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Friday Beat

April 28, 2023, Edition

The newsletter that takes a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach. The Friday Beat is a free publication of the Texas Department of State Health Services. It is edited and compiled by the School Health Program.

Announcements
Welcome to DSHS School Health Program – Dianna Pierson, MPH, BSN, RN
Please join us in welcoming Dianna Pierson to the Community Health Worker and School Health Branch! She started on April 17, 2023, as the new School Health Nurse and Team Lead.

National School Nurse Day is May 10, 2023
National School Nurse Day has been celebrated since 1972. The purpose of this day is to establish a better understanding for the role of school nurses in educational settings. The National Association of School Nurses has developed a promotional toolkit including ways schools can honor their nurses on May 10, 2023.

Professional Development
Child Safety Learning Collaborative Webinar
The Children’s Safety Network is hosting a Child Safety Learning Collaborative Webinar. The webinar will feature stories, lessons, tools, and resources for child safety that can be implemented in school districts. The webinar will take place on May 3, 2023, from 2-3 pm. Visit the Children’s Safety Network webinar webpage for more information.

2023 Pediatric Brain Health Summit
Registration is open for the 2023 Pediatric Brain Health Summit. The Pediatric Brain Health Summit will be held May 1-2, 2023. The conference has virtual options still open. Sessions will address current pediatric brain development science and how to support programs of community resilience to provide optimal development in Texas’ children. Visit the Texas Pediatric Brain Health Initiative to learn more.

Health Education
Student Cessation Program - INDEPTH
American Lung Association offers a four-session program to schools entitled Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco, and Health (INDEPTH). The INDEPTH program is intended for school youth currently using tobacco products and is not intended as a prevention program. The guide offers instructions, notes, talking points, and handouts facilitators can use to implement the program.

Physical Education and Physical Activity
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Healthy Schools Partner Toolkit
Priority 1 of the Healthy Schools Toolkit is physical education and physical activity. Schools can create an environment that offers many opportunities for students to be physically active throughout the school day. A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program provides strong coordination for five components: physical education, physical activity during school (recess and classroom physical activity), physical activity before and after school, staff involvement, and family and community engagement. Explore the CDC’s physical activity resources to support physical education in schools. These resources include webinars, guides, articles, and ready-to-go handouts to share with staff and families.

Health Services
Assessing & Addressing Childhood Vaccine Delay
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation) released a key findings fact sheet on recommendations around childhood vaccinations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Their findings provide details on vaccine hesitancy and how to promote on-time vaccinations within school districts. View the Healthier Generations report for more information.

Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for High Schools
The JED Foundation’s framework – The High School Comprehensive Approach is a resource used to support and improve student mental health, reduce suicide risk, and prepare students emotionally for the transition into young adulthood. The Approach can be utilized by school leadership for strategic planning around mental health and emotional well-being at school. This framework uses seven core domains that focus on evaluation and implementation efforts.

Mental Health and Behavioral Health TCOLE #4064 Training
The Texas School Safety Center is offering in-person training May 18-19, 2023 in San Marcos, Texas. The goal of this training is to assist school districts with compliance with legislative mandates. Topics for this training include mental health crisis intervention, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and mental and behavioral health needs of children with disabilities or special needs. The training is free but registration is limited to 60 participants.

Social and Emotional School Climate
Texas Education Agency’s Safe and Supportive Schools Guide
As schools begin planning their 2023-2024 school year, schools can use Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Safe and Supportive School Program Guide. This guide offers support on conducting a needs assessment and implementation activities for improving school climate. School climate encompasses the experience students, parents, school personnel, and community members partake. School norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures all impact the overall school experience. Schools can also access TEA’s Safe and Supportive Schools webpage for more information.

Family Engagement
Preventing Childhood Obesity: 4 Things Families Can Do
A published CDC article indicates childhood obesity has many contributing factors such as genetics, eating patterns, physical activity levels, and sleep routine. Together, families can model a healthy eating pattern, move more as a family, set consistent sleep routines, and replace screen time with family time. Families can view the resources in this article to set up lifelong health habits at home.

Community Involvement
5-Week Guides for Creating a Caring School Community
Guides developed by Healthier Generation provide resources educators can use to merge community-building activities and foster positive relationships. These 5-week guides provide educators with resources to co-create a caring, supportive in-person and/or virtual school environment. Access the guides to learn how schools can support staff, students, and families to build a caring school community.

Quote to Note

“You dream. You plan. You reach. There will be obstacles. There will be doubters. There will be mistakes. But with hard work, with belief, with confidence and trust in yourself and those around you, there are no limits.” – Michael Phelps
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The articles and hyperlinks to external websites appearing in Friday Beat are intended to be informational and do not represent an endorsement by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Other websites may not be accessible to people with disabilities or server restrictions. External email addresses may also be provided as a courtesy. If you choose to correspond, please be advised that DSHS policies may not apply. For information about any of the programs listed, contact the sponsoring organization directly. For comments or questions about Friday Beat, email the School Health Program at schoolhealth@dshs.texas.gov or call (512) 776-7279.

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