Health & Fitness
Making the Connection

Helping students feel good about their school--and themselves--takes work. But the payoff can be rewarding.

Educators have long known that students achieve better when they have a healthy bond with their school community. Now some studies are confirming it, but with even better news.

It turns out that students who feel connected with their schools are less likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors, such as drug use, violence, and early sex. One survey, the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health, found that students in small schools do even better in this regard. Another study--of a Washington state elementary school program designed to improve social interactions and academic success--tracked students through high school graduation and found significantly reduced rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

J. David Hawkins, Ph.D., head of the University of Washington Social Development Research Group, says the outcome signals that when students have positive relationships at school, they are less likely to engage in behaviors that endanger those relationships or "put their futures at risk."

Teachers and staff are the critical link to helping kids feel good about their lives at school. "What goes on in the classroom is key to keeping kids from becoming disenchanted with school," says Robert Blum, M.D., Ph.D., author of the Longitudinal Study, and director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Adolescent Health and Development. "It doesn't matter whether you have 20 or 30 kids in a class, or whether the teacher has a graduate degree," Blum says. "What matters is the environment the student enters when he walks through the classroom door."

How do you make that environment as nourishing and affirming as possible? Angela Oddone, M.S.W., NEA Health Information Network's mental wellness program coordinator, offers some tips:

Call the parents or caregivers of your students early in the year. This will set a cooperative tone and increase the likelihood that your interactions with them--and ultimately your students--will be positive.

Institute Monday morning meetings. "Monday mornings tend to be difficult for students," says Oddone. Regular meetings offer a forum for them to talk about their weekend and anything that could affect the week ahead.

Compliment your students. "This doesn't always have to be for getting the right answer or doing well on a test," says Oddone. "Give them positive feedback on the way they collaborated on a project, the great way they divided up the work, how they managed the connections with each other. The things we applaud should not always be the result of the work, but how they got there."

Encourage students to engage in school-based activities. This can be the typical extracurricular stuff, but not always. In one middle school, every student has a school job, whether it's stacking books in the library or delivering messages to the office.

Model appropriate behavior. "If you want students to feel connected, you have to be connectable," says Oddone. "We shouldn't turn away from a student without conveying that we recognize what they're feeling, because we can leave them feeling diminished."

Give students opportunities to relate to peers of different backgrounds. Include diversity topics in class meetings, but don't overreach. If a student has lost a loved one and that student is Jewish, for example, use that opportunity to talk about what a Jewish funeral is like, says Oddone. Invite students to bring their culture to the classroom and allow them to talk about it.

Communicate your high expectations. "What you're doing is connecting with the capable part of the student, not the part that has low self-esteem," says Oddone. "This lets them know you believe they can--and that's healthy."

--Paul Sathrum
NEA Health Information Network

What's Up at HIN

Breast Cancer Survivors Caucus
NEA-HIN congratulates the 2002-03 officers of the NEA Cancer Survivors and Supporters Caucus, elected at the Representative Assembly in Dallas: President--Jeannie Lane, Kentucky; Vice President--Sandy Raymond, Maryland; Secretary--Callie Waldrop, Alabama; and Treasurer--Sharon White, Washington. For more information on Caucus membership, e-mail neacssc@aol.com.

New Resiliency Training Package
With support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HIN recently launched a new training package to help educators promote resilience in schools. The package features HIN's Stress Reduction Guide for Teachers and Other School Staff, an accompanying stress self-assessment, and two presentations that illustrate resilience in action. To download the package, visit the mental health section of www.neahin.org.

The Ryan White HIV Education Award
Congratulations to Phil Carlson of Florida, the 2002 recipient of NEA-HIN's Ryan White HIV Education Award. Phil was presented the award at the 2002 NEA Representative Assembly's Gay and Lesbian Caucus Dinner for his tireless efforts to prevent HIV/AIDS in schools and communities--and for making schools safer for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students and staff.

South Carolina Can We Talk
Can We Talk?--a program that helps parents talk with children about healthy relationships and sexuality--is flourishing in South Carolina under the leadership of Kelli Kenison and Dan Jepson. They have mobilized an enthusiastic group of facilitators and continue to increase the number of parent workshops. Now they're looking for an institutional home for their program. Ideas? Contact Kenison at canwetalksc@aol.com. For more on the national program, e-mail Kandra Strauss at kstrauss@nea.org or visit www.canwetalk.org.

Health & Fitness -- Road to Wellness
Pass the (Lean) Turkey, Please

It's the holiday season, the time of year when food--sugary, fatty, yummy food--is everywhere we are. Can we really find happiness without eating it all? Experts say yes--now and throughout the year.

There's no doubting it: This is one of the most challenging times of the year for people who love to eat. (That would be most of us.) But health experts say it's also a great time to begin making our relationship with food healthier. Doing so could go a long way toward ending our battles with heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and other diseases related to bad eating habits. Getting a grip, however, doesn't mean jumping on another fad diet or forgoing that pumpkin pie. It just means making some realistic lifestyle changes.

To help us do that--through all the parties and the feasts and the eating adventures beyond--Virginia Inglese, a nutritionist in Fairfax, Virginia, and Leslie Bonci, director of sports medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, offer this healthful advice:

Make It Just Another Day
Holidays and special events usually give us license to overeat, but Inglese says try approaching the day like most others. Have fun, but "eat your treats when you're not vulnerable to overeating"--like when you're starving or ravenous. When you do finally indulge, Bonci says, "cut your portions into smaller pieces." Definitely don't overload your plate, she warns. "You can always come back for more." And remember: Always enjoy what you're eating, but learn to make trade-offs. If you decide to have that pumpkin pie, pass on the second helping of mac and cheese.

Know Your Cues
Life on the go forces many of us to skip meals and sends us packing in empty snacks, whether we're hungry or not. Inglese recommends eating every three to four hours to re-establish our cues. "So many people get confused about their hunger and eat out of emotion," she says. "This makes them over-hungry and more tempted to eat sugar, salt, and fat without portion control." Eating consistently stabilizes blood sugar and mood swings, so "listen to your cues," Inglese says. "Stop halfway through your meal to see if you are really hungry. Find out what you are really eating for. Just because something is there doesn't mean you need it."

Legalize Your Food
While some foods are definitely more healthy than others, "there's no 'good' or 'bad' food," says Bonci. To make long-term healthy changes, we can't treat food as the enemy. Bonci believes that food is far more enjoyable when eaten in moderation. She recommends never eating anything larger than your hand. "When planning your meals think about two fists and a palm," she says. "Have a palm-size serving of protein [chicken, fish, beans], a fist of fruit or vegetables, and a fist of starch."

Stay on Snack Patrol
When snacking, pack goodies that are portable and convenient, suggests Inglese. "Keep snacks available that you like," she says. "If it's not what you like, then it's a waste." Your snacks should be different, with a variety of textures and tastes. Bonci suggests peanut butter crackers, sports bars, yogurt, fruit, and cereals.

It's obviously best to minimize high-fat items that offer little nutrition. But what if you've just got to have that ice cream? "The maximum flavor in a food we're craving usually comes in the first two to three bites," Bonci says. "Once you satisfy that taste, anything after that is overeating."

Be Realistic
"Decide what simple things you can change," says Bonci, "then ask yourself, 'Can I live with this?'" Inglese agrees that taking these kinds of small and manageable steps is critical. "Plan your eating habits on how you live," she says. "Listen to your body, eat what you like best, and do what is best for you."

--Leah Lakins

But I Really Want That

The holidays don't have to mean expanding your waistline. You can still enjoy traditional foods, but in a healthier way. Bonci suggests making the following switches--during the holidays and the weeks and months that follow. And while you're at it, consider using evaporated skim milk, egg whites, and low-fat cheese in your recipes. Consider limiting your portion sizes, too.

I usually eat... but I'll try...

Health Bites

Brown Baggin' It
Looking for some seasonal joy? Dress up a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce (a nonfat condiment) instead of mayonnaise and add a slim slice of Swiss or Monterey jack cheese and a tablespoon of mashed avocado. Go for whole fruits instead of juices--pears and apples are now in season--and you've got a meal. Or dress up a salad with a small handful of toasted pecan pieces, dried cranberries, or some blue cheese crumbles. Slice a tart apple or a pear on top and add a touch of raspberry vinaigrette, and you've got two of your five servings of fruits and vegetables for the day. Remember: Winter heating is dry, and water is always in season. So grab a liter and drink up!

Get inspired
"I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink gallons of water--and laugh! I always wear my seat belt and make sure everyone in my car wears theirs. I keep my mind active by taking classes and playing games like Scrabble."

Allyson Story
Paraprofesssional
Grant Elementary School
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Good question!
Q: What's so great about soy?

A: Packed with iron, vitamin B, zinc, and calcium, soy is an excellent source of protein. Soy products are a wonderful alternative for people who are lactose intolerant and who are vegetarian, but they're also helpful for women nearing menopause. Soy has isoflavones and genistein, which retard cancer cells and fight heart disease. It's also been proven to lower cholesterol. Gradually make soy part of your diet by adding products such as tofu and tempeh to stir-fry dishes and by adding soy milk to cereal and fruit shakes.