Friday Beat

September 1, 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
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The CDC Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity published information discussing 4 ways families can prevent child obesity at home. Information includes ways to model a healthy eating pattern, move more as a family, set consistent sleep routines, and ways to replace screen time with family time.

National Suicide Prevention Month
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission Office of Mental Health Coordination is hosting an online webinar on September 8th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on youth suicide prevention. This presentation will prepare parents, educators, mental health professionals, and the wider community with the knowledge and tools to identify and support at-risk youth effectively. Registration is open.

2024 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards Application Open
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is accepting applications for the 2024 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. These awards recognize achievements in environmental preservation and protection. Citizens, communities, and organizations can apply to receive the state’s highest environmental honor. Education, youth, and civic/community are among the ten award categories. Applications are due Friday, September 8, 2023. Learn more about the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards and apply.

Professional Development
Stock Asthma Medication: Implementation Guidance for Schools Training
The American Lung Association launched the Stock Asthma Medication: Implementation Guidance for Schools online training, which is aimed at licensed and unlicensed school personnel administering stock quick-relief asthma medication, and stakeholders seeking to understand and implement relevant legislation, policies, or programs. The course is free, takes one hour to complete, and has four modules that address essential elements from understanding the need for asthma-related policies in schools to successfully implementing a stock asthma medication program.

Health Education
Truth Campaign
Truth Initiative’s “Truth” Campaign delivers facts about the health effects and social consequences of smoking, vaping, and nicotine use. In addition, it talks about the marketing tactics of the tobacco industry so that young people can make informed choices and influence others to do the same. Resources include fact sheets, a comprehensive guide to quit vaping, youth stories video series, and more.

Ways to Talk with Teens About Underage Drinking
Children’s Mental Health Network teamed up with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to create After High School: Talking with Your Young Adult About Underage Drinking. This resource is for parents, teachers, and school professionals to talk with teens about the consequences of underage drinking as they are moving into young adulthood. Ways to start the conversation, important topics of discussion, and the importance of having trusted adults to talk to about underage drinking are included in the resource.

Physical Education and Physical Activity
Music and Dance: Healthy Kids Physical Toolkit
The University of Nevada Reno Cooperative Extension has created music and dance opportunities for preschoolers that can be downloaded and used as part of a curriculum, as a teacher-led, structured activity or as an activity to break up sedentary time. The music is multi-genre, has healthy messaging related to physical activity and healthy eating, and incorporates math, science, music, and creativity to teach children fundamental and perceptual motor skills that help them become active adolescents.

Nutrition Environment and Services
Building a Farm and Garden Youth Entrepreneurship Program
Farm-Based Education Network is hosting a virtual workshop series on the ins and outs of farm and garden youth entrepreneurship programs. City Blossoms, United States Botanic Garden, and the Farm-Based Education Network welcomes several guest presenters to share unique youth entrepreneurship models. Free registration opens soon – bookmark the page and mark your calendars!

Serving Up MyPlate: A Yummy Curriculum
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service created the Serving Up MyPlate: A Yummy Curriculum, a collection of classroom materials to help elementary school teachers integrate nutrition education into math, science, English language arts, and health. Three curriculum levels covering grades 1-6 introduces the importance of eating from all five food groups. This curriculum introduces the importance of eating from all five food groups using the MyPlate icon and a variety of hands–on activities. Students also learn the importance of physical activity to staying healthy.

Counseling, Psychological and Social Services
Partnering with Schools to Improve Youth Mental Health
The School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA) partnered with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions to develop a resource for improving youth mental health. The collaboration provides a strong, shared understanding and perspective of how partnerships between schools and community mental health organizations are constructed and the tangible impacts that such partnerships realize in practice. Visit the webpage for more information.

Teen Depression: More Than Just Moodiness
The National Institute of Mental Health developed Teen Depression: More Than Just Moodiness, a checklist that parents, educators, school staff, and other trusted adults can use to talk with teens about depression. Information also includes ways to get help for depression. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Social and Emotional School Climate
Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment
Alliance for a Healthier Generation created the Thriving Schools Integrated Assessment to help schools and districts quickly and easily identify strengths and opportunities for improving policies and practices in the ways that matter most to them, creating learning environments that promote student achievement and the well-being of kids, teachers, and staff. Some topics include core policies and practices, family and community engagement, health education, and staff well-being. It’s accessible in the Alliance’s free Action Center, where all Healthier Generation resources are housed. A free login is required.

Family Engagement
Back-To-School and Student Health
National Association of School Nurses’ (NASN) President Kate King participated in a back-to-school segment on the TODAY Show to discuss her five tips for families with students returning to school to promote health, safety, and readiness to learn. Learn best practices to prepare for a healthy, successful school year.

Quote to Note
“Start where you are, use what you can, and do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe

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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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