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Upcoming Events & Announcements
Faulkner Hospital's First Community Health Fair
Free screenings, kids activities, free classes and speakers and a raffle. The event will kick off with a 1-mile Fun Walk through the Arboretum.
Saturday, November 3, 2012 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Download the health fair flyer>>
For more information, contact Tracy Sylven in Faulkner Hospital's Community Health and Wellness Department at
617-983-7451 or via email at tsylven@partners.org.
Celebrate Food Day on October 24!
We encourage all schools to celebrate Food Day on October 24. Schools can choose from a variety of activities listed online here.
Wellness Policy Feedback Session for BPS Families
BPS Families! Please collaborate with us as we take a look at the District's Wellness Policy.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
5:30-7:00
Grove Hall Library
41 Geneva Avenue,
Dorchester, MA 02121
Free Fitness 4 Kids Workshop at Bunker Hill Community College
One-day workshop for 3rd-5th graders. Obstacle courses and calisthenics get kids excited about being physically active. Lead by three great instructors are ready to get kids moving and having fun.
Thursday, October 18, 2012 3:30-4:30pm
Bunker Hill Community College Gymnasium
Email or call Eve Mascoli to register at 617-228-2371 or elmascol@bhcc.mass.edu
Annual CitySprouts Festival
CitySprouts works with public schools to extend classroom lessons into the outdoor classroom garden and make sure children have the chance to learn first-hand about healthy food choices and local food systems.
The Festival features cider pressing, pumpkin decorating, games and crafts and the CitySprouts Second Annual Iron Chef Dip-off sponsored by Chipotle.
Sunday October 14th
12:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m.
Kennedy Longfellow School, 158 Spring Street in East Cambridge (Kendall Square T on the Red Line).
Visit the City Sprouts website to learn more.
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Grant Opportunities
Community Garden Grants Grants to help communities reach their goals for neighborhood beautification, community collaboration, and healthy, sustainable food sources.
Ten applicants will receive $5,000 in cash and tools, first prize - a complete garden makeover.
Deadline: Dec. 15, 2012
Learn more & apply>>
Responsible Sports Community Grant
Liberty Mutual provides grants to non-profit youth sports organizations and educational athletic programs to help defray the many costs of running a successful youth sports program.
Fifteen grants of $2,500 each will be awarded.
Deadline: May 31, 2012 and November 30, 2012
Learn more & apply>>
Healthy School Makeover Contest The winning school will receive a grand prize worth $45,000 in educational materials, training, and equipment from SPARK and its partners. Nominate your school by submitting a short video explaining why your school needs a healthy school makeover and how you'll use the award to improve the health of your students. Deadline: October 31, 2012
Big Help Grant
Supports approaches to addressing four key concerns - environmental awareness, health and wellness, students' right to a quality public education, and active community involvement.
Multiple grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to select applicants.
Deadline: October 15, 2012
Learn more & apply>> |
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Mayor Menino, Boston Moves for Health Kickoff Program to Increase Physical Activity in Boston Public Schools
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 Last week at the Hugh R. O'Donnell Elementary School in East Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced three new and innovative ways that city schools will be incorporating more physical activity into their students' daily routines. Generous donations from Partners HealthCare and Shaw's and Star Market will provide support for Wellness Champions in each school, as well as help educate youth about healthy eating. To celebrate the launch of the partnership, the mayor kicked off two challenges between public schools to encourage more daily physical activity among students as part of his Boston Moves for Health initiative.
"Today's students have a lot on their plates to balance, but their health is our highest priority," said Mayor Menino. "We know that kids who maintain a healthy lifestyle do better in the classroom, so it's only natural that we encourage good habits in schools. This partnership is a fun and engaging way to promote healthy choices, and I want to thank Partners and Shaw's for their commitment to keeping our kids in shape."
During the Physical Education Challenge, from October 15 until November 9, BPS schools will compete for the most steps taken by students during physical education class. The Physical Activity Challenge, from January 15 to February 15, will engage students in a month-long challenge for the most minutes of physical activity during the school day. All of the data collected will be logged into the Boston Moves for Health website, so city youth can contribute to meeting Mayor Menino's ten million mile challenge. In addition, the winning schools will receive funding for curriculum and athletic equipment.
Ronnie Sanders, director of community benefits for Partners HealthCare, announced that the organization will donate $170,000 over two years to support 105 Wellness Champions in 100 Boston Public Schools. Wellness Champions lead each school's effort to increase and promote physical activity throughout the day.
Click here to read the full announcement>>
Download the Boston Moves for Health: School Challenge briefing for more information>> 
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Fall Celebration and Fundraising Ideas
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We hope your school year
 is off to a great start. Can you believe we have
reached October? It will be time for Halloween celebrations and fall fund raisers! As you plan, please remember both Boston Public Schools Policy and Massachusetts State Law.[1],[2] The District's policy identifies nutrition guidelines for foods sold or provided to students at all school-sponsored events, including fundraisers, classroom parties, and food as reward. All foods sold to students cannot compete with the School Meals Program.
Aim for a healthier fall with ideas, available here. For more resources, check out the Smart Choices Toolkit. It lists over 40 fundraisers and 30 alternative celebrations. If you haven't done so already, include these ideas in your Wellness Action Plan.
The Health and Wellness Department is offering a Smart Choices Toolkit trainings posted on My Learning Plan to train wellness councils on this policy. The next training is Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 AM.
Thank you for making the healthy choice the easy choice at school.
Questions? Contact Caitlin Westfall Howe
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Superintendent Johnson Energizes the BPS District Wellness Council
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Superintendent Carol Johnson appointed 28 members of the school community to a newly invigorated District Wellness Council this fall. The Council met for the first time last month on September 26. The new Council co-chairs are Mr. Sam Depina, Assistant Chief Operating Officer for the Boston Public Schools, and Dr. Huy Nguyen, Medical Director of the Boston Public Health Commission.
One of the first tasks of the council will be to revise the District Wellness Policy. The group agreed to take a comprehensive approach to reviewing and incorporating changes in policy, curriculum, and operating procedures to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable wellness practices for all students and staff. The council will be forming work groups on various topic areas to be addressed in the policy. Individuals interested in joining a work group can contact Caitlin Westfall Howe.
All Wellness Council meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, December 6, 2012 from 3:00-5:00pm.
Read more on the Healthy Connections website>>
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Michigan Model for Health Curriculum Training
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Health and physical education teachers and other interested individuals are invited to attend the training for the Michigan Model for Health®. This comprehensive and sequential K-12 health education curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about their own health and well-being. The curriculum offers age-appropriate lessons that address some of the most serious health challenges facing school-aged children, including social and emotional health; nutrition and physical activity; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; personal health and wellness; safety; and HIV.
The trainings will be offered for Grades K-6 on October 25th and Grades 7-12 on October 26th with a optional follow-up training for both on October 27th.
Visit the Health & Wellness website for training times and locations>>
Interested faculty and staff should register online at My Learning Plan. Please note that each training session is limited to 30 participants.
For further information about the training sessions, please contact Mary Poor, Project Coordinator - CPPW Tobacco Prevention Grant.
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Protect Yourself and Others Against the Flu
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Influenza ("flu") season is here and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has a wealth of resources to keep you and your family protected. Visit the BPHC website for general information about the flu, information on getting vaccinated and how to care for yourself or someone who has the flu. Fact sheets, posters, videos and other informational resources are available to download in multiple languages and share with teachers, parents and students in the schools.
Public flu vaccination clinics are offered around the city. Click here for a lists of locations. BPHC will be hosting its free vaccination clinic
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
10:00AM - 7:00PM
Boston Public Health Commission
1010 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd flr
The BPHC is one block from South Bay Shopping Plaza and is accessible from the MBTA bus lines # 8 and 10. Use Magazine St. Entrance. Free parking after 4 p.m. |
2012-2013 BPS Health & Wellness Calendar
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 The Health & Wellness Department, in collaboration with the Office of Instructional and Information Technology has developed a 2012-2013 BPS Health & Wellness Calendar for BPS schools and others in the BPS community. The calendar is filled with digital artwork created by Boston Public School students who participated in the Adobe Youth Voices project sponsored by the Adobe Foundation. The calendar was created to showcase the work of these talented students who used digital tools to create positive messages around health and wellness.
Each BPS school will receive multiple calendars to post for students and staff. The calendars include important health & wellness related days and months such as Good Nutrition Month and Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and websites for you to visit for information and resources around these topics.
Visit the Healthy Connections website to read more>>
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Interesting In Quitting Smoking?
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The Boston Public Health Commission and BPS are sponsoring a free on-site smoking cessation group for all employees of the Boston Public Schools.
WHEN: 6 Wednesdays, from Nov.7 - Dec. 10 (no meeting on Nov. 21)
 TIME: 4:00-5:00 pm WHERE: Boston Teacher's Union To register for the smoking cessation group, contact: Mary Poor, Project Coordinator, CPPW Tobacco Prevention Program BPS, Health and Wellness Dept. 617-635-6643, x 41253 or m.poor63@verizon.net |
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