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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 (DSHS). It is edited and compiled by the School Health Program.
Heat Safety Awareness Day – May 31
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) observes Heat Safety Awareness Day on May 31. Their Heat and Infants and Children webpage shares information to keep infants and children safe as temperatures rise. Share with students and families before the summer break.
National Scoliosis Awareness Month
June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, organized by the Scoliosis Research Society. The goals are to raise awareness about the need for scoliosis education, early detection, and prevalence within the community. Visit the website to download their social media resources and event toolkit to unite families, medical professionals, and people with scoliosis.
School Health Professional Development Webinar Series
Action for Healthy Kids is hosting free webinars on various school health topics. Below is the schedule:
Each webinar is from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (CST). Click on the link next to each of the dates to register.
Training and Exercise Toolkit
The Texas School Safety Center developed the Training and Exercise Toolkit to help school districts and open-enrollment charter schools plan for emergencies. The toolkit includes downloadable templates, trainings, resources, and tabletop exercises.
School Safety Grant Finder Tool
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services created SchoolSafety.gov to share actionable recommendations to keep school communities safe. Use this Grant Finder Tool to find funding opportunities to promote school safety.
2024-2025 Physical Fitness Assessment Deadline June 13
Texas Education Code Section 38.101 to Section 38.104 requires schools to annually assess and submit student physical fitness data for students enrolled in grades 3-12. For the 2024-2025 school year, districts and charter schools may submit their data through one of three options: FitnessGram®, the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI), or other vendor collection tool. Detailed guidance documents and a data upload template are posted on the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative webpage under the Announcements heading. The deadline for submitting data this school year is June 13 at 5 p.m.
Family Health and Fitness Day 2025
The National Recreation and Park Association recognizes the second Saturday in June as Family Health and Fitness Day. This year, on June 14, help promote the importance of parks and recreation in keeping communities healthy and active by participating in the event. Visit the Family Health and Fitness Day webpage for resources on health and wellness benefits of parks and recreation.
North Texas Food Bank Kids Camp
The North Texas Food Bank is hosting its third annual Kids Camp day camp at the North Texas Food Bank Perot Family Campus in Plano. The camp is designed to empower kids ages 8-11 to understand about and fight hunger in their neighborhood. Campers will get a behind-the-scenes look at the North Texas Food Bank and participate in activities related to preventing hunger, gardening, and nutrition. See camp dates, learn more about activities, and register on the Kids Camp webpage.
Junior Master Gardener Trainings
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Junior Master Gardener program are hosting trainings sessions over the summer on their Learn, Grow, Eat, Go curriculum. This interdisciplinary curriculum combines academic achievement, gardening, nutrient dense food experiences, physical activity, and school/family engagement.
School Nurse Epilepsy Clinical Practice Guidelines and Toolkit Training
National Association of School Nurses released the School Nursing Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline & Students with Seizures and Epilepsy (CPG) and Implementation Toolkit Training. The guideline offers evidence-based recommendations for providing high-quality care. The toolkit includes care planning tools and educational materials to assist in putting evidence-based recommendations into practice.
Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Reports Due Soon
The deadline for reporting your school’s mandatory Vision, Hearing, and Spinal Screening Reports is June 30 every year.. Report your submissions through the Child Health Reporting System. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact vhssprogram@dshs.texas.gov or chrs.loginhelp@dshs.texas.gov.
K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s School Safety Security Taskforce and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center offers the K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit. This toolkit is designed to help students and community members report safety and wellness concerns in schools to school leadership. It provides strategies and guidance for K-12 schools and districts to improve safety reporting programs.
How Right Now Campaign
Action for Healthy Kids is partnering with the CDC Foundation’s How Right Now (HRN) Teacher’s campaign. The campaign aims to provide support to public school teachers for K-12 and school staff who are going through high levels of stress, burnout, and grief. Explore the available HRN resources and share them with teachers and school staff.
After High School: Talking with Your Young Adult about Underage Drinking
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers resources to address underage alcohol use. This fact sheet is intended to help parents talk to their young adults about the risks of underage drinking. It is available in Spanish. View more related resources on the SAMHSA webpage.
“It’s never crowded along the extra mile.” –Wayne Dyer
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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.
Public Domain. Permission granted to forward or make copies as needed.
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