eNewsletter | Fuel Up To Play 60

This eNewsletter is a companion to the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, designed to help you manage and guide students as they lead the way toward school wellness!

Program Advisors Across the Country Win Activation Rewards
Program Advisor Laura Brown from Apollo Elementary School in Titusville, Florida, is this month's Activation Reward Spotlight Winner.

As a guidance counselor, Laura is not an expert on nutrition or physical activity. When she was assigned to teach a wellness class, she turned to Fuel Up to Play 60 and the trusted knowledge of the NFL, the National Dairy Council and their many expert collaborating and partner organizations. Laura says, "I've found [Fuel Up to Play 60] is a really great support for teaching kids about exercising and eating nutritiously."

Her advice about implementing Fuel Up to Play 60? It's "easier than you think!" Read more about Laura's successful program!

Laura will receive a $500 gift card, and 51 more Program Advisors across the country will receive $100 gift cards.

Read more about Fuel Up to Play 60 Rewards.

To qualify for the monthly Activation Rewards drawing, schools must have at least one adult signed up as a Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor, and the school must have activated its program. Here are just a few of the ways a school can activate Fuel Up to Play 60:

Program Advisor logs into their online Dashboard and checks off one or more of the Six Steps Milestones.
Students complete and upload a Fuel up to Play 60 Challenge (such as this month's Show Your Spirit Challenge).
School applies for Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60.
Program Advisor submits a Success Story, photo or video.

Congratulations to all the winners! Be sure YOUR school is eligible for the monthly rewards and all other benefits of Fuel Up to Play 60 by naming one or more staff or community members to serve as your Program Advisor!

Has Your School Applied for Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60?
Hundreds of schools have received Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 so far this school year. Your school has the chance to receive $3,000 through the competitive, nationwide funding program. The next application deadline is February 15 – so if your school hasn't applied, now's the time!

Fuel Up to Play 60 schools can apply for up to $3,000 to jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements. To be eligible, your school must have at least one Program Advisor.

If your school is just getting started with Fuel Up to Play 60, you can apply for funding to help promote the program throughout the school. The funding is also intended to help you implement healthy eating and physical activity programs in your school.

Schools that have received funds are showing great creativity in planning their Fuel Up to Play 60 programs.

Popular Healthy Eating Plays in these successful applications include the Grab-n-Go Breakfast, Menu Makeover, Recipe Contest and Taste Test Days. One Texas school even hosted a "dairy party" for each class in the school.

Physical Activity Plays that have been featured in successful funds applications include School-wide Walk-It! Clubs, In-Class Physical Activity Breaks, and special events such as Family, Food and Fitness Days (and nights!). A Minnesota school purchased physical activity equipment so that it could provide dedicated "Huddle Up" areas for students to participate in intentional activities during recess.

For more ideas about how to use the funds, read "Funds in Action," full of real-life examples of how schools across the country are using funds to enhance their Fuel Up to Play 60 programs.

Visit the Fuel Up to Play 60 website to learn about eligibility and funding guidelines, find answers to your questions and get step-by-step assistance as you apply for funds. You can also contact the Fuel Up to Play 60 Help Desk if you have questions or need assistance.

Remember: the next deadline is February 15, so don't miss out!

Fuel Up to Play 60 at Super Bowl!
Fuel Up to Play 60 is taking part in the NFL Experience (NFLX) - the festivities leading up to this Sunday's Super Bowl.

During the first weekend of NFLX, the Fuel Up to Play 60 booth in the NFL Rush Zone was a very popular spot. Long lines of families anxiously awaited their green screen photo with their choice of players and mascots from all 32 NFL Clubs or the Super Bowl XLV logo. The photo can be displayed in the Fuel Up to Play 60 magnetic photo frame; the photo and frame are free to all guests.

Also a huge hit was the mini-field for daily player appearances. At these events, NFL players - like Tashard Choice, running back for the Dallas Cowboys - talked to kids about fueling up with healthy foods and staying physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. The players also answered questions and led kids in pre-game stretches and drills.

Fuel Up to Play 60 Students Get Active and Earn National Recognition
Fuel Up to Play 60 students around the country are taking the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge – and earning recognition from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition!

Just what are these students up to? They are pledging to get 60 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week for 6 weeks – the recommended amount of exercise all youth should be getting on a regular basis.

To get Americans moving, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition announced the "Million PALA Challenge" in September 2010. The goal of the campaign is to get one million or more Americans, including youth, to achieve the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) between now and September 2011.

To get going and earn certificates by May, your school needs to join the Challenge no later than March 20.

Taking the PALA Challenge with Fuel Up to Play 60 is easy! Here's all you need to do:
- Between January 15 and March 20, go to your Educator Dashboard on FuelUpToPlay60.com.
- In the PALA Challenge area, sign up your school.
- If you'd like, view or download the Tracking tools.
- At the end of six weeks, go back to your Dashboard and report how many students completed the PALA Challenge.
- Download and print PALA Student Award Certificates.
To see what the PALA Challenge area of your Dashboard looks like, click here.

The PALA Challenge and Fuel Up to Play 60 support the goals of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation by getting more youth and families to commit to becoming active and eating better.
Become a Program Advisor — Get a Chance to Win!
There's still time to enter the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor Super Bowl contest! Everyone signing up as a Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor by Super Bowl Sunday (February 6) will have a chance to win one of ten $250 NFLShop.com gift cards or the grand prize — a $500 NFLShop.com gift card and an official Super Bowl football! Learn more about becoming a Program Advisor - and get started today.

Program Advisors To Be Recognized!
At the end of the school year, Program Advisors and schools that have completed the Six Steps Milestones for Fuel Up to Play 60 will receive a suitable-for-framing Program Advisor Recognition Certificate to the Program Advisors' principals. This certificate can either be hung in the school or given to the Program Advisor.

Additionally, each Program Advisor will receive a letter of appreciation – and a recognition letter will be sent to the district superintendent acknowledging the Program Advisors and their schools.

To ensure that your school is recognized, be sure you have at least one Program Advisor – and be sure to complete all Six Steps Milestones by May 1. Log onto your Dashboard to check off the Six Steps as you meet each Milestone.
ADA's Kids Eat Right Program Brings RDs to Schools
The Kids Eat Right campaign is an initiative of the American Dietetic Association and its Foundation. Through the campaign, registered dietitians across the country are encouraged to reach out to schools to offer their help as nutrition experts – so don't be surprised if an RD comes knocking on your school's door! An RD could be a great addition to your Fuel Up to Play 60 team!

Adding support to RD efforts is a new Kids Eat Right report - The State of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity: Are We Making Progress? The report reveals the current realities of kids' and families' eating and activity behaviors in the U.S. and how they relate to the prevalence of obesity and malnourishment. The report also outlines unique opportunities and strategies to improve the health of our nation's youth.

Program Advisor Super Bowl contest ends February 6
Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 application deadline 2/15/11
Show Your Spirit Challenge for students due 2/16/11
Game Time Highlights Challenge for students; starts 2/23/11
Start your Presidential Active Lifestyle Award program by 3/20/11

New and Improved Dashboard!
The adult Dashboard has recently been upgraded. The new Dashboard lets you track your school's participation in the Million PALA Challenge and manage your online Message Center. Check out the new Dashboard by clicking here.

Comment on Plays!
Plays are at the heart of Fuel Up to Play 60 – and we want to hear from you about ways to implement and improve them. Now you can rate and share comments about Plays. Check out the new comment function by clicking here.

Students Answer the Challenge!
The Show Your Spirit Challenge is going strong! To enter the Challenge, submit a video, song, commercial or cheer to inspire everyone to get involved in helping to make your school a healthier place. To see entries that have already been posted, check out the Fuel Up to Play 60 channel on SchoolTube. The deadline for submissions is February 16.

Later this month, we'll be launching a new challenge: the Game Time Highlights Challenge. This is your students' opportunity to celebrate an amazing year of Fuel Up to Play 60 by creating a "yearbook" of the year's highlights. This Challenge starts February 23 and ends March 30.

When a student (or adult) uploads a Challenge entry, all students in the school will receive a special digital badge and a downloadable reward. AND the school may win additional rewards from their local Dairy Council or be featured in a national eNews! Remember: To easily view your school's Challenge entries, just log in to your Dashboard and see Challenges.

Integrate Fuel Up to Play 60 Throughout the Curriculum!
Jane Addams Middle School in Bolingbrook, Illinois, is finding creative ways to incorporate Fuel Up to Play 60 throughout the curriculum.

During her unit on the novel Esperanza Rising, language arts teacher Jill Neumayer and her students learned about the harvesting, shipping and consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Grapes play an especially important role in the novel, so the students studied – and ate! – different types of grapes. In addition to developing a deeper understanding of the novel, the students also learned that grapes are an excellent choice for a healthy snack.

The school is also finding that the link between wellness and academics is a great motivator for teachers and students alike. Program Advisor Cherie Jackson, a P.E. teacher, engaged students in a "90 Plan," which aims for 90 percent of the student body meeting and exceeding the 90th percentile on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test. Students of the "90 Plan" borrowed the slogan: "Healthy kids make better learners."

Check out the interactive Playbook for lots of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity ideas to integrate throughout your curriculum!

Lake Hazel Middle School in Boise, Idaho, Gets Going!
Learn how Program Advisor and health teacher Kathy Fink is integrating Fuel Up to Play 60 with another key school program – a district-wide performance assessment of critical elements (PACE) for all eighth-grade students. Students will attend classes to learn about the PACE program, and one period will be devoted to Fuel Up to Play 60! Staff will provide milk and granola bars as examples of nutritious foods, and the P.E. department will provide the physical activity for the group.

Chicago Bears Player Surprises NFL Play 60 Super Kid
In the middle of preparing for playoffs, Chicago Bears Kicker Robbie Gould surprised the "NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid" at Briar Glen Elementary School on Friday, January 7.

Fifth-grade student, Ava, was selected as the "NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid" for Super Bowl XLV. The NFL PLAY 60 Super Bowl Contest is part of the NFL's PLAY 60 campaign, aimed at getting kids active for 60 minutes a day. As this season's "NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid," Ava will hand the game ball to an official moments before kickoff of Super Bowl XLV in front of thousands of fans and a worldwide television audience. An NFL judging panel selected Ava's entry from more than 17,000 submissions.

In her essay, Ava wrote about her desire to become the NFL's first female kicker and how she looks up to Gould as a role model: "Not only is Robbie an accurate kicker, but he stuck with his dream to be an NFL player.... Also, Robbie is very polite in his interviews. I want Robbie to be my coach when I am in the NFL in 2022!"

Congratulations to Ava!

Wondering how to put Fuel Up to Play 60 into action in your school? Check out our interactive Playbook – full of great Plays to help you kick off and promote the program, get your school focused on Healthy Eating and get your school moving through Physical Activity. Plays are at the heart of Fuel Up to Play 60 – and the Playbook gives you everything you need to get started.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service published a proposed rule to establish nutrition requirements for school meals to make them consistent with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The proposal reflects recommendations in a 2009 Institute of Medicine report and applies to the reimbursable school meal line – breakfast, lunch and after-school snack programs.
See also: USDA release

A National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity report targets seven strategies for linking students to physical activity opportunities in schools and communities. Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisors can use these ideas in conjunction with Physical Activity Plays.

Enroll for Fuel Up to Play 60 and keep on top of the latest news and opportunities for you and your school!

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