In the Zone Issue 4 / Fall 2021
The Powerful Act of Helping Others STEPHANIE JUMPS Senior Manager of Community Initiatives and Social Impact, SHAPE America
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hen I began working at SHAPE America recently, one of the first things I wanted to do as manager of the health. moves. minds.® program was talk to the program’s “pioneers.” I wanted to hear their stories and learn about the impact health. moves. minds. had made in their school and their community. My Students and faculty from Odessa Upper Elementary School donate a portion of funds raised to the colleagues were quick to direct me to Odessa Odessa Police Department K-9 Program. Upper Elementary, a Missouri school that New Year, New Lessons, New Incentives participated in the health. moves. minds. pilot That question sparked the creation of new curriculum for program in 2019. all teachers to utilize and an idea to create a new incentive When Odessa Upper Elementary began fundraising as a program for health. moves. minds. in 2021-2022. The new health. moves. minds. school, it was with high expectations. mini-lessons are ready, and we call our new incentive the Refer They set their sights on raising enough money to get new a Team Champion Incentive Program. physical education equipment and donate to their local police All teachers who sign up for health. moves. minds. this year department’s K-9 program. as either a Team Champion or SEL Educator can participate and Kristi Bieri, Odessa Elementary’s physical education are encouraged to spread the word about the program to other teacher, led the charge along with her students. Ultimately, health and physical educators, inspiring them to register as a the school received $1,382 to put toward new PE equipment Team Champion and complete a fundraising event. For the new and $1,382 to donate to the K-9 program. Her students felt Team Champion, it’s an opportunity to get new PE equipment double the pride for helping fill a need in both their school (and support a charity if they choose to) while also empowering and community. their students to improve their physical and mental health. It’s events like Kristi’s that raised the following question: At this point you may be wondering, “What’s in it for me?” What additional opportunities and resources could we provide Well, in addition to a well-deserved thank-you for helping to schools participating in health. moves. minds.? another school fund much-needed PE equipment, you might also receive referral incentives such as:
SHAPE America’s health. moves. minds. program offers lessons and activities that teach kids to thrive physically and emotionally — and includes flexible fundraising options to help you make the biggest impact in your school and community. You can share your success with health. moves. minds. — and bring national attention to your school — by contributing to In the Zone! If interested, email healthmovesminds@shapeamerica.org.
• Exclusive health. moves. minds. apparel; • An additional $100 Gopher gift card; • A bonus 5% fundraising match; and • One complimentary registration to the 2023 SHAPE America National Convention & Expo.
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Learn more and register at healthmovesminds.org
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fundraising focus New Fundraising Resources
The health. moves. minds. Benefit Minute
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he new Benefit Minute resource makes it easy for you to share your “why” by inserting your personal examples into the template and changing the wording so it feels natural to you. So, if you need to explain to your principal or supervisor why you want to hold a health. moves. minds. fundraising event, insert examples of how the program will benefit your students and your school, then schedule a meeting to share your “why.” Or, if you’ve already participated in health. moves. minds. and you want to help a potential Team Champion understand how the fundraising event will benefit their school, share your story using the Benefit Minute. Hearing your 60-second “why” will help them see how health. moves. minds. can provide a solution for the needs of their students and school. You can use the Benefit Minute over the phone, in a district meeting, or even while making small talk at a state
What’s Your Why? health. moves. minds. Benefit Minute
Why do I need to participate in a health. moves. minds. school fundraiser (Team Champion registration)?
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I need my students to achieve better health and well-being by empowering them to learn skills in physical activity, emotional management and stewardship. The health. moves. minds. program curriculum and event teach positive health behavior skills - being physically active, how to ask for something and show gratitude, how to manage stress and other emotions, teamwork, achieving confidence and feeling pride in helping others. I need to validate the value of my profession in our school community. The health. moves. minds. resources I provide to classroom teachers to utilize, how I am inspiring students to become a steward in being a part of earning equipment for our school (as well as supporting a local charity) and the wellness focus in the resources I share with our District Wellness Director will show my contribution to educating and developing students minds and bodies. I need MORE funds to purchase new PE equipment My superintendent and principal appreciate the fact that I am making a focused effort to provide SEL resources to all classes and help assist in the budget to provide new PE equipment for our school.
convention. Go out of your comfort zone and give it a try! Share your “why” this week with five teachers who you think might benefit from health. moves. minds. in their classroom and school.
Classroom Posters
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eachers who registered for health. moves. minds. as a Team Champion can use the program’s flexible fundraising platform to raise money for their health and physical education program. They can even choose to share a portion of the funds raised with a charity of their choice. But being a Team Champion is so much more. It’s about taking the health. moves. minds. program to the next level — implementing the curriculum and fundraising resources in a way that teaches students new skills and maximizes their growth as individuals. As a Team Champion, you’ll teach your students how to set a goal and ask for something, which will build their confidence. You’ll also teach them how to show gratitude, have empathy, and practice teamwork, which will build their sense of pride in helping others. Use the new Achievement Poster and Goal Thermometer to engage and inspire your students. They will realize how great it feels to achieve a goal, both individually and as part of a team. And when your health. moves. minds. fundraiser is completed and you celebrate as a team, your students will feel a sense of pride in their achievements — for both what they have learned and who they have helped.
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Learn more and register at healthmovesminds.org
ealth and physical education teachers appreciate how easy it is to raise money for HPE through health. moves. minds.® and integrate the program into an existing curriculum.
When Larenda Denien’s school began using the health. moves. minds. program, it built a stronger school culture and “became a part of everything we did,” she says.
Watch as Denien shares some highlights about how students took the lead on designing what health. moves. minds. looked like at Idlewild Elementary — including selecting the charitable organization they wanted to give back to through their fundraising efforts.
School principals love the program, too, and in this issue, we’re shining a spotlight on Larenda Denien, principal of Idlewild Elementary School in Charlotte, NC.
When we got into health. moves. minds. it changed everything.
North Carolina
state spotlight H
Principal Larenda Denien of Idlewild Elementary shares how the health. moves. minds. program made a positive impact in her school.
Team Champion Mentor Mentions
Watch these videos for great tips from some of our Team Champion Mentors!
Event Timeline Tips Having a timeline for your health. moves. minds. fundraising event is critical for success, so be sure to use the health. moves. minds. event planning timeline tool! You’ll find more helpful event timeline tips from Tom Roberts and other Team Champion Mentors in the video below.
Tips for Implementing the Curriculum The health. moves. minds. curriculum and resources are SEL-focused, educator-created, and standards-based. They can be used for both inperson and virtual class settings — and are meant to be shared with classroom teachers throughout the school. See how Angela Stark and other Team Champion Mentors are using the curriculum and resources in their school communities.
Learn more and register at healthmovesminds.org
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The Powerful Act of Helping Others (continued from page 1)
Let’s Get Started You may be wondering, "How do I find educators who want to register as Team Champions and complete a fundraising event?" Start by thinking about teachers you know who have a small budget for their health and physical education department. They could really benefit from a health. moves. minds. fundraising event! Or maybe you know teachers who already do a fundraiser each year. With health. moves. minds. they can raise money for their existing charity and new PE equipment too! Make a list of all the teachers you’re going to reach out to. If you haven’t signed up yet for health. moves. minds. this year, that is the first step! Register today, then use these tips to get new Team Champions started: 1. Read about the Benefit Minute in the Fundraising Focus section on page 2. It will guide you through expressing your “why” so you can share those reasons with the teachers you’re going to reach out to. 2. Pick up the phone. Your voice is the most inspiring way to connect, so make some calls and share how the
health. moves. minds. program can fill a need in a school’s PE budget and provide an SEL-focused, standards-based curriculum. If your school has already completed a fundraiser and seen a positive impact, share those details! 3. Reach out through social media — or through text or email. If you’ve completed a health. moves. minds. fundraising event, share your thoughts on how the program promoted teamwork, helped build students’ confidence, and taught students how to express gratitude. 4. Go to a district meeting. If your school benefited from health. moves. minds. by raising money, share that news with your peers. Tell them about the PE equipment you were able to purchase and, if you shared a portion of the funds raised with a charity, how your students felt double the pride! Now that you know about this new incentive program and have some tips for getting started, take advantage of this opportunity to help another school. Decide what incentive level you want to set your sights on and take action. Once you begin the powerful act of helping others get started, you’ll see just how many lives you can help change.
Thank you for choosing to support your students’ mental and physical health. You are helping develop a strong, thoughtful, and confident generation.
Gopher is proud to support the health. moves. minds.® program and its impact on students, schools, and communities.
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Learn more and register at healthmovesminds.org