional support personnel, related to mental health and overall student wellness, as reported in the NC Student Information System. This annual report is on the number of instances, and the data collected will not include any student information.
The data for this report can be recorded in PowerSchool currently and will be available soon in Infinite Campus. During this transition to Infinite Campus, PSUs have 2 ways you may collect this data.
- To record the instances in the behavioral support/health section of PowerSchool that was released last school year. This option will eventually run a report with all the required metrics in it for you to upload into the SMH reporting portal in 2025.
- To use a copy of the required metrics and self-record by a different method and upload the data from that method into the SMH reporting portal in 2025.
The official start date for recording data this school year will be September 30th, 2024 through June 30th, 2024.
ALL PSUs MUST REPORT THIS INFORMATION FOR THEIR 2025 SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PLAN.
More information can be found on our Reporting webpage in the SMH Policy materials.
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Opportunity for Elementary Physical Education Teachers!
Connect NC PE
This series is designed to provide strategies and resources for elementary physical education teachers. Sessions will provide an opportunity to connect and share with other educators.
Attendees will receive contact hours for each session.
Please share this flyer- Elementary PE Professional Development
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Celebrate National Fruits & Veggies Month!
September is National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM)! Everyone can benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables, and everyone is encouraged to join the celebration and share the message, “Every Time You Eat, Have A Plant®”. Whether enjoying a meal with friends or family, at school, dining out, on-the-go, or at home, every time you eat, youth and adults are encouraged to Have A Plant®. To make it even simpler, a free toolkit with all kinds of inspiration is available from the Foundation for Fresh Produce to help make selecting, storing, serving and celebrating with plants deliciously easy. #NFVM2024 #haveaplant
Register for the #NCCrunch!
Registration for the 2024 #NCCrunch is now live! Sign up to receive a free guide with tips and resources to help you plan for the North Carolina Crunch. In addition to the guide, N.C. Crunch logo files, a flyer, “I crunched” sticker template, video, and social media graphics are available. More resources are in the works.
October is celebrated as Farm to School and Early Care and Education Month in North Carolina. Plan to crunch into a North Carolina-grown fruit or vegetable at 12 noon on October 23 or anytime during the month that works for you. Host, promote, and encourage activities throughout the month by using weekly themes:
- Week 1 - Crunch with your class, school, group, or site
- Week 2 - Crunch with lunch (Connect with National School Lunch Week.)
- Week 3 - Crunch with your school/community garden
- Week 4 - Crunch with your family or community
Through the #NCCrunch, youth and adults can taste and learn about North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables with their schools, early care and education sites, agencies, worksites, organizations, families, and communities. The N.C. Crunch is also an opportunity to thank all those involved in feeding our communities. Learn more and register to crunch.
Find Your Treasure with School Lunch
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves nearly 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom.
#NSLW24 will be celebrated October 14-18, 2024. The theme is “Find Your Treasure with School Lunch”. Free resources including artwork, a toolkit, activity guide, coloring pages, social media graphics, and more are available from the national School Nutrition Association. We can’t wait to see how you celebrate with your schools!. Please tag @NCSchoolMeals with your social media posts about #NSLW24.
Turnip the Beet 2024! – Award Deadline 9/12
The Turnip the Beet Award, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), recognizes outstanding Summer Meal Program sponsors who work hard to offer high quality meals that are appetizing, appealing, and nutritious. All Summer Meal Programs sponsors in good standing, including Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors and National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors, may be eligible for a Turnip the Beet Award. Sponsors may self-nominate or be nominated by another party. The Turnip the Beet nomination form must be completed and submitted along with a detailed one-month menu. No more than five (5) supporting documents can be submitted. Submit 2024 Turnip the Beet Award applications to NCDPI at summernutritionprogram@dpi.nc.gov by 5 pm on September 12. More details, including the nomination form, scoring rubric, and a one-pager are accessible from the NCDPI, Office of School Nutrition website. If you have questions about the Turnip the Beet Award, reach out to Tracey Bates, School Nutrition Promotion Specialist, tracey.bates@dpi.nc.gov.
2023 NC Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data is Available!
September and October Health Observances Include:
- National Fruit and Veggies Month
- National Suicide Prevention Month
- National Cholesterol Education Month
- National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
- National Food Safety Education Month
- September 29th is World Heart Day
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- October 6th - 12th is National Mental Illness Awareness Week
- October 16th is Unity Day
- October is Bullying Prevention Month
- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- October is Health Literacy Month
- October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- October is American Diabetes Month
- October is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
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