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Spring 2022
Small steps by students delivered big strides towards equality
Barbara Johns Walk to School Day honors the 16-year-old student who lead a student walkout against poor conditions at the black high school she attended in Farmville, VA, in 1954
Earlier this year the General Assembly in Richmond proclaimed the last Wednesday in April as Barbara Johns Walk to School Day. Barbara was a 16- year-old student who attended a black high school in Prince Edward County. She was frustrated by the poor conditions and lack of facilities. Barbara led her classmates on a strike against the conditions she and her classmates had to endure at the high school in Farmville, VA. The year was 1951, and it was before Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus and before Martin Luther King, Jr. began his journey toward Civil Rights.
The students stayed on strike for two weeks. They were asking Prince Edward County to build them a better school. With the help of the NAACP their suit was one of five reviewed as part of the famous Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (KS) case. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that separate was not equal and public schools were to desegregate.
To honor Barbara Johns, schools may participate in a Walk to School or a Walk at School on Wednesday, April 27. Resources are available to learn more about Barbara Johns and activities you may want to do with your students.
Every Kid Healthy Week, April 22-26, is an annual observance aiming to spread awareness regarding the health of children. Children who are healthy and active from a young age, grow up into healthy adults. Healthy kids are able to learn better and be more successful.
Action for Healthy Kids , a national nonprofit connecting volunteers and community partners to make schools healthier places, encourages schools to plan events during Every Kid Healthy Week which promote and reinforce healthy habits such as good nutrition, emotional health, and physical activity. Here are some ideas to get you started on your activity planning:
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Take A Spin Outside – Bike Safety
With warmer weather and longer days, many people get the urge to get outside and be active. Being active is essential to maintaining overall health as well as mental health and wellness. Walking and biking are two easy ways to get some exercise and spend time with family and friends. |
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If you are getting the bikes out for the first time in a few months, be sure to do a safety check before getting on pedaling away. You will want to check for air in the tires, be sure the brakes are working, and check that the chain and pedals are in good shape and not loose. Helmets are also important and need to be fitted properly. The League of American Bicyclists has a short video, Proper Helmet Fitting, to review the steps. If your child hasn’t learned to ride, check out this easy start riding progression to get them going, and don’t forget to review hand signals to communicate to other users of the roadway.
FCPS and Our Minds Matter Partner To Host Mental Wellness Event
Our Minds Matter(OMM) is an innovative and grassroots effort to change school culture around mental health through student-led clubs. OMM and FCPS have worked together since 2012 on mental wellness initiatives for teens. When the OMM club-model was launched in 2016, FCPS served as the first pilot site – with four school clubs. Today, there are 27 clubs in FCPS high schools and middle schools.
The Move For Mental Health event, co-hosted by FCPS and OMM will be held on May 1 to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month. This event is open to the public and will feature a dedicated route to walk, run, bike or wheel - and will include other movement & self-care stations. The goal is to unite the Fairfax County community around mental health and wellbeing. Register at https://ourmindsmatter.networkforgood.com/events/40699-move-for-mental-health
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Fairfax County Health Department News
The pandemic has affected all of us in many ways. It changed the way we have lived, worked, and played for the past two years. Our high vaccination rates and low community transmission level are, in large part, due to all of us who worked so hard to diligently pay attention to health and safety measures for the past two years. We washed- we masked- we distanced- we vaccinated- and we stayed home when we didn’t feel well. But, as we begin to celebrate a return to normalcy, we must remember that there are still thousands of people in our communities who have high vulnerability to the disease because they are too young to be vaccinated, are immunosuppressed, are undergoing medical treatments or are not eligible for vaccination at this time.
For these individuals, their families and loved ones, it does not seem that the pandemic is not over. We continue to urge our staff to continue taking the following preventive steps to keep our staff, schools, and communities safe:
- Get vaccinated.
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Get your children vaccinated. Kids ages 5+ are eligible. Vaccine is free, safe, and effective.
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Get booster shots: they are recommended for everyone ages 12 and up
Please remember it is up to all of us to protect vulnerable, high-risk individuals in our schools and our community. Thank you for everything you have done in the past and continue to do as we move forward. Please visit our COVID-19 Vaccines webpage to read about the latest COVID-19 vaccine news.
New Wellness Reporting Window Set To Open
Beginning Monday, April 11, FCPS will implement annual wellness reporting, as required FCPS Regulation 2100. Previous wellness reporting results for each school are available to the public and may be accessed on the FCPS Wellness Reporting Webpage.
In April, each principal will receive an emailed link with instructions on how to complete their wellness reporting for SY 21-22. The survey reporting window will open April 11 and close April 22.
Each school has identified a Wellness Committee, including a staff wellness liaison and two additional wellness team members. Wellness committee members may be asked by administrators to support wellness reporting in their school communities. Thank you, in advance, for your support of FCPS wellness reporting.
Food Allergy Awareness Is Important For All
Approximately 32 million Americans have food allergies, and nearly 6 million of those are under the age of 18, that’s 1 in 13 children. Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 8-14, provides everyone with the opportunity simply be educated about food allergies which may be one of the most important ways to help people with food allergies. A food allergy is an abnormal response by the immune system to a food protein. The only way to prevent food allergies is to avoid the food.
Ninety percent of all reactions are caused by the following foods: Peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, soy, and sesame. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include hives, swelling, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, coughing, loss of consciousness. Symptoms can be severe and lead to an anaphylactic reaction which can be critical if left untreated.
The following links provide tips and resources for managing these conditions and preventing life threatening emergencies:
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