Find out the latest information about professional development events, special announcements and legislative issues affecting our profession.

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February 1/2012

"EVERY CHILD STRONGER, EVERY LIFE LONGER" continues to provide the foundation for NJAHPERD's advocacy initiatives! Utilizing data from the first ever comprehensive state survey, as well as input from multiple membership surveys, an aggressive and targeted advocacy program has been developed to provide tools that assist in promoting quality Health Education and Physical Education programs in New Jersey schools.

The EVERY CHILD STRONGER (ECSELL) website is the focal point for these programs and resources and the centerpiece for NJAHPERD's CALL TO ACTION. This initiative identifies the TOP 10 KEY SURVEY FINDINGS and provides implementation strategies to address critical areas of importance. Programs and resources already in progress include an operating website with an advocacy tool kit.

Targeted professional development trainings addressing fitness education and assessment through Fitnessgram and driver education are impacting the health and safety of New Jersey students. Articles in numerous teacher, administrative, and parent publications have focused on raising awareness regarding the positive correlations between health and academic achievement.

 Acting as a key partner in the Shaping NJ movement, the largest ever statewide initiative to reduce obesity, has resulted in a powerful and comprehensive network of over 170 stakeholder organizations and agencies.  Most importantly, NJAHPERD is promoting quality Health Education and Physical Education through ongoing lobbying and legislative action. Recently the New Jersey Department of Education proposed a modification of the accountability system for school evaluation by providing a two-tiered assessment system that would relegate health and physical education to a "secondary" content area.  NJAHPERD's leadership mobilized quickly to fight the proposal through multiple pro-active advocacy initiatives. A unified message was developed by working with multiple stakeholders and was strongly supported through a visual and verbal written presence at state board of education meetings as well as an effective letter writing campaign.  

Feel free to go to everychildstronger.org to see what we are doing! Don't forget to print out your own Every Child Stronger, Every Life Longer poster and stop by the NJAHPERD booth at the 2012 Annual Convention in West Long Branch to purchase your ECSELL apparel! For more information, contact NJAHPERD Advocacy Chair, Dr. James McCall.

EXECUTIVE BOARD NEWS

Help educate members of Congress on the importance of quality physical education and physical activity during NASPE's SPEAK Out! Day on March 28-29th. Your efforts have already helped keep PEP funded 
and we need to continue making our voice heard during this important election year.

Build new relationships and network with passionate professionals from around the country. This is a great opportunity to receive basic advocacy training and learn how to effectively communicate your message to legislators.   You will have an impact at a national level and leave feeling empowered to make a difference in your state!

In preparation for SPEAK Out! Day, NASPE is holding a free advocacy 101 webinar on March 8th at 3 PM EST. During the webinar, we will conduct the SPEAK Out! Day lottery and select an individual who will receive discounted hotel rates for all members in their state! The more people who register to attend SPEAK Out! Day from your state, the better your chances!

The 2012 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA will be released in early March.   The report will provide a current picture of physical education in the American education system and will be a powerful tool to use on Capitol Hill.

Register by February 29th to become a NASPE advocacy ambassador! Travel scholarships are available.

We need your help at the NJAHPERD Convention Monday, March 5, 2012 and/or Tuesday, March 6, 2012. 

Please register for the convention and check the box willing to volunteer to help (i.e., registration desk, NJAHPERD Booth, hospitality room, presider for the presenter, badge checker, etc.) We truly appreciate all you have done and continue to do for our profession. I hope I will see you RIDING THE WAVE OF CHANGE, in Long Branch, N.J. 

Thank you in advance. JoAnn Doherty, Retired Network Coordinator

The Lake Conference will be held September 28-30, 2012. Set aside some time to join the fun for this action-packed activity weekend featuring Jean Blaydes (Texas), Amy Gagnon (Connecticut), Kerry Lubin (Pennsylvania) and our own Chip Candy, Jim Ross, John Smith, Shawn Bennett, Arvin Arjona, (New Jersey) and Eric Eder 2010 NJAHPERD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Check out the tentative schedule and the session descriptions on the NJAHPERD web site. See the Lake Conference page listed under Our Professional Events and check out the speaker page for more information about our presenters. MORE

Have further questions? Contact Gregg Montgomery, NJAHPERD Lake Chair, 973-927-4862 home, 201-841-1059 cell or the NJAHPERD office.

You are invited to submit an article for publication in the NJAHPERD REPORTER. The 2012 theme is Assessment in Health and Physical Education and articles should focus on strategies to improve student learning and teacher effectiveness. The goal of this issue is to provide assessment resources for members including, but not limited to, the following topics:

Health Education (all levels, all topics)

Technology

Project based learning

Wellness

Fitness Education

Supervision and evaluation of H & PE professionals

Lifetime sports and activities

Articles are peer reviewed. All authors accepted for publication will receive a complimentary registration for the NJAHPERD event of their choice for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Please visit the website for guidelines for authors. Questions should be emailed to the REPORTER editor, Dr. Kathy Silgailis.

Volunteer Uniform, Volunteer credential (provides entry to the tournament every day Tuesday - Sunday, even when not volunteering), Guest credential, Logo baseball cap, Volunteer pin, Lunch voucher on days when you volunteer and an invitation to Volunteer Appreciation Party .

TICKETS FORE CHARITY - NJAHPERD will once again partner with The PGA "Tickets Fore Charity" Program and the First Tee and sell ADVANCE WEEKLY TICKETS for $150.00 (daily tickets will cost between $80.00-$90.00). Last year the U.S. Open Tickets at Bethpage Black cost $150.00 a day. You may purchase your tickets directly from us at the NJAHPERD Convention in March or through the NJAHPERD website.

All profits from this GREAT CHARITY EVENT are used to promote quality health and physical education programs in our schools.

Thank you in advance for your support of this worthy program.  

The AAHPERD convention cannot run without a dedicated group of volunteers.  We are looking for professionals and students who are willing to offer their service in three hour blocks of time.  In exchange, you will receive a t-shirt, an opportunity to provide a service to your profession, and a chance to meet and network with new colleagues!  It's easy to volunteer.  Click here for Volunteer Form and submit it to VolunteerAAHPERD@gmail.com.  Questions click here.  Let's make Boston's 2012 AAHPERD Convention a great success!

Let's meet for a casual rendezvous "TEA PARTY" drink of your choice at the

SIDE BAR & GRILLE in the lobby of the Sheraton Boston, on Wednesday,

March 14, 2012 at 8:00 PM. 

The EDA/AAHPERD MEMORIAL LECTURE will honor the memory of our beloved NJAHPERD member, past president and award recipient, PEARL KOWALSKI, on Thursday, March 15, 2012, from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM.  Dr. Virginia Overdorf, Professor, Department of Kinesiology, William PatersonUniversity, RC Fellow, NAS Fellow, will be the EDA Scholar for Pearl's Memorial.  Mark your calendar so we all can honor the memory of Pearl's life.

Congratulations, Lilyan B. Wright, New Hampshire (formerly of NJ) 

NJAHPERD is excited to announce that our own Lilyan Wright is this year's recipient of the 2012 NASPE Joy of Effort Award. Lilyan was nominated by both NJAHPERD, and New Hampshire AHPERD, and was the "slam dunk" choice by the national awards committee! 

During her career that has spanned over 70 years, Lilyan has made enormous contributions to our profession. She was a teacher and coach at the High School level prior to her 29 years at Trenton State College as a professor, coach, department chair, and athletic director. Just this year, at the age of 91, she retired from officiating both Field Hockey and Lacrosse. It is estimated that she has been on an athletic field or court for over 5,000 games as a coach or official (and that number is probably low). She still is teaching fitness classes to the elderly in New Hampshire, and continues to attend both New Jersey's and New Hampshire's state conferences. Both states have awards named in her honor; ours being the student of the year award and New Hampshire has the Lilyan B. Wright service award. 

She will be recognized at the NASPE Awards Banquet in Boston during the AAHPERD National Convention. We are asking everyone in our state to attend the banquet in support of our 92 year young New Jersey treasure! Congratulations Lilyan...you are the definition of Joy of Effort, and this award is long overdue! See you all at the banquet in Boston...let's "pack the house for Lil"!

Congratulations Award Recipients

• Honor Award:  Gregg Montgomery, Retired, Mt. Olive School District       
• Honor Award:  John Smith, Retired, Ho-Ho-Kus School District   
• Distinguished Leadership Award: Linda Guerrini,  Parsippany Troy Hills School Distrcit         
• Elementary Teacher of the Year Award: Mark Camardo, Oak Knoll Elementary School, Monroe Township
• Middle School Teacher of the Year Award: Susan Toth, Tenafly Middle School, Tenafly
• Outstanding Teacher in Higher Education Award:  Anne Farrell, The College of New Jersey    
• Mary Jo Young Health Teacher of the Year: Dawn Francavilla, Wardlaw-Hartridge, Edison
• Thomas Vodola Adapted Physical Education Award: Diane Glover, Mercer Elementary School, Mercer Co Special Services
• Dance in Education Award:  Barbara Brady, Linden High School, Linden
• Lilyan B. Wright Outstanding Student Award: Victoria Taylor, Kean University       
• Excellence in Recreation Programming and Leadership Award: Salvatore Randazzese, Flemington-Raritan Parks and Rec                
• Student Healthy Lifestyle Award: Abner Dela Cruz, Horace Mann School 
• Exemplary High School Health and Physical Education Award:  Sal Abitanta, Hopewell Valley Central High Schoo, Hopewell Valley
• Supervisor/ Athletic Director- Kristen Enderle
• Interim A.D. -Ryan Pandolfini 
• Ms. Pam Edwards
• Ms. Lois Fyfe
• Mr. Ken Harrison
• Mr. David Machin
• Mr. Jeff Molinelli
• Mr. Gary Nucera
• Ms. Maggie Rarich
• Ms. Daphne Shaub
• Mrs. Jamie Taranto

FlagHouse is the official sponsor of the NJAHPERD Physical Education Teachers of the Year (TOY) program and will present each TOY with a FlagHouse gift certificate, NJAHPERD/FlagHouse logo equipment bag and apparel at the Annual Awards Banquet on Sunday, March 4, 2012. Teachers of the Year represent NJAHPERD and are featured as presenters at various professional development events including the NJAHPERD Election Day Conference and Annual Convention. NJAHPERD is proud of our Teachers of the Year and thanks FlagHouse, our official TOY sponsor.

 

NJAHPERD is proud to congratulate the following schools for their #1 American Heart Association's fundraising events for the 2010-2011 school year: 

 

• #1 American Heart Association's fundraising events for the 2010-2011 school year:
• #1 JRFH School: HB Whitehorne Middle School, Verona, NJ, $34,504.10
• #1 HFH School: Moorestown Upper Elementary School, Moorestown, NJ, $15,673.99
• #1 JRFH/HFH (combined event): Lawrence Intermediate School, Lawrence Township, NJ, $15,756.85
• National Highest Per Capita: Winston School, Short Hills, NJ (National AHA   Award Recipient-4th Consecutive Year)
• National Faye Biles Award: Deb Weiss, Beechwood School, Mountainside, NJ (National AHA Award Recipient) 

NEWS YOU CAN USE

Each year since 1963, each U.S. President officially proclaims February to be "American Heart Month." Although American Heart Month coincides with Valentine's Day (which, next to Christmas, is the largest card-selling holiday in the U.S.), its primary purpose is not the celebration of romantic love. Rather, Congress designed American Heart Month to be a means of promoting awareness of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) diseases (also generally referred to as heart disease) as a nationwide problem, and of generating support for "essential" solutions to this problem. More news from the American Heart Association

February is American Heart Month!

With American Heart Month just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about ways that you and your community can show support for the health and wellness ofAmerica's future generations. What better way to jump in to the action than by holding your very own Jump Rope For Heart or Hoops For Heart event? When you complete a Jump Rope For Heart or Hoops For Heart event, you provide children with the knowledge and tools they need to stay heart healthy for life.

Join the Fight and Register Your Event Today
It's not too late to join in the fight against heart disease, stroke and childhood obesity by registering your Jump Rope For Heart or Hoops For Heart event today! The American Heart Association has provided everything you will need online. In one easy step you will be up and jumping in no time. 
 
Already scheduled to hold an event?

Jump For Heart ResourcesGreat! Check out the some of the resources available for coordinators holding Jumps For Heart and Hoops For Heart Events. These tools provide you with everything you need from getting started, tips for success, raising funds online and more. We've even got comprehensive feedback from past event coordinators who know all the tricks of the trade!

Jump For Heart Resources

Hoops For Heart Resources

Online Fundraising Resources

For information on American Heart Month and additional info please visit the CDC website! 

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and its Healthy Schools Program were recently featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams and on NBC's Today Show. The network examined the program's work to help schools provide students and staff with healthy foods and beverages, as well as opportunities for physical activity. The segments highlighted the efforts of Public School 2 inWest New York, N.J. The school revamped its cafeteria and integrated activity breaks throughout the day.

• Watch the segment from NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.
• Watch the segment from the Today Show.

Nancy Snyderman, M.D., chief medical editor for NBC, also interviewed Ginny Ehrlich, CEO of theAlliance for a Healthier Generation. In the interview, Ehrlich talks about the program's efforts "to make healthy schools the norm and not the exception."

• Watch the interview with Ginny� Ehrlich. 

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation was founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation in 2005. RWJF has supported the Alliance's Healthy Schools Program since it began in 2006. The program now reaches more than 13,000 schools nationwide.

• Visit our website to learn more about the Healthy Schools Program.

As you read this, somewhere in a gym in a school in Georgia, a student may be stepping onto a scale - backward - to comply with state law. Georgia is one of the latest states to mandate that schools track fitness levels and calculate body mass index (BMI) in an effort to combat childhood obesity, and provide parents with reports on their students' physical composition and fitness.

Georgia is second in the nation in childhood obesity; one in three children ages 10-17 is considered overweight or obese in the state, according to its Department of Education.  According to Georgia State Rep. Brooks Coleman, the new law is one answer to that problem.  MORE

The Community Assistant will teach research-based, behaviorally focused nutrition classes to both adult and youth limited-resource participants. The Community Assistant will teach nutrition classes to both adult and youth limited-resource participants of the SNAP-Ed program using pre-approved lessons and/or curricula aimed at improving the food security, dietary quality, physical activity and food safety behaviors of limited resource target audiences who receive or are eligible for SNAP benefits.

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent and the ability to effectively communicate. Requires the ability to carry demonstration supplies, presentation equipment, and class materials. Requires ability to work with a diverse limited resource audience and familiarity with the community in which work will be done. Prefer familiarity with the Microsoft Office Suit. Prefer Valid NJ Driver's License and willingness to use personal vehicle to travel to various worksites throughout Hackensack, Garfield, Lodi, Fairview, Englewood, Palisades Park, Bergenfield, Ridgefield Park, Wallington, North Arlington, Elmwood Park, and East Rutherford in Bergen County. Apply

Tuesday February 7, 2012

8:30am - 12:30pm/9am start

All supervisors and lead teachers are invited to attend the next meeting at the Answer office on the Rutgers campus. Updates from the NJDOE, NJAHPERD and others will be shared as well as discussions on the following topics:

• (student and program) Assessment practices in PE and HE
• Sharing session on HS scheduling and program matrices
• We will be having a presentation from COPE Center Inc. of Montclair, a ATOD treatment center.  How to work with a center in your area, recommendations and selection of ATOD programs, guest speaker opportunities, staff development.

 We hope you can join us. Please visit the NJCAHPE website for directions and more details.  

D3NJ (Don't Drive Distracted NJ) is a contest for New Jersey High School students statewide to compete in a competition designed to raise awareness about the dangers young drivers face when behind the wheel of a car or even as passengers riding with friends. This contest is the first of its kind by an auto retailer (DCH) in New Jersey.

The entire competition will run from February 16 to May 5. Safe driving campaign ideas submitted will be judged based on the contest participant's clarity and conciseness of their safe driving message and the creativity they choose to deliver that message. The grand prize winner will be selected by an outside panel of judges, experts in the field of teen safe driving.  The winner will be announced at a ceremony scheduled for May 5. We will fund production and execution of the winning idea and use it in ongoing teen safe driving initiatives. Here's the best part: the winner of D3NJ will have their choice of a new car or a college scholarship.

Contest rules and entry forms

ENTER THE $20,000 GREAT CURRICULA GIVEAWAY!

Is your school/district in compliance with the revised CCCS for 2.1-2.4? Implementation deadline is September 1, 2012. Using the YES You Can! curricula puts schools in compliance with the AIDS Prevention Act and enables them to meet 94% of all NJ's revised 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4! Using the YES You Can! curricula assures schools that they have current, medically accurate information in their classrooms and that the tool they are using has been systematically evaluated. 

This character based curricula has a strong theoretical base and is grounded in social-cognitive, social learning, and protection motivation theories. The New Jersey Physicians Advisory Group, publishers of the middle school and high school sexual health curricula YES You Can! will announce the winning schools on March 6th, at the 2012 NJAHPERD Conference in Long Branch, NJ. MORE

ADVOCACY

You don't have to be a lobbyist to call on lawmakers - just an advocate passionate about heart and stroke issues. In just a few moments, you can make a huge difference. We'll make it easy for you to email, phone or even visit your legislators. And we'll keep you informed on the progress you're making as one of the very important voices for the cure. Together You're the Cure advocates have succeeded in creating smoke-free communities, placing AEDs in public places, securing funding for medical research, and more through policy change. Join You're The Cure Today!

Please register for You're the Cure today to receive updates of issues that affect our profession and the health of our family, friends and students. It is a convenient way to express your opinion on issues.

RESOURCES

Schools are powerful places to shape the health, education and well-being of our children. That is why the Alliance's Healthy Schools Program supports more than 12,000 schools across the U.S. in their efforts to create environments where physical activity and healthy eating are accessible and encouraged. 

The Alliance collaborates with school staff, parents, students and community members to transform schools into healthy campuses. We provide a step-by-step roadmap for success, a resource database and expert staff that helps schools become healthier places. 

The NJ Coalition for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities is a special program of The Arc of New Jersey. It was created in 1985 and its membership includes over 400 individuals and representatives from the public and community agencies and organizations with an interest in, and dedication to the prevention of developmental disabilities.  The Coalition offers schools access to FREE professional Speakers' Bureau.  Topics available presentations include:

• Causes of Developmental Disabilities
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
• FASD in the Classroom-Understanding Invisible Disabilities
• Lead poisoning
• Environmental Contaminants and DD
• Traumatic Brain Injury and Other Unintentional Injury Risk
• Nutrition

If you or your schools are interested in scheduling a presentation, please contact us at:  

The Arc of New Jersey
985 Livingston Avenue
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
T 732.246.2525  x23
F 732.214.1834  www.arcnj.org

NASPE's Teacher Toolbox delivers the best online tools and ideas for your quality physical education, physical activity and youth sport programs - and it's free! We added an RSS feed to the homepage of Teacher Toolbox, subscribe to the feed to find out when a new Teacher Toolbox comes out!

 Let's Move in School

We encourage all NJAHPERD members to register their school as a Let's Move in School advocate. It's free and all schools are recognized on the NJAHPERD website!

Register your School Today! It's FREE and all participating schools are listed on the NJAHPERD website.

Begin planning your special events for National Physical Education and Sport Week-May 1-7

 Many new resources are available to teach Driver Education so take advantage of them!

 Teen Driving Toolkit 

A full day Driver Education track is scheduled on Monday, March 5, 2012 during the Annual Convention led by Pam Fischer and the Teen Safe Driver Coalition. Visit the NJAHPERD website for more details.

GRANTS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

March 4-6, 2012

Ocean Place Resort & Spa

Long Branch, NJ

Pre-Convention Workshops

March 4, 2012

Physical Best/Fitnessgram Training

Project Adventure Symposium

AAHPERD/EDA National Convention  

March 13-17, 2012
Boston, Mass.

Regional Workshops
Best Practices: Fitness Education
North, South and Central Region TBD
 
Fitnessgram Trainings 
NJAHPERD will provide Fitnessgram training for your staff at your site. Fee: $650
Please call/email the NJAHPERD office.

Details are available on the NJAHPERD website for all professional development events.

Let's Move in School WEBINARS

Family and Community Involvement

February 8, 2012

1:00-1:45pm EST

Families can support a comprehensive school physical activity program by participating in evening and weekend special events and parents/guardians serving as physical education/activity volunteers.  Learn about joint-use agreements and hear examples from schools that have benefited from community-based physical activity opportunities. REGISTER 

Integrating Nutrition Education into PE

March 7, 2012

1:00-1:45pm EST

Nutrition is an important part of students' overall fitness and health.  Learn simple ways to effectively integrate nutrition education into an existing physical education curriculum.  Hear from physical educators who are successfully implementing nutrition into their PE programs. REGISTER 

CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS:

The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Movement

Friday, March 9, 2012

9:00am - 3:00pm

Richard Stockton College of NJ

Campus Center

101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ

MORE 

4th Leaders' Academy for Healthy Community Development

Friday, March 23, 2012

8am-1pm

Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health & Wellness, Mercerville

The New Jersey Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and the Office of Nutrition & Fitness, Department of Health & Senior Services invite community collaboration teams representing the health department, policy makers, local champions, citizens and other stakeholders to a skill building workshop.  Following the Academy teams will have an opportunity to apply for competitive mini grant funding -- $2500 - $10,000 for a total of up to $50,000 based on available funding -- to implement an evidence based healthy community food or physical activity initiative.  Communities of high need and teams in attendance will receive first consideration in grant funding.

Registration info and additional details to come...

Disclaimer: The ideas in the FYI do not necessarily reflect NJAHPERD's official position on the issues. NJAHPERD assumes no responsibility for any statement as fact or opinion presented, nor does acceptance of advertising imply endorsement of any products or services by the Association.