RWJF and Blue Shield of California Foundation are investing

							                                                 Friday Beat
                                                   July 31, 2009 Edition


                              For additional resources on these topics and others related to school health
                                  education and services, visit the School Health Program Web site at
                                              www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth


Quote to Note:
“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others
throw at him or her."      David Brinkley, TV newscaster

Conferences, Trainings and Professional Development:
Safe Routes to School: A National View of Parent Attitudes and Student Travel Webinar – August 25, 2009
This Webinar, conducted by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, explores factors that influence parents’
decisions to allow their children to walk and bike to school, and describes various modes of transportation students
use to get to school. For more information and to register, visit www1.gotomeeting.com/register/677093793.

2009 National Forum on Character Education – October 29-31, 2009
Improve character education programs with proven strategies that can transform a school's climate, hear national
keynotes, attend sessions taught by leading practitioners and interact in “Hot Topic” discussions at this national
conference to be held in Washington, D.C. For more information and to register, go to
www.character.org/cepforum.

2009 Texas School Administrator Safety Conference – November 15-18, 2009
To be held in Austin, Texas, the conference, now in its fourth year, is viewed by administrators as an excellent
opportunity to learn best and promising safety practices in areas of vital concern to them. For more information and to
register, go to www.txssc.txstate.edu/txssc/txssc-tsas-conference.htm.


Health Education:
Finding a Lifestyle Balance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) CDC-TV has just released a new video in its "Health
Matters" series Finding a Balance providing expert perspectives on caloric or "energy" balance and personal stories of
how individuals have made changes in their lives to achieve this balance. The video builds upon resources available
from CDC'S Healthy Weight Web site. This video, which is available for viewing through a number of channels
including mobile phone or as a podcast, is also available for download as an instructional tool for parents, healthcare
providers or teachers. To download the video go to the CDC-TV Web page at www.cdc.gov/CDCtv.


Health Services:
Poll: Most Parents Want Children to Get Swine Flu Shots at School
An Associated Press-GfK poll found that two-thirds of parents would allow children to be vaccinated for swine flu at
school, while only one-third of adults would be vaccinated themselves. "I don't think I am going to die from the swine
flu," says Seattle truck driver Luis Gonzalez, 40, who adds that “neither he, his wife nor their three children ever have
had a flu shot or caught influenza”. He's far from alone. The poll shows 56 percent of Americans aren't worried that
they or their family will catch swine flu. Read more at
www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hMB9F2nw45VE3sPZVf4xubbLLpTQD99N49804.




Friday Beat – July 31, 2009                                                                                          1
Counseling and Mental Health Services:
Teachers Develop Techniques to Combat Stress of Tests
Educators in Florida have developed methods for reducing testing stress among students, including prayer,
meditation and speeches of encouragement. An expert says educators can ease student fears about high-stakes
state tests by teaching to state standards and focusing less on the tests. Read about it at
www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/1157937.html.


Nutrition Services and Education:
New Report Finds Obesity Epidemic Increases
Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state during the past year, according to F
as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released by the Trust for America’s Health and
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. F as in Fat contains rankings of state obesity rates and a review of federal
and state government policies aimed at preventing or reducing obesity. Four states now have adult obesity rates
above 30 percent, including Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. The report also finds disturbing
trends in childhood obesity rates. Read the news release and report at
www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=45348&c=EMC-ADV.

2010 Mantis Awards for Community and Youth Gardens – Deadline: March 1, 2010
The Mantis Awards for charitable and educational garden projects serve to improve the quality of life for youth and
community members. The purpose of the award is to turn slim resources into bountiful gardens that increase access
to nutritious foods and provide education on the importance of nutrition. Eligible applicants include non-profit
charitable or educational programs. Past Mantis Award winners have included schools, churches, parks, youth
camps and community gardens. Selected applicants will receive Mantis tiller/cultivators to carry out their community
and youth garden projects. For more specific grant information and to apply, go to
www.kidsgardening.com/grants/mantis-criteria.asp.


Safe and Healthy School Environment:
Guide Addresses Bullying in Schools
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has published "Bullying in
Schools." Part of COPS' Problem-Specific Guide Series
(www.cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ResourceList.aspx?lt=Series&SID=1&srt=Title&pn=1), this guide provides police with
information about the causes and extent of bullying in schools and includes recommendations for developing
practices and policies that promote student safety. "Bullying in Schools" is available at
www.cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Resourc eDetail.aspx?RID=18.

National Public Health Initiative Funded to Stop the Spread of Teen Dating Violence
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) launches Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships today, the
largest initiative ever funded to target 11- to 14-year-old youth to promote healthy relationships. RWJF and Blue
Shield of California Foundation are investing $18 million in 11 communities across the country to identify and evaluate
the most promising pathways to stop dating violence and abuse before it starts. To read about it, go to
www.rwjf.org/vulnerablepopulations/product.jsp?id=46388.


Parent and Community Involvement:
CDC Study Recommends Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the U.S.
This report presents 24 recommended strategies for obesity prevention and a suggested measurement for each
strategy that communities can use to assess performance and track progress over time. For the full report, please
visit www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5807a1.htm?s_cid=rr5807a1_e.

CIGNA Community Grants – Deadline: Rolling
The CIGNA Foundation provides grants to projects that focus their efforts on five priority areas including: 1) the health
of women, children and families, 2) obesity awareness and prevention, 3) patient/doctor communications and health
literacy, 4) elimination of gender and ethnic disparities with health care, and 5) maintenance of healthy minds and
bodies. The Foundation will pay particular attention to projects demonstrating creativity, responsiveness, and those
that are beneficial and achievable. Award amounts will vary. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) non-profit
organizations.
For more specific grant information and to apply, go to
www.cigna.com/about_us/community/grant_application_details.html.


Friday Beat – July 31, 2009                                                                                         2
New Community Resource Available to Help Decision-makers Choose Cost Effective Substance Abuse
Prevention Programs
Communities can better develop comprehensive prevention strategies based on their unique needs and
characteristics and use cost-benefit ratios to help guide their decisions with the help of a new publication recently
released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars
and Cents: A Cost Benefits Analysis is designed to help policymakers and other stakeholders use the results of cost-
benefit analysis as an information tool for decision making and for selecting the substance abuse prevention
programs that best apply available resources toward addressing their needs. The report summarizes existing
estimates of the costs of substance abuse and its damaging consequences and how these costs may be avoided by
early prevention programs. The Substance Abuse Prevention Dollars and Cents: A Cost Benefits Analysis is
available at http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=18137.


Comprehensive Policies, Reports, Research and Resources:
Local School Wellness Policies: How Are Schools Implementing the Congressional Mandate?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has published a brief summarizing results of the preliminary evidence on the
implementation of local school wellness policies. The brief presents data in three key areas: quality, evaluation and
funding of the policies; nutrition standards and nutrition education requirements; and physical activity requirements.
While many of the published studies include school districts from across the nation, it is not clear that they accurately
represent national data or trends. This brief will be updated as more evidence about the implementation and impact
of these policies becomes available. Access the brief at
www.rwjf.org/files/research/20090622localschoolwellness.pdf.




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Friday Beat, contact Ellen Smith at (512) 458-7111 ext. 2140 or by email at ellen.smith@dshs.state.tx.us. Copyright free. Permission granted to
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Friday Beat – July 31, 2009                                                                                                                           3