Friday Beat
May 23, 2014 Edition
For additional resources on these topics and others related to school health
education and services, visit the School Health Program website at
www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth
The Whole Child Initiative
Each child in each school in each of our communities deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported and
challenged. That’s what a whole child approach to learning, teaching and community engagement really is.
Launched in 2007, ASCD's Whole Child Initiative is an effort to change the conversation about education from a
focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that promotes the long term development and success
of children.
Through the initiative, ASCD helps educators, families, community members, and policymakers move from a vision
about educating the whole child to sustainable, collaborative action. In all future issues of the Friday Beat, indicators
for success associated with each Whole Child Tenet will be featured through supporting articles. For information
about this initiative, go to ASCD’s Whole Child Education website at www.wholechildeducation.org.
Whole Child Tenet #1
HEALTHY
Each student enters school healthy and learns about and practices a healthy lifestyle.
Indicator: Our school physical education schedule, curriculum, and instruction support and reinforce the
health and well- being of each student by addressing lifetime fitness knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and
skills.
Components: School Climate & Culture, Curriculum & Instruction
Postings and Notifications:
2015 Access to Care Grants – Deadline: August 18, 2014
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC), the foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, announced
it is accepting applications for its 2015 Access to Care Grants. HSHC is committed to supporting community-based
initiatives, which includes providing dental homes to children whose families cannot afford dental care. For more
information and to access an application, go to http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2014/04/aapd-foundation-seeksgrant-applications.html.
Conferences, Trainings and Professional Development:
Teaching Sexuality Education: Preparing your Students with the Content and Skills They Need – May 28,
2014, 3-4:00PM CDT
This session will explore the National Teacher Preparation Standards for Sexuality Education that have been
published in the upcoming June 2014, issue of ASHA’s Journal of School Health (JOSH). This webinar will:
1) Raise awareness regarding the need for standards
2) Present the standards, highlighting the unique aspects of teacher preparation related to sexuality
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education instruction
3) Share tools developed to support their implementation.
Administrators, faculty and instructors in institutions of higher education who are responsible for professional teacherpreparation programs in health education and health/physical education are encouraged to attend. To register, go to
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3215462740247327234.
Upcoming Webinar: E-cigarettes – All That Vapes Is Not Nicotine – June 3, 2014, 3-4:00PM EDT
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence will host a Webinar focusing on
personal vaping devices like e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes). This Webinar will provide an overview of product
make-up and chemicals, as well as how clinicians can effectively discuss these products in a practice setting. To
register, go to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/113818718.
Counseling and Mental Health Services:
Nightmares May Haunt Bullied Kids
New research suggests that kids who are bullied when they're younger may be more likely to suffer from nightmares
and night terrors a few years later. However, bullies themselves don't appear to face any higher risk of disturbed
sleep. Read the news story at http://www.healthfinder.gov/News/Article.aspx?id=687454. Read the news release at
http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Nightmares-May-Signal-a-Child-is-BeingBullied.aspx.
Serious Mental Health Challenges among Older Adolescents and Young Adults
This report focuses on mental health problems, co-occurring mental health problems and substance use disorder, and
mental health service use among older adolescents ages 16-17 and young adults ages 18 to 25. The report provides
a snapshot of mental health issues among older adolescents and young adults overall and by key issues for the
transition into adulthood such as housing, employment, education, and insurance coverage. Produced by the U.S.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and available at
http://samhsa.gov/data/2K14/CBHSQ173/sr173-mh-challenges-young-adults-2014.pdf.
How Online Games Can Influence Motivational Intelligence
Modern educational games use simulation and experiential learning to help boost student motivation, writes Jordan
Shapiro, a game-based learning expert. Such games can offer social, emotional, and metacognitive benefits, he
notes. "Contrary to the popular image of the gamer as an awkward, socially inept loner, players are actually engaged
with one another," he writes. Read about it at http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/05/social-and-emotional-benefitsof-video-games-metacognition-and-relationships/.
Tackling Test Anxiety May Help Kids in Other Areas
Showing students how to cope with test anxiety might also help them handle built-up angst and concerns about other
issues, according to a new study. Conducted by Carl Weems, Ph.D., of the University of New Orleans, the study
shows that anxiety intervention programs that focus on academic matters fit into the school routine, and do not carry
the same stigma among youth as general anxiety programs. Read more at
http://psychcentral.com/news/2014/05/10/tackling-test-anxiety-may-help-kids-in-other-areas/69653.html.
Study: Minority Stress a Factor in Teen Binge Drinking
Higher rates of binge drinking by lesbian and gay adolescents compared to their heterosexual peers may be due to
chronic stress caused by difficult social situations, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies
annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Research has shown that lesbians and gays experience
higher rates of physical and mental health problems. One explanation for these disparities is minority stress. Read
more at http://www.washingtonblade.com/2014/05/07/study-stress-factor-teen-binge-drinking/
Health Services:
Kids' Concussion Symptoms Can Emerge Later, Linger for Weeks
Kids who suffer a concussion can have lingering effects long after the physical symptoms fade away, U.S.
researchers report. In a study from the emergency medicine division at Boston Children's Hospital, doctors found that,
while headache, dizziness and blurry vision can appear right after a concussion, emotional and mental symptoms,
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such as irritability and frustration, show up much later and stay longer. For news story, go to
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-concussion-symptoms-can-emerge-later-linger-for-weeks/. For full study in
Pediatrics, go to http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/05/07/peds.2014-0158.full.pdf+html.
Study: ADHD Drugs Hurt Your Memory
Smart drugs used to boost performance in the short term have long term damage for the young brain, a new study
says. Prescription drug abuse is rampant, and for a third of Americans, the first drug of any kind that they take —
including illicit drugs — is an Rx that has not been prescribed to them. That’s not surprising when you consider how
many students abuse ADHD drugs for performance. But new research shows that recreational use of smart drugs
comes at a cost. Read more at http://time.com/#97448/bad-news-for-ivy-leaguers-adhd-drugs-hurt-your-memory/.
Study: Bullying Linked to Increased Inflammation
Researchers already know that many kids who are bullied appear to suffer socially, psychologically and even
physically years later. According to a new study, the physical consequences might be explained by an increase in
low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Kids who are bullied tend to be sick more often than their peers and
may have stomach aches, sleep problems and headaches and lose their appetites, researchers write in the journal
PNAS. Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/05/13/bullying-linked-to-increased-inflammation-studyfinds/.
Study Links Chronic Sleep Loss to Childhood Obesity
Children who consistently receive less than the recommended hours of sleep during infancy and early childhood are
more likely to be obese at age 7, a new study from MassGeneral Hospital for Children found. Researchers
interviewed the mothers of 1,046 Massachusetts children about their youngsters’ day- and nighttime- sleep habits at 6
months, 3-years and 7-years-old. Read more at http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/healthwellness/2014/05/18/mass-general-study-links-chronic-sleep-loss-childhoodobesity/rpsjlxv2YDmtuYAS78tZaO/story.html.
Health Education:
Vaporized: E-Cigarettes, Advertising, and Youth
This paper presents findings from two studies on e-cigarette advertising and its impact on youth. Contents include
information about use and awareness among adolescents and young adults, and industry advertising. Topics include
awareness of e-cigarette advertising, spending across channels and by brand, and advertising reach across TV and
print among adolescents ages 12-17 and among young adults ages 18-24. Report available at
http://legacyforhealth.org/content/download/4542/63436/version/1/file/LEG-Vaporized-E-cig_Report-May2014.pdf.
Nutrition Services and Education:
First-Ever Study Reveals Amounts of Food Dyes in Brand-Name Foods
Many studies have shown that food dyes can impair children's behavior, but until now the amounts of dyes in
packaged foods has been a secret. New research by Purdue University scientists, published in the journal Clinical
Pediatrics, reports on the dye content of scores of breakfast cereals, candies, baked goods and other foods. Read
more at http://www.cspinet.org/new/201405071.html.
Study: Kids' Impulse Control for Sweets Influenced by Computer Games
Kids eat more calories when playing a computer game featuring advertisements for candy than when the game has
ads for toys, according to a new study from the Netherlands. Children with low self-control were especially vulnerable
to cues from a candy-themed game and ate more sweets even when offered a reward not to eat, the researchers
found. Read more at http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/05/07/kids-impulse-control-for-sweets-influenced-bycomputer-games-study-says/.
University Of Minnesota Study Links Sports And Energy Drinks To Unhealthy Teen Behaviors
Adolescents who consume sports and energy drinks at least once a week are more likely than their peers to drink
other sugar-sweetened beverages, to smoke and to spend sedentary time playing video games and watching
television, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota. Read more at
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http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2014/05/u-m-study-links-sports-and-energy-drinks-unhealthy-teenbehaviors.
Physical Education and Physical Activity:
Making it Happen: Overcoming Barriers to Increasing Physical Activity and Physical Education in Schools
On May 13th, 2013, the Institute of Medicine released the report Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity
and Physical Education to School, which offered recommendations, strategies, and action steps that individually have
potential to increase children's opportunities to engage in health-promoting physical activity in the school
environment, including before, during, and after school. Access the report at
http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Educating-the-Student-Body-Taking-Physical-Activity-and-Physical-Education-toSchool.
Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth
The National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) Alliance, in collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine,
released the first-ever United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Access the report at
http://www.physicalactivityplan.org/reportcard/NationalReportCard_longform_final%20for%20web.pdf
Schools Seek New Image for High-School Gym Class
Some schools are shifting the focus in physical-education classes from competition to individual interests, according
to this article, which features three revised PE models. Two schools have used technology to revamp gym class,
introducing "exergaming" rooms equipped with digital games in one program. Another school offers evening and
weekend activities, including hiking and sailing. Read more at http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/high-schoolnotes/2014/05/19/high-school-gym-classes-get-a-21st-century-makeove.
Parent and Community Involvement:
NIDA Offers Tools for Talking To Teens about Marijuana
Two updated booklets about marijuana for teens and their parents will help families sort out marijuana myths from
science-based facts. The revamped tools come from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Access the news article from NIH and the booklets at
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/may2014/nida-20.htm.
Are Your Windows Kid-Safe?
Now that spring has arrived we're all anxious to open our windows and let in the nice weather. If you have kids at
home, please do so carefully. Thousands of children are sent to the Emergency Department every year after falling
out of windows. Some of these falls are mild, while some result in serious, even fatal, injuries. But the one thing all
these accidents have in common is they are preventable. Access an info graphic about window safety at
http://childrenshospitalblog.org/are-your-windows-kid-safe/?sf26069143=1.
Health Care Reform: What's in it for Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing?
This fact sheet provides an overview of some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that help improve
access to coverage and care for children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH). Topics include how consumer
protections in the ACA impact children who are D/HH, provisions that help children who are D/HH receive needed
health benefits, how implementation of the ACA varies by state, how the ACA supports hearing screening of infants
and young children, coverage for hearing screening, and how programs and families can help improve future policies.
http://www.infanthearing.org/financing/docs/Health-Care-Reform.pdf.
Healthy and Safe School Environment:
Investing in Students Through Support Networks
Student-support networks such as peer-led clubs and healthy-living programs allow educators to proactively connect
students to opportunity and success, according to 10-year teaching veteran Linda Yaron. In this blog post, Yaron
shares two model programs and tips for best practices, including to "align your program with your school's needs" and
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"get community organizations involved." Read article at http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/05/13/ctq-yarondeveloping-student-support-networks.html.
Oregon High-School Youth Council Debuts PSA to Discourage Bullying
High-school students on the Youth Advisory Council in Oregon recently premiered their two-minute video publicservice announcement that will launch a campaign against bullying next fall. As part of the campaign, students will
host assemblies and classroom talks and start a blog in which students can express their thoughts about friendship.
Read the article and connect to the video at
http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2014/05/hillsboro_youth_advisory_counc.html.
New Research: Safe Routes to School and Everywhere
Two recent reports on Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and everywhere assess student activity and the need to invest
more in transportation networks:
 Research brief examines elementary school administrators’ reports of school participation in SRTS initiatives
and associations with estimated rates of active student travel. Read the brief at
http://www.bridgingthegapresearch.org/_asset/14t5ph/btg_SRTS_brief_FINAL_March2014.pdf.
 Safe routes to everywhere: Building healthy places for healthy people through active transportation networks:
A key message in this report is that active transportation networks may need a greater share of transportation
investment. Read the report at http://www.partnership4at.org/resources.
Comprehensive Policies, Reports, Research, and Resources:
Center on Health and Health Care in Schools. 2014
The impact of school-connected behavioral and emotional health interventions on student academic performance: An
annotated bibliography of research literature from Washington, DC: Center on Health and Health Care in Schools is
available at http://www.healthinschools.org/en/School-Based-Mental-Health/Revised-Annotated-Bibliography.aspx.
Early Stress Gets Under the Skin
Promising initiatives to help children facing chronic adversity. Princeton, NJ: Future of Children. 7 pp. Policy brief
available at http://futureofchildren.org/futureofchildren/publications/docs/24_01_Policy_Brief.pdf.
Why Education Matters to Health - Report
The Virginia Commonwealth University Center on Society and Health, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, has released a report, Why Education Matters to Health: Exploring the Causes, and an accompanying
video featuring the experience of one community in Richmond, VA. This follows the release earlier this year of
Education: It Matters More to Health than Ever Before. Read the brief at http://www.rwjf.org/en/researchpublications/find-rwjf-research/2014/01/education--it-matters-more-to-health-than-ever-before.html.
Quote to Note:
“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments -- there are consequences."
Robert Ingersoll, American orator and political leader
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The articles and external links to other sites appearing in the Friday Beat are intended to be informational and do not represent an endorsement by
the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The sites also may not be accessible to people with disabilities. External email links are
provided to you as a courtesy. Please be advised that you are not emailing the DSHS and DSHS policies do not apply should you choose to
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Friday Beat, contact Ellen Smith at (512) 776- 2140 or by email at ellen.smith@dshs.state.tx.us. Copyright free. Permission granted to forward or
make copies as needed.
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