October 2022
In this issue:
Hello, health and physical educators, school nurses, and coaches! We are entering a busy time of the year, and this newsletter is evidence of that. Be sure to read on, and, if you know a new health or physical education teacher or school nurse in your school/district, please forward this newsletter. In November, the OSDE will receive updated contact information, so sharing the newsletter and encouraging new teachers to sign up will help us all stay connected. Thanks!
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This month's Spotlight Story features the Sit Less, Move More, Learn Better Event, which is a professional development training for anyone who works with children in the areas of health and physical activity in the Tulsa area.
Nancy O'Banion, from the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, coordinates the event and brings in special guest speakers with expertise in the field for an exciting workshop each August. This project is currently funded through a grant from the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and staff support is provided by the Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, the Tulsa Health Department – It’s All About Kids program, the Creek Nation youth activity program, and the Wewoka Indian Clinic’s community fitness program.
The goal of the event is to provide new activities with a focus on integrating academics with fitness and physical activity. Activities help promote academic achievement, fitness, experiential learning, team building, and communication. Oftentimes, participants learn over 50 new activities to implement with their students and youth program participants. One participant from the training said, "It was great!!! This is my second year teaching physical education classes, and I was so overwhelmed last year. I struggled to find fun things for the kids to do. I now have some confidence going into this school year." Learn more about this event by watching a video from the 2022 Sit Less, Move More, Learn Better Event.
Thank you, Nancy and the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, and staff from Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa, the Tulsa Health Department – It’s All About Kids program, the Creek Nation youth activity program, and the Wewoka Indian Clinic’s community fitness program for providing this amazing opportunity for Oklahoma's health educators and physical educators.
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The OAHPERD Annual Convention 2022 is scheduled for October 3rd & 4th, at the University of Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, Oklahoma. The lineup of presenters includes several Open Physical Education Network (OPEN) National Trainers who will help Oklahoma teachers support students to achieve health and physical literacy and enable healthy lifestyles. Click here for the registration link. |
School nurses serve a critical role in improving school health and ensuring student academic success when children’s cognitive development is at its peak. That's why the Oklahoma State Department of Education partnered with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to provide a matching grant for school nurse salaries and benefits under Project 724: The Oklahoma School Nurse Corps.
Funds are available to districts on a first come, first serve basis! Learn more and apply for Project 724.
The Fitness Challenge Calendar was created by Alliance For A Healthier Generation as a way to help students stay active and lead healthy lifestyles.
Click on the calendar below to download and/or print the Fitness Calendar. Fitness Calendar.
Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) is excited to announce that the Elevate Student Health School Wellness Policy Toolkit is now live! The toolkit is a comprehensive resource for school faculty and staff looking to improve the health and wellness of their district communities. It has everything you need to implement a comprehensive school wellness policy, including:
- an entire comprehensive wellness policy,
- how to get started, including steps to get your existing policy analyzed,
- how to advocate for improved school wellness,
- how to promote your school wellness policy,
- communication resources, including sample letters to parents and teachers in English and Spanish,
- ideas for non-food rewards,
- and SO much more!
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TSET program pushes for improved healthy policies in schools. For instance, Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) is a statewide, youth-led health initiative funded by the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). The program creates a meaningful and measurable impact on Oklahoma by promoting healthy behaviors.
Students participating in YAHL help build support for healthy school policy change by using their leadership skills to inform peers, parents, school administrators and community leaders about Elevate Student Health, with the goal of getting schools and districts to improve their wellness policies. (Read what students are saying about their work.) In August 2022, Elevate Student Health achieved one of its latest policy victories when the Keys Public School Board in Cherokee County passed updates to its district wellness policy. (Read more about this accomplishment in the news.)
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Interested? Find out how Elevate Student Health can impact wellness for kids in your school. Visit ElevateStudentHealth.com for details or to sign up.
For more on nutrition in Oklahoma schools, check out episode 30 of the TSET Better Health Podcast, which includes Jennifer Weber, executive director of child nutrition at the Oklahoma State Department of Education, as well as Heather Steele and Sheila Russell with Tulsa Public Schools’ Child Nutrition.
TSET Better Health is available on the TSET website or everywhere podcasts are listened.
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Mark your calendars! Open Physical Education Network's (OPEN) Family Physical Education Week is scheduled for October 3-7, 2022. This event is where families are invited to come to school to participate in physical education with their student(s). It is a great way to increase family engagement.
Registration is OPEN for Family PE Week! Get your school involved by completing the form!
Resources coming soon from OPEN at OPENPhysEd.org
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