Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. A lot is happening in the world of health and physical education, and this newsletter summarizes some important updates and opportunities. April is Stress Awareness month. Spring can be a stressful time for both students and staff as the school year comes to a close. Please don't forget to keep taking care of yourselves by incorporating the practices that we teach our students in health and physical education. The National Institute of Health offers resources for stress management and the Oregon Health Standards provide opportunities to teach students skills to reduce stress and increase wellbeing. Thank you for your continued commitment to the health and wellbeing of Oregon students.

Yours in health,

Suzanne Hidde

The Health Education Instructional Materials Review Criteria was adopted by the State Board of Education, and now the Oregon Department of Education is accepting applications for the 2024 Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Committee. 

The application form details what committee member participation will require during this summer’s evaluation. Interested candidates will complete an application regarding their qualifications and experience. Individuals on this committee will evaluate and recommend health education instructional materials for adoption by the Oregon State Board of Education. Those selected to participate will receive professional development and an honorarium for their work.

The application is open through May 22, 2024.

For more information, please contact the Instructional Materials Coordinator at ode.instructionalmaterials@ode.oregon.gov.

Recruitment for the Physical Education Standards Review Committee will begin next month, and work to update our state standards will begin in the fall. We hope you can join us for this important work!

April is Alcohol Awareness month. Oregon’s health education standards include 8 topic areas, and two of them are Wellness and Health Promotion (WHP) and Substance Use, Misuse and Abuse (SUB) Prevention. This month, educators can make connections to stress awareness and alcohol awareness with the current or new standards. NIH has some good resources to use in the classroom.

Also related to substance use prevention are these legislative updates that direct and expand the work that ODE will do.  Senate Bill 238 requires ODE to collaborate with the Oregon Health Authority and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to develop substance use prevention lessons focused on opioid and fentanyl prevention to be implemented by school districts. At least one lesson is required for grades 6, 7 and 8, and one in high school. These Substance use prevention lessons from ODE will be shared with districts for implementation in the 2024-2025 school year.  Additionally, House Bill 5204 provided funding for a Substance Use Prevention Coordinator at ODE, the development of additional substance use prevention curriculum, professional learning, and a social media campaign. Stay tuned for more updates next month!

SHAPE AMERICA Activity Calendars

Research shows that healthy students are better learners, and that physical activity and mindfulness has been shown to improve academic achievement and improve physical, social, emotional, and mental health.  SHAPE AMERICA produces monthly Health & Physical Education Activity Calendars that can be used within your classroom, and students can take them home to increase self-and/or family activities that focus on health and well-being. The activity calendars are also great for school staff wellness!  The calendars contain additional information on monthly health related observances and are available in English and Spanish.

Spring Call to Action for Schools

Equip staff, students, and caregivers in suicide prevention during spring transition time.

ODE, the Oregon Health Authority and Lines for Life have put together resources for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention.  This is an urgent request to all elementary, middle, and high school leaders to equip your school community to identify students who may be at risk of suicide and to refer those students to help. In spring of each year, Oregon experiences an increase in youth suicide attempts and deaths.

Rhythm Fit (Grades K-8) - OPEN Physical Education Curriculum

As physical educators, one of our objectives is to encourage students to use physical activities as vehicles for self-expression. Learning how to move to a rhythmic beat is ultimately a journey of self-expression. Perfecting every step is not what is important. Personal enjoyment, social engagement, and having an appreciation for all movement forms will teach and reinforce skills and concepts while keeping the magic of movement alive.

Teach the Topic of Hydration

Teach students the importance of hydration with Fuel Up's new lesson plan!  "Score with Your Pour" is a new lesson plan that is aligned to the national health education standards, the national Next Generation Science Standards, and CASEL's Social and Emotional Learning competencies.  The lesson is designed for middle school grades and comes with hands-on activities for students to apply what they've learned.  Read more and download the lesson for use in your setting.