Lansing, MI – Dana Kraus has been recognized as the runner up in the Michigan Department of Education’s Team Nutrition Health Champion Hall of Fame. Kraus was recognized for her dedication to creating healthy environments through healthy fundraising tactics at Lakes Elementary School in Rockford.
Kraus, along with the Lakes Elementary PTO, created a fundraiser called “Move n’ Groove”. The walk-a-thon encouraged students to make healthy choices and lead active lifestyles. Students collected donations to Move’n Groove around a track at the school. The walk-a-thon was made extra special and fun for students with music, hula-hoops, limbo, and other fun activities around the course. The fundraiser raised $14,500 to support classroom grants, library books, assemblies, DARE, musical adventures and other programs.
“Fundraising is important to most schools, but more important is the health and wellness of our students and staff,” said Jennifer Olsen, who nominated Kraus for Health Champion Hall of Fame induction. “Dana’s ingenuity allowed Lakes Elementary to combine both fundraising and wellness into one successful and fun event. This is an event we will continue for years to come.”
The Michigan Team Nutrition Health Champion Hall of Fame, which began in March, sought out nominations of parents who do their best to bring healthy options to students while they are at school.
“We are excited that we have the chance to recognize Dana for her commitment and enthusiasm to creating healthy environments for young people,” said Nick Drzal, Michigan Team Nutrition Co-Director. “Dana and Lankes Elementary are setting a great example for schools everywhere.”
About Michigan Team Nutrition
Michigan Team Nutrition is funded through a United States Department of Agriculture grant awarded to the Michigan Department of Education. It is a national initiative designed to motivate, encourage, and empower schools, families and the community to work together to continually improve school meals and to make food and physical activity choices for a healthy
–more-
lifestyle. It is a team effort that involves schools, families, and the community in providing
In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call toll free (866) 632-9992 (Voice). Individuals who are hearing impaired or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Activist turns from sex ed to food ed for White House LAURA BERMAN
It says something about these times in which we live that the state of Michigan’s go-to sex educator is turning her thoughts, and expertise, to another area that excites passions and desire: food.
Sex and food have much in common, says Barb Flis, including this central key to talking about either one: “You can’t blame them or shame them.”
Her sudden turnabout in subject matter is a direct result of a call from the White House in March, when Flis was summoned to Washington: The first lady’s team wanted to hear her thoughts about getting parents involved in kids eating healthier foods and exercising more.
At that point, Michelle Obama was preparing to roll out her “Let’s Move” program ( http://www.letsmove.gov“>www.letsmove.gov). Flis offered very specific expertise: For a dozen years, she’s been working with parents to help schools devise sex education curriculums. Her forte is defusing the emotion around a sensitive subject and getting people to talk — and to understand the importance of good information, rationally delivered.
What works for sex ought to work for food.
With childhood obesity rates at epidemic proportions, and the first lady campaigning to intervene, Flis opted to help: If her advice was useful to Washington, why not help with the effort, she reasoned.
“The government isn’t going to be able to create change,” says Flis. “Parents are going to have to.”
Now she’s reaching out to activists like Rachael Hilliker, a Lansing-area government worker and mom, who is screening “Two Angry Moms,” in Lansing next month — a documentary about two women who declared war on their local school lunch program and actually created change.
She’s made contact with a couple of Chelsea neophyte gardeners who named their community vegetable gardening effort, undertaken with the help of a master gardener, “Two Dirty Virgins and a Hoe.”
See? There’s that link between food and sex again. “There are a lot of similarities: It’s all about practicing good behaviors, good habits, thinking critically about how you act — or eat,” she says.
And she’s incorporated Obama’s official “Let’s Move” banner into her own website, Parent Action for Healthy Kids.
Flis is working on a statewide survey of parents that will canvas health habits, the state of school lunch programs, and how parents plan meals and snacks.
Activists like Hilliker — who sees herself launching a grass roots effort to force healthier school lunches — are part of her focus. But after a decade of talking about sex with parents and teens, she believes in the wisdom of a gentle approach.
As an advocate for making good choices, Flis was already a fairly healthy eater. But even she has adopted better habits over the past few months. She stopped eating sweetened low-calorie yogurt, switching to a high protein, unsweetened Greek-style brand.
She kicked the diet soda habit, after reading that artificial sweeteners can cause food cravings. Now she intends to quietly encourage others to change their behavior, in their homes.
Wary of being panned as a “food Nazi” or health nut, Flis is more educator than activist. She’s all in favor of small changes, duly rewarded.
So join the movement: Steam up a batch of broccoli and brown rice, exercise for 30 minutes, and congratulate yourself.
New Gold Standard for Sexuality Education in Public Schools. I am happy to say that I assisted with the review process of these new standards to give the parent perspective. Let me know if you have questions.
For Immediate Release – January 9, 2012
Four leading health organizations released the first-ever national standards for sexuality education in schools. Published in the Journal of School Health, the ground-breaking National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12 provide clear, consistent, and straightforward guidance on the essential minimum, core content for sexuality education that is developmentally and age-appropriate for students in grades Kindergarten through grade 12.
The standards are the result of a cooperative effort by the American Association of Health Education, the American School Health Association, the National Education Association Health Information Network, and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education, in coordination with the Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative. Nearly 40 stakeholders including content experts, medical and public health professionals, teachers, sexuality educators, and young people developed the standards in a two-year process.
“These National Sexuality Education Standards provide teachers, schools, school districts, and state education agencies with a new national standard—the minimum they need to teach to set students on a path to sexual health and responsible adulthood,” said Jerry Newberry, Executive Director of the National Education Association Health Information Network (NEA HIN). “They set forth essential sexuality education core content and skills responsive to the needs of students and in service to their overall academic achievement.”
For years, research has highlighted the need to provide effective, comprehensive sexuality education to young people. The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the industrialized world and teens bear a disproportionate impact of the sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV epidemics facing our nation. One in four sexually active teens has a STD and two young people every hour become HIV positive. Furthermore, there is also a pressing need to address harassment, bullying, and relationship violence in our schools, which have a significant impact on a student’s emotional and physical well-being as well as their academic success. The National Sexuality Education Standards set the groundwork for the minimum of what sexuality education should look like in America’s public schools.
“These standards are presented in a user-friendly way, making it possible for a health education teacher or parent, say, of a seventh-grader, to easily find out what is the next step in the learning process for a thirteen-year-old in regards to sexual health,” said Stephen Conley, Executive Director of the American School Health Association.
The standards focus on seven topics as the minimum, essential content and skills for K–12 education: Anatomy and Physiology; Puberty and Adolescent Development; Identity; Pregnancy and Reproduction; Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV; Healthy Relationships; and, Personal Safety. Topics are presented using performance indicators—what students should know and be able to do by the end of grades 2, 5, 8, and 12—and are based on the National Health Education Standards.
“The National Sexuality Education Standards translate an emerging body of research related to school-based sexuality education so that it can be put into practice in the classroom,” said Brian Griffith, President Elect of the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education. “These standards, developed by education and health professionals, present sexual development as a normal, natural, healthy part of human development that should be a part of every health education curriculum.”
The National Sexuality Education Standards were developed to address the inconsistent implementation of sexuality education nationwide and the limited time allocated to teaching the topic. General health education is given very little time in the school curriculum. Even less time is dedicated to sexuality education. According to the School Health Policies and Practices Study, a national survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent School Health, a median total of 17.2 hours is devoted to instruction in HIV, pregnancy, and STD prevention: 3.1 hours in elementary, 6 hours in middle, and 8.1 hours in high school. Studies have repeatedly found that health programs in school can help young people succeed academically and programs that included health education have a positive effect on overall academic outcomes, including reading and math scores.
To view the complete National Sexuality Education Standards, click here. To schedule an interview, please contact Danene Sorace, Consultant to the FoSE Initiative, at 717.585.0503.
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The American Association of Health Education serves educators and other professionals who promote the health of all people through education and health promotion strategies.
The American School Health Association works to build the capacity of its members to plan, develop, coordinate, implement, evaluate and advocate for effective school health strategies that contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for all children and youth.
The National Education Association – Health Information Network works to improve the health and safety of the school community through disseminating information that empowers school professionals and positively impacts the lives of their students.
The Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education utilizes advocacy, partnerships, professional development and resources to build the capacity of school health leaders to implement effective health education and physical education policies and practices that support success in school, work and life.
The Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative is a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) that seeks to create a national dialogue about the future of sex education and to promote the institutionalization of comprehensive sexuality education in public schools. To learn more and view the complete National Sexuality Education Standards, please visit www.futureofsexed.org.
About me
I’m Barb Flis, Founder of Parent Action for Healthy Kids. I insist that every parent has the power to make a difference. I’m a parent guru, a published expert in advocating for children’s health, and most importantly, a mother of two daughters. My focus lies in connecting families, schools and communities on children’s social, emotional and physical health. Areas of work include asthma, diabetes, sex education, mental health, school wellness programs, physical activity and nutrition. I design and implement trainings and workshops for parents, teachers, school administrators, public health professionals and community-based organizations. I’m also motivational speaker throughout my home state of Michigan and across the United States.
Kids come out ahead when schools and parents work together to keep all kids healthy and in school. Did you know that one in 10 kindergarten and 1st grade students misses at least a month of school every year. And do you realize the hours of precious class time used to repeat material to help children catch up. If we can get schools to look at chronic absence patterns the answer will be clear …. working with parents and community to keep kids healthy and in school. Click on this link to read more from Education Week Attendance Counts: 5 Myths about School Attendance by Hedy Chang.
On Tuesday, September 28, I’m leading a group at the Fuel Up To Play 60 Kickoff to School Health at Ford Field in Detroit. The kickoff will highlight the importance of student leadership in creating a healthy school environment where nutrient rich foods and physical activity are top priority. Approximately 32 schools and 400 students and adults from throughout Michigan will be participating.
It is a really cool event and I’ll be a referee for a school team that consists of 5 middle school students and 5 adults/teachers from their school.
The First Lady is even getting in on the Fuel Up To Play 60 action taking place across the county. This week, as part of her Let’s Move! initiative to raise a healthier generation of kids, she joined children and NFL players for football drills during a Fuel Up To Play 60 event in New Orleans.
In addition to the in-school wellness program, the NFL’s Fuel Up To Play 60 also hosts Youth Football Camps, flag football, and more. Go to http://www.nflrush.com to learn about events and camps in your area. If you live in the Detroit area, get on the Summer Youth Football Camp mailing list for next year’s camp schedule. Email your name, mailing address and phone number to youthfootballcamps@detroitlions.com and Play 60!
Here are excerpts from the official Detroit Lions press release about the Fuel Up To Play 60 program and kickoff event at Ford Field. Get your school involved in the Fuel Up To Play 60 program today!
The Michigan Departments of Education and Community Health; United Dairy Industry of Michigan; and the Detroit Lions are joining forces to support the Fuel Up to Play 60 Kickoff to School Health, which highlights Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school wellness program launched by the National Football League and National Dairy Council, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture. Fuel Up to Play 60 encourages kids to “fuel up” with nutrient-rich food choices and “to play 60” by getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Many children are overweight and undernourished—missing out on important nutrients because they are not making the proper food choices. With these health risks, it’s possible that today’s children could become the first American generation with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Students at the Kickoff will learn healthy eating and physical activity “plays”— action strategies that will help create healthier school environments.
“Students and staff who attend the Kickoff will learn ways to implement these lessons in their own schools by participating in hands-on activities, which we hope will inspire them to eat right, remain active, and encourage others to do so as well,” said Mike Flanagan, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Michigan Department of Education, “Youth are empowered to take action at their schools and develop their own road maps to better fitness and nutrition through Fuel Up to Play 60.”
The Kickoff’s pre-game and first half events include a well-balanced breakfast and an interactive session focused on the link between learning and movement, led by author and international speaker Jean Blaydes Madigan. In addition, rookie attendees will learn all about Fuel Up to Play 60 from “MVP Teams”, schools that implemented the program during the 2009-2010 school year.
Attendees will take the field for “training camp” where Detroit Lions’ Defensive End Kyle Vanden Bosch, Former Pro Bowler Luther Elliss, and the Detroit Lions’ trainers will lead students in NFL drills and skills. At halftime, a “Try It, You’ll Like It” tailgate lunch will encourage teams to sample new healthy menu selections, including whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, and vote on items they think the fans in their school would like best.
During the second half, Go Comedy!, a metro-Detroit professional improvisational group, will perform skits on the importance of good nutrition and engaging in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, and will lead an interactive workshop to help teams prep for Fuel Up to Play 60 Kickoffs and Challenges in their own schools. The day concludes with Detroit Lions’ Kicker, Jason Hanson, and Elliss sharing tips on how professional athletes eat healthy and play hard for optimal performance.
The Fuel Up to Play 60 Kickoff to School Health is designed to inspire and motivate students to take action for their health by moving more and eating smarter, an overall win for Michigan health. For more information, log on to FuelUpToPlay60.com.
About Fuel Up to Play 60 Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council (NDC) and NFL, with additional partnership support from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student challenges. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more. Media resources, including related video footage and photos are available at FuelUptoPlay60MediaResources.com.
About National Dairy Council National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the nutrition research, education and communications arm of Dairy Management Inc™. On behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier society, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC is dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person’s lifespan. For more information, visit www.NationalDairyCouncil.org.
About NFL PLAY 60 Designed to help tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL‟s long-standing commitment to health and fitness with partner organizations like the National Dairy Council. NFL PLAY 60 is also implemented locally, as part of the NFL’s in-school, after-school and team-based programs. For more information, visit www.NFLRush.com.
To support and raise awareness of September now being *Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, I would like to tell you about a parent who signed on to our Call to Action and is really taking action!
In May I blogged about Rachael Hilliker. She’s still taking action and is still as bound and determined as ever to change the food that is being served in public schools.
Rachael is hosting various screenings of “Two Angry Moms”, a documentary about food served in public schools and how we can change it through school gardens, nutrition classes, buying local farm foods, etc. Following each screening Rachael will speak to parents about what parents and community members can do in regards to lobbying for change, grants for school gardens, and the upcoming AmeriCorps FoodCorps which will be placing service members in schools across the country to implement school gardens, farm to school programs and nutrition curriculum’s, as well as legislative lobbying.
If you are interested in attending a viewing, show times and locations are as follows:
Saturday, September 25th, 2010 Lansing.MomsLikeMe.com will be hosting a free screening at 10am at Celebration! Cinemas in Lansing (on Edgewood Blvd).
Saturday, September 25th, 2010 Natural Families of Kalamazoo will be hosting a free screening at 5pm at People’s Church in Kalamazoo.
Sunday, September 26th, 2010 Slow Food Huron Valley and the Ann Arbor District Library will be hosting a free screening at 2pm at the library’s downtown main location in Ann Arbor.
Keep up the “Action”, Rachael!
*On March 26, 2010, a resolution was unanimously passed in the Senate to designate September 2010 as “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month”, bringing national attention to a growing epidemic among youth in the United States.
I am honored and excited to announce that on September 10, 2010 I was elected as the new board president of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH). I look forward to working collaboratively with parents to address the growing number of teen births and the issue of adolescent sexual health.
Here’s the official announcement and information about MOASH.
Mom appointed President of statewide adolescent sexual health organization
The Board of Directors of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH) recently announced the election of Barbara Flis as president. The aim of the non-governmental state-level 501(c)3 is to provide statewide leadership on evidence-based approaches to adolescent sexual health and pregnancy prevention. Flis, mother of two and founder of Parent Action for Healthy Kids, joined the MOASH board as treasure in 2009. Flis’ responsibilities will begin in September.
“We are truly blessed to have Barb Flis as our new president,” said Cheryl Gibson Fountain, MD, FACOG-President Wayne County Medical Society of Southeast Michigan and MOASH Board Member. “Barb is an extremely kind, caring, compassionate person who is well known and respected for her tireless dedication and work on behalf of our children, families and communities in our state. I look forward to Barb’s leadership as she continues to play a key role in shaping the manner in which we serve the needs of our adolescents.”
“I am honored to be elected President of MOASH”, said Flis. “Our board represents diverse organizations. For this board to put at the helm a person representing the parent constituency, speaks volumes about the importance of working collaboratively to address the issue of adolescent sexual health. For the first time in fourteen years the teen birth rate has increased. The total cost to Michigan taxpayers with regard to teen childbearing, in Federal and state funds, was conservatively estimated at $302 million for 2004. These public costs include lost tax revenue, health care, and child welfare costs. If we want to create a vibrant workforce and brighter future for Michigan’s youth, families, and the economy then we must all take a vested interest. Together we can empower young people in Michigan to make informed decisions on sexual health, pregnancy prevention and parenthood.”
Flis has more than 15 years of experience advocating for children’s health issues and working collaboratively with parents, schools and community in the arena of health, HIV and sexuality education. She is a nationally recognized expert, keynoting conferences for professionals working in school health, teen pregnancy prevention, and parent engagement arenas. Her work coordinating the Michigan Talk Early & Talk Often℠ program, designed to help parents gain knowledge and skills to talk to their middle school children about abstinence and sexuality, has been cited in national press including Newsweek. Her inspiration for this work comes from her grass-roots experience being “just a parent” in a suburban Detroit community.
MOASH, established in 2009, empowers young people in Michigan to make informed decisions on sexual health, pregnancy prevention and parenthood. Their Mission is to provide statewide leadership on adolescent sexual health, pregnancy prevention and parenting, through education, advocacy, capacity-building and creative partnerships. For more information send an email to info@moash.org.
**This information has been shared with you by Barb Flis, founder of Parent Action for Healthy Kids and president of the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH).
Nothing marks the passage of time more than the first day back to school. Our kids are another year older, and another year closer to growing up and flying out of the nest! I can feel the anxiety in the air, mixed emotions — excited to go back, and yet dreading to see summers’ end.
Remember these words from Fred Rogers Transitions are almost always signs of growth, but they can bring feelings of loss. To get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind. Give your kids an extra hug and kiss, send them off to school and congratulate yourself for being a great parent!
