Athletics, Healthful Living, & Safety

Healthful living is a combination of health education and physical education. When the two are integrated, lives are improved. The Healthful Living curriculum is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to make decisions, become advocates of healthful living.

Health Education: Classroom instruction that addresses the physical, emotional and social aspects of health – designed to help students improve their health, prevent illness, and reduce risky behaviors.

Physical Education: Physical Education: Planned, sequential K-12 curriculum that promotes lifelong activity, develops basic movement skills and sports skills. Physical education provides an environment in which students learn, practice, and are assessed on developmentally appropriate motor skills, social skills, and knowledge.

JCPS promotes positive attitudes and behaviors for a lifetime commitment to physical activity and good health, Physical Education is a sequential instructional program that provides learning experiences that develop physical and mental fitness, motor skills and moral/social behavior. It is based on the study of human movement and includes educational games/sports, dance and gymnastics with fitness concepts integrated into all of the content areas. A variety of teaching styles are used to develop experiences that encourage students to become efficient, versatile and creative movers.

Recent statistics state that more than one in five 5-11 year old kids in North Carolina is overweight. This is putting them at risk for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem and discrimination. The chances that an overweight child will become an overweight adult are nearly 70%. The Healthy Active Children’s Policy (HAC) guides health and physical education specialists and outlines ways to encourage, monitor, and advocate for increased physical activity for students.

All K-8 Schools in Jackson County strive to meet the requirements of the NC Healthy Active Children’s Policy. According to this policy schools are to provide a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity for all students in grades K-8. This can be accomplished though Physical Education class, recess, intramurals, or energizers in the classroom. Another requirement of this policy states that schools may not use physical activity as a punishment for students or that structured recess cannot be withheld from a student.

Fast Facts on Cardiac Arrest:

• Sudden cardiac arrest if the leading cause of death in adults?
• CPR doubles a person’s chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest?
• About 60% of heart attacks resulting in cardiac arrest occur in the presence of a witness who might be able to save the victim?

With the knowledge of these and other facts, the legislature passed Session Law 2012-197-House Bill 837 "an act to make successful completion of instruction in CPR available to all students with a plan to phase in completion of CPR instruction as a high school graduation requirement by 2015." Jackson County Schools, the first group of students to face this requirement was the class of 2015.

JCPS Implementation of the CPR Graduation Requirement

Although the requirement is for high school graduation, it is in the middle school curriculum. It prepares each 8th grade student with knowledge to analyze the necessary steps to prevent and respond to unintentional and demonstrate basic CPR techniques and procedures and pass and approved test of CPR skills. With this being a high school graduation requirement, it will be up to the high schools to ensure each student is properly trained prior to graduation.

The following attachments can provide more information regarding the specific requirements of the law and the State Board of Education:

CPR Graduation Requirement FAQ's

The School Health Advisory Council for JCPS is composed of community and school representatives from different areas. of the coordinated school health program. The goal of SHAC is to help plan, implement and support the coordinated school health plan.

More information on the SHAC can be found on the JCPS School Nutrition webpage.

2017 JCPS Let’s Go NC! Curriculum Guidance

• All K-5 students receive comprehensive pedestrian & bike safety skills education/training through the use of the Let’s Go NC! curriculum.
• There are two main teaching modules—one on walking, the other on biking. And there are three grade ranges: K-1; 2-3, and 4-5. Each grade range unit has five lessons (some lessons can be compressed if needed).
• Each progressive grade range unit builds on the skills a student has learned in the previous unit.
• We encourage teaching all students the basic pedestrian and bicycle safety skills they will need throughout their lives; skills that will help them be well-rounded and healthy—plus, it’s fun!
• Students with disabilities will receive accommodations as appropriate.
• This guidance has been approved by the administration in that teaching the curriculum encourages healthy and safe lifestyles for students.
• Professional development opportunities/training has been completed; and will continue to be made available to the staff responsible for teaching the Let’s Go NC! curriculum.
• Allow the shared use of the bicycles and the trailer to other community organizations wishing to hold bicycling safety events or training.

The District Crisis Management Team works with all schools and departments to ensure the safety and security of students, staff, and visitors. We have plans and procedures in place at each school and administrative site to protect your child and communicate with you in the event of an emergency. Each school has a school level crisis management team that meets regularly with the focus on prevention and reaction to incidents. Regular practices of crisis responses take place at each school. Training and staff development in school violence, crisis management, incident command, emergency drills and emergency response procedures are provided to all staff in JCPS. A Crisis intervention team is available to provide support to students and staff if needed.

In an emergency situation we must be able to contact you:

• Please provide accurate emergency contact information to your child’s school at the start of the year.
• Update your contact information with school staff as soon as it changes.

Related Links:

• Ready NC
  
• NC Center for Safer Schools
  
• NC Department of Public Safety (NCDPS)
  
• NCDPI School Safety Resources
  
• Jackson County Emergency Management
  
• Jackson County Office of the Sheriff