For Additional Resources on These Topics and Others Related to School Health s6

Friday Beat March 13, 2009 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:

“It might be the plaque on the Statue of Liberty that says; ‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…’ but it's public schools that live that message daily.” Kylene Beers, President, National Council of Teachers of English

Program Notices and Postings: Asthma Survey – Deadline: March 30, 2009 The Texas Department of State Health Services-Texas Asthma Control Program is currently preparing a competitive application for funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding will assist in gaining asthma resources for Texas. In this application, the CDC has emphasized the importance of schools and the environment as they relate to asthma self-management and control. In order to assist in the application development, DSHS-TACP is interested in obtaining information on the use of Individual Health Plans for Asthma, also known as Asthma Action Plans, within Texas schools. Recognizing that an important part of keeping kids with asthma healthy and in school is to maintain and utilize an IHPA on file with the school nurse. DSHS-TACP supports and promotes the development and maintenance of such a plan for each child. This survey will assist in estimating the number of children with asthma in Texas schools as well as the number of schools implementing the use of IHPA. To take the 12 question survey, go to www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx? sm=KIJ6PYt_2f4ujYXLjQBaPdFw_3d_3d .

Grants Available to Expand School Breakfast Participation – Deadline: April 10, 2009 Schools that currently participate in the School Breakfast Program with greater than 50% eligibility for free and reduced-price meals can apply for grants from Kellogg's Corporate Citizenship Fund and Action for Healthy Kids. The grants are designed to increase average daily breakfast participation by 25% or more for the duration of the grant. Read more about it at www.actionforhealthykids.org/UploadFiles/School%20Breakfast%20RFP%20Final.pdf.

The Women’s Sports Foundation – GoGirlGo! Ambassador Team Awards – Deadline: July 17, 2009 The GoGirlGo! Ambassador Team Awards championed by Gatorade reward high school girls for taking the lead by inspiring other girls to participate in sports and physical activity. Gatorade is seeking teams that lead their own project and get girls in their communities physically active. A total of $50,000 will be awarded to twenty teams throughout the country. Contact The Women’s Sport Foundation for more specific grant information at www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Grantss-And-Scholarships/grants/GoGirlGo-Ambasssador-Team- Awards.aspx.

Upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Professional Development: SOPHE’s 2009 Midyear Scientific Conference – May 6-9, 2009 Deadline: April 13, 2009 The Society for Public Health Education is sponsoring ALL THAT JAZZ – Harmonizing Health Education Practice & Research to Advance Health Equity at the Sheraton Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. For more information, go to www.sophe.org/upload/SOPHE0209_MidYearC.ProgramforWEB_695819923_2192009161912.pdf. To register, go to www.sophe.org/mtg_list.asp. Health Services:

Friday Beat – March 13, 2009 1 Texas CHIP/Children's Medicaid Information Update The online home for information about CHIP/Children's Medicaid has been updated. Among the changes to the Web site is an online tool where parents can enter their family's size and income to see if their children might qualify for CHIP or Children's Medicaid. Another online tool also uses family size and income to show what a family's out-of-pocket costs would be if the children qualify for CHIP. The online tools as well as all charts on the site have been updated to reflect new 2009 income guidelines. Another new feature allows those renewing CHIP coverage for their children to fill out the application and submit it online. For a more complete view of the updated Web site, visit www.CHIPmedicaid.org.

Nutrition Services: School Lunches Better But Still Unhealthy, Experts Say Lunches sold in U.S. schools have improved, but they are still loaded with fat, sugar and sodium, critics say. "It's very clear that U.S. Department of Agriculture needs to update the standards of schools," said Anne R. Gordon, co- author of a USDA-sponsored school-lunch study. Read more at www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=624369.

Free Nutrition Lessons Developed by Indiana Team Nutrition, the lessons include lesson plans to incorporate in math, science, reading/language art and combined curriculum classes. All lessons are appropriate for elementary schools, with the goals of promoting nutrition curriculum and education. Lessons for science and combined curriculum classes are also available for middle and high schools. Examples include English Lessons with Citrus Fruit, Floating Orange Experiment, Creating a School Garden, and ideas for field trips. Access the lessons at www.doe.in.gov/food/training/nutrition_lessons.html .

Health Education: Texas Legislators Propose Comprehensive Sex Education with Opt-out Provision Some legislators said Monday that they will work to expand Texas' sex education curriculum to incorporate more medical information about contraception and disease prevention and replace the existing law that leans toward abstinence-only instruction. Read more at www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/03/03/0303sexed.html.

January/February 2009 Edition of The Youth Connection Now Available The January/February 2009 edition of The Youth Connection focuses on tobacco use among youth, and also contains federal grant opportunities (domestic and international), private grant opportunities, free resources for youth-serving organizations, and announcements for upcoming events. The newsletter is available at www.youthdevelopment.org/yconnections.htm.

Alcohol-branded Merchandise an Indicator for Teen Drinking, Study Says Adolescent students who wear alcohol-branded hats, T-shirts and other apparel number approximately 3 million in the U.S. And a new study shows that these teens are more likely to start drinking and to become binge drinkers than their peers. Read more about it at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/02/alcohol- branded-apparel-linked-to-adolescent.html.

Parent and Community Involvement: FindYouthInfo.gov – A New Web Site Dedicated to Strengthening Youth Programs The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs is pleased to announce the launch of FindYouthInfo.gov, a collaborative effort of 12 Federal departments and agencies developed out of a shared goal of strengthening community resources to support our Nation's youth. This site provides targeted information to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships plan and implement effective youth programs. This Web site features many Federally-developed interactive tools to help users build quality partnerships within their communities and help America's youth reach their full potential. Online tools include social bookmaking, a calendar of events, news feeds, mapping tools, searchable youth program database and much more. Access the Web site at www.findyouthinfo.gov.

The State of Texas Children 2008-09 The Center for Public Policy Priorities today released The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book 2008-09, a resource that provides the latest look at the well-being of children in Texas and for every county in the state. This year's data book includes a special essay on "Closing the Educational Gaps," revealing

Friday Beat – March 13, 2009 2 that community and statewide factors play a pivotal role in a child's academic achievement. Find out more and access the data book at www.cppp.org/factbook08.

Physical Education: FITNESSGRAM® Results Show Physically Fit Students More Likely To Do Well in School Studies conducted with 2.4 million Texas students found that students who are physically fit are more likely to do well on the state’s standardized tests and have good school attendance. Fit students are also less likely to have disciplinary referrals. The findings, based on the results of FITNESSGRAM® tests taken by students in grades 3-12 during the 2007-2008 school year, were released this week during a press conference at the capitol. The study shows that: higher levels of fitness are associated with better academic performance, better school attendance, fewer disciplinary incidents and high passing rates on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Read the press release at http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/press/09fitnessresults.pdf. See the results at www.ourkidshealth.org.

Safe and Healthy School Environment: Florida Schools Target Cyberbullies New anti-bullying policies that allow students to anonymously report incidents and spell out disciplinary measures for bullies are designed to help two Florida districts rein in cyberbulling. Another program teaches some elementary- and middle-school students how to stand up to bullies. Read more at www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article980638.ece.

Custodians Recognized for Their Role in Keeping Schools Healthy School custodians play a major role in keeping schools healthy, a fact that is being recognized with the first-ever National C.L.E.A.N. (Custodial Leaders for Environmental Advocacy Nationwide) Awards. By focusing on cleaning for health, not just appearance, winners demonstrated leadership, collaborated with others and took their cleaning responsibilities seriously. Read more about the program at www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS187738+11- Mar-2009+PRN20090311 and check out the winners' innovative cleaning efforts at www.cleaning101.com/awards/clean-award.cfm.

Counseling and Mental Health Services: Article Analyzes Factors Associated with Adolescent Bedtime and Wake Time “Findings conﬁrm that on school days, adolescents are obtaining less sleep then they are considered to need, and school start time is the factor with the greatest impact," write the authors of an article published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. A national survey of adolescents conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that adolescents in high school reported spending an average of 7.5 hours in bed and getting an average of 7.2 hours of sleep per night. However, a 6-year longitudinal study among adolescents given a 10-hour sleep opportunity suggested that adolescents need 9 hours of sleep on average. Studies have found deleterious health and behavioral consequences of shorter sleep duration in adolescents and young adults. The authors conclude that "if sleep loss is associated with impaired learning and health, then these data point to computer use, social activities and especially school start time as the most obvious intervention points." Abstract available at www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(08)00720-8/abstract.

Report: 2% of U.S. Students May Be Homeless About one in 50 U.S. children are homeless each year, but their experiences will vary depending on where they live, according to a National Center on Family Homelessness report. More than 5% of children are homeless in Texas, where researchers say children fare worst. A study by the National Center on Family Homelessness released Tuesday placed Texas 50th - last of all states - in how homeless children fare. Read the Associated Press article at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_homeless_children_texas.html.

------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 [email protected]. Copyright free. Permission granted to forward or make copies as needed.

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