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Category: Health & Safety Portfolio

  • Advisory: Mental health instruction now required in New York schools

    New York is the first state in the country to require schools to include mental health instruction as part of their health education curriculum. If you are planning to communicate about this change in your school district, keep in mind that many schools previously included mental health education as part of their regular, required health…

  • Back-to-school health and immunization reminders

    With students returning to school in just a few short weeks, now is the perfect time to remind families about New York state’s requirements regarding health exams and immunizations. Beginning July 1, 2018, all new students enrolling in the district for the first time—along with children entering prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, 5, 7,…

  • Vaping 101: What every parent should know

    There are hundreds of e-cigarette brands on the market, and they are now the most commonly used tobacco products among youth. Middle and high school students are increasingly using these battery-operated devices, often marketed as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, to inhale nicotine, THC and various synthetic chemicals. And that has health officials –…

  • Update to meningococcal vaccine requirements

    Last year, New York state began requiring students entering grades 7 and 12 to be vaccinated against meningococcal disease. For the 2017-18 school year, students entering eighth grade who did not receive their first dose on or before the start of seventh grade must also meet the requirement. The School Communications Portfolio has compiled information…

  • Build parents’ awareness of school safety drills

    Download Portfolio’s handout to help parents understand required safety drills.

  • Child abuse and neglect notification requirements

    The Capital Region BOCES School Communications Portfolio has prepared a package of materials with all the tools school districts need to comply with

  • Speaking about student gender identity

    To help administrators speak with parents, guardians and community members about this polarizing issue, the Capital Region BOCES School Communications Portfolio has developed an easy-to-digest FAQ.

  • Student Gender Identity FAQ

    The School Communications Portfolio developed an FAQ on gender identity that is intended as an internal document for school officials, district superintendents and other appropriate administrators, who may in turn want to share it with staff. This Word document includes a highlighted area on page 4 for customization, if applicable. We started with an internal…

  • Understanding the rights of transgender students: A guide for schools

    The State Education Department released guidance on the topic of transgender and gender nonconforming students in July 2015. The School Communications Portfolio developed a plain-language summary for school officials based on that guidance. The summary has been vetted by outside experts to ensure it accurately represents the state’s guidance. The summary is intended for your general…

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