International Walk to School Day
OCCHD was proud to join children and adults around the world for International Walk to School Day on October 5, 2011. This annual event promotes walking for several reasons:
- Physical activity
- Teaching safe walking skills to children
- Awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made
- Concern for the environment
- Reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and speed near schools
- Taking back neighborhoods for people on foot
- Sharing time with community leaders, parents, principals, teachers, and children
We were at the following schools:
Millwood Public Schools
Millwood mapped out a 1-mile path around the school campus for students in the district to walk before school begins. Special guests included Janet Barresi, State School Superindent, LaRhonda Darby from Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition, and Briscoe, the mascot for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Spencer Elementary
Spencer Elementary participated in the event by meeting at Ben Black Park in the morning. Students, staff, and volunteers walked as a group to school at 8:00 a.m. Police closed the streets along the walking path and escorted the group.
Martin Luther King Elementary
Martin Luther King Elementary students, staff, and volunteers participated by walking along a designated path around the park that is adjacent to the school. The walk took place for each grade level before they went to lunch.
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The Oklahoma City-County Health Department is well known for providing services to the community, such as immunizations, pool and restaurant inspections, preparing for and responding to emergencies, and preventing and treating sexually transmitted diseases. What many people may NOT know is that OCCHD works with schools in Oklahoma County to promote healthy behavior.
CATCH
OCCHD coordinates and implements CATCH Kids Club, which is an afterschool-based physical activity and nutrition program for elementary students. Please see this section for more information on the CATCH program.
Healthy Oklahoma Schools Manual
A comprehensive guide and resources for Oklahoma schools, in particular Healthy and Fit School Advisory Committees, to improve school health policies and programs.
School Health Index
OCCHD assists and guides Healthy & Fit Advisory committees in elementary and middle schools, helping the committees utilize the School Health Index (SHI). SHI is a self-assessment and planning tool to improve school health issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Immunizations for School-Aged Children
Our immunization clinics provide vaccines for school-aged children, as well as toddlers and adults. Please see this section for immunization schedules, information on vaccines, Oklahoma vaccine laws, and our immunization clinics.
Students Working Against Tobacco
The Tobacco Use Prevention Program recruits and coordinates SWAT teams, whose mission is to expose the tobacco industry’s deceiving practices and change current attitudes about tobacco through community activities.
Child Guidance
The Child Guidance department at OCCHD provides a variety of services for parents and children in Oklahoma County, including:
- Workshops for parents and teachers
- Parenting classes
- Consultations with parents, teachers, and other school staff
- Social skills training in classrooms
- Workshops for parents and children
- Experiential interventions