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New Year’s Resolution: How to Create an All-Around Healthy Family

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

A healthy, nurturing, and loving family does not CSH---mother-daughter happen all by itself. It takes a concerted effort from everyone in the household to create a family primed for a long future of growth and good times. Rolling into the New Year is a great time to renew your efforts to build love, participation, and education into every family moment. Make this year the time for nurturing your family environment into the happiest and most healthful it can be.

It’s important to be mindful of your own attitude and habits, as these are the attitudes and habits your children will emulate. Here are 12 ways to create a healthy and happy family in 2012:

Teach love and respect. Treat others with love, respect, and a listening ear, and your children will pick up these habits for themselves.
Be timely and orderly. If you respect household items, the use of money, and pick up after yourself, your children will follow suit. It can be helpful to have the entire family participate in household chores by making it an all-hands affair.
Instill healthy habits through sports. Sports get your kids active, socializing, and learning how to participate and follow rules. Sports can be a great way for parents to get in some leisure activity as well. Adult leagues are cropping up all over as grown-ups revisit the fun of active competition.
Eating healthy starts with healthy grocery shopping. Make a list each week that incorporates all of the food groups, and plan meals ahead of time that use a healthy combination of foods.
Converse in the kitchen. The kitchen is also a great place to teach your children the importance of putting down that laptop, phone, or remote control and taking a break from technology. Kitchens are a great place to interact with your children, hear about their day, instill cooperation habits, and get your children participating in the healthy food choices you are setting out for them. Share at least one meal a day together to ensure that your family touches base at least once for every day of the week.
Encourage interaction. Socialization is one part of growing up that is beginning to become more difficult as technology leaches time away from real verbal and physical interactions; not just for the children, but for adult family members as well. Hosting a game night during the week or one weekend day for outdoor activities such as a trip to the zoo or the beach can get both you and your kids out of the house and into more social settings.
Watch for changes in behavior. Children and adults don’t always come right out and say what’s on their minds. Setting the family down and asking each person if there’s anything particularly bothering them lately, what struggles they are currently facing, or where they could use support is a great way to both touch base and also keep tabs on the health of the entire family.
The power of laughter is a great thing to remember. Trying to insert a little bit of laughter and fun into every day is a great resolution to bring into the coming year. Find the humor in every situation and try not to get bogged down in negativity. Smiles are contagious, and your own fun attitude can lift the spirits of the whole household.
Respect quiet time. An important part of every family is the need of each individual to have their own private time away from each other. As much as many people love to be together, privacy and alone time are important to each person’s feeling of individuality. We all need space and time for ourselves now and then. Realizing this and planning time for it can do wonders for creating a peaceful and grateful home environment.
Encourage arts and entertainment. Sports are important for teaching children about exercise and cooperation, but arts and music are a great way to bring well-roundedness to each family member. Art classes and music can be a wonderful introduction to other interests.
Clearly define family values. Knowing what’s really important to the family can help members make decisions that are on-par with a positive and close-knit family outlook. Making sure that values are well-known and understood can help each family member make healthy family choices.
Make time for relaxation. Down-time helps everyone relax and re-orient themselves.Constantly running around can begin to take a toll on family members. Finding time to sit and relax, read a good book, watch an educational movie together, or simply wind down with good conversation can help everyone de-stress and reinvigorate themselves.

Creating a healthy family begins with love, respect, and participation. Devoting time and effort to making sure each family member has an active voice and responsibility in family choices is a great way to maintain a healthy and happy family unit both in this year, and in those years to come.

Posted in SPARK Blog | View Comments

CDC’s Community Transformation Grants (CTGs)

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Created by the Affordable Care Act, Community Transformation Grants (CTGs) are aimed at helping communities implement projects proven to reduce chronic diseases – such as diabetes and heart disease. Over $100M is available for the current year, and local/state health departments are a perfect fit for this opportunity!

Deadlines:

Letter of Intent: June 6, 2011

Application: July 15, 2011

Summary:

Support evidence and practice-based community and clinical prevention and wellness strategies that will lead to specific, measurable health outcomes to reduce chronic disease rates.
To create healthier communities by

Building capacity to implement broad evidence and practice-based policy, environmental, programmatic and infrastructure changes in large counties, and in states, tribes and territories, including in rural and frontier areas
Supporting implementation of such interventions in five strategic areas (“Strategic Directions”) aligning with “Healthy People 2020” focus areas and achieving demonstrated progress in the following five performance measures outlined in the Affordable Care Act: 1) changes in weight 2) changes in proper nutrition 3) changes in physical activity 4) changes in tobacco use prevalence 5) changes in emotional well being and overall mental health

Eligibility:

Local governmental agencies, state governmental agencies, Health Departments, ministries of health, and other governmental agencies

Federally recognized American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages; Tribal organizations; Urban Indian Health Programs; Tribal and intertribal consortia
State nonprofit organizations
Local nonprofit organizations

Links:

CDC Community Transformation Grants Homepage

Grants.gov Notice and Application

Before You Apply:

SPARK can help you meet the requirements outlined in the CTGs application!

SPARK offers evidence-based Physical Education, Physical Activity and Coordinated School Health programs targeting pre-K through 12th grade students in and out of school, and our programs have been proven to WORK and LAST.

Click Here to download a detailed document that will explain how you can use SPARK to align with the goals of the CTG. This document includes information that shows:

Alignment to the Strategic Directions and Strategies within the CTGs application
Alignment to CDC’s long-term measures for addressing physical activity and nutrition
Why you should partner with SPARK for your CTGS submission
How SPARK deliverables align with CDC prevention outcomes
Which SPARK Evaluation & Assessment options might be used to support your submission

Next Steps:

Contact Kymm Ballard, Ed.D at SPARK. She’ll ask you a few questions, learn about your current programs, and listen to your vision for creating a healthier community. Together, we’ll create a program that will WORK and LAST.

Kymm Ballard, Ed.D

Partnership Development Specialist

kballard@sparkpe.org

Tags: CDC, Community Transformation Grant, CTGs, Department of Health
Posted in Child Obesity, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, children's health, healthy neighborhood, healthy school environment, obesity | Comments Off

Fueling Student Success with Food and Fitness

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Brain breaks for better focus and concentration…

Healthy eating messages sprinkled throughout the school hallways, cafeteria, and classrooms…

Nutrition education woven into PE and core curriculum K-12…

Where is this happening? Check out West Orange, New Jersey school district!

“Teaching our students to maintain a healthy balance with eating and exercise is our top priority. The SPARK program is helping provide the tools and training to achieve this goal”, shared Corinn Giaquinto, Health and Physical Education instructor, Thomas Edison Middle School, West Orange, New Jersey.

Hats off to Thomas A. Edison Middle School and their entire school district in West Orange. The district has been using SPARK in their physical education department for some time and recently received a grant from Mountainside Health Foundation to fuel student success by adding nutrition education.

Vickie L. James, Registered Dietitian and Director of Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC), the exclusive nutrition education partner for SPARK, was the trainer for the West Orange training, the first ever SPARK and HKC nutrition education training.

“From classroom to PE to wellness council members K-12, the representation and enthusiasm shown at the workshop tells me the commitment this district has to student wellbeing. They truly understand the strategy of using good nutrition and physical activity to create a culture of health in the schools that can do nothing short of fueling student success. This was the first of many great moments down the road for West Orange Schools.”

If your school district is ready to accelerate student achievement by combining physical activity and nutrition education, contact SPARK today. Full day SPARK/HKC nutrition education trainings as well as a new nutrition curriculum in three grade ranges, K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 all are available through SPARK. Healthy Kids Challenge trainings are tailored to meet school needs for successful implementation of realistic wellness policies, school improvement plans, and TEAM Nutrition guidelines. And SPARK/HKC help you achieve the required criteria for the HealthierUS School Challenge program.

The HKC curriculum, Balance My Day, was developed to align with all HECAT (Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool) standards for nutrition education. This is a new requirement for PEP grant awardees and you won’t find many nutrition education programs that address it.

Stay tuned for exciting happenings and updates from West Orange schools! SPARK and HKC wish them well in their commitment to student health!

Tags: 2010 PEP Grant, Carol M. White PEP Grant, coordinated school health, Healthy Eating, healthy kids challenge, nutrition, Nutrition Education, Physical Activity, physical education blogs, school nutrition, SPARK, teachers
Posted in Child Obesity, PE, PEP Grant, Physical Activity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog | Comments Off

Top 10 Reasons to Use PECAT with PEP Grants

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

The purpose of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) provides grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including after school programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The priority is the initiation, expansion, and improvement of physical education programs (which may include after-school programs) in order to make progress toward meeting State standards for physical education for kindergarten through 12th grade students by (1) providing equipment and support to enable students to participate actively in physical education activities; and (2) providing funds for staff and teacher training and education.

So how can you maximize your PEP dollars to assure you are spending money on the PEP grant priorities? In order to provide equipment, support and training, one needs to have a program of study or curriculum. The curriculum will drive equipment, training and support.

The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) was specifically designed by CDC to help school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of physical education curricula. PECAT results can help school districts enhance, develop, or select appropriate and effective physical education curricula for delivering high-quality physical education in schools including equipment, training and support.

The PECAT is based on the NASPE national standards for physical education and includes an overview of high-quality physical education, information about physical education curricula, tools to assess a curriculum, and resources for developing a curriculum improvement plan. The PECAT can assist in assessing how closely the written curricula align with national standards for high-quality physical education programs.

Here are the top 10 reasons PECAT takes the mystery out of deciding on quality curriculum for physical education as it relates to the PEP grants. Utilizing the PECAT to determine your needs can strengthen the case for your PEP grant.

Fitness education and assessment: PECAT provides guidance to help make clear decisions about your program and what your needs may be in the area of curriculum and assessment.
Motor Skill and Physical Activity: PECAT helps to provide a methodical review of curricula instruction in a variety of motor skills and physical activities to determine an appropriate and research based curricula program to purchase for PEP funding.
Cognitive Concepts: The PECAT will help determine the development and instruction in, cognitive concepts that support a lifelong healthy lifestyle within a curricula program.
Social Concepts: Opportunities to develop positive social and cooperative skills through physical activity participation is a priority for PEP. The PECAT can assist in evaluation of curricula for the PEP grant funding.
Nutrition: One priority for PEP funding is instruction in healthy eating habits and good nutrition. PECAT and HECAT both can assist in documented evidence in this category.
Professional development: PEP encourages the opportunity for growth. Professional development is a key role and the PECAT can assist in determining the feasibility of a curriculum by including training.
Affordable: Money is scares and should be maximized when received. PECAT has a section in the beginning to help determine if curricula is affordable and appropriate for your school/district.
Grade Group Specific: PECAT helps takes the guesswork out of age appropriateness. Content and skills are specific for each grade group, pre-K-2; 3-5; 6-8; and 9-12.
Assurance: The concepts, sub-skills and skill examples were developed through a rigorous CDC process guided by research evidence and expert opinion.
Change Facilitator: PEP recipients are to identify research based programs that can effect change (improvement). PECAT identifies strengths and weaknesses for change which improve physical education or after school programs, including the research behind the curricula.

Utilizing the PECAT as a methodical process to establish need for curriculum, training and equipment will strengthen you PEP grant and your PEP grant evaluation. SPARK has been evaluated with PECAT and is not only a research and outcomes based program by its own merit but the PECAT scores show SPARK is also a quality physical education curriculum. Click Here to see the PECAT scores for each SPARK Physical Education program.

Tags: Carol M. White PEP Grant, pecat
Posted in Child Obesity, PE, PEP Grant, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog | Comments Off

The Top 10 Reasons to Use HECAT: Promoting Healthy Eating

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

With the rise in childhood obesity, there has been an increased focus on nutrition education. The 2010 Carol M. White PEP Grant requires nutrition education and improvements in nutrition policies. The importance of connecting nutrition education and physical activity is clear. Without healthy eating and physical activity, healthy balance isn’t possible. Traditionally, health education assessment has focused on testing knowledge through written exams. While this has been useful in testing knowledge, we know knowledge doesn’t directly correlate with health behaviors! Now, with the Centers for Disease Control Health Education Curriculum Assessment Tool (HECAT): Module Healthy Eating, it is no longer necessary to be in a quandary about nutrition education components. Here are the top 10 reasons HECAT: Promoting Healthy Eating takes the mystery out of nutrition education.

1. Assurance: The concepts, sub-skills and skill examples were developed through a rigorous CDC process guided by research evidence and expert opinion. Healthy Kids Challenge Director, Vickie James, RD, LD was one of the experts!

2. Parent-Community-Teacher Justification: It provides clear justification to address why a nutrition education curriculum was adopted and what it contains. A curriculum aligned with HECAT makes teaching easier, as well as effective.

3. Healthy Behaviors Identified: Thirteen healthy eating behavior outcomes make content needs very tangible.

4. Clear Learning Targets: Besides knowledge content, it gives standards to indicate what the student should be able to do (the skills needed). For example, students will be able to describe foods and beverages that should be limited and analyze influences on their choices, set goals and make healthier choices.

5. Grade Group Specific: It takes the guesswork out of age appropriateness. Content and skills are specific for each grade group, pre-K-2; 3-5; 6-8; and 9-12. For example, while pre-K-2 will be able to choose a variety of healthy snacks, the older grade groups will be able to plan and prepare a healthy snack.

6. Academic Gains: Eating breakfast every day is one of the healthy behavior outcomes. Studies indicate students who eat breakfast learn better. One study even connects iron fortified cereals and math scores. Besides, breakfast eaters have an easier time maintaining healthy weights.

7. Resource Friendly: Eating more fruits and veggie is a national goal and another of the healthy eating behaviors. Many recent grants and resources are directed at this behavior outcome.

8. Self Esteem and Peer Support: There have been reports of bullying not only about overweight but also because of food allergies. A curriculum meeting HECAT standards incorporates lessons about how to provide support to peers for making healthy choices; and how to refuse foods that cause allergic reactions or that are less nutritious.

9. Change Facilitator: Change can be hard. Healthy eating standards are aligned with changes happening in the school cafeteria, vending, classrooms and other places food is offered. A curriculum meeting HECAT standards helps students have a good understanding of the concepts behind the changes and provides opportunities for positive discussion.

10. Achieve Effective PEP and Wellness Policy Outcomes: Nutrition education is a critical PEP and Wellness Policy component. A curriculum meeting HECAT standards, not only fulfills this requirement, but it provides a reliable way to measure the true goal of healthier schools, which is students with healthier eating behaviors!

The good news is that such a curriculum does exist! Healthy Kids Challenge is excited to announce the release of new nutrition education curricula, Balance My Day! Make it a New Year’s resolution to check out Balance My Day, available January 1, 2011. There is curriculum specific for three grade groups, K-2; 3-5; and 6-8. Balance My Day is aligned with HECAT: Module Healthy Eating standards and is very teacher friendly. The Healthy Kids Challenge goal is to make teaching and learning simple and fun.

Tags: 2010 PEP Grant, Carol M. White PEP Grant, hecat
Posted in Child Obesity, Physical Education, Physical Education News, SPARK, SPARK Blog, SPARK PE, children's health | Comments Off

Back to School with the Food Pyramid!

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

With all the attention kids’ health is getting these days, it’s no wonder that the Food Pyramid (Improved American Food Guide Pyramid) we all know was deemed insufficient. In 2005 the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) released the modified MyPyramid version, which incorporates moderation, stresses significantly more activity, and removes the hierarchical connotation of the previous version.

(Image Source)

The new version of the USDA – approved food pyramid includes the following breakdown of daily servings based on a 2,000-calorie diet (adult):

Grains: 6 Ounces
Vegetables: 2.5 Cups
Fruits: 2 Cups
Milk: 3 Cups
Meat and Beans: 5.5 Ounces
Oils (From Fish, Vegetables and Nuts): Consume in moderation
Exercise: Children should be physically active for at least 60 minutes most days of the week.

Let’s face it, the Lunchables and Fruit Roll Ups may be easy and convenient, but they are far from nutritious. Some classic stand-by options of your youth just will not cut it for your kids. The key to healthy school lunches is thinking ahead. Pack lunches the night before, and get your kids to help so they can tell you what they like to eat. Here are a few great lunch items that will energize your kids, without leaving them hungry for more!