May Content
- Success Shout Outs:
Johnston County Public Schools
Public Schools of Robeson County
- May 6th is School Nurse Day!
- Dimensions of Wellness Webinar
- Employee Wellbeing Summit
- Ready, Set, Resilience Summer Institute
- HAC Policy Survey To Go Out Mid-May
- Gather & Grow Session: Building Personal Resilience to Sustain a Culture of Care
- Funding Opportunity: NFL FLAG-In-School PLAY 60 Champions
- Have a Story to Share About Your School Health Efforts? We Want to Hear...
- May / June Health Observances
Success Shout Outs are a great way to wrap up the
Monthly Updates and celebrate you!
Congratulations to all of you for building better systems, providing Professional Development, engaging youth leaders, creating partnerships, changing policies and practices... and all you do to address the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child!
We hope you have a great summer, but be sure to check out some wellness opportunities this summer following the Success Shout Outs.
 Success Shout Out! Johnston County Public Schools
Community in action! Recently 70+ students, school leaders and community partners gathered for the annual Johnston County Youth Mental Health Brunch, sponsored by Alliance Health, UNC Health Johnston, Johnston Collaborative for Families, Youth and Children and the JCPS School Health Advisory Council.
Lindsay Ray (Hope Services) delivered a powerful keynote, challenging us all to continue showing up for the youth of Johnston County. We were also inspired by student leaders sharing their mental health initiatives:
- Princeton Middle SAVE Promise Club
- Corinth Holders HS HOSA
- Johnston County Youth Empowerment Group
- Johnston Community College Psychology Club
Youth leaders led attendees in a connection activity, and we also participated in Wellness Stations focused on Gratitude, Physical Activity, Coloring and Planting. Special thanks to Handpicked Nursery and the Johnston County Master Gardeners for their donations for the planting activity!
Together, we’re building a stronger support system for our youth.
Thank you for sharing about your district's work to support mental health and wellbeing, Kim Lewter, Lead School Counselor!
 Success Shout Out! Public Schools of Robeson County
The Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC) offered Youth Mental Health First Aid training to groups of counselors and social workers. Thanks to Alicia Freeman from the UNC-CH School of Social Work Department and her team for collaborating with PSRC to help the group identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among school-aged students.
Thank you for sharing about your district's work to support mental health and wellbeing, Dr. Sheri Herndon, Director of Student Services!
School Nurse Day is May 6th
With over 40% of school-aged children affected by chronic or mental health conditions, #schoolnurses play a vital role in improving attendance, reducing health disparities, and supporting student success. Celebrate National School Nurse Day on May 6! #SND2026 #StudentHealth www.schoolnurseday.org
Thank you to our State School Health Nurse Consultant, Regional Consultants, and school nurses across North Carolina!!
Healthy Active Children Policy Survey
Thank you for your patience regarding the annual Healthy Active Children Policy Survey. It is being updated to reflect the high school physical activity requirement. It will be going out to contacts by mid-May. If you have questions prior to then, please reach out to Ellen.Essick@dpi.nc.gov.
If you have not seen the annual 2025 HAC Policy report, you can visit the NC State Board of Education website and select the agenda for December 2025. You will see the attached report along with the School Mental Health Report. It is attached on the agenda at 1:15 pm for the December 3, 2025 meeting.
You can access meeting agendas and attachments here: View Monthly Meeting of the North Carolina State Board of Education
Dimensions of Wellness Webinar
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
3:00 PM-4:15 PM
As professionals, we spend a lot of time caring for our students, children, and others, and sometimes we forget our own self-care. This program will empower participants to explore the positives and negatives of stress and the effects ongoing stress can have on their mental, physical, and emotional health. Participants will have an opportunity to explore self-care strategies and develop a plan to develop a wellness routine. During the discussion, we will also cover how stress affects youth, including tips on increasing mental wellness, promoting coping strategies, and building resilience.
Speaker: Jessica Fowler, MindWELL Associate Director, Poe Center for Health Education
Objectives:
- Participants will learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy level of stress
- Participants will learn signs and symptoms of stress
- Participants will learn what the 8 Dimensions of Wellness are
- Participants will learn about self-care and how to use the 8 Dimensions of Wellness approach to self-care
- Participants will explore different ways to work through the dimensions and create a routine for self-care
➡️ Please note that this webinar is for current educators only.
Register here: https://cvent.me/vBv4mg
Employee Wellbeing Summit: July 27th and 28th in Asheville
 Ready, Set, Resilience (RSR) Summer Institute
We are excited to invite you to join the 2026 Ready, Set, Resilience (RSR) Summer Institute, a two-day immersive professional learning experience hosted by the Community Science Initiative at Duke University Marine Lab.
Date: June 15-16, 2026
Location: Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC
RSR is a standards-aligned middle school program that uses lessons from nature and storytelling to strengthen personal, ecological, and community resilience in classrooms. This two-day immersive institute is designed for educators new to RSR and provides hands-on experience with adaptable, interdisciplinary curriculum rooted in nature-based fables.
Participants will explore the RSR framework, practice implementing lessons, and develop plans to bring resilience into their classrooms and communities. Educators will receive:
- 10 CEUs
- Room and board at Duke University Marine Lab
- $350+ in classroom-ready RSR materials
- Up to $150 travel support (for teachers outside Carteret County)
Early Registration (Complimentary)
Thanks to program support, registration is complimentary for middle school educators who register by May 15, 2026 at 11:45 pm. Space is limited.
If space remains after May 15, standard registration will open at $25.
Register here: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3De4bAgoH1etMOy
If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please email Mia Wang at mia.wang@duke.edu.
We would love to have you join us in building resilient classrooms through connection, creativity, and community!
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues who may be interested.
Warmly,
RSR Team
Gather & Grow Session: Building Personal Resilience to Sustain a Culture of Care
Start: Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM EDTEnd: Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 10:30 AM EDTEvent Type: Virtual
A virtual link will be communicated before the event.
Join us to experience practical self- and co-regulation tools for educators to bridge individual resilience to collective well-being. In this 75-minute experiential workshop with three educator well-being trainers, participants will engage in resilience-building strategies to create structures that support a sustainable culture of care in their schools and districts.
You can register at: Gather & Grow Session: Building Personal Resilience to Sustain a Culture of Care
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Applications are now open for districts to strengthen physical activity across their schools through NFL FLAG-In-School PLAY 60 Champions.
NFL FLAG-In-School PLAY 60 Champions is a new initiative, powered by Action for Healthy Kids and GENYOUth, that helps school districts become champions for student health by creating active, supportive environments that last during the school day and beyond. Join the District Impact Network today to gain access to the NFL FLAG-In-School PLAY 60 Champions application and more.
Why Join PLAY 60 Champions? Since 2014, NFL FLAG-In-School has reached 17 million students. PLAY 60 Champions allows districts to scale that impact:
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District-Level Grants: Access funding to sustain active, healthy school environments
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Systemic Support: Practical guidance and resources to embed physical activity into daily school routines
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Capacity Building: Peer learning, coaching, and professional development
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Proven Inclusion: Flag football offers an inclusive, engaging way to get students moving
Now is the time to get in the game!
Applications close May 15th
Join Here to Apply: DIN Start
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Have a Story to Share About Your School Health Efforts? We Want to Hear...
We want to help elevate the work you are doing to address the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child across NC.
Please take a moment to share about your district and school-level efforts to enhance wellbeing for students, staff, and families. And provide any pictures you may have to help convey your story.
Email Susanne.Schmal@dpi.nc.govto share your initial success (just a few statements) and we can collaborate to develop further and include in upcoming issues of the NC Healthy Schools Update.
Thank you!
Interested in Subscribing?
If you are not directly subscribed to this newsletter and would like to be, you can select the button below, enter your email address, and select "NC Healthy Schools, WSCC and SHACs" within the "Department and Division News" topics.
Or you can email Susanne.Schmal@dpi.nc.gov.
May / June Health Observances Include:
- May 6th is Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day
- May 6th is National School Nurse Day
- May is Adolescent Health Month
- May is Better Sleep Month
- May is National Bike Month
- May is National Employee Health and Fitness Month
- May is National Mental Health Month
- May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
- May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
- May is Food Allergy Awareness Month
- May is National Water Safety Month
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- June is Great Outdoors Month
- June is National Safety Month
- June is Men's Health Month
- June 13th is Family Health and Fitness Day
- June 13th is National Get Outdoors Day
- June 14th is World Blood Donor Day
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