Friday Beat
June 28, 2024, 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.

DSHS Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Program Update
The DSHS Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Program announced that certified screeners and external instructors may request all personal information to remain private. To participate, submit a Public Access Notice Form. Completed forms will need to be forwarded to the vision, hearing, and spinal screening program at VHSSProgram@dshs.texas.gov for processing.

Professional Development
American Academy of Pediatrics Social Media and Youth Mental Health Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO): Strategies for Professionals
Want to learn more about the risks and benefits of social media and how it impacts youth wellbeing? Want to help empower youth and families to create a better digital ecosystem for the individual child? The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health is hosting the first session of the American Academy of Pediatrics Social Media and Youth Mental Health ECHO: Strategies for Professionals on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Learn more, see a complete list of session dates, and register.

Student Athlete Mental Health: A Game Plan
The McLean Hospital Education Outreach Department is offering a free online course on the importance of mental health for student-athletes. This course equips participants with essential knowledge, strategies, and resources to effectively support the mental health needs of student-athletes. Share this opportunity with youth coaches and other school staff.

Funding Opportunities
Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards
Action for Healthy Kids is recognizing and celebrating School Food Authorities (SFA) that have improved the nutritional quality of their school meals through operational changes. They are also honoring SFAs that involve students and families in nutrition education and in planning and preparing healthy school meals. SFAs meeting the Recognition Award criteria will receive national and local recognition, along with an awardee toolkit that includes digital assets and travel stipends to attend a national Healthy Meals Summit. Applications are due by June 30, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Health Education
Native Diabetes Wellness Program Eagle Books
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Native Diabetes Wellness Program offers reading toolkits for students in kindergarten through 4^th grade and 5^th grade through 8th grade. Eagle Books are a series of books for young readers that encourage healthy living. Colorful, Native American-inspired characters in the stories promote healthy eating, physical activity, and diabetes awareness. These books and other resources are free and available for download.

Physical Education and Physical Activity
Give Your Kids a Healthy Body and Mind This Summer
The CDC has shared a list of activities for families to help children stay healthy and happy during the summer. The resources include ideas for both indoor and outdoor physical activities, tips for adding new healthy snacks, and guidance on emotional well-being activities.

Nutrition Environment and Services
Food and Nutrition Service Program Participation Dashboard
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service released a new tool called the FNS Program Participation Dashboard that provides new, in-depth insight into publicly available data, specifically, program participation and meals served across ten FNS nutrition programs. This dashboard is available to the public and uses the most recent data available. It allows users to explore and display data in several ways and across different geographic locations. Users can download programmatic data in an easy-to-use format.

Health Services
School-Based Health Center Playbook on Health Care Transition
The School-Based Health Alliance and Got Transition, in collaboration with an advisory group of school-based health center (SBHC) clinicians, administrators, and young adults, created the SBHC Health Care Transition (HCT) Playbook. The Playbook is designed to help SBHCs, and school staff support students in getting ready to move from pediatric care to adult health care. For more information, please visit the webpage.

Family Engagement
Screen Time Guidelines for Big Kids
Nemours Kids Health published guidelines for screen time for older kids, including recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and screen time tips. Review these guidelines before planning summer activities and encourage kids to find activities with less required screen time. This resource is also available in Spanish.

Ways to Build a Network of Support for Your Child at School
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation provides ways to build a network of support for children at school. They emphasize the importance of family engagement within the school community. This helps to improve academic achievement and boost self-esteem. Family engagement also helps parents and caregivers feel more confident in making decisions at home and when interacting with their children's teachers.  With summer approaching, here are six steps to help you connect with school staff and other families in the community before the new school year begins.

Quote to Note
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” –Mahatma Gandhi

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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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