At IDEA Public Schools, we are committed to providing a holistic approach to education. We believe that the cognitive skills that students develop through their academic coursework are critical; simultaneously we believe that it is essential for students to develop the social and emotional skills that are needed for lifelong success. We are dedicated to improving the health and wellness of our student population and our community.
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We will be posting updates about our wellness initiatives on a weekly basis.
In May 2010, the General Mills Foundation awarded IDEA Public Schools a $10,000 grant for its proposed wellness program, entitled "Bright IDEA: Keeping Kids Healthy." Over 1,100 organizations applied for the grant and IDEA Public Schools was one of 50 national recipients. IDEA will use the grant funds for health education and health promotion events at its campuses during the 2010-2011 school year.
For questions about the grant or IDEA's wellness program, please contact Ashley at ashley.dickerson@ideapublicschools.org.
6/1/10 --- June 2010 Menus
Please visit the "Campus Menus" page to view the district breakfast and lunch menus for the month of June.
The Texas law requires students in Texas schools to be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases. Below is a list of required vaccines for students who will attend IDEA in the 2010-11 school year. The list includes new requirements that were added to Kindergarten and 7th grade in 2009. Parents of students who will enter kindergarten and 7th grade should pay special attention to the additional vaccine requirements.
Please be aware that students without the required immunizations or a valid exemption will not be allowed to attend school.
Vaccine requirements for students entering K – 12th grade:
· 3 to 5* doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTap/DTP/DT/Td)
· 3 to 4* doses of polio
· 2* doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
· 3 doses of hepatitis B
· 1 to 2 doses* of varicella
· 1 booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertusis (Tdap) 10 years after the last dose of this vaccine
Additional vaccine requirements for students entering Kindergarten, 1st grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade:
· 2 doses of hepatitis A for students entering K – 1st grade
· 2 doses of varicella for students entering K- 1st grade and 7th – 8th grade
· 1 booster dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) for students entering 7th grade (if at least 5 years have passed since the last dose of tetanus-diphtheria-containing vaccine)
· 1 dose of meningococcal for students entering 7th – 8th grade
*To determine the specific number of doses that will be required, please visit the following link: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/docs/school/6-14_2010-2011.pdf
Recently, our Child Nutrition Program at IDEA was approved to be an AmeriCorps host organization. We will hire 6 AmeriCorps VISTA members to serve as campus-based wellness coordinators. The wellness coordinators will be placed at the following IDEA campuses: Mission, Quest, San Juan, Donna, San Benito, and Frontier.
To learn more information about the position or to apply for it, please click here. For questions, please contact our district Wellness Coordinator, Ashley Dickerson, at ashley.dickerson@ideapublicschools.org.
The May 2010 breakfast and lunch menus have now been posted on our website. Please click on the "Campus Menus" tab on the left-hand side of the page to access the documents.
***Remember--breakfast is FREE for ALL Students EVERY DAY!
You can make a difference! There are dozens of small steps you and your family can take to save energy and help the world be a cleaner and greener place. Here are a few ideas to help our environment: Shut off the water when you brush your teethWalk, ride a bike or take the bus instead of traveling by carTake faster showers or baths in just a small amount of waterHelp hang clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryerChoose products that are not over packaged Recycle items like newspaper, magazines, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard
We are at our fourth campus (IDEA Donna) to promote Wellness Week. It is a week designed to encourage students to make healthy eating and exercise choices. (Click on the link above to read the press release about Wellness Week).
Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14th, we have a special opportunity for parents at IDEA Donna to get involved with health and wellness efforts on campus. Parents are invited to eat lunch with their students tomorrow. We are also offering a tour of the school farm to parents after lunch at 11:30am and 12:30pm. Parents are also encouraged to attend our Wellness Committee meeting at 2:30pm in the school library to discuss how we can improve the health environment on campus.
Here is a sneak peak of the parent lunch at IDEA San Juan:
The April 2010 breakfast and lunch menus have now been posted on our website. Please click on the "Campus Menus" tab on the left-hand side of the page to access the documents.
***Remember--breakfast is FREE for ALL Students EVERY DAY!
The Child Nutrition team is preparing to host Wellness Week--a week-long promotion of healthy eating choices and regular physical activity--at every campus this spring. (For specific campus dates, please visit the "Wellness Programs" page).
As part of our effort to promote health, CNP offered students the opportunity to participate in a Wellness Week Art Contest. Students were asked to design a logo that emphasized health. The winning students--Mariana Escobedo (6th grade, IDEA Donna) and Christine A Rios (10th grade/IDEA Donna)--will have their design featured on Wellness Week t-shirts. Here is a sneak peak:
American kids consume 35 – 50 percent of their daily calories during the school day; that is why schools are such an important part of the fight against childhood obesity. Eating right and staying active during the school day not only affects the health of school-age kids across the country, it also impacts their ability to learn and succeed at school. Research shows that healthy, properly nourished students are better able to concentrate on their work, miss school less often, and perform better in class.
What can you do?
* Encourage your students to eat breakfast every day.
* Help your students make good snack and beverage choices.
* Sit down to a home-made meal as a family and talk about your day.
Do you wish your children would choose something other than hot Cheetos and Coke for an after-school snack? Are you looking for healthy alternatives? Check out our "Healthy Snacks" document on the Wellness Resources page. It contains lots of nutritious snack ideas to share with your family.
Click here for posts from January-February 2010
Click here for 2009 posts
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