January Content:
- Happy New Year from NC Healthy Schools
- Mo Wants to Know!
- SHAC Learning Collaborative
- National School Counseling Week
- Upcoming Healthful Living Sessions
- Infusing Character Education into Global Learning
- Recently Released Report on YRBS Data Trends
- January / February Health Observances
Happy New Year from Our Team
As we enter the 2025 year, we want to thank you all for your ongoing collaborations and efforts to enhance the school environment and practices! Your work is vital to students, staff, and families as you ensure students receive nutritious meals, engage in physical activity, access resources for mental health, feel connected to their school, connect students to life beyond school and so much more. This all leads to improved academics, and it leads to improved quality of life and health outcomes, which helps set students up for success.
Please reach out to any member of our team if we can be of support. Our contact information is at the bottom of this newsletter.
Again, we thank you!
Mo Wants to Know!
On January 1, Maurice "Mo" Green was sworn-in as North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Read the full press release here.
Superintendent Green is building a strategic plan for North Carolina schools, and your input matters! As part of his “Mo Wants to Know” initiative, he’s meeting with and listening to students, parents, educators, community members, faith leaders, business leaders and anyone passionate about public education.
Learn more about his entry plan, follow him on social media, and provide input at: State Superintendent of Public Instruction | NC DPI
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SHAC Learning Collaborative
Monday, January 27th at 3:30 pm
Relationship Health and MLs
Between 2023 and 2024, the NCDPI Healthy Schools Team, in partnership with NCCASA, held six listening sessions for educators, teachers, and administrators to gain a better understanding of the relationship health education needed to support multilingual learners (MLs). The insights gained from these sessions are summarized through these key themes:
- Barriers to healthy relationships education for MLL students
- What MLL students need to have healthy relationships
- How to teach healthy relationships education to MLL students
- How schools can help MLL students get healthy relationships education
We hope these insights will help participants, as well as communities, educators, administrators, and key stakeholders across the state drive action toward possible solutions and next steps to better support the relationship health of ML students.
Read the report: Listening Sessions with Multilingual Learner (ML) Educators Report: understanding what ML students need when it comes to healthy relationships education
Join us on Monday to engage in discussion and hear from Lillian Pinto and Jamilia Martineau-Lopez about their work to better understand how we can serve MLs.
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 National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week 2025 (#NSCW25) is Feb. 3-7, 2025, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. The theme is: School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Click here for more daily ideas and downloads to help prepare your week of celebrating our wonderful NC school counselors!
Thank you to Dr. Kisha Bryant, the State School Counseling Consultant, and all of the School Counselors across the state!
January 28th
4 pm
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.
The January session will include updates on the new healthful living standards, and upcoming professional development opportunities. Our guest speaker will be Mandy Davis, NC SHAPE Elementary PE Teacher of the Year.
Register here
Flyer
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February 12th
3 – 4:30 pm
Tools and Strategies for Adapted Learning
In this session practical skills will be explored that enables differentiated instruction for all students.
Register: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/961f16ab-bbde-4bf8-8d29-a18f72779c3c@849e9c61-f0bb-4d83-ba5f-4b5337664cf7
Infusing Character Education into Global Learning
We are excited to announce the upcoming NCDPI Global Education Committee’s Institute on Global Perspectives: Infusing Character Education into Global Learning. During this professional learning event on April 9, 2025, at the Friday Institute in Raleigh, NC, attendees will learn more about the intersection of global education and character education from different experts.
The goal of this institute is to help K-12 educators discover how infusing global education and character education can prepare students to not only be thoughtful, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic but also aware of the diverse cultures, perspectives, and issues around the world. Additionally, we want to strengthen their knowledge and teaching practices and provide ready-to-use resources and strategies that can inspire their students to want to engage in global learning and demonstrate good character.
We welcome you to submit a proposal to present a 60-minute session on a global education or character education-related topic. All completed proposal forms are due by February 14, 2025.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to share your knowledge and practices. We know that together, we can empower educators to prepare students to responsibly navigate an interconnected world with compassion and empathy.
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 Recently Released Report on YRBS Data Trends
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) released a new report, Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors: 2013–2023. This report highlights important trends and changes in Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data in three key behaviors among U.S. high school students: nutrition, physical activity, and sleep.
Did you know?
YRBS data from 2013 to 2023 show:
- Fewer students are eating fruit, vegetables, and breakfast daily.
- Fewer students are getting enough physical activity and sleep.
- Female students and LGBTQ+ students are less likely than their peers to engage in most of these health behaviors.
Healthy eating, regular physical activity, and adequate sleep are essential for improving students’ mental and physical health; and preventing chronic health conditions.
To learn more about the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors: 2013–2023, access report highlights or read the full report.
December /January Health Observances Include:
- January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
- January is Blood Donor Month
- January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
- January 19th - 25th is Healthy Weight Week
- January is Thyroid Health Awareness Month
- January is Stalking Awareness Month
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- February 3rd - 7th is National School Counseling Week
- February is Black History Month
- February is American Heart Month
- February is Active Classrooms Month
- February is National Children's Dental Health Month
- February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
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