For Additional Resources on These Topics and Others Related to School Health s1

Friday Beat April 23, 2010 Edition

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: “ So if you think your life is complete confusion because your neighbor's got it made, just remember that it's a grand illusion and deep inside we're all the same." Styx, American rock band, from "The Grand Illusion"

Notices and Postings: Funding Available for School-Based Health Centers – Application Deadline: May 28, 2010 The Department of State Health Services School Health Program announces the availability of Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Funds to: A) start a school-based health center that delivers primary and preventative health services and related social services to a school-age population on a school campus or to expand to a new school campus within the school district; or B) expand services to existing school-based health centers. Expanded services may include but are not limited to obesity prevention and treatment, mental health and substance abuse, asthma or diabetes management, and dental health. Respondent may also increase provider time to serve more students and/or a specific population with a targeted intervention. For more information and to download the request for proposal, go to http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=88347.

TEA Releases Updated Best Practices Clearinghouse The Texas Education Agency (TEA) this week launched a redesigned Best Practices Clearinghouse Web site that includes a range of new features such as a searchable database and additional research information. The clearinghouse contains summaries of more than 50 best practices programs or strategies from Texas schools and districts that have a proven track record of improving student performance or district operations. New best practice summaries are added monthly with another 40 summaries scheduled to be added by August 2011. Summaries of best practices use a case study approach with quantitative analysis to measure effectiveness. They focus on areas of instruction, dropout prevention, college and career readiness, English language learners, management of schools and strategies that support learning such as professional learning communities. The summaries offer detailed steps for implementing the best practices, including training needs, costs, timelines and lessons learned. The new Web site can be viewed at www.teabpc.org.

Conferences, Trainings and Professional Development: Alcohol Use, Depression and Young People: Implications for Addressing Suicide Risk – SPRC Research to Practice Webinar Series. April 29, 2010, 3:00-4:30 p.m., EST This Webinar, conducted by the Suicide Prevention Research Center (SPRC), discusses what is known and not known about the impact of alcohol use on mental health and suicide and the implications for suicide prevention planning. The Webinar is suitable for a wide range of alcohol and suicide prevention practitioners at the state and community level, schools and colleges and universities. To register, visit www1.gotomeeting.com/register/872468745.

Physical Activity and Education: Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path This new knowledge path is an electronic guide to recent resources that analyze data, describe public health campaigns and other promotion programs, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving physical activity levels within families, schools and after-school programs, child care and early childhood

Friday Beat – April 23, 2010 1 education settings, and communities. The new edition of the knowledge path, produced by the Maternal and Child Health Library, contains Web sites, publications, databases, newsletters and discussion groups. The knowledge path is available at www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_phys_activity.html. Counseling and Mental Health Services: Study Links Bullying to Cognitive Deficits, Brain Changes Preliminary evidence shows that bullying can produce signs of stress, cognitive deficits and mental health problems. A Canadian study plans to scan the brains of teens who have been regularly humiliated and ostracized by their peers to look for structural differences compared with other children. Read about it at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2011367945_bullies.html.

Teaching Empathy May Help Prevent Bullying, Experts Say Child-development experts say bullying may be preventable if children experience, and are taught, empathy at a young age. Studies are showing children who experience trauma, neglect or who are not nurtured as infants grow up having trouble understanding how others feel. Read about it at www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1982190,00.html. Healthy and Safe School Environment: Best States for Teen Drivers: U.S. News Rankings These first-ever rankings of states' teen driving safety found a wide disparity in the driving conditions and safety laws young drivers face in different parts of the nation. U.S. News examined 11 factors that affect teen driving safety, ranging from teen driver fatalities to laws regarding how quickly teens are able to earn unrestricted driving privileges to the average number of miles residents drive within the state. For the list, go to www.usnews.com/news/teen- driving.

Highlights of the 2008 National Youth Gang Survey This fact sheet, released by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), draws on findings from OJJDP's annual National Youth Gang Survey to provide data on gangs, gang members, and gang-related crime and violence. In 2008, approximately 774,000 gang members and 27,900 gangs were active in some 3,300 jurisdictions across the United States, estimates that remain virtually unchanged from 2007. To read about it, go to www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/229249.pdf.

Bicycle Safety Activity Kit The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration developed the Bicycle Safety Activity Kit to provide parents, caregivers, teachers, community leaders and children with tools to learn the important basics about bicycle safety. This kit can be used in school or community bicycle safety programs or in conjunction with Safe Routes to School programs. The kit contains age-appropriate activities emphasizing the prevention of crashes and related injuries while bicycling. To view the tool, go to www.naccho.org/toolbox/tool.cfm?id=1088.

NATA and NABCA Sports Safety Checklist The Sports Safety Checklist was developed by the National Athletic Trainer's Association (NATA) and the North American Booster Club Association (NABCA) to serve as a guide for parents, coaches, administrators and athletes to ensure a safe environment for activity, reduce the risk of injury or death, and offer an effective emergency plan of action in the event of an injury. Access the checklist at www.nata.org/youthsports/NATAcheklist9.pdf.

Nutrition Services and Education: School Lunch and Diabetes Meal Planning Help your students prepare a lunch from home that is healthy or make selections at school that will be suitable for their meal plan. To find out how, go to www.joslin.org/managing_your_diabetes_4508.asp.

Health Services: CDC Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports Resources The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with 26 leading organizations, developed the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports educational campaign that includes a tool kit for youth sports coaches, parents, and athletes. The kit offers information on preventing, recognizing and responding to a concussion. The campaign's Web site includes fact sheets specially tailored for coaches, athletes, and parents, posters, quizzes, the campaign's activity report and other resources. To view these materials, go to www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/youth.html. An evaluation study of the campaign was conducted and published in

Friday Beat – April 23, 2010 2 the March 2010 edition of the Journal of School Health. The study is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1746- 1561.2010.00491.x.

Give “Voice” to Meningococcal Meningitis by Joining Voices of Meningitis The Texas School Nurse Organization has joined the National Association of School Nurses’ Voices of Meningitis campaign to help raise awareness about meningococcal disease and encourage vaccination for preteens and teens. Anyone can get meningococcal meningitis, but preteens and teens are at greater risk and five times more likely to die compared with other age groups. Health officials recommend vaccination for preteens and teens 11 through 18 years of age and college freshmen living in dormitories. In Texas, only 37% of adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age have received the meningitis vaccine, which is far from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s goal of a 90% immunization rate.1 This underscores the importance of educating our students’ parents about vaccination. Educational materials to help in raising awareness are available for downloading free of charge on www.VoicesOfMeningitis.org.

What’s Working Around the Nation: Pittsburgh Students are Using Yoga to Exercise Body, Mind Pittsburgh Public Schools are including yoga in their physical education curriculum -- an exercise that some yoga proponents say can benefit the body and mind. One PE teacher said her students love the activity, which is an alternative to traditional activities such as soccer or track. Yoga also allows students of various levels of physical fitness to go at their own pace. Read about it at www.post-gazette.com/pg/10109/1051535-114.stm.

Educators Turn to Technology in Effort to Teach Health and Nutrition Some educators are using technology to help promote health and nutrition among students. In one New York private school for students with special needs, teachers had students conduct online research of foods' nutritional content, while other educators are screening educational videos about health and nutrition in the classroom. The efforts are part of first lady Michelle Obama's campaign to combat childhood obesity. Read about it at www.eschoolnews.com/2010/04/19/health-education-gets-a-federal-boost.

Mentor program Offers Support to Black Male Students in Mississippi District A community program is providing support and mentoring to black male high-school students in Mississippi's Tupelo Public School District. Project TEAM, which was developed by two district administrators and a community leader concerned about higher dropout and discipline rates among black male students, now has 107 community volunteers -- who are also black males -- working to mentor the students as they work toward earning their high-school diplomas. Read about it at www.sunherald.com/2010/04/18/2109448/project-team-aimed-at-mentoring.html.

http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/coverage/nisteen/nis_iap.asp?fmt=v&rpt=tab01_iap&qtr=Q1/2008-Q4/2008

------The articles and 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). The sites also may 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 – April 23, 2010 3 Friday Beat, contact Ellen Smith at (512) 458-7111 ext. 2140 or by email at [email protected]. Copyright free. Permission granted to forward or make copies as needed.

Friday Beat – April 23, 2010 4