Friday Beat
December 1, 2017 Edition
The newsletter that takes a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child(WSCC) approach.
Announcements
2018 Texas School Survey
TheTexas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use has collectedself-reported data on tobacco, alcohol, and drug use among students in grades 7-12 since 1988. Although the survey is offered to all Texas schools annually, 20 percent of public schools are recruited to participate every other year. Currently, 710 schools across Texas are being recruited for participationin the spring 2018 survey.Participatingschools will receive a $500 incentive payment, all survey materials at no cost, and the option to receive a free Campus Level Report. To find out if your school has been selectedrandomly or to enroll your school,visit the Texas School Survey website.
Funding Opportunities
Farm to School Grant Request for Applications (RFA)
This is a final reminder that the fiscal year 2018 Farm to School Grant RFA is open until December 8, 2017. The purpose of thisgrant program is to assist eligible entities in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools. More information is available on the U.S. Department of Agriculture website, including links to the prerecorded Grant RFA Webinar and associated webinar slides, which provide an overview of the application process.
Voices for Healthy Kids (VHK): Targeted Call for Proposals
Thisis a reminder that applications are due by December 8, 2017, for proposals in the areas of the school health (e.g., physical activity/education, junk food marketing, wellness, school food, and water), early care and education, and out-of-school-time policy levers. A recorded webinar isavailable on the VHK website that provides a targeted policy lever overview.
America’s PromiseHealthy Schools Fund
America’s Promise will select three to five existing districts and/or community-level organizations to receive up to $150,000 each per year for two years. The recipients must demonstrate cross-sector collaboration that accelerates positive change for youth in schools and their communities. It is highly recommended that those interested in applying attend theinformational webinar onDecember 6, 2017, at 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST. Applications are due by January 22, 2018.
Asthma Scholarship Award—Applications Due: March 1, 2018
The Texas Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society (TAAIS) Memorial Foundation is pleased to announce the 2018 TAAIS Memorial Foundation Asthma Scholarship Award.This one-time award of $1,500 will be granted to up to three qualified and deserving high school seniors in Texas who suffer from asthma.To learn more about the scholarship and download an application, please visit the TAAIS website.
Health Education
CDC Webpage: Health and Academics
TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated itsHealthy Schools website to include new information that supports thelink between student health behaviors and academic grades. Research is based on theSeptember 2017Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Health-Related Behaviors and Academic Achievement Among High School Students — United States, 2015.This report confirms the association between healthand academics found in an earlier, systematic review of CDC research. The new webpageincludes fact sheets, data tables, and other resources.
Physical Education Physical Activity
Webinar: Game On for Health and Physical Education(PE) Teachers
At 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST on December 5, 2017, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) will present this webinar. It introduces Game On and provides specific examplesof how to integrate Game On activities into your school’s health and PE programming.
Webinar: Introducing the Youth Compendium of Physical Activities
At 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST on December 6, 2017, the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR)will hostA Breakthrough Resource for Childhood Obesity Research. Presenters will discuss development of the Youth Compendium, whichestimates the associated energy expenditure of a variety of activities in which youth participate, and waysthe new tool can be used.
Nutrition Environment & Services
The Center for Healthy Food Access
The Food Trust has launched The Center for Healthy Food Access, a national collaborative effort working to ensure that every child in the U.S. has access to nutritious, affordable food. The Center is focusing on promoting the Healthy Food Access Portal so that organizations can share successes. The portal provides a vast array of resources for improving healthy food access in low-income communities and communities of color. One resource is the “Find Money & Policy Efforts by State” function, which generates a Texas-specific list.
Webinar: Youth Engagement in Farm to School
On December 7, 2017, at 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST, the National Farm to School Network will present Trending Topics in Farm to School. It will highlight unique approaches and initiatives for engaging youth in their communities and food systems.
Health Services
Continuing Education: Influenza Prevention with Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is highlighting a new continuing education (CE) opportunity provided by Medscape, LLC, which utilizes the CDC’s August 2017 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report(MMWR) Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines.Medscape will award 1.75 contact hours of CE credit for nurses.You can register free of charge or log in without a password.
Social Emotional Climate
Webinar: Engaging and Learning from Student Voice
On December 7, 2017, at 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST, the National Student Attendance, Engagement and Success Center (NSAESC) will host the webinar. Presenters from John Hopkins University will discuss ways students can provide input on how they learn and how to improve school attendance and behavior through student voice.
Physical Environment
School Cafeteria Discards Assessment Project (SCrAP)
This project is a collaboration between the Environment Research & Education Foundation (EREF) and three other organizations. During the 2016-2017 school year, 93 schools from 38 states participated in SCrAP by documenting their policies, practices, and waste quantities at 1 of 3 levels. In September, three schools received monetary awards. Online registration is still open for the 2017-2018 school year!
Family Engagement
Webinar: Keeping Children 8-14 Years Old Safe as Motor Vehicle Occupants
TheChildren’s Safety Network (CSN) will host the webinar at 1:00-2:00 p.m. CST on December 6, 2017.Learn how injury prevention programs can blend data, research, and strategies from several sources to address the unmet needs of motor vehicle occupants ages 8-14.
Quote to Note
“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.”
—Marie Curie, physicist
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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 or call (512) 776-7279.
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