Administration
It is the role of school administrators to create and foster an environment of acceptance and learning. Listed below are a few strategies to implement school-wide education of eating disorders.
School Wide Assembly
A school wide assembly to address the health education topic of eating disorders is a great way to engage the entire student body. There are a few different ways to host an assemby about eating disorders. One way would be to have a guest speaker who has experienced an eating disorder present about his or her experience and how it impacted their life. A second type of assembly would be to have a guest speaker from a local hospital or care center present about eating disorders and the effects on the body and mind from the medical perspective. Both of these assemblies can be designed for the guest speaker to present on their topic and then host a question and answer session for students. After the assembly, teachers can have students reflect on the presentations through whole class discussions, small group discussions, or written or drawn assignments.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
In order to educate our students about eating disorders and help them establish healthy body images we will be hosting National Eating Disorders Awareness Week at George Washington Middle School the week of April 7-12, 2012. The agenda for this week is as follows:
Monday: "Be Comfortable in Your Own Genes"- This is a campaign to help our students feel good in their own "genes". This campaign is to encourage students to stop hanging on to those pair of jeans in the hopes that some day they will fit again. We will have drop-off box at the Main Office for students who wish to drop off their "skinny jeans" that do not fit to be donated ("Student counseling services," 2012).
Tuesday: "Beautiful Board": Students will be encouraged to write postive characteristics that do not describe something physical about themselves on the bulletin board outside the cafeteria. The purpose of this activity is to reassure students that their "beautiful" characteristics do not necessarily have to come from the outside, but they can come from within us.
Wednesday: "Mirror Mirror on the Wall": We will be covering all the mirrors in George Washington Middle School to encourage students to look beyond their physical attributes.
Thursday: "Operation Beautiful": The goal of this activity is to leave positive, encouraging notes about body image in public places like bathroom mirrors (Albers, 2011).
Friday: School-Wide Assembly (See Plan Above)
Monday: "Be Comfortable in Your Own Genes"- This is a campaign to help our students feel good in their own "genes". This campaign is to encourage students to stop hanging on to those pair of jeans in the hopes that some day they will fit again. We will have drop-off box at the Main Office for students who wish to drop off their "skinny jeans" that do not fit to be donated ("Student counseling services," 2012).
Tuesday: "Beautiful Board": Students will be encouraged to write postive characteristics that do not describe something physical about themselves on the bulletin board outside the cafeteria. The purpose of this activity is to reassure students that their "beautiful" characteristics do not necessarily have to come from the outside, but they can come from within us.
Wednesday: "Mirror Mirror on the Wall": We will be covering all the mirrors in George Washington Middle School to encourage students to look beyond their physical attributes.
Thursday: "Operation Beautiful": The goal of this activity is to leave positive, encouraging notes about body image in public places like bathroom mirrors (Albers, 2011).
Friday: School-Wide Assembly (See Plan Above)
Letters to Parents and Guardians
Dear Parents or Guardians,
Our goal as a school community is to establish healthy body images in our youth and educate our students about eating disorders. Our society today is full of media influences that stresses thin ideals. Most of the times, the photos used in advertisements are airbrushed and completely fake. It is our job as educators to make our students, especially young girls, aware that these celebrities and fashion models seen in the media do not accuartely portray the average female. Today, 1-5% of adolescent females suffer from an eating disorder, and it is our goal as educators to reduce these numbers in our community. This upcoming week is the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week at George Washington Middle School, and there will be a variety of programs and workshops put on at our school. We encourage you as parents to discuss with your child their experiences during this week.
As guardians, you can aid our effort to educate our students about eating disorders by knowing the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder and being able to spot the onset of one. We also encourage you to become aware of resources for those who are suffering with unhealthy body images. Talk with your student(s), and reassure them that they are beautiful just the way they are!
Sincerely,
George Washington Middle School
Faculty and Staff
Our goal as a school community is to establish healthy body images in our youth and educate our students about eating disorders. Our society today is full of media influences that stresses thin ideals. Most of the times, the photos used in advertisements are airbrushed and completely fake. It is our job as educators to make our students, especially young girls, aware that these celebrities and fashion models seen in the media do not accuartely portray the average female. Today, 1-5% of adolescent females suffer from an eating disorder, and it is our goal as educators to reduce these numbers in our community. This upcoming week is the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week at George Washington Middle School, and there will be a variety of programs and workshops put on at our school. We encourage you as parents to discuss with your child their experiences during this week.
As guardians, you can aid our effort to educate our students about eating disorders by knowing the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder and being able to spot the onset of one. We also encourage you to become aware of resources for those who are suffering with unhealthy body images. Talk with your student(s), and reassure them that they are beautiful just the way they are!
Sincerely,
George Washington Middle School
Faculty and Staff
Estimados padres o tutores,
Nuestro objetivo como una comunidad escolar tiene por objeto establecer las imágenes del cuerpo sano en nuestra juventud
y educar a nuestros estudiantes sobre los trastornos alimentarios. Nuestra sociedad actual está llena de influencias de los medios que pone énfasis
en los ideales delgadas. La mayoría de las veces, las fotos usadas en los anuncios son retocadas y falsas por completo. Es nuestro trabajo como educadores para que nuestros estudiantes, especialmente las muchachas, que las celebridades y modelos de moda en los medios de comunicación no son
"reales". Hoy en día, 5.1% de las adolescentes sufren de un trastorno alimentario, y es nuestro objetivo como educadores para reducir estos números en nuestra comunidad. Esta semana próxima es la National Eating Disorders Semana de Concienciación en la George Washington Middle School, y
habrá una variedad de programas y talleres ponen en en nuestra escuela. Le animamos a los padres a hablar con su hijo sus experiencias durante esta semana.
Como guardianes, puede ayudar a nuestro esfuerzo para educar a nuestros estudiantes sobre los trastornos alimenticios si reconoce los signos y síntomas de un trastorno alimentario y ser capaz de detectar la aparición de uno. También le animamos a tomar conciencia de los recursos para aquellos que están sufriendo con la imagen corporal saludables. Hable con su hijo (s), y asegurarles que son hermosos tal y como están!
Atentamente,
George Washington Middle School
Faculty and Staff
Nuestro objetivo como una comunidad escolar tiene por objeto establecer las imágenes del cuerpo sano en nuestra juventud
y educar a nuestros estudiantes sobre los trastornos alimentarios. Nuestra sociedad actual está llena de influencias de los medios que pone énfasis
en los ideales delgadas. La mayoría de las veces, las fotos usadas en los anuncios son retocadas y falsas por completo. Es nuestro trabajo como educadores para que nuestros estudiantes, especialmente las muchachas, que las celebridades y modelos de moda en los medios de comunicación no son
"reales". Hoy en día, 5.1% de las adolescentes sufren de un trastorno alimentario, y es nuestro objetivo como educadores para reducir estos números en nuestra comunidad. Esta semana próxima es la National Eating Disorders Semana de Concienciación en la George Washington Middle School, y
habrá una variedad de programas y talleres ponen en en nuestra escuela. Le animamos a los padres a hablar con su hijo sus experiencias durante esta semana.
Como guardianes, puede ayudar a nuestro esfuerzo para educar a nuestros estudiantes sobre los trastornos alimenticios si reconoce los signos y síntomas de un trastorno alimentario y ser capaz de detectar la aparición de uno. También le animamos a tomar conciencia de los recursos para aquellos que están sufriendo con la imagen corporal saludables. Hable con su hijo (s), y asegurarles que son hermosos tal y como están!
Atentamente,
George Washington Middle School
Faculty and Staff