BCS School Health Office

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Created December 08, 2006 *** Updated July 16, 2009 The Bledsoe County Board of Education is an Incorporated Nonprofit Educational Organization.Home.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0
 Ashley’s All-Stars Relay for Life Team Received the Team Spirit Award!   Special Thanks to Dylan & Lauren for the Womanless Beauty Pageant! Thanks to all team members and supporters. Ashley’s All-Stars raised approximately $1100! BCMS Physical Activity Day 5th-8th Grades Sponsored By: Coordinated School Health     Above: BCHS JR Health Council Bledsoe Wellness Newsletter, Spring 2009 The Spring issue of the “Bledsoe Wellness Newsletter” can be downloaded here. Healthy Weight, “It’s a Lifestyle, not a Diet” Coordinated School Health partnered with Dynamic Dietetics and UT Extension/TNCEP on Healthy Weight, “It’s a Lifestyle, not a Diet” at Pikeville Elementary School Cafeteria on April 1. Participants learned about calories, portion control, menu planning, hydration, physical activity, and the myths/facts of losing weight. The presentation concluded with a healthy snack and a $20 grocery shopping card awarded to Carolyn Roberson. How do Unhealthy Diets impact our community’s youth? Diet has a strong impact on learning outcomes and success in the classroom. An unhealthy diet may have a negative effect on attention span, short-term memory, concentration, emotions, and general achievement. An unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are two contributing factors in chronic diseases and conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, and arthritis. Bledsoe County Schools Wellness Policy guides the commitment to provide a school environment that promotes and protects children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity. Parents and families are encouraged to improve nutritional habits as we strive to reduce the rising number of overweight and at risk of overweight children in our state and nation. For more information you may contact Susan Warden, CSH Coordinator @ wardens@k12tn.net or Dee Harwell, Registered Dietitian @ Di8tician@aol.com. Tar Wars Tobacco-Free Education Program  Pikeville Elementary Health Education Teacher, Mrs. Janet Frady, presented the Tar Wars Tobacco-Free Education Program to all 4th and 5th grade students recently. Students were challenged to create posters displaying a tobacco-free message. Students learned about the effects of tobacco use, costs of tobacco use, reasons people use tobacco, and how the media/advertising influence. “I will never smoke and tobacco really damages your body and the earth,” commented two students. The following students were recognized and given awards by Coordinated School Health. Posters were judged by the Bledsoe County Health Council. Thanks to all students for supporting a tobacco free lifestyle and environment. 4th Grade Winners: 1st place– Raven Swafford, 2nd place– Earl Davis Jr. 5th Grade Winners: 1st place– Johanna Landenberger, 2nd place– Cheyenne McPherson  Some of the poster winners pictured with Mrs. Janet Frady American Heart Association “Wear Red Day,” Feb. 6, 2009 The following staff joined the Junior Health Council challenge to wear RED on February 6th as a simple and powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.  Bledsoe County High participants: Jeannie Ellis, Linda Nipper, BCHS JR Council President Mandy Bishop, Julie Harvey, & Connie Tabor  Board of Education participants: Beth Anthony, Tena Windle, Sharlene Roberson, Barbara Young, Susan Warden, Kristy Shockley, & Farrah Fields  Rigsby Elementary participants: Dee Dee Cook, Carolyn Smith, Carolyn Hughes, & Connie Payne Bledsoe County Heritage Days 2008 Bledsoe County Schools Office of Coordinated School Health, JR Health Council Representatives, & Student Volunteers promoted "Healthy Youth! Healthy Future!" in the 2008 Bledsoe County Heritage Days Parade. See our Heritage Days Photo Page for pictures. Back to School 5K Fun Run-Walk The 5K Fun Run-Walk sponsored by the Bledsoe County Schools Coordinated School Health Office on August 16 was a huge success! Read more about it here.View some photos of the event here. View the runner’s stats here: 5KRunStats2008.pdf. Media-Savvy Kids GetFit After School Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), a video game captured the interest of media-savvy kids at Pikeville Elementary and Bledsoe County Middle Schools After School Programs recently. Promoting and teaching the benefits of physical activity has been a priority for the Coordinated School Health staff in 2007-2008. Daily physical activity helps you to feel good! Being physically active may help control weight, build lean muscle, reduce body fat, strengthen bones, increase flexibility and balance, enhance self-esteem and mood, help you sleep better, and help your focus at school or work. Students received jump ropes and pedometers after participating in the physical activity opportunity, and learned to choose video games which create movement. Students and families are encouraged to use local community resources during the summer to GetFit! Community playgrounds, walking tracks, state parks, local gyms and wellness centers provide opportunities for families to be active together in addition to video games.   Here’s What’s Happening! • Tobacco Prevention has been in full force thanks to the Tobacco Endowment Grant received by Coordinated School Health. Students participated in a poster contest in January with “Don’t Join the Pack Rats” designed by 6th grader, Winter Pickett selected as the overall winner. The art design has been posted on a billboard in Bledsoe County, and 5th-8th grade students have been given bracelets in the prevention efforts. • Bledsoe County Middle School Students attended a Tobacco Prevention Program in February where the CSH Coordinator utilized the Centers for Disease Control surgeon general report to illustrate how tobacco/smoking affects every organ in the human body. Junior Health Council members assisted with the presentation and challenged their peers to make a decision to be tobacco/smoke free. Be Like Me…Tobacco Free T-Shirts were given to each student who completed the pledge. The Tobacco Prevention message is displayed in the hallway at BCMS inviting all students and staff to join the campaign. • Pikeville Elementary Students have been learning about the dangers of tobacco in health education class with lessons utilizing Tar Wars materials. Anita DeFore with the Living Skills Program instructs Bledsoe County High School students with decision making skills to prevent tobacco use. A student essay contest is planned at BCHS in the future. Many faculty and staff encourage and educate students each day about healthy lifestyle choices to include the dangers of tobacco and smoking. The Bledsoe County Health Council and Tennessee Department of Health are supporting Tobacco Prevention efforts in Bledsoe County with information about the Quit Line at community meetings, newspaper articles/ads, billboards, Kid Smart Parenting Classes and more. Pikeville Elementary Students Drink Milk for Breakfast Pikeville Elementary School Students enjoyed milk with school breakfast, and learned breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People who drink milk have better diets and get many nutrients including calcium, which is abundant in milk, cheese, and yogurt. The vast majority of children do not get the recommended amount of calcium (9-13 year olds, only 5 percent of girls and 25 percent of boys get the calcium they need per the USDA). Calcium is critical for bone health, especially for growing children and teens. Children who eat school breakfast and lunch drink more milk than those who don’t. So, school breakfast and lunch can make a real difference in children’s lives. Nutrition is a key component to Coordinated School Health. For additional information about calcium and nutrition go to http://mypyramid.gov and http://cdc.gov/powerfulbones. Tobacco Prevention Poster Contest Overall Winner “Don’t Join the Pack Rats” was designed by Winter Pickett of BCMS. Her catchy slogan will be utilized in Tobacco Prevention initiatives for Bledsoe County students. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicates each day in the U.S. approximately 4000 young people between 12 and 17 years initiate smoking, and an estimated 1,140 become daily cigarette smokers. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States. The Bledsoe County Health Council & Coordinated School Health staff would like to thank all students for their poster submissions. Left: BCMS Student, Winter Pickett, with her winning poster–“Don’t Join the Pack Rats” Back to CSH Home Page spotlightnews_files/BledsoeWellnessNewsletterSpring2009.pdfmailto:wardens@k12tn.netmailto:Di8tician@aol.comhttp://www.tarwars.org/http://www.tarwars.org/HeritageDaysPhotos.html5KRun.html5KRunPhotos.htmlspotlightnews_files/5KRunStats2008.pdfhttp://mypyramid.govhttp://mypyramid.govhttp://cdc.gov/powerfulbonescsh.htmlhttp://www.tarwars.org/shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4shapeimage_3_link_5shapeimage_3_link_6shapeimage_3_link_7shapeimage_3_link_8shapeimage_3_link_9shapeimage_3_link_10shapeimage_3_link_11shapeimage_3_link_12