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HEALTH SERVICES

Goal: Advocate for the development of an effective system in conjunction with community partners, to meet the health needs of students, staff, and families.

Behavioral and health problems of school-age young people often hinder their ability to learn. Growing numbers of young people have health conditions that affect their school attendance and classroom performance. The extent of physical, emotional, psychological, and social problems present in some student populations is so great that the primary mission of the school – education – cannot proceed if these pathologies are not addressed (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989)

These services are designed to ensure access or referral to primary health care services. The services also should foster appropriate use of primary health care services, prevent and control communicable disease and other health problems, provide emergency care for illness or injury, promote and provide optimum sanitary conditions for a safe school facility and school environment, and provide educational and counseling opportunities for promoting and maintaining individual, family, and community health. Qualified professionals such as physicians, nurses, dentists, health educators, and other allied health personnel provide these services.

Resources:

Child Health Insurance: Health Choice for Children
Health insurance plays a key role in keeping children healthy and in school. As of October 1998, families who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford rising health insurance premiums are able to get free or reduced price comprehensive health care for their children. The new plan, “NC Health Choice for Children,” is the same as coverage provided for the children of state employees and teachers, plus vision, hearing and dental benefits. When working families cannot afford health care for their children, the consequences can be dire. Babies may not get the checkups that make sure they are growing healthy and strong. Families may wait until a child is very sick before seeking medical help, sometimes getting help only in an emergency. Untreated illnesses can have long-lasting consequences, such as hearing loss caused by ear infections. To find out more about this free or reduced cost children’s health insurance plan, visit the NC Health Choice web site.

Dental Health Services
The NC Oral Health Section provides statewide school-based education / promotion programs including classroom education supported with educational videos and other audiovisual tools, printed activity materials and interactive exhibits. Instruction covers disease prevention, oral hygiene practices, injury prevention, appropriate diet, consumerism and professional dental care practices.
Training in the comprehensive dental health curriculum, Framework for Dental Health Education is available for all elementary teachers in the state. The training includes companion videos and study guides. The curriculum correlates with the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Statewide Comprehensive Curriculum for public schools.

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HEALTH EDUCATION

Goal: Developed to motivate and assist students’ commitment to life-long health through classroom instruction that addresses the multi-dimensions of health.

“For every dollar spent on high-quality, multicomponent health education delivered in the school, society saves more than $13 in direct cost, such as medical treatment, addition counseling, alcohol-related motor vehicle injuries and drug related crime, and indirect cost, such as lost productivity due to premature death and expenditures associated with teen pregnancy (CDC, unpublished manuscript, 1997)”

The curriculum is, sequential, K-12 and addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health. The curriculum design assist to motivate students to maintain and improve their health, prevent disease, and reduce health-related risk behaviors. It allows students to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated health-related knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices. The Healthful Living Standard Course of Study (www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/health) includes a variety of topics such as personal health, family health, community health, consumer health, environmental health, sexuality education, mental and emotional health, injury prevention and safety, nutrition, prevention and control of disease, and substance use and abuse. The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that contribute to a healthful lifestyle and improved quality of life for all students. The Healthful Living Education Standard Course of Study, when fully integrated, supports and reinforces the goals and objectives of its two major components health and physical education. When the concepts of these two areas are integrated, learning is enhanced to its maximum.

Resources

North Carolina Comprehensive School Health Training Center (www.appstate.edu/www_docs/depart/ncshtc/index.html)The School Health Training Center offers training for teachers and other school personnel in the skills-based North Carolina Framework for Healthful Living Education. The School Health Training Center activities is funded in part by North Carolina Healthy Schools through a cooperative agreement with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

Successfully Teaching Middle School Health (www.learnnc.org/dpi)The new and improved Manual is packed with exciting teaching ideas and student activities. The Manual contains six step lesson plans for each 6th, 7th, and 8th grade health objective in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Healthful Living Education. A new chapter on health related fitness has been added along with engaging student handouts, and black line masters. A CD is packaged with the Manual which allows teachers the flexibility to personalize the lessons, adapt lessons to meet individual classroom needs, and update statistics and materials as needed. Interactive games and creative PowerPoint presentations are also available on the CD which will enhance instruction and student learning.

NC Institute of Medicine’s Comprehensive Child Health Plan
Improving school health education is one of the top priorities established in the Comprehensive Child Health Plan. Comprehensive Child Health Plan: 2000-2005. Task Force Report to the North Carolina Department and Human Services. Executive Summary. May 2000. Download pdf version. Download Executive Summary. Chartered in 1983 by the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NC•IOM) is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves as a non-political source of analysis and advice on issues of relevance to the health of North Carolina’s population.

Web Resources:

 

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NURTITION SERVICES

Goal: To improve the health, nutritional well-being and academic performance of North Carolina’s students through coordinated and comprehensive nutrition policies that enhances the school classroom, cafeteria and community environment and support lifelong healthful eating habits.

School breakfast programs:

  • increase learning and
    academic achievement
  • improve student attention
    to academic tasks
  • reduce visits to the school nurse
  • decrease behavioral problems
    • Murphy, Pagano, Nachmani,
      Sperling, Kane, and Kleinman, 1998

Nutrition Services is comprised of many components; the Child Nutrition Program, Nutrition Education and programs that support health eating at school and home. Program and services that provide screening, assessment, counseling and referral for nutrition problems and the provision of modified meals for students with special needs are also included.

Child Nutrition programs reflect the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other criteria to achieve nutrition integrity. The school nutrition services offer students a learning laboratory for classroom nutrition and health education, and serve as a resource for linkages with nutrition-related community services. Qualified child nutrition professionals provide these services. The Child Nutrition program provides access to a variety of nutritious, culturally appropriate foods that promote growth and development, pleasure in healthful eating, and long-term health, the prevention of school day hunger and its consequent lack of attention to learning tasks.

Nutrition education should empower students to select and enjoy healthful food and be physical activity. Nutrition education is included in the Healthful Living Standard Course of Study for grades Pre-K – 12.

Resources:

Eat Smart, Move More
Eat Smart, Move More NC is a statewide initiative that promotes increased opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating through policy and environmental change.Increasing public awareness of the need for such changes to support increased physical activity and healthy eating opportunities is an integral aspect of the initiative.The ultimate goal of the initiative is to promote healthy behaviors that reduce risks and prevent disease related to inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors.Eat Smart, Move More is a program of the Physical Activity and Nutrition Branch in the NC Division of Public Health.

Child Nutrition Programs
Child Nutrition Programs provide nutritious school meals to promote learning readiness and the opportunity to practice skills learned in classroom nutrition education. Programs in schools include the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Special Milk Program, After School Snack Program and the Summer Food Service Program. Programs are available to all children regardless of ability to pay. Federal regulations also support the student with Special Dietary Needs. Meals are modified with a proper medical prescription without additional cost to the parent of guardian. For more information, call Child Nutrition Services with the NC Department of Public Instruction (919) 807-3506.

Team Nutrition
Approximately half of North Carolina’s schools are Team Nutrition schools. Team Nutrition provides schools with nutrition education materials for children and families, and technical assistance materials for Child Nutrition directors, cafeteria managers and staff. State agency partners provide training and technical assistance to support these programs in local schools. Team Nutrition supports the School Meals Initiative policy that school meals reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For more information, call Child Nutrition Services with the NC Department of Public Instruction (919) 807-3506.

Nutrition Education and Training Program (NET)
The North Carolina NET Program, through its local, state and federal partnerships, provides leadership in promoting healthful eating habits for the state’s children. NET integrates mealtime and learning experiences to help children make informed food choices as part of a healthy lifestyle. Activities of the NET Program include a Resource Lending Library, mini-grants, workshops and a newsletter. For more information, call the NET Program with the NC Department of Health and Human Services at (919) 715-8792.

North Carolina 5 a Day Coalition
This coalition of state and local agencies, public, private and nonprofit organizations is licensed to promote the National Cancer Institute’s 5 a Day Program. Schools are primary channels that the coalition is using to encourage North Carolina children to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. For more information, call the Health Promotion Branch with the NC Department of Health and Human Services at (919) 715-3829.

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HEALTHY ACTIVE CHILDREN POLICY

NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Policy Manual

Policy Identification
Priority: High Student Performance
Category: Student Health Issues
Policy ID Number: HSP-S-000

Policy Title: Policy regarding physical education in the public schools

Current Policy Date: 01/09/2003 – Amended 04/07/2005
Other Historical Information: 
Statutory Reference: 
Administrative Procedures Act (APA) Reference Number and Category: 

HEALTHY ACTIVE CHILDREN:

Section 1. LOCAL SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

(a) Each school district shall establish and maintain a local School Health Advisory Council to help plan, implement, and monitor this policy as well as other health issues as part of the coordinated school health plan.

(b) The local School Health Advisory Council shall be composed of community and school representatives from the eight areas of a coordinated school health program mentioned in Section 4 (a), representatives from the local health department and school administration.

Section 2. PHYSICAL EDUCATION

(a) To address issues such as overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type II diabetes, students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grades are to participate in physical activity as part of the district’s physical education curriculum. Elementary schools should consider the benefits of and move toward having 150 minutes per week with a certified physical education teacher throughout the 180-day school year. Middle schools should consider the benefits of and move toward having 225 minutes per week of Healthful Living Education with certified health and physical education teachers throughout the 180-day school year.

(b) The physical education course shall be the environment in which students learn, practice and receive assessment on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge as defined in the North Carolina Healthful Living Standard Course of Study and foster support and guidance for being physically active. In order to meet enhanced goals, these classes should be the same class size as other regular classes.

Section 3. RECESS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

(a) Structured/unstructured recess and other physical activity (such as, but not limited to, physical activity time, physical education or intramurals) shall not be taken away from students as a form of punishment. In addition, severe and/or inappropriate exercise may not be used as a form of punishment for students.

(b) A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity shall be provided by schools for all K-8 students daily. This requirement can be achieved through a regular physical education class and/or through activities such as recess, dance, classroom energizers, or other curriculum based physical education activity programs. However, such use of this time should complement and not substitute for the physical education program.

(c) The physical activity required by this section must involve physical exertion of at least a moderate to vigorous intensity level and for a duration sufficient to provide a significant health benefit to students.

Section 4. COORDINATED SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMS (CSHP)

(a) The State Board of Education shall make available to each school district a coordinated school health model designed to address health issues of children. The program must provide for coordinating the following eight components:

(1) safe environment;

(2) physical education;

(3) health education;

(4) staff wellness;

(5) health services;

(6) mental and social health;

(7) nutrition services; and

(8) parental/family involvement.

(b) The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shall notify each school district of the availability of professional development opportunities and provide technical assistance in implementing coordinated school health programs at the local level.

Section 5. THIS AMENDED POLICY SHALL BE FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR.

(a) Each local school district shall develop an action plan prepared in collaboration with the local School Health Advisory Council to assist in the implementation of the policy. This action plan shall identify steps that need to be taken each year to fully implement the policy by the 2006-2007 school year and shall include a review and appropriate modification of existing physical education and health curricula.

(b) Action plans shall be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction by July 15, 2004.

(c) Progress reports shall be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction by July 15, 2005 and 2006.

(d) Beginning July 15, 2007, each local school district in collaboration with the local School Health Advisory Council shall prepare a report annually which will include the minutes of physical education and/or healthful living, physical activity received by students in each school within the district. Indicators that will mark successful implementation and evidences of completion shall be a part of the plan.

(e) This report shall be completed by July 15th each year and remain on file for a period of 12 months to be provided upon request of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and local boards of education.

(f) Progress reports and the annual reports shall also include any other information that may be recommended from the State Board of Education’s Ad Hoc Committee studying implementation of the physical education and Healthful Living programs in kindergarten through eighth grades.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Goal: To provide each student with the knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to engage in a healthy active lifestyle and to create a supportive environment that is conducive to enjoyable life long physical activity opportunities for students, families, staff and community.

A planned, sequential K-12 curriculum that provides cognitive content and learning experiences in a variety of activity areas such as basic movement skills; physical fitness; rhythms and dance; games; team, dual, and individual sports; tumbling and gymnastics; and aquatics. Quality physical education should promote, through a variety of planned physical activities, each student’s optimum physical, mental, emotional, and social development, and should promote activities and sports that all students enjoy and can pursue throughout their lives. Qualified, trained teachers teach physical activity.

(You can join the DPI Physical Education / Athletics listserve by contacting Kymm Ballard at [email protected])

Resources:

New! Energizers
Classroom Based Physical Activities!
The way teachers integrate physical activity with academic concepts.
Check out these short, about 10-minute, activities that classroom teachers can use to provide activity to children.

State Board of Education Policy: Healthy Active Children

Jean Blaydes Madigan – Brain Based research for physical education  
www.actionbasedlearning.com

Station PE – Action based learning for physical education teachers
addressing the national and state standards through cultural diversity,
character education, literacy development and more.   
www.stationpe.com

Everyone, including people with disabilities, can enjoy the numerous physical, psychological, and social benefits of increased physical activity.According to the 1996 surgeon general’s report, people with disabilities are less likely to engage in regular moderate physical activity than people without disabilities, yet they have a similar, and sometimes greater, need for health promotion and disease prevention opportunities. The NCODH has implemented 2 projects that are designed to enhance the number of opportunities that persons with disabilities have to engage in physical activity.
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/%7Encodh/PhysicalActRec/index.htm

BAM!
BAM! is brought to you by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). BAM! was created to answer kids’ questions on health issues and recommend ways to make their bodies and minds healthier, stronger, and safer. BAM! also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive activities to support their health and science curriculums that are educational
and fun.

Be Active Kids:
Be Active Kids is an early childhood (ages 4-5) physical activity and nutrition curriculum and kit for child care centers. The program focuses on establishing an early, positive relationship with one’s body through participation in fun physical activities and education about healthy eating concepts. The overall goal of the kit is to promote positive attitudes towards physical activity and healthy eating. www.Beactivekids.com

Eat Smart, Move More NC
Eat Smart, Move More NC is a statewide initiative that promotes increased opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating through policy and environmental change. Increasing public awareness of the need for such changes to support increased physical activity and healthy eating opportunities is an integral aspect of the initiative. The ultimate goal of the initiative is to promote healthy behaviors that reduce risks and prevent disease related to inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors.

VERB. It’s what you do.
In December 2001, Congress charged the Department of Health and Human
Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with creating a
healthy movement among youth through a paid media campaign. Starting in
June 2002—with your help—we will do just that. The campaign itself, which
was fully launch October 2002, encourages positive activity—both physical
and prosocial activity—among youth ages 9-13. VERB. It’s what you do

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HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

Goal: Advocate for an effective programs that creates an environment where students can learn and staff are empowered

A safe, clean, and well-maintained school with a positive psychosocial climate and culture an boost student and staff self-esteem and health as well as students’ educational achievement (Health is Academic: A Guide to Coordinated School Health Programs, 1998).

The physical and aesthetic surroundings and the psychosocial climate and culture of the school can affect student and staff self-esteem and health as well as students’ academic achievement. Factors that influence the physical environment include the school building and the area surrounding it, any biological or chemical agents that are detrimental to health, and physical conditions such as temperature, noise, and lighting. The psychological environment includes the physical, emotional, and social conditions that affect the well-being of students and staff.
A healthy school environment supports learning and contributes to students’ health by minimizing distractions that either threatens their mental or physical wellbeing. The environment should also promote expectations that all students can succeed. Policies and programs to meet the needs of students and staff must support these environments.

NC Safe and Drug Free Schools Program
The Safe and Drug Free Schools Program is a comprehensive and strategic national mechanism which is used in public schools throughout North Carolina. Basically, these education and prevention initiatives are designed to prevent school violence, and provide programs that prevent the illegal use of alcohol and other drugs, involve parents, and coordinate with other federal, state and local efforts and resources.The Safe and Drug Free Schools Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Improving America’s School Act of 1994, Title IV- Safe and Drug Schools and Community Act. www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/alternative/drugfree

Resources:

Tobacco-Free Schools Program
www.stepupnc.com
The Tobacco-Free Schools Program is designed to help schools take an active role to become tobacco-free by addressing the specific problems of adolescent tobacco use. The North Carolina Tobacco Prevention Control Branch in collaboration with the NC Department of Public Instruction, Safe Schools Division, developed a comprehensive model for preventing and reducing tobacco use in schools.
The Tobacco-Free Schools approach encourages schools to develop adopt and implement effective tobacco-free policies as the foundation of the program. Program components that support the policies include Alternative to Suspension (ATS), a positive option to punishment, Teen Cessation and Promoting Tobacco-Free Lifestyles . Components of the Tobacco-Free Schools program fit together in a way that encourages flexibility and autonomy at the local level.

The NC Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch along with a network of community partners, including the American Cancer Society, Southeast Division, American Lung Association of NC, Department of Public Instruction, Governor’s Office, Substance Abuse Services Section, and Survivors and Victims Empowered Program (SAVE) support 100% Tobacco-Free Schools as a positive community strategy to reduce teen tobacco use rates fifty percent by 2010.

Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities
As part of his continuing efforts to help keep our schools, our teachers and our students safe, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige announced that a new guide, Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities, is available to help schools plan for any emergency, including natural disasters, violent incidents and terrorist acts.

 

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HEALTH PROMOTION FOR STAFF

GOAL

To provide each student with the knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to engage in a healthy active lifestyle and to create a supportive environment that is conducive to enjoyable life long physical activity opportunities for students, families, staff and community.

Opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education and health-related fitness activities. These opportunities encourage school staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and a greater personal commitment to the school’s overall coordinated health program. This personal commitment often transfers into greater commitment to the health of students and creates positive role modeling. Health promotion activities have improved productivity, decreased absenteeism, and reduce insurance cost.

RESOURCES

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HEALTHY SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT

GOAL

Advocate for effective programs that create an environment where students can learn and staff are empowered

“A safe, clean, and well-maintained school with a positive psychosocial climate and culture an boost student and staff self-esteem and health as well as students’ educational achievement,” (Health is Academic: A Guide to Coordinated School Health Programs, 1998).

The physical and aesthetic surroundings and the psychosocial climate and culture of the school can affect student and staff self-esteem and health as well as students’ academic achievement. Factors that influence the physical environment include the school building and the area surrounding it, any biological or chemical agents that are detrimental to health, and physical conditions such as temperature, noise, and lighting. The psychological environment includes the physical, emotional, and social conditions that affect the well-being of students and staff.

A healthy school environment supports learning and contributes to students’ health by minimizing distractions that either threatens their mental or physical wellbeing. The environment should also promote expectations that all students can succeed. Policies and programs to meet the needs of students and staffmust support these environments.

WEB RESOURCES

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CONFERENCES

NOTE :: Various file formats are used on this page that may require download. If larger than 1mb, it will take longer to download. For instructions or more information, please visit our download page.

2010 Healthy Schools Institute, “Allies in Action”- June 21-23, 2010 at Lenoir Rhyne University

Agenda
(pdf, 61kb)

Letter
(pdf, 150kb)

Registration form
(pdf, 109kb)

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HEALTH PROMOTION FOR STAFF

Goal: To provide each student with the knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation to engage in a healthy active lifestyle and to create a supportive environment that is conducive to enjoyable life long physical activity opportunities for students, families, staff and community.

Opportunities for school staff to improve their health status through activities such as health assessments, health education and health-related fitness activities. These opportunities encourage school staff to pursue a healthy lifestyle that contributes to their improved health status, improved morale, and a greater personal commitment to the school’s overall coordinated health program. This personal commitment often transfers into greater commitment to the health of students and creates positive role modeling. Health promotion activities have improved productivity, decreased absenteeism, and reduce insurance cost.

Resources