Lively Up!  Lifetime Planning Committee Wellness Newsletter Issue: #2  January/2008 IN THIS ISSUE What is Health Education? Wellness News This Month's Survey Child Nutrition Update Welcome to "Lively Up!"      This newsletter is provided by the Lifetime Planning Committee in conjunction with the PUSD Strategic Plan. We will keep you informed about the committee's continuing development of the District's Wellness Policy as it reinforces the Coordinated School Health Program model and provide highlights about nutrition, health education, physical activity, and wellness news and ideas as they occur throughout the Distict.       This month we begin to describe the different components of the Coordinated School Health Model with an article by Diane Kratz, a teacher in the Career Tech Ed department at Amador Valley High School regarding Health Education. Lively Up!, PUSD Lifetime Planning Committee FEATURED ARTICLE What is Health Education?  Or better yet, what is it supposed to be?  According to the Health Framework for California Public Schools, health education should start in kindergarten and be delivered every year through high school.  Ideally, it should include a full year of instruction at the middle and high school levels. The framework lists topics and possible objectives for each grade for K-6, middle and high school.   There are nine major content areas suggested by the framework.  They are personal health, consumer and community health, injury prevention and safety, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, nutrition, environmental health, family living, individual growth and development, and communicable and chronic disease.  There are no formal classes in elementary school so it's up to the teacher to be aware of the content areas and to address them within their curriculum. The middle and high school teachers use the framework as their guide for their courses.    PUSD is fortunate to have a separate semester long health class for our students in middle school (8th grade) and high school (9th grade).  Most districts don't see health education as a priority and ask that the topics be covered as part of life science in middle school and in the physical education classes in high school.  It's hard to imagine how difficult it would be for a physical education teacher to cover some of the more sensitive topics such as mental health issues and sexually transmitted diseases in a locker room with forty to fifty students.   There are few that would say that more health education would be a bad thing.  The dilemma comes when you're faced with trying to find the time to fit all the content areas into the day. Health education is competing with those subjects that are tested such as English, history, science, and math. More and more data suggests that students learn best when they are mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy.  Health education can be one of the ways we insure that our students are ready and able to learn. Click here for info linking health education and academic achievement! Wellness News A Commitment to Wellness in 2008   Wellness is more than just not being sick. Wellness is feeling good at a deeper level. Being well is feeling balanced and supported in one's mind, body and spirit. Maybe in this New Year, you've made a commitment to yourself to encourage wellness within. If you haven't, it's not too late! Pick one small moment to make a change; possibly to eat more organic produce, to walk a little farther than the day before, or even connect with a friend you haven't talked to in ages. Think small when it comes to making big changes. It's the small steps that matter most.   You're invited... Amador Valley Adult Ed Wellness Tools for Balanced Living "Wellness Workshop" Jan. 23 6:30-8:30pm FREE Call (925)426-4280 for Registration   The Valley View Wellness Committee   Valley View Elementary launched an exciting new committee this year - the Wellness Committee. Our mission is to encourage and maintain a culture of health, nutrition and fitness for our community of students, families and staff.    Here's a sampling of things our Wellness Committee has been up to: A "Healthy Kids Wall of Fame" Harvest of the Month Healthy Fruit Classroom Presentations Hand-washing Campaign complete with student-made reminder posters After School Yoga for the Staff "Mind-Break" lessons that focus on awareness, listening and concentration A "Mileage" club to encourage physical fitness   We have had great support from our staff and parents in helping us get this new committee up and running. The Valley View Community is committed to Wellness!   Written by Stacey Ristow, 2008 Lifetime Planning Mail LIst This Month's Survey - What health education topics are you and your children talking about?   Take our survey and see what others are talking about too!   Nutrition News -   From the Front Lines - Child Nutrition Services has been conducting several pilots at schools throughout the District.   5-compartment compostable trays are being tested at Vintage Hills with favorable results. The trays help children build their lunch meal better than using a box and the trays are made of sugar cane fiber so they are safe for the environment.   Mohr elementary is testing the use of bar code scanners for grades 1 to 3 in order to speed up service for schools that have combined 3rd grade into the first lunch. The time it takes for kids to get their food has been cut in half in some cases. Alisal is the next site scheduled for this pilot.   Gluten free menu items are being developed to accomodate those students with sensitivities to products containing wheat, oats, barley and rye. Look for a delicious Red Bean Chili and Rice entree on February's elementary school menu! K-5 gets more menu choices Lunch menus entrees will increase from 2 to 3 starting in February to give students more  opportunities to enjoy their favorite lunch meals. Choices will increase over the the coming months

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