NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH ISSUE

Teacher's Lounge: Health and Fitness – Addressing the Missing Links in School Reform
Lesson Plan Bank Spotlight: Healthy and Responsible Choices
Michael Josephson Commentary: Delusions of Grandeur
Did You Know? Food Facts

ON THE SIDE

Announcements
Resource of the Month: Connect With Character
Training Programs
Donuts in the Lunchroom: Perfectly You by Julia V. Taylor
Free Resources for Teachers: Invite a Chef to Your School
CC! in the News: Chicago Area Schools Promote CC!
Web Poll: Is Teaching Health and Fitness as Important as Math and Science?

Health and Fitness – Addressing the Missing Links in School Reform

The life expectancy of the current generation of kids is less than that of their parents, something that last happened 200 years ago. The reason? Obesity.

Is 2010 the year to tackle the obesity epidemic? It would appear so. First Lady Michelle Obama launched her “Let’s Move” physical activity campaign last month, and the School Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization this year. But is enough being done to make sustainable change?

Columbia University recently published a report outlining the main health concerns facing students and the effects of those preventable issues on student achievement. The capability that schools have to avert poor health choices is in place but lacking in coordination.

Dr. Charles Basch, the report’s main author, advocates for greater cooperation among services at the national, state, and district levels, but individual schools can also do a lot to encourage and teach good decision-making.

Healthy Choices
While many children may eat at school, they might not be making the best nutrition choices. Weave nutrition information into lessons in science to help them understand the nutritional benefits of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Department of Agriculture recommends eating five portions daily. This doesn’t include french fries. Visit the Department of Agriculture website to find lessons on how to teach balanced eating and downloadable posters to display in classrooms and the lunch room.

Social studies is also a good subject in which to tie nutrition lessons. Do students know about food distribution cycles? Conduct project-based lessons to discover where common foodstuffs originate. Combine math and literacy standards as students calculate how far food travels before it reaches their plate and present their findings. Take a field trip to a local supermarket and have a store worker give a guided tour of healthy and cheap food options available.

The book What the World Eats features beautiful photographs of families around the world and their weekly food consumption. It can inspire many social studies lessons.

Encourage students to view their food choices through the lens of the Responsibility Pillar. Eating well is part of eating responsibly and doing the right thing, even when it’s hard to do. And it really is hard. The Federal Trade Commission reported that $1.6 billion was spent on food and beverage advertising aimed at children in 2006. Marketing in schools totaled $186 million.

With such enormous pressure from advertising, encouraging youth to look beyond the hype makes for a great media lesson while helping kids understand why they choose one food or drink over another.

Getting parents on board is important, too. A great way is to host family cooking events. You don’t need to have an oven to create delicious, cheap, and healthy meals and snacks. Ask a local supermarket to donate supplies, and invite parents and students to participate in a family food event.

Not only can it bring families together for an important part of the day (meal times) but it’s a great opportunity to educate about the values of the Six Pillars and nutrition.

Fitness
Sadly, many schools have cut their physical education programs to meet standards requirements in math and English. But how about making the connection to fitness out of school? Math standards can still be met if students are taught how to calculate their Body Mass Index and add up the calorie content of their foods.

What amount of physical exercise does it take to burn off what they eat? How does food affect the brain? Having students work on the theory behind fitness benefits helps them make better choices out of school.

The Let’s Move program has a wealth of information for schools and families to help students understand what they can do to get the physical activity they need. The program also recently launched Apps for Healthy Kids, a contest to design a computer game or software that educates users about the benefits of eating right and exercising. Why not make this part of your science class?

Many kids are relieved not to have physical education classes because of all the intimidation and bullying. If your school has a sports program, use it to reinforce the Six Pillars. Josephson Institute’s Pursuing Victory With Honor sportsmanship campaign is one way to do it. Encourage your student-athletes to participate for the pleasure of competition, not just to win.

Team efforts in sports translates across all areas of school. Everyone learns to accept and manage their responsibilities, to treat each other – and their opponents – with respect, and to play fair on and off the field. Check out the resources available through the PVWH program to kick-start your initiative.

Turnaround
The Department of Education wants coordinated strategies to turn schools around and to develop a climate that values responsible decision-making. An easy way to start is by developing a fabric of values. Along with our free lesson plans and other teaching resources, Josephson Institute offers a variety of professional development opportunities to bring your staff together to facilitate turnaround.

Take a look at our Lesson Plan Bank Spotlight section this month to help you and your students get on track to make responsible health and fitness choices.

Healthy and Responsible Choices

March is National Nutrition Month, a great opportunity to teach kids about healthy lifestyles and the importance of taking responsibility for the healthy choices they make. We have developed a lesson on nutrition and physical activity free to download. Visit our Lesson Plan Bank to get your students on track for better health and nutrition.

Would you like to see your lesson plan published? Submit it here. Lessons will be entered in a monthly draw to win CC! balloons!

Delusions of Grandeur

Think of the most ethical person you know. Do a lot of people come to mind or only a few? Are you having trouble thinking of anyone?

If I asked that question of the people who know you well, how many would name you? Almost all? About half? Just a few?

Unless this commentary makes you more humble, you will probably be among the vast majority who say that half or more of the people they know would think of them as an ethical role model. That’s highly unlikely. It’s more probable that almost no one you know would put you at the top of the list. Let’s face it, that’s a tough roster to get on.

Surveys show that about 95 percent of us want others to think of us as highly ethical, so our delusion of grandeur regarding our moral reputation is probably a case of wishful thinking. But wishful thinking won’t do it.

I wish I were thin. Unfortunately, my slim ambitions won’t change my waist size. For me, thinness will be an elusive dream until I convert my desire to actions: exercising regularly and eating moderately.

It’s the same with being ethical. Most of us suffer from moral flabbiness. This doesn’t mean we’re bad, but it does suggest we can be better. What we need is a “Be a Better Person” fitness program to tone up our character and strengthen our ethics. Just like working on our waist, hips, or arms, we could work on our honesty, fairness, and responsibility.

Who knows? If you really work at it, you could even make the list.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

Michael Josephson's Gabriel Award-winning commentaries air on radio stations across the country. They also appear daily in the Commentary blog, where you can post responses and see what others have to say.

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Did you Know?

Food and Fitness Facts

Persius said “The belly is the giver of genius.” Coordinated efforts at improving health and nutrition take center stage this year in the face of rising obesity levels. But will it take more than “Let’s Move” to get people to take responsibility for their food and exercise choices? Here’s some food for thought:

• 1946: The National School Lunch Program is launched to feed kids, prevent dietary deficiency, and provide an outlet for surplus agricultural commodities.
• 1976: Five percent of adolescents are obese.
  
• 1995: The Department of Agriculture launches the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) to improve the nutritional quality of school foods.
• 1996: Twenty-eight percent of American families eat take-out food at least once a week.
• 2000: Researchers at the University of Illinois found that children ages 7 to 11 who do well on school achievement tests spend a large amount of time eating meals and snacks with their families. Their achievement is not affected by their mother's employment status (full-time, part-time or unemployed).
• 2005: Twelve percent of high school students had gone without eating for 24 hours or more to lose weight or to keep from gaining weight during the last 30 days.
• 2006: The National Association of Sports and Physical Education reports only eight percent of elementary schools, six percent of middle/junior high schools, and five percent of high schools require daily PE.
• 2008: USDA data shows only two percent of children meet the Food Guide Pyramid serving recommendations.
• 2009: Fifteen percent of adolescents are obese.
• 2010: Congress prepares for debate on the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Summer Professional Development

We’ve just added new dates to our professional development calendar. Sign up for our character development seminar (CDS) and receive professional development that counts for graduate credit and for your character.

Check our schedule here »


i3 (Investing in Innovation) Fund: Final Application Rules Unveiled

The Department of Education has released the final rules and regulations for applications to the i3 Fund. Remaining intact is the matching fund of 20 percent from the private sector, but successful applicants don’t need to obtain this commitment until they are notified of their success. The department is also allowing applicants to apply for a waiver of this requirement.

Applications are due in May and funds will be awarded in September. i3 funds will help fund your CC! implementation. Visit our website to learn more.

Next Time You Shop at Ralphs, Earn Money for Us

Ralphs’ Community Contributions Program funnels millions of dollars each year to schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations. It makes charitable fundraising easy – just swipe your Ralphs rewards Card, and Ralphs will donate a percentage of your purchases to the organization of your choice. We know you have many choices of where to give, so if you should choose us, we sincerely thank you.

Learn more »


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CHARACTER COUNTS! is on Facebook! Keep up-to-date with the latest news and updates from around the country. Fan us on Facebook and tell your friends.

Connect With Character

Whether you’re a seasoned professional, new teacher, or teen mentor, Connect With Character will help you expand your implementation strategies.

Each kit comes with standards-aligned lesson plans for each of the Six Pillars to integrate character across the curriculum, a User’s Guide with classroom-management strategies and tips for developing your own lessons, and a game to encourage deeper discussion of the Six Pillar values.

Age groups 4 to 6 and 6 to 9 get Character Match, an exciting and challenging card-memorization game with animals, people, and symbols relating to the Six Pillars of Character.

Age groups 9 to 11, 11 to 13, and teens vie to see who exemplifies the best ethical values in The Golden Pillars, a glitzy awards show patterned after the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Along the way, the players will appear on a talk show, get fitted for a designer outfit, take a limo, and walk down the red carpet. Who will tally the most overall ballots and take home the coveted Best Character Award?

Each kit costs $89, or buy all five for $345. Visit our online store to order yours »

All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Josephson Institute and its CHARACTER COUNTS! program.

Character Development Seminars

CHARACTER COUNTS! is the nation's leader in professional development for character education. We offer workshops, in-service days, and 3-day trainings that award graduate credit. You can even host a training and save money.

Character Development Seminars can help you become a more effective leader and address behavior problems, student underachievement, and dropout rates.

Make plans to attend a training seminar in your area and transform your school.

April 14-16 in Los Angeles, CA
April 19-21 in Fort Wayne, IN

Register here »

As I was searching for a book that perfectly conveys that character is who we are inside and out, I discovered Perfectly You by author and counselor Julia V. Taylor. What a perfectly amazing discovery. From the opening question, “When you look in the mirror, what do you see?” to the final charge to “Stay Strong,” this self-esteem nugget challenges its readers to focus on what's unique and good about each of us.

Complemented by its colorfully engaging illustrations, the book's message encourages self-care by eating healthy foods, moving our bodies, processing feelings, staying positive, and spreading sunshine.

After reading this morsel aloud, encourage an introspective self-inventory with your students, starting with the question, “What makes you special?” Expect responses like “I like to read” or “I’m good at sports,” “I’m smart,” or “I have a twin sister.” Talk about how we are all unique for different reasons, those very things that make us special.

See if students can go deeper and arrive at values they have as well: I’m trustworthy. I’m loyal. I keep my promises. Then discuss the tradition of the family coat of arms.

Families used to have a crest with a picture or symbol to represent and honor their family name. Why a crest? What were the crests made of? What was their purpose? Have them research if their family has a crest and share their findings. If not, have them describe what their own family crest might look like.

Ask students to design a Character Crest. Use pictures, symbols, and words to show what makes them unique, what positives they have to offer, what things that set them apart or bring them honor and respect.

As they draw, discuss the benefits of getting to know ourselves by creating a collage like this. What does the crest say about who we are and what we have to offer? Why is it important to practice and celebrate healthy habits? As an additional resource, check out the book's website for games and interactive lesson plans.

Finally, teach your students this song that I wrote to celebrate their feelings, using the Old McDonald Had a Farm tune. Challenge them to put some motions to the words or write another verse:

My feelings are unique to me, that's just the way I feel.
They change from day to day, you see; they're mine and they're for real.
Sometimes I'm happy, sometimes sad, sometimes scared, and sometimes mad.
My feelings are unique to me, that's just the way I feel.

Barbara Gruener is a school counselor at Westwood Elementary in Friendswood, TX, a 2009 CEP National School of Character Award winner.

Learn more about Westwood’s CHARACTER COUNTS! program.

Invite a Chef to Your School

Do your kids know what a cauliflower looks like? Do they know what to do with one? A recent visit to one school by chef Jamie Oliver suggests that some kids think tomatoes are only used in ketchup and that fries are a serving of vegetables.

The USDA website lists more than 100 chefs who are available and willing to partner with schools on nutrition, either by visiting and teaching or by providing other resources. There’s also a section on the site for chefs who want to sign up to volunteer.

This is a great resource for teachers and schools who want to help their students make more responsible nutrition decisions. A visit from a chef can be tied to many curriculum areas, so you don’t need to sacrifice standards for a good meal.

Chicago Area Schools Promote CC!

More than a decade ago a group of concerned citizens in the Round Lake area got together to rescue their school district from financial trouble. The result was B.E.S.T. – Bringing Everyone’s Strength Together.

Since then, that group has grown and they have been working to promote the values of the Six Pillars in all schools in the Round Lake area. Now more than 60,000 people are touched by the efforts of B.E.S.T. as students in the schools are taught the Six Pillar framework, developing responsible citizens who go on to further develop the communities B.E.S.T. interests.

Is Teaching Health and Fitness as Important as Math and Science?

Research shows that healthy and fit students are better learners, but financial constraints have led to a reduction in quality food being prepared in schools and to physical education classes being cut. With the current Administration’s focus on increasing S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) performance, should equal emphasis be placed on improving education in health and fitness?

Vote here.