Power-Up Changes
Changes have been made to the Power-Up program due to budget cuts. Read a list of program changes.

Please contact your local health department or the Gold Medal Schools program if you have questions.

5 Minute Energizers
With more pressure being put on teachers to meet standards set at state and national levels, physical activity is often getting left out. The Utah State Office of Education (USOE) recommends that students 7-12 receive 225 minutes of physical activity each week. To help your students get the recommended amount of Physical Activity you will want to incorporate some 5-Minute Energizers into your schedule.

Energizers are classroom based physical activities that integrate physical activity with academic concepts. The activities are short (between 5-10 minutes) and fun activities to help get students up and active. Energizers are available for these subjects: language arts, math, science, social studies, music, and health. To download or purchase a copy of the energizers for your school go to the North Carolina Physical Education Web site. 

SNAP Training
If you missed the SNAP Software training a recording of the training is now available for you to review. To view the training go to the Go To Meeting Web site.

Your computer will need to have Windows Media Player to view the recording.

You can also view the slides from the presentations.

Teacher, Faculty, and Staff Wellness
Is your school working on Silver #2 and need more ideas on how you can create a fun Teacher, Faculty, and Staff wellness program at your school? Here are some ideas of things you may want to consider:

• Host a Holiday Weigh-In. Let staff weigh in and try to maintain or lose some weight over the holidays
• Encourage staff to walk the Gold Medal Mile every morning – or have a faculty Walk-a-Thon to see which teacher can walk the most
• Have a contest to see which staff member can eat the most fruits and veggies over the next month
• Or host your own “Biggest Loser” contest

For more ideas and documents to use for your school's wellness program look in the Power-Up Guide.

Bureau Resource Guide
The Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Health Promotion, has put together a resource guide for you to use while planning activities for your students. Resources include:

• Factsheets
• Worksheets for tracking nutrition and physical activity
• Information on Wellness Programs
• Education materials

Look at the Resource Guide to find information to use at your school.

Yoga
Yoga is an excellent exercise for kids and adults alike. It helps relieve stress, improve self-esteem, and can help improve learning. Kids who learn yoga learn skills that can help them maintain a lifelong healthy lifestyle. Some teachers have reported that their classes are calm after doing yoga.

If your school is interested in having a yoga instructor come to your school Smiling Light Yoga and Green Tree Yoga are two programs that specialize in teaching students.

Great American Smokeout
Thursday, November 19 is the Great American Smokeout. More than 435,000 Americans die each year from lung cancer, coronary heart disease, emphysema, and other diseases caused by the ingredients of tobacco and tobacco smoke. Do you know someone who wants to quit smoking but has had a hard time doing it?  If so here are some ideas on how you can help

• Pick a date to stop. Make sure that someone besides the smoker knows the date so it can’t be avoided.
• Be supportive. Avoid passing judgment about the person and don’t tell them what they are doing wrong.
• Talk about it. Be careful not to jump to any conclusions. Listen carefully.
• Help the person identify sources (ie: the Utah Tobacco Quit Line or Utah QuitNet) that may help them with the struggle

To order materials or find resources to help your school celebrate the Great American Smokeout visit the American Cancer Society Web site.