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About This Blog
Each week, the School Health Savvy blog provides information, resources, and thought-provoking ideas and solutions to support healthy students and healthy school communities.
Most Recent Posts:
Did you know that germs and viruses can only live on surfaces for 2-8 hours?
Cleaning and disinfecting is part of a broad approach to help prevent the spread of infectious disease including the flu. Proper cleaning and disinfecting can remove or kill germs on surfaces and help slow the spread of the flu or other diseases by reducing the chances of people ever coming in contact with germs.
It's important to understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting.
In this week's tip for NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge, we will highlight what you need to know about cleaning and disinfecting to help prevent the spread of flu.
Here's this week's Flu Fighting Tips:
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge is a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy. Check every Tuesday during the month of October for updates. Check here for more flu-fighting information.
The NEA HIN Flu Fighting Challenge – Tip#5
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge is a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy. Check every Tuesday during the month of October for updates: Tip #1:Flu germs can actually travel from 6 to 12 feet, moving at a rate of up to 100 mph from sneezing or coughing. Tip #2: Washing your hands will cut your risk of getting a respiratory illness by 21%. Tip #3: Have a flu-like illness? The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24-hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medications. Tip #4: Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often such as desks, doorknobs, computer keyboards, phones, and hands-on learning items
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge is a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy.
Check every Tuesday during the month of October for updates:
Tip #1:Flu germs can actually travel from 6 to 12 feet, moving at a rate of up to 100 mph from sneezing or coughing.
Tip #2: Washing your hands will cut your risk of getting a respiratory illness by 21%.
Tip #3: Have a flu-like illness? The CDC recommends staying home for at least 24-hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medications.
Tip #4: Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often such as desks, doorknobs, computer keyboards, phones, and hands-on learning items
Did you know that, each year on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications?
While every flu season is different, influenza can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Even healthy people can get sick from the flu and spread it to others.
The best way to protect yourself from getting the flu is to get vaccinated each year. This season's flu vaccine provides protection against the three main viruses that research indicates will cause the most illness this season -- influenza A (H1N1) virus, influenza A (H3N2) virus, and influenza B virus.
In our final tip for NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge, we highlight what you need to know about getting vaccinated for the flu.
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge was a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy. Thank you for checking in every Tuesday during the month of October for updates. For more flu-fighting information, please visit www.cdc.gov/flu/school/.
America's Safe Schools Week: Is Your School Prepared for a Crisis or Emergency?
Is your school prepared for an emergency?
During America's Safe Schools Week (October 20-26), NEA HIN will highlight resources and key components of emergency management that can help your school be prepared to adroitly manage emergencies and to provide needed supports to students, educators, and the school community..
There is new knowledge and resources about school safety, so this is a good time to take stock and review the key elements of effective emergency management plans that help improve the safety of your school.
In addition, we want to hear from you. Send us your questions, tips, or suggestions about safe schools and emergency management, and we'll share your ideas in our blog.
Everyone has a role to play in keeping students and schools safe, and NEA HIN is committed to supporting the efforts of you and your colleagues.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blogs this week, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Your baby has you. You have text4baby.
(Part of our series on improving student access to health care)
What is text4baby?
Text4baby is the first mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health through text messaging. If you're pregnant or have a baby under one year, you can sign up to receive FREE text messages on prenatal, infant care, and more.
You'll receive three text messages each week, timed to your due date or your baby's first birthday. Messages begin during your pregnancy and go through your baby's first year. You'll
get tips on prenatal and infant care, immunization, postpartum depression, nutrition, oral health, quitting smoking, safety and more.
Do you or your children need health insurance?
Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program provide kids with regular checkups and shots, doctor visits, dental and vision care, hospital care, prescription medicines, and much more. Pregnant women can get coverage too. Learn more about these programs in your state by calling 1-877-Kids-Now (1-877-543-7669) or going to www.insurekidsnow.gov.
The NEA HIN Flu Fighting Challenge
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge is a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy. Check every Tuesday during the month of October for updates: Tip #1:Flu germs can actually travel from 6 to 12 feet, moving at a rate of up to 100 mph from sneezing or coughing. Tip #2: Washing your hands will cut your risk of getting a respiratory illness by 21%.
NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge is a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues, about how to stay healthy.
Check every Tuesday during the month of October for updates:
Tip #1:Flu germs can actually travel from 6 to 12 feet, moving at a rate of up to 100 mph from sneezing or coughing.
Tip #2: Washing your hands will cut your risk of getting a respiratory illness by 21%.
Did you know that you can give someone the flu 24-hours before you show symptoms and feel sick?
Roughly 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications each year.
The best way to protect yourself from getting the flu is to get vaccinated each year. If you do get sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges you to try to stay home from work and school, and don't run errands. Don't forget: even if you aren't sick, be aware of those around you who might be ill and avoid close contact with them.
In this week's tip for NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge, we urge you to take action if you become ill:
It's Time to Celebrate National School Lunch Week!
Did you know that 31 million children are served school lunch every day? Whether you're a teacher, student, cafeteria worker, custodian, principal or parent everyone can celebrate the importance of school lunch and its affect on a student's health and academic success. 95% of schools participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) so join us in celebrating school lunch across the US!
Our friends at the School Nutrition Association have included some ideas below for how YOU can get involved in National School Lunch Week:
Teachers and Administrators can:
Parents can:
Also, don't forget to check out the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's five school lunch recipes. Each recipe meets school meal guidelines and has been a cafeteria favorite for students and staff in school districts across the country. You can check them out here.
Check out NEA HIN's Facebook and Twitter and let us know what your school is planning for National School Lunch Week!
Connecting Kids to Coverage
America's students are better equipped to excel when they are getting the health care services they need.
Compared to children with insurance, uninsured children are:
Children who are uninsured are more likely to go without immunizations and miss school because of untreated illness.
Due to their decreased access to primary and preventive care, they are also more likely to end up seeking care in emergency rooms.
Nearly two-thirds of uninsured students are eligible for health coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). To close this coverage gap, outreach and enrollment efforts are needed.
NEA HIN is promoting materials through The Connecting Kids to Coverage National Campaign.
This national outreach and enrollment initiative, funded under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), reaches out to families with children and teens eligible for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to:
The Campaign lets families know who is eligible, what benefits children can get and how to apply for coverage.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing materials and resources designed to help you connect kids to vital medical coverage.
You can learn more about the Connecting Kids To Coverage Campaign by visiting insurekidsnow.gov.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blogs this week, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
October 9th is Walk to School Day
Walking to school can be a safe and convenient method for adults and children to start their day with much needed physical activity.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School sponsors Walk & Bike to School Day, helping schools and communities plan events across the country to help improve the health of our children.
Walking, rolling & bicycling to school helps students:
We want to highlight some of their classroom activities & handouts so you can be creative about how to bring walking and bicycle-themed concepts into the classroom:
The NEA HIN Flu Fighting Challenge – Tip#2
Do you know how to prevent spreading the flu?
Did you know that up to 20% of the population gets the flu?
That's a reason to take action for your health and the health of others in your school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that washing your hands is one of the best things you can do to avoid spreading germs or sickness. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
In this week's tip for NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge, we urge you to join the movement to help decrease the number of people who get the flu—maybe even you—by encouraging hand washing.
Here's this week's Flu Fighting Tip:
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blogs this week, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
National Hispanic Heritage Month 2013
We celebrate National Hispanic Heritage month from September 15th to October 15th. Every year, the Nation recognizes the contributions made and the important presence of American Latinos in the United States and celebrates their heritage and cultures. Throughout their history in the United States, Hispanics have been influential in communities, infusing their language, history, traditions, and culture through the nation.
Initiated as Hispanic Heritage Week by President Johnson in 1968, the celebration was extended to 30 days under the Reagan Administration. The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
According to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates as of July 1, 2011, there are roughly 52 million Hispanics living in the United States, representing approximately 16.7 percent of the U.S. total population. This means people of Hispanic origin are now the nation's largest minority. Projections show that by 2050 this population will reach 132.8 million, estimated to be 30 percent of the U.S. population by that date.
Some important health issues that Hispanics face include: Asthma, Chagas Disease, HIV/AIDS, Obesity, Teen Pregnancy, Smoking & Tobacco Use, and Infant Mortality. In addition, for the 11 million undocumented Hispanics who live in the United States, stress and anxiety are major health problems. The fear of being arrested and deported is constant. And for undocumented Hispanic children and young people, many of whom have lived most of their lives in the U.S., despair and depression are problems.
NEA HIN places a priority on addressing many of these issues. When addressing asthma, which is a leading chronic illness among children, NEA HIN not only provides resources on how to control asthma triggers, we also work with schools to advance their indoor air and environmental quality.
Obesity, which affects nearly one-third of the United States, prompts chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. Hispanic children of low-income families are disproportionately overweight or obese.
The NEA HIN program Bag the Junk encourages healthy eating in schools, with tips to steer children towards eating nutritional food. NEA HIN also is a proud partner of the Breakfast in the Classroom program, which increases the delivery of healthy breakfast to schools with high free and reduced meal student populations.
Together, we can honor our nation's rich diversity and help all children grow up safe and healthy. Find out ways you can celebrate this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month.
For more information visit: http://www.nea.org/home/37004.htm?q=hispanic%20heritage%20month
http://www.hispanicheritagemonth.org/ or http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov/
The NEA HIN Flu Fighting Challenge
Do You Know How to Avoid The Flu?
Did you know that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications each year?
Did you know that approximately 20,000 of those hospitalized are children younger than 5 years of age?
The Centers for Disease Control describes the flu as a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The flu can cause mild to severe illness and can lead to death.
The NEA HIN Flu Fighting Challenge
It's important for everyone to learn more about fighting the flu. That's why we are mounting NEA HIN's Flu Fighting Challenge, a month-long campaign to encourage educators to share fast facts with students, parents, and colleagues about how to stay healthy.
Every Tuesday in October, NEA HIN will post a flu-fighting fact and related resource; you can pass along to students and others in your school.
Here's this week's tip:
This year's vaccine will protect against three viral strains most likely to cause the flu in the upcoming year: two Influenza A strains that resemble versions of a 2009 H1N1 and 2011 H3N2 strains, and one influenza-B strain similar to the 2012 virus. Some vaccines will also include a fourth strain, a second B-strain from a 2008 virus. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each year.
3 Things You Can Do:
Weekly Recap
NEA's Jill Christianson started the week off with a blog on International Day of Peace. She encourages us to take a moment to reflect on how to build peace - at home, in your local school community, or in the international sphere.
Is Extreme Weather Affecting Your Schools?
Over the last few years, NEA HIN has responded to more and more weather-related school crises. We've helped many schools and communities return to normalcy after suffering a traumatic experience like a hurricane, tornado, or flood. Now, we would like to learn more from you about the long-term effects of weather events on school buildings and school environmental quality.
The National Coalition for Healthier Schools, an NEA HIN partner, has created a short survey to determine the impacts of the increasing number of extreme weather events on our nation's schools.
We encourage you to take the survey and let them know how extreme weather events have affected your school.
After you take the survey, you also can share a description of your school's weather-related problems on our Facebook Page.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
International Day of Peace – September 21
Topics: Organizing
Where does peace begin? Peace begins at the kitchen table and at the park. It happens on the playground, in the school bus, in the classroom and on the neighborhood corner. Every day in these United States:
Source: Children's Defense Fund
Peace also impacts whole nations and their people, including children. Did you know that:
Sources: UNICEF, Stop Child Soldiers
Take a moment on the International Day of Peace to reflect on how to build peace - at home, in your local school community, or in the international sphere. Tune into resources from the United Nations, which are on the NEA web site. Tap the NEA-HIN School Crisis Guide to build a strategy for peace following school-based violence. Take notice of the Education International guide, International Schools as Safe Sanctuaries, for efforts to make sure that schools are places of peace for students and teachers worldwide.
There are always alternatives to violence. What will you do?
Peace begins with you and me.
In Case You Missed It
Our partner, Harvest of the Month, started off the week with a blog on teaching nutrition, the challenges to teaching nutrition, and the many easy-to-use tools and resources to help teach nutrition to students.
Lisa Creighton helped us celebrate Fruits & Veggies—More Matters month. She reminds us that we should try to fill half our plate with fruits and veggies.
NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Share Our Strength Founder and CEO Billy Shore and illustrated new findings from Share Our Strength's annual nationwide poll of K-8 public school staff about hunger in schools. It also included a bold solution to child hunger in the form of school breakfast and programs like Breakfast in the Classroom.
On September 28th, thousands of volunteers from around the world will get behind their community's schools to make them healthier and more sustainable places to learn and teach, and you can join them! The second Green Apple Day of Service - hosted by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council—will bring together students, teachers, community members, school staff and more to participate in service projects at local schools, demonstrating that where we learn matters.
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
Where We Learn Matters. Say It With Us.
During the second Green Apple Day of Service, thousands of volunteers from around the world will get behind their community's schools to make them healthier and more sustainable places to learn and teach, and you can join them. On Sept. 28, the Day of Service—an annual event hosted by the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council—will bring together students, teachers, community members, school staff and more to participate in service projects at local schools, demonstrating that where we learn matters.
Even though the Day of Service is just a few days away, there's still time to register an event or join an event already taking place in your area. We're asking all NEA members to take a few minutes to fill out an Action Commitment for the week of Sept. 25 and add your voice to those working to create healthier workplaces and better learning environments. You can also visit our website, mygreenapple.org, to find project ideas, an interactive map of projects and many other resources to help make your Day of Service involvement a success.
Why are we doing this? In our recent State of our Schools report, we estimate that that schools are currently facing a $271 billion deferred maintenance bill just to bring the buildings up to working order – approximately $5,450 per student. The cost to both bring schools into good repair and address modernization needs is $542 billion over the next 10 years for Pre-K-12 school buildings. We also know that schools in the U.S. spend $8 billion per year on energy costs, second only to the amount spent on personnel. The Department of Energy estimates that 25 percent of energy used in schools is wasted, and that is funding could instead be spent on support for teaching and learning. The Green Apple Day of Service gives everyone an opportunity to begin tackling these issues and start transforming our schools into places where students feel inspired to learn.
NEA members are already leading many of this year's Day of Service events. David Ropa, an educator and Center for Green Schools Trailblazing Teacher award-winner from Wisconsin, is scheduling a school work day for Sept, 28 to install gravel, a brick floor and timber framing for a greenhouse on school grounds. His project is registered on mygreenapple.org where you can read more information about what he's planning. Kim Williams, one of the Center's 2011 "Coolest Teachers in the World," is hosting her second event this year. Last year, she and her students hosted a garden workday at their school, and this year she is continuing the work to expand the garden at her and her students' new school.
The Action Commitment lists several very specific things you can do during and around the Green Apple Day of Service that are simple and easy ways to get involved. Just pick one or more and press submit! When you fill it out, you'll also receive a code to participate in the Green Classroom Professional Certificate course and exam for free—a program recognized by the NEA. Your commitment will join with the thousands of projects that are already on the map, and together we can make sure that the rest of the world knows that where we learn and teach really does matter—to our health, our communities' health and the health of the environment.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Fruits and Vegetables: More is Better!
It's the end of summer, which means tons of fresh produce is available at local farmers markets, roadside farm stands and grocers. With the abundance of farm riches this time of year, it makes sense that September is Fruits & Veggies—More Matters month. This observance has a simple goal, to help Americans focus their attention on eating more fruits and vegetables.
According to the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters® health initiative website, more than 90 percent of adults and children do not eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. They suggest remembering two things to help increase your produce intake:
1. Fill half your place with fruits and vegetables at each meal (see MyPlate.gov for more info)
2. All forms of fruits and veggies—fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice—count toward your daily intake.
I did a brief web search and came up with a long list of delicious fruits and vegetables that are in season this month: Apples, Artichokes, Blackberries, Blueberries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Carrots, Chili Peppers, Cucumber , Curly Kale, Figs, French Beans, Garlic, Horseradish, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Nectarines, New Potatoes, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Pumpkins, Red Onions, Spinach, Squash, Sweet Corn and Tomatoes.
There's LOTS to choose from, so stop by your local farmers market or grocer, pick your favorites, and get snacking! For healthy recipe and meal presentation ideas, visit our "Bag the Junk" Pinterest page.
How do you encourage your students to eat more fruits and veggies? Share your tips with us on our Facebook page or tweet us at @NEAHIN.
No Child Left Behind? How About 'No Kid Hungry'?
Last week, a terrific Op-Ed was featured on @Good titled, "No Child Left Behind? How About 'No Kid Hungry'?" This piece touched on the growing problem of child hunger in the United States and how hunger affects both student health and academic achievement. The Op-Ed was written by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Share Our Strength Founder and CEO Billy Shore and illustrated new findings from Share Our Strength's annual nationwide poll of K-8 public school staff about hunger in schools. It also included a bold solution to child hunger in the form of school breakfast and programs like Breakfast in the Classroom.
To view the full Op-Ed you can find it here.
Also, don't forget to leave us a message on Facebook and Twitter and let us know your reactions to this Op-Ed.
Meeting the Challenges of Teaching Nutrition in the Classroom
Teaching nutrition to children can be engaging and rewarding for both educators and students alike. But we know that many educators feel challenged by teaching nutrition—it's not an easy topic after all. Fortunately, there are many easy-to-use tools and resources to help teach nutrition to students. Studies have shown that children of all ages find great interest in nutrition, and when educators can connect nutrition lessons to the common core standards with hands-on learning opportunities, it's a win-win for everyone. After all, students who are healthy tend to perform and behave better in the classroom.
So what are these tools that can help engage students in a subject that has life-long implications for their health and well-being and make it fun at the same time?
The Harvest of the Month educator newsletters are an important tool that can help engage students in nutrition and physical activity. These four-page newsletters take an in-depth look at a set of fruits or vegetables – like apples, pears, carrots, tomatoes, winter squash, asparagus, melons, berries, and dozens more – giving students the chance to explore seasonal produce items with activities and lessons that can be easily connected to the common core standards, including science, health, English language arts, and mathematics.
Harvest of the Month has newsletters for 36 different produce items that are widely available across the country. These newsletters feature a variety of engaging nutrition facts, information, and activities to encourage exploration and learning. Above all, they focus on why it's important to eat fruits and vegetables every day. There are even taste testing, physical education, and school garden activities with hands-on opportunities for students to engage in nutrition, agriculture, and science.
Take the Carrots educator newsletter, for example. A "Taste Testing" activity guides students through tasting fresh and canned carrots, exploring what they look like and how they taste, as well as learning about their nutritional value. Students can even examine the Nutrition Facts labels for fresh, canned, cooked, and frozen carrots. There is a section on "Reasons to Eat Carrots" (an excellent source of vitamin A) and a "Cooking in Class" recipe so everyone can prepare and enjoy a healthy snack featuring a variety of colorful spring vegetables.
And don't worry if you don't know what vitamin A is or why it's good for your health! The newsletter provides a detailed, easy-to-understand explanation on page 2, along with a section on how carrots are grown and other botanical facts.
The third page of the newsletter is devoted to agriculture and school garden-related activities that can easily tie into science and history lessons. "Student Sleuths" suggests activities students can complete to learn more about carrots and nutrition, such as mapping the different carrot-producing regions in the world and identifying some of the signs of vitamin A deficiency. "The Roots of Carrot History" provides just that, a history of carrots, while the "School Garden" activity offers a lesson on the important role agriculture plays in our life.
The fourth page offers connections to other common core standards with creative writing and science investigations, as well as recommended reading books. "Cafeteria Connections" offers ideas for how educators can work with school nutrition staff to promote carrots in the cafeteria and "Just the Facts" provides interesting bits of information, such as the average person eats about 17 pounds of carrots every year. There is even a "Physical Activity Corner" with activities to encourage kids to be more active during the school day to improve focus and learning.
Often times, engaging students and meeting the challenge of teaching a difficult topic is all about having the right tools. The Harvest of the Month educator newsletters and the accompanying Educators' Corner offer easy-to-use resources that connect to the common core standards while helping to teach the value of healthy eating and physical activity to students. It truly is a win-win for students and educators.
All Harvest of the Month materials can be downloaded for free at www.harvestofthemonth.com and can be used collaboratively by educators, nutrition staff, school leaders, students, parents, and even farmers and retail outlets. To learn more about Harvest of the Month, visit www.harvestofthemonth.com or contact Allyson Conwell or Katharina Streng.
* * * * *
Harvest of the Month is developed by the California Department of Public Health's Network for a Healthy California (Network). The Network is a statewide public health effort working with hundreds of state partners and organizations to empower low-income Californians to live healthier lives through good nutrition and physical activity. Funding is from USDA SNAP, known in California as CalFresh. For CalFresh information, call 1-877-847-3663. For important nutrition information, visit www.cachampionsforchange.net.
Talking About Traumatic Events
Each day, students across the country look to NEA members for guidance and support in uncertain times. Whether you're an educator, parent, guardian, caregiver, colleague or combination of those, it is a humbling experience to help manage the reaction of someone affected by a trauma.
NEA HIN is here to help.
We have resources to help facilitate conversations about natural disasters and acts of violence.
If you find yourself playing the role of a caregiver, please remember these 3 rules:
Additional Information:
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who is dealing with a trauma. You're not alone.
Please let us know if there is something we can do to help.
In Case You Missed It
On Monday, Zak Kolsky reminded us that it's not too late to make sure your students are up-to-date with their vaccinations. CDC has a Catch-Up Immunization Scheduler, an online tool that shows parents and healthcare providers the best options for getting children 6 years of age and younger back on schedule.
In addition to their weekly roundup, Bag the Junk shared their insights on getting your local PTA on board with healthy fundraising.
Jennie Young blogged about the FAME Toolkit Pilot Program, designed to determine the effectiveness of the manual and toolkit which will help schools establish a framework for managing food allergies.
On Thursday, Damien Pinkett, the First Recipient of the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund Internship, introduced himself. Welcome Damien!
Have a safe and healthy weekend!
Meet Damien Pinkett
I love playing the saxophone, watching sports, and going to the movies—but I am really motivated by a vision. My vision is to open a non-profit organization that helps minority urban youth learn about heart health and wellness and the importance of physical activity.
My name is Damien Pinkett, and I am a Community and Behavioral Health Major with a Pre-Medicine concentration at the University of Maryland, College Park.
I was born in Washington, D.C., and now reside in Prince George's County, Maryland. I have always been around medicine and have grown to love the field of public health. This is my last semester of undergraduate studies, and with the completion of my NEA Health Information Network internship in December, I will be walking the stage to receive my diploma.
I have been inspired by courses I've taken in the field of public health and my studies on minority health. I have also had the opportunity to work under Dr. Cheryl Holt, a faculty member at the University of Maryland. Our study concentrated on decreasing the incidence and morbidity rates from prostate cancer in the African-American community. It was a longitudinal, church-based program where we trained leaders of the church to disseminate information to their congregations. This study included several churches in Prince George's County. I enjoyed interacting with older individuals and really teaching them the benefit of going to the doctor to get checked on a regular basis. At the end of the day, it is their health and lives at stake, and it is good to know that I may have helped save a life or two.
I am passionate about being involved in community, and my academics and work have shaped my ideas for the future. Upon graduation, I plan to attend graduate school and obtain a master's degree in Public Health, specializing in Minority Health and Health Disparities. I eventually intend to receive my Medical Doctorate Degree, specializing in either surgery or cardiology. I also aim to open a non-profit to help educate minority urban youth about heart health and wellness.
I appreciate the many educators who have helped me to shape my vision and who have given me the knowledge to realize it. I invite you to share your thoughts about my idea of the non-profit benefiting minority youth. Share them at firstname.lastname@example.com!
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
Please join us as we host a Food Friday tweet chat tomorrow, September 13 at 1:00 pm Eastern. We'll be discussing how schools can "nudge" students toward healthier food and drink options at school. Follow @BagtheJunk and use #FoodFri on twitter to participate.
We hope to see you at the twitter chat tomorrow and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday as well!
Is Your School Ready to Help Students With Food Allergies?
For the approximately six million children in the U.S. who have one or more food allergies, going back to school can be scary. Ensuring that schools are ready to help students manage their food allergies is critical and the St. Louis Children's Hospital is providing a unique opportunity to do so! The hospital has created the Food Allergy Management and Education (FAME) Manual and Toolkit and is looking for schools to pilot the program now. The pilot is designed to determine the effectiveness of the manual and toolkit which will help schools establish a framework for managing food allergies.
Specifically, the guidance will help school staff understand life-threatening food allergy reactions and their causes, know how to recognize and respond to severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), and develop policies and procedures to maintain a safe school environment for children with food allergies. Toolkit materials are divided into role-specific sections for principals, nurses, teachers, transportation staff, school nutrition staff and others, and include emergency protocols. The materials can be used for professional development to create instructional staff trainings. Also included are forms and information for students and families.
To enroll in the pilot, you must complete a confidential, 15 minute online survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/FAME_National_Pilot. Once you have completed the survey you will be able to download the FAME Manual and Toolkit. A follow-up 15 minute survey is also scheduled for November.
Pilot participants will receive a FAME certificate that recognizes the school's participation. If you need additional information or have any questions, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Getting your PTA on board with healthy fundraising
Getting Your PTA on Board with Healthy Fundraising shares helpful ideas and resources to get support for healthy changes from your local Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
School Is In Session– Are Your Students Fully Vaccinated?
Topics: Immunization, Influenza
Making sure your students stay up to date with vaccinations is the best way to protect your communities and schools from outbreaks that can cause unnecessary illnesses and deaths. According to the CDC:
CDC provides an immunization schedule for people ages 7 through 18 years for educators, parents, and doctors to protect children and teens from vaccine-preventable disease. To learn more, visit the preteen vaccine pages.
It's Not Too Late
Getting every recommended dose of each vaccine provides children with the best protection possible. If a child misses a shot, it can be difficult to figure out the best way to catch up. To help, CDC and colleagues at Georgia Tech have developed the Catch-Up Immunization Scheduler, an online tool that shows parents and healthcare providers the best options for getting children 6 years of age and younger back on schedule.
Or, parents and healthcare providers can use the Adolescent Immunization Scheduler to determine what vaccines are needed for children 7 through 18 years of age.
In Case You Missed It
Topics: Influenza
Hope you had a restful Labor Day,
Zak Kolsky started the week off with a blog on new CDC Resources on recommended immunizations for children up to 6 years old and preteens and teens 7-18 years old.
You can walk, run, stroll or dash for children who can't during the Race for Every Child for Children's National Medical Center.
NEA Member Benefits generously supports NEA HIN's work with the proceeds of the 21st Annual NEA Invitational Golf Tournament, and this year those proceeds will be contributed to the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund.
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
Jim Bender encourages all districts and schools contacted by the HCS to participate in the NIH-funded Healthy Communities Study (HCS)! HCS will look at how community programs and policies are related to children's eating, physical activity behaviors, and their health.
NIH Wants to Hear From You
The NIH-funded Healthy Communities Study (HCS) will begin collecting information from schools in select school districts across the United States in Fall 2013. This national study with data collection in over 200 communities will look at how community programs and policies are related to children's eating, physical activity behaviors, and their health. NEA HIN encourages all districts and schools contacted by the HCS to participate in this timely and valuable study!
"Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. If we don't curb this widespread problem, our country will see a substantial increase in cardiovascular disease and other health issues in the years ahead," said Susan B. Shurin, M.D., acting director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the lead sponsor of the study. "Childhood is the optimal time to encourage healthy habits that kids can practice the rest of their lives."
Obesity rates have increased four-fold among children in the past 40 years. Today, 17 percent of U.S. children and adolescents are obese. Factors behind this increase are believed to include increased consumption of high-calorie food and drinks and less physical activity during and after school. Overweight and obese children are at higher risk of chronic diseases during childhood and adulthood, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and several cancers. Cardiovascular conditions associated with obesity, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, are increasingly being diagnosed during childhood, as is type 2 diabetes.
For more information, visit the Healthy Communities Study: How Communities Shape Children's Health (HCS) web page.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Get Moving: Be A Champion for Children
A national study recently conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at NIH found that many of our nation's children are not getting enough exercise or eating healthfully.
As educators, we set examples both inside and outside the classroom. With the new school year upon us, here are simple but effective strategies for getting our children – and ourselves – moving:
Ready to get moving? Here's a fall event that will get the heart pumping in more ways than one. After you run or walk, you'll not only feel good physically, but have the satisfaction of making a difference for others, too.
Sign up for the inaugural Race for Every Child for Children's National Medical Center and walk, run, stroll or dash for children who can't. As a nonprofit hospital, Children's National relies on the surrounding communities to meet the health needs of children everywhere and advance children's health.
Every step counts. Go to www.raceforeverychild.org to register as an individual, an educator/student team, with family, friends and/or colleagues. Interested in volunteering? Visit volunteer.raceforeverychild.org. Questions? Write to firstname.lastname@example.com or call 301-565-8577.
See you at the finish line!
Back to School Vaccinations
Immunizations have had an enormous impact on improving the health of children in the United States. Most parents today have never seen first-hand the devastating consequences that vaccine-preventable diseases have on a family or community.
While these diseases are not common in the U.S., they persist around the world. It is important that we continue to protect our children with vaccines because outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases can and do occasionally occur in this country.
The recommended immunizations for children up to 6 years old can be found here, and the recommended immunizations for preteens and teens 7-18 years old can be found here.
For more information, checkout NEA HIN's Childhood Vaccination Brochure or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vaccines & Immunizations page.
In Case You Missed It
Bette Simpson started the week with her blog on The Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund. The end of our fiscal year is approaching (August 31) and we are trying to secure as many gifts as possible by that date.
On Wednesday, Annelise Cohon shared new findings from a national survey released by Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign. "Hunger In Our Schools: Teachers' Report 2013," surveyed more than 1,200 K-8 teachers and principals nationwide and found that breakfast is key to academic success and that rethinking how we serve school breakfast is crucial to enhancing the educational experience for all.
Bag The Junk, NEA HIN's sister web site, shared their weekly blog recap including how educators and parents can help kids eat right and stay active both in and out of school AND evidence of progress toward ending the obesity epidemic.
We hope you have a safe and health Labor Day Weekend!
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Start the School Year Right with Breakfast!
It's that time when students and teachers head back to the classroom. Educators are focused on how best to meet their students' needs—and one way they are doing that is by making sure their students have a nutritious start to their day.
New findings from a national survey released by Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign show that breakfast is key to academic success and that rethinking how we serve school breakfast is crucial to enhancing the educational experience for all. The connection between good nutrition and academic success is not new to educators. Teachers know firsthand that hungry students cannot learn.
Princess Moss, an elementary school teacher from Virginia and National Education Association Executive Committee member shares her story about hungry children in her classroom, "As an elementary school teacher, I can assure you that I had students who came into my classroom without having eaten anything since lunch the previous day. Child hunger is a serious problem that negatively affected my student's self-esteem, ability to learn, and behavior. I would always keep snacks in my class for students who were hungry and having trouble concentrating during instructional time."
"Hunger In Our Schools: Teachers' Report 2013," surveyed more than 1,200 K-8 teachers and principals nationwide and found that:
NEA HIN has worked with NEA affiliates in thirteen states to implement local Breakfast in the Classroom programs. We have seen the difference breakfast makes in helping students stay alert and grow strong. As you can see in this short video, NEA leaders agree that Breakfast in the Classroom produces real benefits for kids.
Breakfast is brain power and NEA HIN and Share Our Strength want to help increase school breakfast participation at your school. Check out our free resource, the Start School With Breakfast Guide which provides the benefits of school breakfast and add your school to the map of school breakfast programs across the country.
Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and have a happy and healthy school year!
What Do Time, The Tide, Taxes and Death Have In Common?
Bromide #1: "Time and the tide wait for no-one (it used to be no man, but I am taking poetic license)."
I actually like this saying better than Bromide #2 that says "the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes." However, both have relevance to the topic here, which is a gentle but clear reminder about making a timely gift to the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund.
As you know, NEA HIN recently established the Fund in honor of Jerry Newberry, who retired as our Executive Director this past July after 17 years of service. During his many years with NEA HIN, Jerry was responsible for initiating a wide array of programs and services that our staff continue to deliver to NEA members and the students they serve.
It's hard to say which of these initiatives meant the most to Jerry, but if his staff had to guess, we would say that his passion was and continues to be the issues surrounding school safety. Since 2006, NEA HIN has had some involvement (and often a great deal) in helping schools and school employees cope with over 100 crises of one sort or another—from school shootings, to tornadoes, to hurricanes, and more.
The Jerald l. Newberry School Safety Fund was created so that tax-deductible (see Bromide #2) gifts can be made that will help carry on NEA HIN's school safety work in perpetuity. Many individuals and organizations have made gifts to the Fund so far, but we are still a long way away from reaching the level of funding that is needed to address the many school safety issues that inevitably crop up every year. Of course, we will be accepting gifts to the Fund on a permanent basis, but (see Bromide #1), the end of NEA HIN's fiscal year is fast approaching (August 31) and we are trying to secure as many gifts as possible by that date.
You may make a tax-deductible gift online at www.neahin.org/jnewberryfund/ or by dropping off or sending a check (please put Newberry Fund in the bottom left corner so we'll know) to:
1201 16th Street NW, Suite 216
Washington DC 20036
Donors whose gifts are received by August 31 will be known as Founding Donors, and their names will appear in the first NEA HIN Annual Report, which will be published this fall. So, time is of the essence! Won't you please make a gift today to the Fund, both to honor Jerry and to help keep his wonderful work going in the future? Thank you so very much.
Bette Simpson
In Case You Missed It
Liesel Kuhr kicked off the week with an update on the FDA's new gluten label guidelines and their impact on schools. Check out NEA HIN's Food Allergy Guide for more info on how your school can be prepared to manage food allergies.
On Tuesday, Bette Simpson started her series on choosing the right funding partner for your program or project
Nora Howley blogged Wednesday about the recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that. Thanks to vaccination, rates of infection with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) have fallen among girls age 14-19.
NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food, Bag the Junk, recapped their blogs including a story on how food service professionals from across the country are finding innovative ways to prepare and serve healthy fruits to students.
On Thursday, NEA HIN Executive Director Jim Bender reflected on the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington and the unfinished legacy left by Dr. King.
Why I Am Marching
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, I can't help but think that our country is a long way from achieving Dr. King's dream of people being judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin.
A history of prejudice and discrimination has resulted in grim statistics for people of color. A myriad of health indicators demonstrate this, including infant mortality, pre-term births, health insurance rates, coronary heart disease, stroke, HIV, and diabetes. The social determinants of health, such as inadequate housing, and living in an area with unhealthy air, are also working against people of color.
More can be done to improve health care access from being just a benefit of a well-paying job to a one that is a right of citizenship. More can be done to repair the tattered and strained social safety network in America.
For economic, health, and moral reasons, we all have a stake in a more equitable society.
So this Saturday, I will march with my National Education Association colleagues and friends who are fighting to protect and strengthen the best social equalizer this country has ever invented: universally available quality public education. The worst thing we can do is to accept the status quo. We will honor Dr. King's call to act as we join together in the march and the fight for the cause of justice and freedom in our country.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
HPV Rates Falling: And that's Good News
One of the summer's best kept secrets has been the findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that, thanks to vaccination, rates of infection with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) have fallen among girls age 14-19.
How to Choose the Right Funding Partner (Part 1)
Whenever NEA HIN is looking at taking on a new program or project, the first question that rises is "How will we pay for it?" It's an important question to be asking, and there are many elements that go into finding the right answer. Probably the first element is looking at how the new program fits into our organization's mission and whether it can be carried out by existing staff or if someone new will have to be hired. This will have a major impact on the level of funding and other resources (space, equipment, other staff time, etc.) that will be needed, and will also have an effect on which organizations we approach for funding. Some restrict their grants or gifts to small amounts, and some have more funds to award; it makes no sense to invest time asking for more resources than an organization has to give.
The second element of determining which funding partners will work best for us is making sure that their values and interests are compatible with ours and with those of NEA. Sometimes the answer to this question is not self-evident, and we might be able to find a way to make a fit. Sometimes, though, there is a clear dissonance between our point of view and that of the potential funder. For example, if a foundation has a history of funding programs that support school vouchers, NEA HIN must keep in mind that "NEA opposes school vouchers because they divert essential resources from public schools to private and religious schools, while offering no real "choice" for the overwhelming majority of students." So, we would not keep those foundations on our list of potential funding partners.
There are several other elements that we will be talking about in upcoming blogs, and, hopefully they will be helpful if you are in a school or district that is thinking about looking for external funds to carry out a new program or project. In an earlier blog, I mentioned that community foundations are an excellent source of support for local projects. Next time, we will talk about how to make a solid case for having them fund you. As always, if you have any questions between now and then, feel free to contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
What Does It Mean To Be "Gluten Free"?
This month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally defined what it means for food to be labeled "gluten free". This new rule is great news for people with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Under the new rules, which will become fully effective in a year, consumers can trust that packaged foods sold in the U.S. and labeled "gluten free" meet the safety standards enforced by FDA. For more information on celiac disease, the new rules, and FDA labeling, visit FDA.gov.
So what's the difference between a wheat allergy, a gluten intolerance, and celiac disease? Gluten intolerance and celiac disease should not be confused with a wheat allergy. A wheat allergy is a food allergy, which can trigger an allergic reaction ranging from mild itching and swelling to potentially fatal anaphylaxis. Because some people are allergic to wheat, packaged foods regulated by the FDA and sold in the U.S. are required to list wheat on the label when it is an ingredient. A doctor may prescribe an epinephrine auto-injector to a person with a wheat allergy, but not for gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Check out NEA HIN's Food Allergy Guide for more info on how your school can be prepared to manage food allergies.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye (as well as wheat relatives you may not have heard of, like spelt, triticale, kamut, farro, and einkorn). Also, though oats do not contain gluten, they are almost always cross-contaminated with gluten, unless otherwise labeled. For someone with a gluten sensitivity or intolerance, eating gluten causes inflammation in the intestines. Symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting after eating gluten. Related symptoms can include headaches, lethargy, attention problems, and muscle problems. Once gluten goes away, the symptoms do, too.
Celiac disease is a more serious autoimmune disease that causes a person's immune system to attack his or her own intestines when gluten is eaten. Unmanaged celiac disease can result in serious long-term complications including malnutrition and intestinal damage. Celiac, once diagnosed by a doctor, requires a strict gluten free diet.
Clear labeling of gluten free foods is great news for schools, where management of food intolerance is a growing concern. Just because "wheat" isn't listed as an ingredient, food may still have gluten in it; products can contain gluten from barley or rye, or because they are processed in plants that also process gluten foods. A gluten reaction can also happen from cross-contamination, so separate utensils, work surfaces, and jars of spreadable condiments like margarine and peanut butter should be used with gluten free foods. It is important for educators to be aware of student food allergies and intolerances. Everyone has a role in helping students manage their food-related health needs!
In Case You Missed It
On Monday, Annelise Cohon kicked off the week with a blog on the NEA HIN Champions and an update on the Breakfast in The Classroom Program.
Nora Howley completed her series on immunizations Tuesday with this blog.
Lisa Creighton's blog announced NEA HIN has been featured with a group of prominent experts by the Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project for speaking out about the issue. To read statements from all the leaders, including First Lady Michelle Obama, visit: http://www.healthyschoolfoodsnow.org/kshf/.
Are you about to buy a backpack for a student you know? Before you do, checkout Zak Kolsky's blog on how to chose the right one.
Bag the Junk posted their weekly recap blog to close the week.
Have a safe and healthy weekend!
5 Things to Consider When Purchasing a Backpack for Students
If you're anything like me growing up, you walked to school. Uphill. Both ways. In the snow.
While I have yet to meet anyone who has truthfully endured such a hardship, one can easily see the students of today struggling under the weight of their own backpacks.
We're witnessing an alarming trend of young adults developing chronic back-pain, fatigue, and other types of physical stress as a result of carrying too much in their backpacks. Orthopedic Surgeons are reporting students as young as 4th and 5th graders come into their offices as result of back and shoulder pain caused by heavy backpacks.
Students can avoid these issues by managing the weight appropriately or looking into alternatives. If you're in a position to purchase a backpack or witness a student struggling with the contents of their backpack, here are 5 things to keep in mind:
I. Lugging a heavy backpack around can be harmful to kids
II. Make sure your student/child is using their backpack in the healthiest and safest way possible
III. When possible, explore ways to lighten the load
IV. What should you look for when buying a backpack?
V. Tips for parents/guardians/educators
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Healthy School Food Victory: NEA HIN and other School Health Leaders Weigh In
Its official! Stakeholders from various sectors – educators, parents, policymakers, health experts and industry representatives – all agree that healthy school food is a win-win for both schools and the students and communities they serve. NEA HIN recently issued a statement applauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture on its release of the "Smart Snacks in School" standards, which will require schools to swap donuts, chocolate bars and sugary drinks for fruits, veggies and lower calorie beverages.
Today we're thrilled to announce that we have been featured with a group of prominent experts by the Kids' Safe & Healthful Foods Project for speaking out about the issue. To read statements from all the leaders, including First Lady Michelle Obama, visit: http://www.healthyschoolfoodsnow.org/kshf/.
To learn more about NEA HIN's work to support healthy school food, visit our sister website, BagtheJunk.org, which seeks to educate, mobilize and empower members of the school community to take action for healthier school snacks and beverages. The website features success stories from schools already offering healthier options as well as free resources and tips on organizing for change. The site also features blog posts from experts and research the national movement to prevent childhood obesity. Support for the website was provided by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
More Than a Shot In The Arm
You can read Part 1 of Nora's Series on immunization here.
Schools are important centers of activity for vaccination. In addition to informing parents about requirements and verifying immunization status, school nurses and other members of the school staff can educate, inform, and advocate for immunization. They can help to spread the word with co-workers, as well as families.
Advocating for immunization is more than just sharing information. It is about understanding your audience and what motivates them. There are a number of reasons that people choose not to get immunized. These include:
There are great resources to help address knowledge and beliefs. . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers many of these here. Another place to find great resources is the Immunization Action Coalition. One of my favorites is the mandated Vaccine Information Statements in 41 different languages.
School-located vaccine clinics are one of the best ways to connect families to vaccines. Clinics can be scheduled at the beginning of the school year or later on to provide access to flu shots. School-located vaccine clinics can also offer access to vaccines for adults who work in schools and family members of students. Schools and health departments can work together so that cost of vaccination is not a barrier. Programs that support affordable vaccines include CDC's Vaccines for Children program, as well as partnership with health insurance companies, hospitals, and other provider groups.
Since there are many reasons why people don't get vaccinated, advocacy should not be a one-time effort. This month is a perfect time to come up with your school's plan for the year. After all, flu season is just around the corner. Consider how to enlist diverse partners in your effort, , such as Education Support Professionals who often have deep connections in the communities where they work.
Immunization coalitions bring together health departments, local groups, providers, and vaccine company representatives. These voluntary, community-based groups can provide information on disease trends, vaccine availability, and referral to other resources.
For more information, download our free publication, Advocacy for Vaccines.
Looking Forward to Fall
As summer comes to an end, I look forward to another great back to school season. This time of year is always full of new beginnings. Whether it's a new class of students, a newly renovated school building or a new job there are lots of things to be excited about.
NEA HIN has some great NEW resources for educators. You can order these and all of your favorite NEA HIN resources using our online store. Here are a few of our favorites:
NEA HIN also wants to acknowledge the 2013 NEA HIN Champions. NEA HIN "Champions" are NEA leaders who believe and are willing to help spread the word that students need to be healthy to learn and thrive. Join us in acknowledging these Champions by sharing their inspiring stories. If you are interested in becoming a NEA HIN Champion please email email@example.com.
Have a happy back to school season from NEA HIN!
NEA HIN's Weekly Recap
On Monday, Annelise Cohon gave us an update on the Breakfast in the Classroom Program news in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, and Illinois.
Nora Howley wrote two blogs this week.
Jim Bender, NEA HIN's new Executive Director introduced himself via a Welcome Message to NEA Members on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Bag The Junk recapped their blogs, including their efforts in Ohio to combat childhood obesity and encourage kids to eat healthier and be more physically active.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Cyclosporiasis: What You Need to Know
Lately, the news has been full of stories of cyclosporiasis, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirming 466 cases, including 27 hospitalizations. Cyclospora is a single cell parasite that causes severe intestinal infection.
According to the CDC, "Cyclospora is spread by people ingesting something - such as food or water - that was contaminated with feces (stool). Cyclospora needs time (days to weeks) after being passed in a bowel movement to become infectious for another person. Therefore, it is unlikely that Cyclospora is passed directly from one person to another."
So how is it being spread?
CDC is working with state health departments to answer that question. So far, a number of the cases have been linked to packaged salad mix grown in Mexico and imported to the United States. Investigations are ongoing in other cases. CDC provides updated answers to many common questions here.
CDC recommends that people continue to eat a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables and follow standard food safety measures for washing of hands, food, and dishes. If you have symptoms of intestinal disease consult your healthcare provider. This is particularly important if symptoms do not start to resolve within several days. If you do receive treatment for symptoms, your provider might wish to run the special lab tests that are needed to diagnose this
For more information on preventing and managing foodborne intestinal illness in the schools, read The Stomach Bug Book.
New NEA HIN Executive Director's Welcome Message to NEA Members
As I complete my first month as Executive Director, I feel a sense of deep respect for the work of NEA HIN and gratitude for being given the opportunity to work with NEA members. NEA HIN has a proud history of taking on the health and safety issues affecting our nation's public schools, no matter how controversial or difficult.
The NEA HIN mission of making sure that every student is ready to learn and thrive is more important today than ever. We are blessed with a robust to-do list, including chronic disease prevention, school safety, behavioral health, emergency preparedness, infectious disease prevention and access to quality and affordable health care services. While we can (and want) to work in all these areas, NEA HIN will have to focus. We need to mobilize the combined efforts of the NEA HIN staff, NEA members and strategic partners around priority issues so that we can measurably and sustainably help students and educators.
One of the greatest strengths of NEA is its reach across different job functions in rural, suburban and urban school districts. NEA members represent and serve students from diverse social, racial, ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In school health we cannot be satisfied with a one size fits all approach. NEA HIN needs to strive to meet the individual needs of educators and students across this amazingly diverse organization. We need to redouble our efforts to educate our constituents and funders about the unacceptable and persistent disparities in health status across groups and design programs that are responsive to the cultural settings of all the members and students we represent.
I also believe that we at NEA HIN need to do more to affirm what we do and its impact in the community. NEA HIN has a rich repository of programs, tools, and resources that go unnoticed by many educators and in public health at large. While I am all for humility, in the coming months I will be encouraging everyone connected to NEA HIN to do a little more bragging about the great work we do. We will focus more effort on documenting the short- and long-term impact of our programs on the lives of our members and the students they serve. I want to ramp up our communication efforts, including a robust use of social media, and engaging you, the people we work with in the field, to capture success stories and glean real-time feedback about the use of our efforts.
With our exceptional partners, talented staff, and active relationship with NEA members, NEA HIN is in a strong position to take on new challenges, and I am truly excited about this new role. I hope you will share with me any thoughts you have about NEA HIN through this blog or at email@example.com. I look forward to working with each of you as we move NEA HIN into a bright future.
Immunization: Keeping the School Community Safe (Part 1)
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. As we head back to school this is the perfect time to take action and help families get the protection they need.
Breakfast in the Classroom News
Thanks to the hard work and determination of educators and advocates across the country there is a lot to report about in school breakfast land. At NEA HIN, an important part of our school breakfast work is supporting educators as well as NEA state and local associations to advocate for and implement alternative breakfast programs. Here's a quick run through of our top breakfast news:
Last but not least, you can click here to watch NEA HIN's new Breakfast in the Classroom video. Learn more about how educators are making a difference in ending child hunger and share the video with your friends and colleagues. Stay connected to NEA HIN on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what breakfast news is happening in your school district!
In Case You Missed It
On Monday the 29th, Annelise Cohon posted about our 2013 NEA HIN Champions!
Bette Simpson shared her tips for fundraising in the classroom this past Tuesday.
On our sister website, bagthejunk.org, shared their weekly recap including Healthy Fundraising Ideas.
Have a safe and healthy weekend!
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Happy August!
Here's the weekly roundup from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food.
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts this week and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Meet A Few Of Our 2013 NEA HIN Champions!
Since I started working on NEA HIN's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program in 2012, I have met passionate educators who are extraordinary leaders and advocates for hungry children. Below are a few of our 2013 NEA HIN Champions who have been instrumental in promoting the work and mission of NEA HIN by helping to ensure that every child starts the school day ready to learn.
Kathryn Castle
As President of the Elgin Teachers Association, Kathryn Castle has served as a "School Breakfast Champion" for hungry children. Her school district was chosen as one of ten districts across the country to receive funding from the Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom program to implement a Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) project this past school year. Kathryn stated, "We had 10 of our district's more than 50 schools participate in bringing better service and nutrition to our students. The effort emphasized collaboration of all members of those school communities, from students to staff and parents." To read more about Kathryn click here.
Cathy Koehler
Since the start of her career, Cathy Koehler has been a health and safety advocate. As President of the Little Rock Education Association, she has been involved with NEA HIN in many different programs. Cathy was one of the earliest adopters of NEA HIN's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program and helped to bring her district on board. "From the start, BIC has encouraged and built collaboration in our schools, district, and community among the administration, the school board, community partners, and our association. Through engagement of this network, BIC has spread into more of the district's schools, providing every student at the sites with equal access and opportunity for a tasty, nutritious breakfast that will help them as they go about their school day." To read more about Cathy click here.
Brent McKim
Brent McKim has always understood the importance of good health and nutrition on student's academic success. As President of the Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), Brent has been involved with NEA HIN for many years. To read more about Brent click here.
Elizabeth "Liz" Foster
Elizabeth "Liz" Foster has always gone above and beyond to help those in need. As the economy crashed, Liz witnessed firsthand the impact of food insecurity among NEA members, children and families in her school district. "I felt that our local association needed to reach out and help our community through innovative programs and to do what is best for children." Through her leadership and determination as President of the Guilford County Association of Educators, Liz helped bring NEA HIN's Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) program to twelve schools in her district. The program now provides more students with the nutritious breakfasts they need at the start of the school day. To read more about Liz click here.
Sherry J. Morgan
Sherry Morgan is an advocate for hungry students in her school district. As President of the Knox County Education Association, Sherry has worked with NEA HIN on the Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) Program. Sherry says, "As a result of this collaboration, more than 2,245 students are eating breakfast because of this program." To learn more about Sherry click here.
For more information about NEA HIN's Breakfast in the Classroom program visit our website. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly blog round up from BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blog post this week and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
You Can Be a Founding Donor to The Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund
A reminder about contributing to the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund
Many of you have already made contributions to the "Jerry" Fund, and we are most grateful for those gifts. The Fund will be an ongoing project for NEA HIN, and its revenue will be used to help support our future work in the area of school safety.
For those of you who don't know about the Fund, its focus includes strengthening emergency preparedness, improving indoor environmental quality, and preventing and managing food allergies. Work implementation frequently involves:
So, thanks again to those of you who have made contributions to date. For those of you who are interested in helping to support this important NEA HIN work, please donate online at http://www.neahin.org/jnewberryfund/ or make out a check to NEA HIN, with the Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund in the notation line and send it to NEA HIN, 1201 16th Street NW, Suite 216, Washington, DC 20036.
Donors whose gifts are received by August 31, 2013, will be considered Founding Donors, and we would love to have you included among them. We all thank you very much for your consideration.
MSEA's Clint Smith on New Orleans: An Unlikely Food Desert
Growing up in New Orleans, LA I was raised on an unparalleled staple of foods that other people travel from thousands of miles away to experience. The intersection of a rich Catholic history and a bayou-based locality made Friday Fish fries the norm. Recounting the scent of red beans & rice, gumbo, jambalaya, and po-boys elicit a euphoric sense of nostalgia for a childhood diet that trumps my current one.
While we are a city known for our food, the tragic irony is that too many citizens of New Orleans do not have access to grocery stores that serve a diverse and healthy array of options. This inequity has been amplified since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Supermarkets that did once exist have not returned, and many are finding that they must travel more than 10 miles to find the closest fruit or vegetable. For many families, especially for those who don't have cars, the cost-benefit analysis of taking two or three buses to reach a grocery store that is already more expensive than you may be able to afford -- right after work, after picking your children up from school, among the host of other quotidian tasks so many of us experience – is unfeasible.
This is why initiatives such as Wendell Pierce's Sterling Farms grocery store can serve as an important model for what purposeful investment in a community can look like. Pierce, a native New Orleanian who has starred in both The Wire and Treme, has begun a chain of grocery and convenient stores in New Orleans carrying fresh, healthy foods in neighborhoods labeled food deserts with the hope that it will serve as an exemplar to show that a viable community-centered business model can exist. These sorts of projects are critical for our students and their families. When our students aren't getting the food and nutrients they need, it hinders their ability to succeed in the classroom. Whether it is New Orleans or Washington DC, food deserts are real, and unless we have business leaders who are willing to step up to the plate, these communities will continue to suffer.
Take a look Wendell Pierce's project here.
Tips for Raising Money for Your School
Although my work revolves around raising major dollars for NEA HIN's health and safety work, I know that many of you out in the school community often have a need for just a little money to start a classroom project, to do a school-wide event, or things of that sort. I decided to use my blog this week to give you some ideas about how to locate funds for those extra activities that will help you to improve your teaching, make your class more exciting for your students, or start a program that will make your school a healthier place. Fund-raising is my profession, but for people who don't have experience doing it, the prospect of asking for money can be a little intimidating. I hope these suggestions are helpful to you, and if you are interested in learning more, please let me know.
Many communities have foundations that exist to fund projects in their local areas. Generally, it is pretty easy to speak with someone in a community foundation, explain the kind of project you have in mind, and ask if it is the kind of effort that the foundation might be interested in supporting. Often, you might be asked to write a simple letter of request or a short proposal describing your project, and then the foundation staff or board will determine if funding is to be approved. If your request is for a small amount of money—say up to $5,000, it should not take too long to get an answer back. It might be a few months, though, so plan ahead.
The easy way to find out if your community has such a foundation (if you don't already know) is to check online by typing in the name of your city or county followed by the word "foundation." If your district is very small, there might be a foundation in a nearby area that also serves your community, so check for that, too. There are also some online resources where you can get information about community foundations and other potential funding sources. A few of these are http://foundationcenter.org/, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/fundraising/a/fundraising101.htm, and http://massmentors.org/funding-sources. Of course, there are many more, and don't forget that corporations located in your community are also a great source for funding projects.
The most important thing to remember is that if you get "no" for an answer, it is not a reflection on you. It takes a while to depersonalize the process of asking for money, but after a while you'll get the hang of it. It might be that you might need to rethink or refine your project, or talk to someone who can help you do so. If the project you are seeking funds for is important to you, don't give up. Eventually, you will find a funder that thinks it is important, too. Again, if you would like me to provide more information about this process, please don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's the weekly roundup of new blogs on BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
An Eagle Flies For Health
Topics: Chronic Disease
"Too much sugar in the blood."
Georgia Perez, a Community Health Representative in New Mexico who served Nambe Pueblo communities for 19 years, heard these words in her dreams as she and her team worked to promote health.
Georgia's dreams featured a bald eagle who spoke sadly about seeing changes in his community; children were not as active and often did not eat healthy foods. Many older people had type 2 diabetes. The eagle recalled the traditional ways of eating and physical activity, which strengthened the health of the people.
Her expertise and her dreams inspired Georgia to write, "Through the Eyes of the Eagle" a story that came to be loved by adults and children.
American Indian and Alaska Native adults are twice as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. Native American youth aged 10 to 19 years are developing type 2 diabetes at higher rates than youth in other racial and ethnic groups of this age. This alarming statistic prompted Tribal leaders to advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Indian Health Service (I.H.S.) to focus on youth and deliver good health and nutrition messages by drawing from tribal cultures and traditions, including storytelling.
The stories by Georgia Perez became The Eagle Books series, including four storybooks for children (pre-K to 4) featuring a young boy, Rain that Dances, his friends, and animal characters who teach them about the wisdom of their ancestors. Interwoven into the stories are health messages and values such as respect and gratitude. Patrick Rolo (Bad River Band of Ojibwe, Wisconsin) and Lisa A. Fifield (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Black Bear Clan) vividly illustrated the stories.
The Eagle Books toolkit offers animated versions and downloadable activities and materials to help students, educators, clinicians, and families explore and explain health concepts in culturally-relevant ways.
One printed copy of each storybook can be ordered free of charge through CDC. Multiple copies can be ordered from I.H.S. for programs serving tribal communities and organizations. New materials are added regularly, so check often.
Announcing the Hiring of Jim Bender as Executive Director of NEA HIN
On behalf of the NEA Health Information Network (NEA HIN) Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the hiring of Jim Bender as Executive Director of NEA HIN.
Our goal was to find a leader who could carry on NEA HIN's legacy and further advance school health and safety programs. We believe Jim will help us meet that goal.
Jim brings the right combination of exceptional knowledge of education and school-based health issues, a deep understanding of partnerships, strong managerial skills, and personal passion for the issues.
Please join me in welcoming Jim to the NEA Family.
A Message To The Incredible Members Of The NEA
I came to NEA Health Information Network 17 years ago to make a difference for our members and our students in the areas of health and safety. With the help of an incredible staff, we have grown NEA HIN into a new organization - an organization that has reached out to NEA state and local affiliates and to NEA members - providing you with information, education, support and on-the-ground assistance during times of crisis.
I will always remember assisting the caring and resilient NEA members in Littleton, CO following the deaths in the high school there. I still have friendships and connections carved from that shooting tragedy.
I could never forget the days I spent in Enterprise, AL following the horrific destruction from the tornado that destroyed two schools and countless homes and neighborhoods in that close knit community.
During my tenure here, NEA HIN has taken on HIV/A.I.D.S - a disease that scared both our members and their students. We have learned a great deal and have delivered accurate information to help keep our members and their students safe.
NEA HIN continues to take on new health and safety issues each year.
We live in a world that has new and different challenges than those of 17 years ago. Violence is an area that I find most disturbing. When the tragic deaths of students and staff at Newtown, Connecticut can happen and the US Congress is unable to pass new gun legislation, I worry for the future of our democracy.
And yet we have new opportunities for growth, learning and support of one another. I think of the internet, social media, and other forms of communication that connect us to each other. We communicate more, we stay closer to family and friends than ever before, and out of these connections, we have the opportunity to forge a new American future.
As I welcome Jim Bender, the new Executive Director of NEA HIN, I have the utmost faith that Jim and the wonderful NEA HIN staff will both continue our good work and will grow the level of support HIN supplies you, our tremendous members, across the United States and our federal members in Europe and Asia.
As I leave, I salute you for the care and guidance you provide American children each day.
Weekly Roundup from Bag the Junk
Here's a weekly roundup of new blogs on BagtheJunk.org, NEA HIN's sister website dedicated to all things healthy school food:
We hope you enjoy reading our blog posts, and look forward to seeing you here next Thursday!
Focus On Results And Policy That Enables Them:Educators and Their Partners Working for Safe and Healthy Schools
The School Health Systems Change Project at the State University of New York Cortland works to build the capacity of school health educators, school nurses, administrators, and others to create a school health system for New York that is efficient and effective. More importantly, the Project aims to foster healthy, health-literate and academically successful youth.
At the fourth Summer Institute, held on July 9, 2013, I joined educators from central and upstate New York to talk about what it takes to make that happen in a time of contracting budgets and heightened accountability.
Our morning session focused on how staff in school health programs, services, and curriculum can be active participants in the rapidly changing world of school system reform. With the links between heath status and academic achievement clear in areas like breakfast and behavioral health, the participants worked together to think about new messages for presenting the benefits of strong school health and nutrition services.
They then worked on other beneficial areas, such as physical education and physical activity. And they were full of great ideas! They talked about building stakeholder support and engaging parents and families as allies in making sure that schools supported the whole child. They also spent time brainstorming about how to ensure sustainability.
Two ideas emerged here. The first was to focus on RESULTS. By demonstrating that these programs and services make a difference, we can show their value to the community. The second was to focus on moving from the short-term of program to the sustainability of POLICY. Rather than depend on the occasional well-connected champion of a program or the whims of annual finances, attendees recognizes that good practices can be sustained through good local or state policy.
Beyond quality programs and services, a thoughtful school health system includes instruction. School health education can be supported by the National Health Education Standards (to which most states, including New York, align their standards). The educators and their allies examined the standards and looked at a range of opportunities for alignment as well as discussing the benefits to students of this integrated approach. I provided the participants received copies of NEA HIN's newest teaching resources, Healthy Steps For Healthy Lives & Rx for Understanding.
By the end of our day, participants each developed a short-term action plan to implement aspects of the school health systems improvement in their districts.
And, once again, I had seen the passion and dedication educators bring—after all, they did all this on their summer vacation!
NEA HIN Awards Ryan White Award to Jerry Newberry
Topics: Bloodborne Pathogens, Ryan White
On Friday, July 5, 2013 NEA HIN Board Member Eric Brown presented Jerry Newberry with the 2013 Ryan White Award at the NEA's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Caucus Dinner. The dinner took place at the National Education Association's Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia.
Firework Safety
2 Resources on fireworks safety for a healthy and happy 4th.
Fireworks-related injuries are most common on July 4 and New Year's Eve. Fireworks can cause death and injury, including burns, contusions, lacerations, and foreign objects in the eye.
Make the choice to protect yourself and your family from fireworks injuries.
Another Great Day at the Expo!
Topics: Bag The Junk, Bloodborne Pathogens, Breakfast in the Classroom, Chronic Disease, Allergies in School, Immunization, Indoor Air Quality, Indoor Environmental Quality, Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund, NEA HIN Champions, Substance Abuse/Prescription Drugs
What a great day we had today! We met over 600 additional educators in the Hall of Health and Safety. We gave away hundreds of publications and our partners reached thousands of NEA members with valuable information and resources. You can see our pictures on Facebook and Twitter. And don't forget to visit Bag the Junk on Facebook to see all the wonderful carrot pictures in support of healthy school food. They will be up next week.
Thanks to everyone who visited and stopped to join the health and safety movement. We will be working hard all year to make sure that every student and educator has a safe school environment and can make healthy choices every day.
See you next year in Denver.
Educators Explore Healthy and Safe Schools
Topics: Bag The Junk, Bloodborne Pathogens, Breakfast in the Classroom, Allergies in School, Immunization, Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund, NEA HIN Champions, Organizing, Substance Abuse/Prescription Drugs
The NEA Expo opened this morning in Atlanta, Georgia and the Hall of Health and Safety was soon humming with activity. NEA educators coming to the hall were able to visit the booths of NEA HIN, our Bag the Junk project, and our Hall of Health and Safety partners.
Among the highlights of the day were the over 1000 educators who learned about new NEA HIN resources like The Food Allergy Book, Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives (2013), and Rx for Understanding: Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse. They also learned about our new online store. Other visitors learned about our Crisis Guide and the new Jerald L. Newberry School Safety Fund.
We had visits today from a number of NEA HIN Champions who are leading actions, large and small to create healthy and safe schools. And visitors to the NEA HIN booth got the chance to spin our prize wheel where everyone is a winner!
If you are in Atlanta at the Expo, please joins us on July 2 for the second and final day of the NEA Expo. We hope to see you there.
Educators Are Taking on Child Hunger
You've heard the numbers and seen the statistics; 16 million children (about 1 in 5) live in food insecure households in the United States. Hunger can be found in every state, and NEA members see hungry children in their classrooms every day.
Educators are changing the conversation on child hunger and taking a stand against hunger by supporting programs like Breakfast in the Classroom. NEA HIN is pleased to release a new video that highlights the roles educators are playing to ensure their students have the healthy, nutritious food they need to be successful.
Since working at NEA HIN, I have been amazed by the dedication and determination of NEA members to help solve America's toughest challenges, including child hunger. Educators like:
These are just a few of the voices featured in our new video. Help us spread the word and consider sharing this video with your networks. Together, we can end child hunger.
NEA HIN's Hall of Health and Safety Partners III
NEA HIN became aware of The Partnership at Drugfree.org through our work in creating and publishing the popular middle school curriculum materials called Rx for Understanding: Be Smart about Prescription Drugs. (A new set of curriculum materials, geared toward high school students, is being released at this year's RA, and was also supported by an unrestricted grant from Purdue Pharma L.P.) The Partnership at Drugfree.org is a nonprofit organization that brings together parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children. It motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs and alcohol, and to find help and treatment for family and friends in trouble. We have been fortunate that this fine organization has helped promote Rx for Understanding, and are very glad to have them with us in the Hall of Health and Safety again this year. Stop by and say hello to them in Booth 204.
The NEA Healthy Schools Caucus was started in 2001, and, since that time, has grown from a fledgling organization into a powerful force that brings attention to school health issues like poor indoor environmental quality, mold, lighting issues, asthma, and others. NEA HIN is pleased to work with members of the Healthy Schools Caucus in promoting healthy school environments for school staff and students. Please visit them in Booth 201B.
Two Divisions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be located in the Hall of Health and Safety this year in Booths 206 (the Division of Adolescent and School Health) and 208 (the Division of Population Health). The CDC is one of NEA HIN's most important sources of research-based information, and we use its data when we are planning our programs and projects. Both Divisions address issues of school health, including the relationship between health and academics, HIV-related risk behaviors among high school students, the importance of good nutrition and physical activity for students, and many, many more. We are delighted to have our friends from the CDC with us this year—please let them know how much we all appreciate their good work.
Bag the Junk is an NEA HIN initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Bag the Junk program focuses on eliminating or at least limiting competitive foods in schools. Competitive foods are the foods and beverages sold in schools that are not part of the school meal program. Foods and drinks sold in vending machines, cafeteria à la carte lines, school stores, and fundraisers are perfect examples. They are referred to as competitive foods because they compete with sales of full meals offered through the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. The big deal about competitive foods is that they (1) are widely available in U.S. schools, (2) are typically high in fat, calories and sugar; and (3) promote the consumption of junk foods and sugary beverages, both of which are contributors to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity rates in the United States have increased dramatically over the years. Today, more than 23.5 million children and teens in the United States—nearly one in three young people—are overweight or obese. Bag the Junk's goal is to help reverse the child obesity epidemic by bringing attention to the role that "junk foods" play in the problem. Stop by Booth 201A and learn more about Bag the Junk.


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Over at last for Freshwater
On October 6, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States declined (PDF, p. 10), without comment, to hear John Freshwater's appeal of the Ohio Supreme Court's decision to uphold his termination as a middle school teacher. The decision brings the long and complicated controversy over Freshwater's inappropriate religious behavior in the classroom — including teaching creationism and misrepresenting evolution as scientifically controversial — to a final conclusion.
National Medal of Science for Bruce Alberts
NCSE is pleased to congratulate Bruce Alberts on receiving the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for achievement and leadership in science.
NCSE's Rosenau and McCaffrey in the Houston Chronicle
NCSE's Josh Rosenau and Mark McCaffrey were invited by the Houston Chronicle (September 30, 2014) to discuss the controversy over the treatment of climate science in social studies textbooks now under consideration by the Texas state board of education.
RNCSE 34:5 now on-line
NCSE is pleased to announce that the latest issue of Reports of the National Center for Science Education is now available on-line.
Haas joins NCSE board
NCSE is pleased to announce the addition of Michael Haas, a businessman, entrepreneur, and climate activist, to its board of directors. "In the fight with climate change, knowledge is power," Haas explained. "But too many students are not learning what they need to know about climate change and the solutions. That's why I'm pleased to join NCSE's board of directors and to support its diverse efforts to defend the integrity of science education."
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Evolution and Climate Education Update

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