Friday Beat

July 7, 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
July is National Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes July as National Ultraviolet (UV) Safety Month. Even though spending time outside is a great way to be physically active, reduce stress, and get Vitamin D, it is important for families to protect their skin from exposure to UV light. Sun Safety Tips for home and at school can be found on the Sun Safety webpage.

Professional Development
Current Online Behavioral Trends: Lunch and Learn
The Texas School Safety Center, in collaboration with Safer Schools Together, is hosting a lunch and learn experience that will complement their Digital Threat Assessment (DTA) training. The DTA training teaches the tools and methods available to identify online threat-related behavior. This lunch and learn will improve understanding of the digital landscape and include a Q&A session with Safer Schools Together Threat Analysts. Participants will learn about school safety, case scenarios, trends, and risk behaviors. Two dates are available: July 28 or August 11. Register now.

Funding Opportunities
Oliver Foundation Healthy Choices Grant
The Oliver Foundation is accepting applications for the Make Healthy Choices for Life grants. The Oliver Foundation encourages children, families, and communities in Texas to improve the eating and physical activity patterns of pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school students. Schools are invited to apply for either of the two Healthy Choices (HC) grants or The Teen Advisory Board Grants (TB). Visit the Oliver Foundation Healthy Choices Grant website for complete details. All grant applications have rolling deadlines of April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th, 2023.

Health Education
75 Books About Mental Health
Child Mind Institute created a list of 75 children’s books discussing various mental health topics to help kids understand emotional and learning challenges and find words to describe difficult feelings or experiences in an age-appropriate way. Some example topics include anxiety, self-esteem, feelings, and trauma.

A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience (ASPIRE) Self-Paced Program
MD Anderson Cancer Center published a free online tobacco prevention education resource for teenagers. Students will travel through interactive modules and complete quizzes. Lessons include testimonials from former smokers, health care professionals and cancer survivors. The ASPIRE curriculum is available in English and Spanish and aligns with both national education standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

Physical Education and Physical Activity
Ways to Keep Active Together
Alliance for a Healthier Generation shares quick and simple ways for families with younger children to increase physical activity through play. This 10-minute learning activity covers benefits of play and physical activity, ways to foster play and physical activity, and additional resources for families to refer back to all summer long.

Give Your Kids a Healthy Body and Mind This Summer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published activities families can incorporate this summer to support children’s physical and emotional well-being. Resources include ideas for indoor and outdoor physical activity, ways to incorporate new healthy snacks, and emotional well-being activities for summertime.

Nutrition Environment and Services
Child Nutrition Toolkit
The Michael and Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living developed a Child Nutrition Toolkit to raise awareness of child health risk factors, develop new programs and actions, and to build on current initiatives in Texas. This toolkit consists of resources, data, tools, and guides. Share with parents, families, school staff, and community members to learn about the current nutrition crisis in Texas and what services are offered.

Plant a Snack Garden This Summer
Kids Gardening has a full lesson plan for planting a snack garden, highlighting veggies that are easy to eat as snacks. Fill a home garden with edible crops that can be harvested, washed, and enjoyed straight from the garden. Resources can be used at any grade level and include a materials list and description of activities.

Employee Wellness
Implementing School Employee Wellness in Districts/ Schools Toolkit
The Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) published a new school employee wellness resource designed to increase the capacity of district and school staff in addressing school employee wellness, improve the health of all school employees, and improve student health and academic outcomes. Download factsheets on supporting school employees, engaging with key partners, taking action to improve school employee wellness, and creating a culture and climate of wellness. Share with school districts and staff members.

Family Engagement
Online Safety
The internet has many positive uses, like researching school reports, communicating with teachers and other kids, and playing interactive games. Unfortunately, online access also comes with risks of inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online predators. Nemours KidsHealth provides online safety tools for parents, guardians, and families. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Community Involvement
Community Youth Development (CYD) Webinar
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Community Youth Development Program (CYD) is hosting a CYD program overview webinar on July 14, 2023 from 1:00 PM-2:00 PM CT. The CYD program provides funding and technical assistance that affords community-based organizations the opportunity to foster positive youth development and build healthy families and resilient communities. Register now to learn about CYD and the opportunities for community partnership.

Quote to Note
“When the sun is shining you can do anything; no mountain is too high, no trouble is too difficult to overcome.” — Wilma Rudolph

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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. 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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