For additional resources on these topics and others related to school health
education and services, visit the School Health Program Web site at
www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth
Quote to Note:
“A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car.” Kenneth Tynan
Program Notices and Postings:
New immunization requirements are now official - Immediate
The new immunization requirements are now official. The detailed requirements are posted in the Texas Administrative Code at
http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=5&ti=25&pt=1&ch=97&sch=B&rl=Y.
Local School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs) Grant Opportunity – Deadline: March 26, 2009
The Texas Education Agency is requesting applications from all Texas district-level local school health advisory councils and all Texas public charter school SHACs. The purpose of these grants is to recognize the five most qualified SHACs with a grant award. Additionally, policies and best practices from each SHAC receiving a grant award will be showcased on selected agency web sites and through training as exemplary strategies. The announcement letter and complete RFA is posted at http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms/GrantProgramSearch.aspx. In the "Select Search Options" box, select the name of the RFA (“Award for Excellence for Local SHACs”) from the drop-down list. Scroll down to the "Application and Support Information" section to view all documents that pertain to this RFA.
New grants to help schools boost breakfast program participation – Deadline: April 10, 2009
Action for Healthy Kids, with support from Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund, is offering grants to schools that currently participate in the School Breakfast Program with greater than 50 percent eligibility for free and reduced-price meals. The grants are intended to fund implementation of alternative breakfast programs, innovative marketing and promotions, and/or enhancement of the school breakfast experience through educational enrichment activities. More information can be found at www.actionforhealthykids.org or by contacting Sarah Titzer, director of team programs at (317) 884-0321 or . To download a copy of the application, go to www.actionforhealthykids.org/UploadFiles/School%20Breakfast%20RFP%20Final.pdf.
Active Living and Healthy Eating Research Rapid Response Grants – Deadline: July 17, 2009
Active Living Research and Healthy Eating Research are national programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that support research to identify promising policy and environmental strategies for increasing physical activity, promoting healthy eating and preventing obesity. This call for proposals supports time-sensitive, opportunistic studies to evaluate changes in policies or environments with the potential to reach children who are at highest risk for obesity. For details and application, go to www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=20681.
Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Professional Development:
Webcast: Strategic Planning for Adolescent HIV/STI Prevention – March 5, 2009
ThisWebcast will provide participants with an overview of basic strategic planning principles and how these can be applied to adolescent HIV/STI prevention. To register, go to https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=zxdy9xzegcnt.
HEADS UP Teacher Summer Science Institute– June 24-26, 2009 Deadline: April 15, 2009
This mini-conference is a teacher professional development opportunity for science, health and career and technology educators hosted by The University of Texas School of Public Health, Michael and Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living. The flyer and application are available atwww.sph.uth.tmc.edu/headsup.
Webcast: Youth in an Online World – April21, 2009
The Youth Intervention Programs Institute and the National Institute on Media and the Family will present a Webcast on theopportunities, dangers and impacts for"Youth in an OnlineWorld." For more information and to register, go to www.mnyipa.org/control.php?contentname=W209.
Webcast – Cyberbullying: Tools and tips for Prevention and Intervention – April 22, 2009
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau invites you to attend this webcast on April 22, 2009, 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST, where experts in the field of bullying prevention will discuss cyberbullying - an emerging phenomenon among youth. To register for the webcast, visit www.mchcom.com/liveWebcastDetail.asp?leid=371.
Health Services:
Children’s Exposure to Elemental Mercury
A new review from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry shows that children are most often exposed to elemental or metallic mercury at home or at school. Mishandling and improper clean up cause most exposures. Broken fever thermometers are the most common cause of exposures at home. Children can also be exposed to elemental mercury in the home from broken compact fluorescent light bulbs and other devices that contain mercury. Children are sometimes exposed to elemental or metallic mercury from school science labs or devices that contain mercury, such as medical equipment. In some cases, school flooring can be a source of mercury exposure. From the 1960s to the 1980s, many schools installed synthetic gymnasium floors that contained mercury. These surfaces slowly release mercury vapor, especially if damaged. If you suspect your school flooring may contain mercury, please contact Mark Johnson at , or Steve Jones at . For more information, go to www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mercury.
CDC: Major Decline in High Lead Levels Among Children
CDC data show that 1.4 percent of young children had elevated lead levels in their blood in 2004, compared with almost nine percent in 1988. The researchers attribute the decline to aggressive efforts to get lead out of paint, water and soil. "It has been a remarkable decline," a study co-author said, adding, "It's a public-health success story." Read more and get linked to the government study at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_he_me/med_children_lead;_ylt=Ao8g_7xIoYRfMoRVM6bqTCnVJRIF.
School-based Intervention Is a Promising Model for Improving Adolescent Sleep Habits
A study in the March 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that a school-based sleep intervention is a promising model for addressing adolescent sleep problems, given its high retention rate, cost-effectiveness and potential for promoting healthy sleep knowledge and practice. Read how at www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090301094246.htm.
Diabetes on the Rise in Every Racial and Ethnic Group Studied
New findings from the nation’s largest study of diabetes in youth paint an alarming picture of disease on the rise among every racial and ethnic group studied. Five articles appearing in the March supplement of Diabetes Care provide a comprehensive picture of diabetes in children and adolescents from five ethnic and racial groups in the United States, including non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics, blacks, Asian/Pacific Islanders and American Indians/Navajo Nation. The articles describe important aspects of the epidemiologic, metabolic, behavioral and quality of care issues in youth with diabetes. Read the Diabetes Care articles at http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/vol32/issue3.
Nutrition Services:
March is National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month is celebrated to promote nutrition education and information. Registered dietitians across the country use National Nutrition Month to spread the word about nutrition through press releases, local health and wellness events and promotional materials provided by the American Dietetic Association. This year's theme is "Eat Right.” The goal of "Eat Right" is to encourage consumers to become informed and educated about nutrition and physical activity and to turn that knowledge into healthy eating and exercise habits. For more information, visit www.eatright.org and click on “National Nutrition Month.
February Team Nutrition Newsletter
This month’s issue has
¡ State Developed Materials such as Starting Right with Breakfast:
This instructional program was developed by The Idaho Department of Education, Child Nutrition Programs, for school foodservice directors and managers to make improvements to their breakfast menus and improve participation in their school breakfast program. Facilitator materials include games, small group activities and marketing activities. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/bcj6bp.
¡ USDA Team Nutrition's New Publications such as Expanding Your School Breakfast Program:
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service have updated their Web site with an improved version of the Discovering School Breakfast Toolkit. This new resource is web-based and full of resources to help anyone interested in increasing participation in the program. Access the Expanding Your School Breakfast Program site at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Breakfast/expansion/default.htm.
¡ News from the Healthy Meals Resource System - A variety of resources for nutrition educators, food service managers and staff, covering everything from education and training materials, purchasing, to regulations, marketing and more. Recipes, fact sheets, studies and nutritional information are just some examples of the types of resources you can find at http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=14&tax_level=1.
The newsletter is available at http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/TN_Newsletters/TN_Newsletter_Feb_2009.pdf.
Health Education:
Youth Anti-drug Media Campaign Updates Parent Resources to Combat Teen Drug Use
Research shows that teens that have a close relationship with their parents are less likely to use drugs and alcohol and engage in other risky behaviors. National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign has a number of resources, available free of charge, to help you educate parents in your community. You may order materials by visiting www.TheAntiDrug.com/Resources or by calling 1-800-788-2800 to place bulk orders free of charge.
What Works 2009 Pamphlet
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy offers a pamphlet overviewing carefully evaluated interventions that help to delay sexual activity, improve contraceptive use and/or prevent teen pregnancy. Access the pamphlet at www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/pubs/WhatWorks09.pdf.
Parent and Community Involvement:
Child Policy Experts Answer Questions about Child Care Quality
Improving child care quality has been a priority for policymakers over the last decade, and child care quality rating systems have proliferated across the country. However, several studies released in 2008 find little evidence that the ratings reported by these systems are associated with measures of children's well-being. As such, the evidence raises questions about the reliability of these systems to accurately measure the quality of child care services. This new Expert Perspectives feature from Promising Practices provides an opportunity to ask experts about the topic of child care quality and methods used to measure child care quality. Learn more and submit questions at
www.promisingpractices.net/experts/experts_childcare.asp?ref=ppntext.
Safe and Healthy School Environment:
Educators: Stand-up desks may improve attention, reduce obesity
Student desks that allow pupils to stand, sit or fidget to their hearts' content seem to improve student concentration and reduce obesity, say educators who use them. Now two studies are examining whether the desks really do improve students' academics or fitness. "I think we're so used to the traditional classroom it's taken a while for people to start thinking outside the box," said University of Minnesota kinesiologist Beth A. Lewis. "I think it's just a matter of breaking the mold." To read more, go to www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/us/25desks.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=desk&st=cse.
Teen Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
A new statistic: teenagers are in more danger from sexual predators at their part time jobs than through the Internet. According to one estimate, 200,000 teenagers are assaulted at the workplace each year. NOW on PBS produced a broadcast investigation into teen sexual harassment in the workplace. Access the report at www.pbs.org/now/shows/508/index.html.
National Poison Prevention Week – March 15-21, 2009
Poisonings are second only to motor vehicle crashes as a leading cause of unintentional injury/death. TheHealth Resources and Services Administrationoffers resources to coincide with National Poison Prevention Week, March 15-21, 2009. To see the resources, visit www.healthdisparities.net/hdc/hdcsearch/isysconcept/HRSA/Poison%20Control%20Program/National%20Poison%20Prevention%20Week/?IW_BATCHSIZE=25.
Swimming Lessons Do Not Increase Drowning Risk in Young Children
Providing very young children with swimming lessons appears to have a protective effect against drowning and does not increase children's risk of drowning, reported researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers state that the findings should ease concerns among health professionals that giving swimming lessons to children from ages 1 to 4 years might indirectly increase drowning risk by making parents and caregivers less vigilant when children are near bodies of water. Read more at www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/030209-Drowning-Risk.cfm.
Counseling and Mental Health Services:
Only 10% of Teens with Substance-abuse Problem Get Treatment
Despite the public health implications of teen substance abuse, just ten percent of the 1.4 million U.S. teens with substance-abuse problems receive treatment, according to new research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "Part of this treatment gap may be driven by the limited availability of adolescent-only treatment services," the study author said, adding that less than one-third of addiction programs include teen-focused programs. To read more and get linked to the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment article, go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090302/hl_hsn/teensundertreatedforsubstanceabuse.
March Health Observance and Recognition Days:
§ Save Your Vision Month
§ National Nutrition Month
§ National Kidney Month
§ National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Month
§ National Brain Injury Awareness Month
§ National School Breakfast Week: 2nd - 6th
§ National Poison Prevention Week: 15th - 21st
§ World Kidney Day: 12th
§ American Diabetes Alert Day: 24th
§ World Tuberculosis Day: 24th
For information on how to contact the sponsoring agencies to obtain more information, go to www.healthfinder.gov/nho/nho.asp?year=2009#m3.
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External links to other sites appearing in the Friday Beat are intended to be informational and do not represent an endorsement by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). These sites may also not be accessible to people with disabilities. External email links are provided to you as a courtesy. Please be advised that you are not emailing the DSHS and DSHS policies do not apply should you choose to correspond. For information about any of the programs listed, contact the sponsoring organization directly. For comments or questions about the Friday Beat, contact Ellen Smith at (512) 458-7111 ext. 2140 or by email at . Copyright free. Permission granted to forward or make copies as needed.
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