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Suzette de Araujo, Editor
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| 'Like' Us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter! | |
NJAHPERD's Facebook page is up and running...join the fun!
Find out the latest information about professional development events, special announcements and legislative issues affecting our profession.
Take a minute and click on the link to get connected...
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Back to School Edition/2013
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| NJAHPERD BOARD MEMBERS | |
JoAnn Doherty, President
Jackie Malaska, Executive Director
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| A note from your editor | |
On your mark, get set...
It's almost time...two more weeks...are you ready for your race? As teachers, our race is to empower the children in our care to be healthy and fit for a lifetime. It's a long race, one in which we must remember to pace ourselves; we must train well and rest well. And, before any long race a runner always tapers. If your summer has been like mine, it's been crazy. It seems I always begin my summers fearing we won't have enough to do and I always end my summers not having had enough time to do all the things I wanted to do. Then, in the last two weeks I have to fight the urge to cram everything in. I've decided that this summer, I am going to taper. I am going to relax in the knowledge that I have done my training, so to speak. I have prepared my plans, organized my materials and my thoughts, continued my research and learning and have done exactly what I was supposed to do this summer. I hope your summer has been an enjoyable one. I hope you are relaxed and now energized for another fabulous year of teaching! I hope that the FYI continues to provide you with the ideas, knowledge and support that you need to win your race this year!! Race your heart out!
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| Professional Development Opportunities | |
Visit the NJAHPERD website for all events and apply for your professional development days as soon as possible. Click here for dates and descriptions.
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Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP)
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 Out with the old and in with the new! The 25 year old President's Challenge test has been replaced with FitnessGram. Free resources, webinars and grants are available to assist you in the transition if you have not taken the leap yet!
Get started now.
1. Read the PYFP teacher's guide. PYFP website
2. Get trained in FitnessGram assessment.
3. Participate in free monthly webinars.
NJAHPERD will be providing support as well, so stay tuned and visit the NJAHPERD website Fitness Education page often.
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| Health Conference (formally Hands on Health) | | December 2, 2013, Crown Plaza, Monroe, NJ
Healthier Horizons
This is an annual conference that offers innovators in the field of Health Education. Again this year we are proud and excited to offer you amazing presenters offering a wide variety of key topics from bullying to curriculum to evaluation and beyond. We understand that release time is minimal these days so we have done our best to make this day packed with information. Remember to get you PD request form in ASAP! MORE |
| Call for Proposals - NJAHPERD 2014 Annual Convention | |
Deadline: September 15th or at discretion of Planning Committee
The New Jersey Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, (NJAHPERD) invites you to submit a presentation proposal for the 2014 Annual Convention. This convention will be held at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa on the beachfront in Long Branch, NJ on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, February 23 - 25, 2014. Convention programming is based primarily on this annual "Call for Proposals" bringing practical and relevant information to HPERD professionals and students. By featuring you and your peers as presenters, NJAHPERD provides convention attendees with the strongest forum for information exchange, problem solving, and networking on the state level. MORE |
| Need $$ for your program? Apply for a NJAHPERD Mini-grant | |
Deadline: postmark by Sept. 30, 2013 NJAHPERD's goal is to support quality program development in Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance in New Jersey's Pre-K - 12 schools and Colleges and Universities. The mini grant provides financial assistance up to $1000 for new program development or to expand an existing program. Grants may be used to purchase equipment, software, or other materials that focus on student learning in Health, Physical Education, Recreation or Dance. Grants may not be used for salary, honorarium, food, travel, accommodations or convention registration. Grant applicants must be current members of NJAHPERD present a session at a conference or convention related to the grant proposal.
Previous grant recipients are not eligible to apply the year following their award.
NJAHPERD Executive Board members are not eligible.
Priority consideration will be given to applications addressing Fitness Education. MORE |
| FIT2ECSELL | |
"EVERY CHILD STRONGER, EVERY LIFE LONGER" continues to provide the foundation for NJAHPERD's advocacy initiatives! FIT2ECSELL is the most recent of many NJAHPERD targeted movements to promote quality Health and Physical Education in New Jersey schools.
This initiative focuses on developing the first ever state- wide centralized data base for student health-related physical fitness.
Grant funding is available for training and web based FG school site license. Application |
| ATTENTION Golf Enthusiasts! | |
The Barclays is back in NJ at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City next week and we have tickets!
Tournament Dates: August 20-25, 2013
NJAHPERD has purchased a limited amount of tickets to save you ticketmaster fees.
GOOD ANY ONE DAY GROUNDS TICKET through NJAHPERD are available for $55.
WEEKLY CLUBHOUSE TICKETS through Ticketmaster are available for $125.
Use CODE: LOFT 13
Please visit the NJAHPERD website for more details or call the office.
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| Boundless Enthusiasm: How Arvin Arjona took the Millburn High School Dance Program from Zero to the Orange Bowl in Six Years | |
Dance Teacher Magazine
Most of his students call him Mr. Arjona or Mr. A. "But some call me Papa Panda because they saw my Kung Fu Panda screen saver," says Arvin Cheng Arjona. "Kids will be kids." Arjona is Millburn High School's first dance teacher, and he exudes boundless energy in his love for dance. During the past six years, not only has he managed to help start a dance program at the New Jersey high school, he successfully petitioned for a new dance studio with a sprung floor and took charge of the after-school dance club. His audition-only dance company is gaining notoriety for its talent: The team was asked to perform at the 2014 Orange Bowl. MORE
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| Michelle Obama's Newest Initiative: Using Hip-Hop to Fight Obesity | |
Article Subheading
In June, first lady Michelle Obama appeared in a hip-hop music video that featured rapper Doug E. Fresh, singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks and TV medical personality Dr. Oz. The catchy song urged kids to "work hard/eat right" and "tell somebody/it's your body/c'mon." The song was just the first of a 19-track album, the majority of which are hip-hop, to be released by the Partnership for a Healthier America, the anti-obesity nonprofit that launched in conjunction with Michelle Obama's Let's Move! anti-obesity campaign, and a New York-based group called Hip Hop Public Health. MORE |
| NASA Fit Explorer Challenge | |
NASA
Inspire the nation's future explorers by joining NASA and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, or PCPFS, in a variety of exciting physical and hands-on activities to encourage students to train like an astronaut!
Fit Kids balancing on a solar array of the ISS. Credit: NASADeveloped in cooperation with NASA scientists and fitness professionals working directly with astronauts, the Fit Explorer Project is a physical and inquiry-based approach to human health and fitness on Earth and in space. Students in grades 3-5 can participate in physical activities modeled after the real-life physical requirements of humans traveling in space. Future space explorers can experience a simulated walk to their "base station", learn how astronauts coordinate muscle movement for a space walk, and practice post-mission activities to improve balance. Students will record their personal progress in their Mission Journals and earn points in the Fit Explorer Challenge while working with their crew members to progress through levels. MORE |
| September is National Yoga Month | |
Department of Health and Human Services
What a great way to kick off the school year celebrating Yoga. Check out
Yoga Health Foundation for ideas and information.
You can also revisit yoga again on February 28th, 2014 to promote and celebrate Yoga recess day.
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| Childhood obesity threatens national security | |
U-T San Diego
At its annual meeting in June, the American Medical Association, the largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, publicly classified obesity as a disease. This decision should help highlight the increased attention and resources required for this public-health disaster that affects one-third of Americans and costs our health-care system $190 billion annually. This declaration by the AMA should not come as a surprise to anyone. MORE |
| Only half of US youth meet physical activity standards | |
The St. Louis American
Only about half of U.S. adolescents are physically active five or more days of the week and fewer than 1 in 3 eat fruits and vegetables daily, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. In a survey of youth in 39 states, NIH researchers questioned nearly 10,000 students between 11 and 16 years old about their activity levels and eating habits. They also asked the students to describe their emotional health, body image and general satisfaction with life. MORE |
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HEALTH EDUCATOR NEWS YOU CAN USE
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| How to talk to your daughter about her body | |
The Huffington Post
How to talk to your daughter about her body, step one: Don't talk to your daughter about her body, except to teach her how it works. Don't say anything if she's lost weight. Don't say anything if she's gained weight. If you think your daughter's body looks amazing, don't say that. Here are some things you can say instead. MORE |
| Take the healthier schools challenge | |
USDA
The HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) is a voluntary certification initiative established in 2004 to recognize those schools participating in the National School Lunch Program that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity.
In February 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced Let's Move!, incorporating the HealthierUS School Challenge into her campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids. At that time, monetary incentive awards became available for each HUSSC award level: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold Award of Distinction. MORE |
| Heads Up Online Training Course | |
CDC
Get prepared for the new season in less than 30 minutes. Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports is a free, online course available to coaches, parents, and others helping to keep athletes safe from concussion. It features interviews with leading experts, dynamic graphics and interactive exercises, and compelling storytelling to help you recognize a concussion and know how to respond if you think that your athlete might have a concussion.
Once you complete the training and quiz, you can print out a certificate, making it easy to show your league or school you are ready for the season. MORE
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| New Jersey Childhood Obesity Rates Fall, Yet Still Among the Highest in the U.S. | |
CDC
New analysis of childhood obesity data reveals that one in eight US preschool children are obese. In 2011, 19 states, including New Jersey, reported decreases in obesity among low-income preschoolers compared to 2008. New Jersey is also one of six states that saw more than a percentage point decrease in obesity rates - a statistically significant change. MORE |
| Study: PE ignites sports participation outside of school | |
PHIT America
New research by the Physical Activity Council of 40,000 Americans shows children who do not have physical education are more than twice as likely to be totally sedentary outside of school. Children who have physical education are two to three times more likely to be play sports and be active outside of school than children without physical education. MORE |
| Study: Physical activity linked to longer attention span | |
University of New Hampshire
A recent study out of the University of Granada has linked participating in physical activity with longer attention spans. Better cognitive abilities such as time perception were also higher in physically active participants. It has been generally known that physical activity lends itself to better overall health outcomes but this study clearly illustrates a strong relationship between physical activity and longer attention spans. MORE |
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Let's Move! Active Schools |
| Champions Needed! | |
Become a Champion TODAY!
We know that you are facing all sorts of challenges and balancing multiple priorities, while striving to do every single thing you can to help your students learn and grow.
Let's Move! Active Schools is designed to address these challenges by spurring innovative solutions and offering customized support every step of the way. We know that our kids need 60 minutes of physical activity daily, not only so they can grow up healthy, but also because we know it helps them succeed in school. That's why this program empowers schools to find free or low-cost ways to incorporate movement before, during, and after the school day. We'll help connect schools to grant opportunities, online resources, personal assistance, and hands-on professional development.
There's just one thing we're still missing-YOU, the CHAMPION! The one dedicated person to step up and start making a difference.
All you have to do is sign up at LetsMoveSchools.org and follow a simple, six-step process to create an active school environment and build support among leadership, staff, families, and other community members. Along the way, you'll have access to free tools and resources to help you take action.
NJAHPERD's goal is to have 250 schools registered as a LMAS by June 2014. All NJAHPERD members registering will receive a complimentary Let's Move! Active School tee-shirt!
Remember to indicate NJAHPERD for "How did you hear about us?" Register NOW!
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JUMP ROPE AND HOOPS FOR HEART
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| Hoops for Heart and Jump Rope for Heart Links and Resources | 
TAKE ACTION NOW!
If you are NOT a MEMBER of "YOU'RE THE CURE" (American Heart)
PLEASE click here to JOIN and become part of the solution!
MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. That single purpose drives all we do. The need for our work is beyond question.
WANT A FREE MEMBERSHIP TO AAHPERD??
Register and COMPLETE an AHA Jump Rope or Hoops for Heart event that totals $1,000 or more and receive your FREE AAHPERD membership as a THANK YOU! You can find out more HERE
FREE REGISTRATION to AAHPERD's NATIONAL CONVENTION! Apply for one of AAHPERD's TEN grants. Applicants must have completed an AHA event within the last year. The grant provides: * ONE year AAHPERD membership * registration to the 2014 AAHPERD annual convention and exhibition * $1,200 gift certificate to US GAMES WHAT A PACKAGE!! Learn more at: www.aahperd.org/jump/awards/grants www.aahperd.org/hoops/awards/grants DEADLINE for APPLICATIONS is OCTOBER 18, 2013
ALL OUR NJAHPERD COORDINATORS ARE SPECIAL!! * Let AAHPERD and NJAHPERD recognize YOU for your efforts in promoting the American Heart Association's mission. * CLICK the LINKS below to DOWNLOAD AAHPERD's JR/HFH Recognition Award. www.aahperd.org/jump/awards/recognition www.aahperd.org/hoops/awards/recognition DEADLINE for applications is OCTOBER 18, 2013
American Heart Association
WELCOME!! click here...
Links of interest:
Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart Grantwww.aahperd.org/jump
NASPE Standards linking Physical Education to JRFH Register YOUR event: http://www.aahperd.org/jump/AboutJump/eventregistration.cfm  The PULSE online newsletter
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ATTENTION ALL COORDINATORS !!
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Welcome Back!
Welcome back to the beginning of another school year! On behalf of NJAHPERD, I would like to extend my "heart-felt" appreciation for your continued support of the American Heart Association and its programming.
By choosing to conduct a Jump Rope For Heart or Hoops For Heart event, and utilizing the AHA educational components, you are providing your students with the tools needed to learn the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and physical activity. At the same time, you are teaching them the valuable lesson of community service and
showcasing positive components of character education. The dollars raised through their fundraising efforts are helping the American Heart Association in their ongoing efforts to combat cardiovascular disease and stroke and to provide educational resources for us all.
New Jersey AHPERD's overall success of both JRFH and HFH events included 818 recruited schools-second only to NYSAHPERD in our "Founder's Affiliate." Despite many of our state's obvious challenges last year, over 88% of registered schools completed a JR/HFH or combined event which truly demonstrates the partnership between AHA and AHPERD. NJAHPERD will receive a total of $80,885.28 to sustain its programming and services to the membership.
There is still so much funding and research to be done as cardiovascular disease continues to affect so many families and loved ones. If you are aware of any school that is NOT currently participating in either JUMP or HOOPS, please encourage them to "reach out" to their regional AHA contact to arrange for an in-school visit.
As a thank you for your continued support of the American Heart Association's mission to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular disease and stroke, please note that (NATIONAL) AAHPERD is again offering a FREE one year membership to all coordinators who complete an AHA event that totals $1,000 or more. (see Coordinator Updates) ALSO, your NJAHPERD membership will be discounted by 50%. Simply indicate the date you completed an event on the top of your membership application and upon validation, your discount will be applied electronically at the NJAHPERD office.
Again, thank you for all you do in promoting HEART HEALTH and PHYSICAL ACTIVITY! Here's to a great 2013-2014 school year!
All the best,
Christine Baccarella
NJAHPERD,JR/HFH Coordinator
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| Advocacy On the Move! |  SPARK "Don't wait until you're thirsty to dig your well!" We must consistently communicate the benefits of physical education to politicians, school boards, parents, and administrators. To help you promote the good work you do for your students, SPARK has created a new page on their website: CLICK HERE. On this page you'll find useful videos, tools for educators, tools for parents, and resources for After School and Early Childhood too. Please make some time to visit and share with your colleagues. |
| NJAHPERD Actively Monitors Legislation |
Did you know that NJAHPERD pays a legislative consultant to monitor bills that come forward that affect our profession? We also work closely and seek advice from the AHA Government Relations Director on Health and Physical Education, NJEA and our ShapingNJ partners.
ACHIEVENJ updates are also posted on the NJAHPERD website. Click on the NJ Legislation tab for more information.
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| Advocacy Tip of the Month | Your Legislators need to hear from advocates like you about the importance of physical education and health education.
Visit the AAHPERD Legislative Action Center to:
* Locate your Congressmen to request a meeting, ask them to visit your school, or to view a schedule of town hall meetings,
* Locate your local media contacts to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor about the importance of physical education and health education in your community,
* Continue to support physical education and health education by using the action alerts available on the AAHPERD Legislative Action Center.
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| Need ideas, lesson plans, assemblies and more? | |
Get the Latest Resources...
From NJAHPERD's Teacher Resources page.
Click HERE! |
| NJAHPERD Mini-Grants Available | Check out available grants and awards on NJAHPERD's Awards & Grants page.
Click HERE! |
| U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) Serves | |
Deadline: October 18, 2013.
USTA Serves awards program grants twice a year to programs that support at-risk youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence. Award amounts vary. Nonprofit organizations providing tennis programs for underserved youth, ages 5-18 are eligible to apply. MORE
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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| Professional Development Events | |
Fitnessgram Trainings for In-service Days
NJAHPERD will provide Fitnessgram training for your staff at your site. Fee: $650
Please call/email the NJAHPERD office.
Events Listing:
- Central District Regional Workshops Best Practices Fitness Education/FitnessGram training
- Lake Conference
- Dance Education Conference
- Northern District Regional Workshop.
- Adapted Health & Physical Education Conference
- NJEA Convention
- Health Conference
- 2014 Annual Convention
- Pre-Convention Workshops
Details are available on the NJAHPERD website for all professional development events. |
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Additional Professional Development Events...Save the Dates
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2013-14 Health Observances Calendar of Events
Plan Ahead for the New School Year
WEBINARS:
Raising Awareness for Quality Physical Education
Wednesday, August 21st 6pm Eastern
Cost: Free
Physical education (PE) programs are being reduced or eliminated because of budget reductions or the mistaken assumption that less PE time will result in higher academic test scores. Despite all the evidence supporting hte need for quality PE in schools (including academic improvement), teachers still find themselves having to defend their program from elimination.
Have you found yourself in this position? Or do you just want to advocate for quality PE in your child's school or as a proven solution to our national childhood obesity epidemic? Attend our webinar (next week!) and learn about strategies and resources to help advocate for Quality PE wherever you are.
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www.houselfitness.com
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Your NJAHPERD membership expiration date is
NJAHPERD
P.O. Box 2283
Ocean, NJ 07712
732-918-9999
732-918-2211 fax
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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. |
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