Share This Project

Share This Project


We know you’re busy. It’s tough to juggle everything you do to care for the health of your students. Look at this campaign as a helper, not an addition to your “to-do list.” By providing your parents with this toolbox, you are equipping them with the health tips they need to care for their middle school child. It’s a win-win.

Here are some easy ways to make the most of this toolbox.

Strike Up a Conversation

The easiest way to disseminate this information is when you are talking to a parent. Here are some easy ways to initiate a conversation:

  • Did you know that your 11 year-old has some special health needs now that they are in middle school? Here is a handy resource just for your tween child.
  • Yes, that [parental concern] is common for middle school children. Here is a handy resource to help you navigate your tween’s health changes.

Include In What You Are ALREADY Doing

Bring the Middle School Health Starts Here toolbox to school and community events you are already involved with such as:

  • School Registration
  • Open House Event
  • Child Health Check-Ins and Meetings
  • Sick Child Pick-up
  • IEP and 504 Meetings
  • 5th Grade Graduation for Rising Middle Schoolers
  • Anytime that you think a parent could benefit from this information

Plan a Student Health Night

Many school nurses across the country have had great success in hosting a special night for parents and children to learn more about health. Create an education series or single-night event, and invite local health providers – pediatricians, dentists, ophthalmologists, etc. – to set up a table and share information. Make sure to include the information from the Middle School Health Starts Here toolbox.

Work with Health Classes

Check in with the teachers that teach health and physical fitness classes, work the health resources into your curriculum, or see if you can include information in the 5th grade “Growth and Development” classes.

Include in School Communications

Work with your school district’s Public Information Officer or Communications/Marketing office to include health messages in their communications to parents. We’ve included a special Mini Toolkit with materials just for your PIO, Comms Team and District Administration.

We’ve also created images to share on your social media channels.

Take Advantage of Health Observances

Plan an event or remind your Public Information Officer or Communications/Marketing office to include special communications to promote messages from the Middle School Starts Here toolbox. Check out the “Health Observance Posts” in the Mini Communications Toolkit to find dates and observances.

Funding for this guide was made possible (in part) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement number 1H23IP000931-01. The content in this toolkit does not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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