National Health Development School Award
Activities by Outstanding Award Schools.

Contents
School Award Activities of the Japan Society of School Health ………１

Principal Objectives of The National Health Developmentof Health Promotion at School Award ……………………………………………３

Case Studies of Outstanding Award Schools
Sakura Municipal Ujiie Elementary School, Tochigi Prefecture ………………………６
Miki Municipal Tanaka Elementary School, Kagawa Prefecture ………………………１４
Unzen Municipal Kojiro Elementary School, Nagasaki Prefecture ……………………２２
Yamagata Prefecture Murayama Municipal Tateoka Junior High School ……………３１

School Award Activities of the Japan Society of School HealthJapan Society of School Health
1. Origin and objective of school award activities
Since 2002, the National Health Development of Health Promotion at School
Awards have been hosted by the Japan Society of School Health, with support fromorganizations that include the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Japan Medical Association, the Japan Pharmaceutical Association, and the Japan Association of School Dentists.
Healthy life conduct, including such childhood factors as daily life habits and living
environment, have a significant influence on the capacity to maintain and improvehealth throughout life, and as such, school health education and health management
are important. From this viewpoint, the overarching objective of the Society's school
award activities is to recognize schools that have achieved success in coordinatingwith households and local communities to actively promote health development, andto encourage even more enhanced and widespread efforts of this nature.

2. Award school recommendation
Every fiscal year, members of the Japan Society of School Health Federation at theprefectural level and government ordinance-designated city level submit recommendations to the Japan Society of School Health by the prescribed deadline (normally
August 31), in the prescribed document format by type of school, and in accordancewith the guidelines applicable to that fiscal year for implementing National Health Development of Health Promotion at School Award activities.
National, public, and private elementary, junior high, and senior high schools, combined elementary and junior high schools, secondary education schools, high schools
and special support schools are eligible for recommendation.

3. Award school selection
A subcommittee of the Society's National Health Development of Health Promotion
at School Award Committee carries out the initial stage of award school selection.
Subcommittee members review documents relating to recommended schools. Basedon the results of the document review, selected schools are designated as Superior

１Award School candidates, and subcommittee members visit these schools to conduct
on-site reviews. Based on on-site review results, the National Health Development of
Health Promotion at School Award Committee selects Best Superior Award Schools,
Superior Award Schools, and recipients of Special Awards.

4. Award ceremony
At the end of each fiscal year, in January or February, the chairman of the Japan
Society of School Health presents award certificates and commemorative plaques toselected schools at a ceremony held in the Japan Medical Association Auditorium. Beginning in 2010, cash awards of 200,000 yen for Best Superior Award Schools and
50,000 yen for Superior Award Schools have also been given. In addition, as a Special
Award, from FY2010 to 2015 the Procter & Gamble Award was given to one school,
and from FY2016, the Coca-Cola Japan Company Award has been given to one or
two schools, initially with a cash award of 50,000 yen, increased to 100,000 yen in FY
2018.
Notably, the awards ceremony includes presentations by Best Superior Award
Schools profiling their activities, and these presentations form the basis of an annual
publication, National Health Development of Health Promotion at School Award Activities by Best Superior Award Schools.

２<Introduction>
The Japan Society of School Health is dedicated to fostering the enhancement and development of school health-related administration and education aimed at cultivating theknowledge and capabilities necessary for healthy living. The National Health Development of Health Promotion at School Award is one of the Society's core activities. Thisbooklet was created to benefit boards of education, schools and other interested parties
nationwide, and presents the content of our activities relating to the Award as well as
examples of best practice by schools that have been recognized with the award. We
hope this publication will serve to further promote health-related activities by schools.

Principal Objectives of The National Health
Development of Health Promotion at School Award

The Award recognizes schools throughout Japan that promote
the physical and mental health of children in collaboration withhouseholds and the local community.
●Judging Committee members visit schools selected on the basis of document
screening, and evaluate their individual characteristics.
●The evaluation covers all health-related activities at the schools, including the efforts of the medical, dental, and pharmaceutical professional providing specialized
guidance, and the work of the School Health Committee.
●Awards are given to elementary schools, junior high schools, and senior highschools as well as special support schools.
●Almost all of the schools nationwide that are recommended by a health association receive the Remarkable Award.

The Society endeavors to publicize the efforts of award-winning schools nationwide.
●A list of Best Superior and Superior Award Schools and case studies of their efforts are published annually and delivered to boards of education nationwide.
This information is also available from the Society's digital archives, which can be３

accessed from its official portal site, School Health.
●School Health, the official publication of the Society, publishes a list of award-winning schools and information regarding the activities of Best Superior Award
Schools. This publication is distributed to schools nationwide.

The Society hosts an award ceremony and presentations byaward-winning schools about their efforts of Best SuperiorAward Schools.
●Educators, administrators, and students from award-winning schools are invited
to the awards ceremony, held at Japan Medical Association (JMA) Auditorium. In
the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Chairman of the JSSH presents award certificates and commemorative items.
●Presentations profiling Best Superior Award School efforts follow the award presentations. With these presentations, the Society undertakes to publicize Best Superior Award Schools' activities nationwide through the audience of SuperiorAward Schools and Remarkable Award Schools as well as school health professionals.

The award ceremony is held each year around February in the GreatHall of JMA Auditorium.

●The National Health Development of Health Promotion at School
Award activities through the years
2002

Inauguration of Activities to Recognize Health Education-promoting Schools in
the New Era of the 21st Century

2012

Document screening system introduced for initial screening of potential award
winners
Renewed Award Activities page on Society's website☆List of Awarded schools

４☆Case studies added to website☆New system introduced to search award-winning schools
Search and view schools applying for the award by fiscal year, prefecture, designated city, school category, and award type2015

Name change from Activities to Recognize Health Education-promoting Schools
in the New Era of the 21st Century to The National Health Development of
Health Promotion at School Award

Vol. 15

Vol. 16Vol. 17●The National Health Development of Health Promotion at School
Award application, review, and awards
April

Application acceptance opens
Preparation of activity status questionnaire

AugustRecommendations from prefectural and designated city
school health associations

September

Document screening based on initial document award
screening system

October to November

Secondary screening through onsite school visits

DecemberAnnouncement of award schools

Around FebruaryAward ceremony―Case study presentation by Best Superior Award
Schools―Publication of case studies of Superior and SuperiorAward Schools

March

Distribution of Society publication, School Health, withcase studies

５

Health Education Aimed at Fostering a Spirit of
Mutual Learning and Physical and Mental Health―Health Education with Children―

Sakura Municipal Ujiie Elementary School, Tochigi Prefecture

Ⅰ. Introduction to Ujiie Elementary School
Ujiie Elementary School is a large school with 826 students divided into 27 classes. The Ujiie District, where
the school is located, merged with neighboring Kitsuregawa Town in March 2005 to become Sakura City. The
city aims to achieve a balanced mix of commercial, agricultural, industrial, and residential areas, and to be a
beautiful, abundant, and exciting place to live. Culture, sports, and welfare are priorities, and major facilities include Comprehensive Park, Multi-purpose park Sakura Stadium, Kinugawa Sports Park, Kasen Park, and the Sakura Municipal Museum. The local PTA is very active, with guardians having a strong interest in education. Sports
are also a focus of interest, and many students enjoy and are active in sports. The
school leverages the power of its large student body, and under the leadership of its
principal, it promotes mutually-reinforcing educational activities with detailed, coordinated student guidance by educators and administrators, and mutual student acceptance realized by group dynamics.

Ⅱ. School Management Policy and Health Promotion
Health is a core element of overall educational activities, and mental and physical health is a school priority.

School
Educational Goals
The cultivation of emotionally stable, compassionate,

In addition, the concept of health includes the strength to
think and live independently, and the capacity to recognize one's own needs and those of others. Consequently,

physically ﬁt students with a thirst for learning.

(Knowledge) Students who can think deeply(insightful)(Morals) Students who can get along withothers (kind)(Fitness) Students who work to strengthen
their bodies (robust)
Instructors and administrators working
sincerely as one to achieve these goals

the school values thorough competence in simple andeveryday tasks; promotes the education of students with

A school where all students can be
active for their bright school life

the capacity to help others achieve happiness; and aims
for all students to be active for
their bright school life. In addi-

Educating students for the capacity
to help others achieve happinesstion, each student sets personal

６

goals in three areas―knowledge, morals, and fitness―and instructors, administrators,
and students work together to achieve educational goals.

Ⅲ. Health Promotion Framework
Health development activities are largely the responsibility of the Health Education
Department, but it performs its function while undertaking to coordinate with related
individuals, including educators, administrators, and organizations within and external
to the school.
●Organizations of instructors and administrators include: the Steering Committee,
School Health Committee, Bullying and Absenteeism Countermeasures Committee, Food Allergy Countermeasures Group, Health Education Department, Student Guidance Department, Academic Guidance Department, administrative task
allocation by school year (health education, safety education, and dietary guidance) and medical, dental, and pharmaceutical professionals.
●PTA and local promotional organizations: PTA Activity Committee, local support
groups, Sakura Municipal Board of Education, etc.
●Student committees: School Life Committee, Health Committee, School Meal Committee and Exercise Committee
Health development structure

FY2018 Ujiie Elementary School
School Management Vision

Health development plans
1. School health plan (dental and oral health, gender,
smoking and alcohol consumption, drug abuse
prevention, posture)

I. School as a place to be

2. School Safety Plan (safety inspections, creation ofcrisis response manual, evacuation drills)
3. Meal Guidance Plan (mini-lectures by nutrition
teacher, requested school lunch, food allergy
countermeasures)

Enhancedscholastic ability

Emotional stability
and compassion

Strong body

Comfort

SafetySchoolThe strength to live, a mature personality

3. Safety: Coordination with student guidance
supervisor

Capacity for collaborative implementation
Desire to participate in management
Vision sharing

The school ideal
A school where all students can be active for their bright school life

Collaborative
implementation

1. Students set personal goals
in the areas of knowledge,
morals, and ﬁtness
Instructors andadministrators
Students

Priority
goals
Schooleducational goals
Administrative
policies

Goal
achievement

1. Cultivate feelings of self-aﬃrmation and enhanced
self-esteem → promote helping others achieve
happiness: Coordination with all instructors andadministrators
2. Enhanced ﬁtness: Coordination with physicaleducation supervisor

Guardians, local residents,
related institutions, etc.
II. Achieving school educational goals

Priorities for Promoting
a Healthy Mind and Body

Schooleducational goal
achievement
2. Eﬀorts Made and Action
Plan sheet for
self-evaluation

Personal
goals

3. Detailed school
evaluation forimprovement
actions

Applying the
instructor
evaluation system

７

4. Good posture: Coordination with academic andstudent guidance supervisors

Health development structure
1. Steering Committee: Plan management, promote
administratorsʼ general knowledge and sharedunderstanding (consideration and planning forsmooth implementation with input from academic
year supervisors)
2. Academic year health education supervisors (healtheducation, meal guidance, safety education):
Administration
3. Bullying and Absenteeism Countermeasures
Committee: Support for students facing mental andphysical development issues
4. School Health Committee: Discuss school healthchallenges and response eﬀorts (coordination with school
doctor, dentist, and pharmacist, PTA, and local community)

Ⅳ. Characteristic Activities and Efforts[1] Cultivating Feelings of Self-Affirmation and Enhanced Self-Esteem
1. Promoting and encouraging students to help others achieve happiness
Activities carried out to cultivate
kindness and feelings of self-affirmation
are profiled on the school website andschool letters to guardians and local

The school ideal
A school where all students can be
active for their bright school life
A school where learning is exciting andfun, students value self and others, fullof enthusiasm and positive emotion,and smiling faces everywhere.

residents. Student learn to take the inHelping
othersachievehappiness

itiative to be of benefit to others.
2. Efforts to foster lessons and classes with sharedlearning

Every day students greet others with big
smiles and friendly salutations. They bringhappiness to the people around them.

A. Noticing and discovery, deep learning: Promotion of paired and group learning
during lessons
B. Educational activities marked by mutual acceptance: Salutation campaigns,
publicizing the good deeds of others
C. Efforts to cultivate mind and body: long lunch breaks (valuing time to deepenties with classmates by class activities or to foster relationship with students
in different grades by group activities)[Pair learning, group learning][Vertical FriendshipGroup activities][2] Strength Development (Exercise Time)
Exercise Time is a Friday morning exercise activity performed as appropriate
for the season and in coordination with the physicaleducation curriculum. Dodge ball, big rope jumping
and other activities are practiced as a class during the
breaks in preparation for tournaments and record-setting during Exercise Time. These activities foster relationships and feelings of belonging and unity with others.

８[Exercise Time(big rope jump)]

[3] Principal Health Development Activities
The activities of the 12 school committees incorporate mutual acceptance activities. Of these, those that are particularly linked to health development are the
School Life, Exercise, Health, and School Meal Committees. The committees work
actively with supervising instructors and with each other, and continuously innovate to address challenges. Scholastic guidance enables students to leverage the listening, speaking, writing, and thinking skills they have acquired, and the committees engage in independent, self-

Health development committees

initiated activities. These com-School Life
(safety)

Health development eﬀorts(committees)

Exercisemittee efforts and the content
Safety patrol, name tag checkthey have gathered are broadcast on the school PA system;
they earn praise, raise class motivation, and produce results.

Physical Exercise Place

Schoolmeal

HealthHealthcare staﬀ of the class room,
PA health announcements,
handkerchief checks

Display school meal menu,
promote “One More Bite Campaign”

1. Exercise Committee: Physical Exercise PlaceThis autonomous, independent activity is planned and steered by the Exercise
Committee. Approximately 100 students participate in each event. The goal is toencourage interest in exercise and health, and develop students who will take theinitiative to enhance their physical strength, learn exercise methods and techniques and adopt a stance of making earnest efforts to engage in sports, and experience the fun of exercise while following rules.
The committee devises a menu ofactivities for the gymnasium andanother for the schoolyard.
Students collect stamps on a
Physical Improvement Stamp Rally
Sheet and complete tasks of varying
diﬃculty levels.

2. Health Committee daily activities, group-based activities
Each class includes a Speaking Group, a Writing Group, and a Making Group,
depending on member talents, which are active on a regular basis. The goal is topreserve and promote awareness of health throughout Ujiie Elementary School.
Through a variety of activities, students of the Health Committee collaborate andattempt to complete tasks that are personally challenging, to achieve greater
autonomy. Cheerful Health Broadcasts endeavor to explain health topics in a way
younger students can understand. Students listen carefully to the broadcasts,

９which are popular and extremely effective.
Enter personal viewpoint and school
situation related to areas investigated,
including heatstroke prevention, dental
and oral health, colds prevention, good
posture, ventilation awareness, etc.,
and propagate health awareness.
“Communication is fun!”

Health Committee

Health development eﬀorts(committees)

Collaborative activities
Happy Tooth Brush Survey

Healthcare staﬀ
of the class room

Handkerchief check

Speaking Group

Making Group

Writing Group

Mutual acceptance activities
utilizing individual talents

3. School Health Committee
The School Health Committee holds an event twice yearly, with the second
event of the year produced independently by the students. Students consider
health challenges facing the school and give presentations on different topics.
Furthermore, the content is subsequently provided to all students. By giving thestudents an objective and afterward having them retrospect, each student considers health as a topic, and gains the capacity to convey their viewpoint. Student
participation increases participation by guardians, and discussion is stimulated.

▲Pre-discussion: FY2017
topicswereselected(Dental and Oral Healthand Injuries Occurring at
School).

School Health Committee eﬀorts
FY2014“Letʼs eat
breakfast”

Content: Student presentation
Health Committee: Breakfast Survey
School Meal Committee: School Meal
Quiz
Lecture: About Breakfast(by school
doctor)

FY2015Letʼs Carry a
HandkerchiefContent: Student presentation
Health Committee: Eﬀorts toachieve 100% Handkerchiefs
School Meal Committee: School Meal
Quiz
Lecture: Dental Braces(by school
dentist)▲Presentation day: The
Dental and Oral HealthGroup used a handcrafted model of theteeth to demonstrateproper brushing techniques. The Injuries Group
presented a skit.

School Health Committee eﬀorts

Heldtwice-yearly

FY2017FY2016

1. Things You Can Do for a
Better Posture

1. Visual Acuity and Posture
Lecture: Visual Acuity in Children
Discussion: Good Posture and Visual Acuity

Content: School health challenges
and response eﬀorts
Discussion: How to strengthen trunk
muscles
Students

2. Preventing
Infection▲Post - presentation
posted notices: Information was posted anddisseminated throughbroadcasts.

participate
in discussion

Producedindependently
by the students

2. Letʼs Talk about Health Development: Committee
Eﬀorts to Solve School Health Challenges

Content:
Health Committee: Results ofHand-washing Experiment
School Meal Committee: School
Meal Quiz
Lecture and discussion: How toPrevent Infection(by school
doctor)Content: Health Committee
Ha Ha Ha Happy Toothy Project: How to Brush Your Teeth
Preventing Injuries
School Meal Committee: The Importance of Proper Chewing
Group discussions: Teeth Brushing, Preventing Injuries, Meals

１０

School Health Committee eﬀorts
FY2018

1. Dental and Oral Health Development

School Health Committee II

ExerciseCommittee
participation

Content: Committee eﬀorts
Health Committee: 100% Handkerchiefs and Ha Ha Ha Happy
Toothy Project (Ha means tooth in Japanese)
School Meal Committee: Committee Activities
Exercise Committee: Physical Exercise Place
Lecture: When to Switch to a New Toothbrush (by school dentist)
Group discussion: Good Posture and visual acuity
2. Exercise, Posture and HealthContent: Physical Exercise Place participation
Lecture: Exercise, Posture and Health (by supervisor, Shioya &Minami-Nasu Education Oﬃce)
Discussion: Exercise and Health Development[4] Good Posture Development: Correct Back Guidance
These activities began after a FY2014 school health survey in which many instructors and administrators stated that students had poor or problematic posture,
or were unable to maintain good posture. During the first year, all classes received
materials displaying good posture, for guidance and awareness reinforcement. In
the second year, academic and student advisors coordinated on evaluation, meansof improvement, and guidance refinement, while providing continuous guidance.
Main eﬀorts
Evaluation and identiﬁcation of challenges

FY2015(Year 1)

Survey awareness, identify status, provide guidance for all, reinforce awareness,
utilize posted information, motto (“Pin pita guu paa good posture”), retrospective
evaluation

FY2016(Year 2)

Set speciﬁc school goals, implement Spine-stretching Exercise, guidance for all
students in use of Retrospective Evaluation Sheet, guidance in posture during meals
as etiquette, inclusion of guidance in academic guidance, review and evaluation

FY2017(Year 3)

Motto change to “Pin Pita Correct Back, Good Posture”
Sitting in chair with legs folded under buttocks, Stoop Correction<Exercises for a correct back>1. Spine-stretching Exercise

Goal: Good posture maintenance

FY2014

Academic guidance: Correct Back, OK! Campaign, proper way to hold pencil, Feet
Flat on Floor
Student guidance: regular Daily Life Goal-setting, use of Life Retrospective Sheet
Health education: Enter posture items on worksheet, make guardians aware
Guidance for all, discussion with School Health Committee
Exercise guidance: Exercise performance enhancement and posture (Sakuramunicipal track and ﬁeld instructors)

FY2018(Year 4)[Spine-stretching Exercise][Correct Back, OK! Campaign]

Implement daily stretching exercise, joint activity with juniorhigh school＊
Sitting in chair with legs folded under buttocks, Stoop
Correction (with guidance from Dr. Takuma Usuda,
Toranomon Chiropractic Clinic)[6th-year students engaged in Feet Flat on the
Floor]

１１[ Exercise performanceenhancement guidance]［First-handexperience poster］

Included posture-related itemson all worksheets, havestudents retrospect to enhanceand ﬁx awareness.

Students used a Cheerful Health Sheet with a radar chart to track
the balance of daily life habits. Areas with unfavorable ratings
became next-month daily life improvement goals.

Discussion: Good Posture and Visual Acuity

School Health Committee I

Performed Spine-correcting Exercise and Stoop
Correction with student guardians. Guardians
reported that the exercise was challenging but felt
good. Discussion was held with advice from theschool doctor.
Students with gum andplaque issues (trend)

Total plaqueissuesTotal gumissuesFY[5] Dental and Oral Health Development: Ha Ha Ha Happy Toothy Project(Ha means tooth in Japanese)
The proportion of students without cavities is trending upward and above 50%,
but the number of Ujiie Elementary students with plaque and gum issues is increasing. In response, students on the Health Committee and instructors from the
Health Education Department conferred, and launched the Ha Ha Ha Happy
Toothy Project. First, to generate interest in dental and oral health development,
they solicited ideas for dental and oral health-promoting characters, as well as
names for the after-meal brushing period. They are also utilizing a motto (selectedfrom those submitted) for Dental and Oral Health Week, to raise awareness.

１２

Ha Ha Ha Happy Toothy Project H29
1. Select dental and oral health character (fromsolicitations)
2. Select name for after-meal brushing period(from solicitations)
3. Happy Tooth Brush condition and usage check(Health Committee students)
4. Set Dental and Oral Health Day: Eighth andninth of each month (notice on meal menu)
5. Hold Dental and Oral Health Week event(Nursing teacher (YOGO teacher) visits
students during after-meal brushing period)

PikarinSpeciﬁc eﬀorts
FY2016

School health evaluation, status conﬁrmation

FY2017

Solicitations and selection of Dental and Oral Health Week
character by School Health Committee

FY2018

Health Committee activities (Happy Tooth Brush Survey)
In coordination with school dentist, set Dental and Oral Health Day(Pika Pika [Bright and Shiny] Time)- “Pikarin” was proposed by students and selected by vote. The character is used on
worksheets and other materials to encourage students to think about dental and oral
health.
- Pika Pika (bright and shiny) Time is selected as name for after-meal brushing period.
- Dental and oral health slogan: “Daily brushing helps keep you healthy”- The Happy Tooth Brush Survey has encouraged students to pay more attention toproper toothbrush care and regular replacement.

Ⅴ. Achievements and Problems to Be Addressed[1] Results

Health development eﬀorts(correct back)

FY2015―Cultivate acceptance for oneself and
FY2018 Correct Back Survey Results

others.
Excellent―Posture guidance carried out through

Good
Needs
improvement

overall educational activities is producYear 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

ing results with improved listening andstudy posture, and enhanced scholastic
ability.

In FY2015, 55% of students
responded “Good.” InFY2018 this rose to 96%.

―Collaboration between instructors, administrators, and students promoted health development, and more students began taking the initiative to think about health development.
[2] Future Challenges and Responses―Correct back guidance continued, and writing posture guidance was initiated.
―In coordination with the school dentist, students promoted dental and oral healththrough study involving problem identification and problem solving.
―Innovation for collaboration with guardians and the local community; undertaketo activate the School Health Committee.

１３

Cultivating Life-Long Healthy Daily Life Habits―Aiming for Healthy Tanaka Kids with Cooperation from Guardians
and the Local Community―

Miki Municipal Tanaka Elementary School, Kagawa Prefecture

Ⅰ. Introduction to Tanaka Elementary School
Tanaka Elementary School is surrounded by abundant paddy fields. However, thesize of its student body has declined in recent years, and this fiscal year, the school
had a total of 97 students. Nevertheless, the school is committed to working closelywith the local community, and for the past 13 years it has strived to fulfill its role as
the first Community School in Kagawa Prefecture. In addition, to cope with the decline in the child population, in FY2018 Tanaka Elementary became a school that canbe attended by children from anywhere in the municipality. Consequently, the school
set as a primary goal Becoming a Special Designated School that is so attractive that students
from other municipal school districts will want toattend, and to achieve this goal, the school is promoting efforts from three standpoints: to enable
students to maximize development of their personal capacities; to be a secure, safe school; and to[Tanaka Elementary is blessedwith natural surroundings]

be a school that households and the local community will support warmly.

Ⅱ. School Management Policy and Health Promotion
The school takes a Team Tanaka Elementary approach, with all instructors and administrators coordinating and collaborating topromote student health development. At
meetings of the School Consultative Steering
Committee, which are held five times yearly,
health education matters are a major focus of
discussion. The principal, the nursing teacher(YOGO teacher), and others present theschool's administrative policies with respect to

１４[Discussing health development in
the School Consultative Steering
Committee]

health education, as well as its health education plan, and efforts that can be made byguardians and local residents are also discussed. Guardians and local residents have ahigh level of interest in student health and safety, and express a wide range of opinion. The meetings foster shared understanding concerning the school's health education, and facilitate coordination and collaboration to further those efforts.

Ⅲ. Health Development Framework
The school's health development structure is led by the principal, and centers on
the Health Promotion Committee, with the nursing teacher (YOGO teacher) and others as members. The committee promotes student health development through cooperation and collaboration on the part of all instructors and administrators with respect to student health issues and measures to address them. In addition, threegroups facilitate coordination and collaboration with guardians and local residents.
The Healthy Body Group focuses on health development, and carries out its agenda
with input from guardians and local residents.

Ⅳ. Characteristic Activities[1] Medical Exams to Prevent Child Lifestyle-Related DiseaseMiki-cho is a nationwide leader in the implementation of medical examinations to
help prevent child lifestyle-related disease. The town aims to cultivate the capacity
to maintain healthful lifestyles throughout residents' lives, and in coordination withadministrative entities, pursues sustained efforts targeting residents from preschool to the age of majority (20).

[School doctor: Lecture on recommended daily life habits][Drawing blood
fourth graders]

１５

samplesfromPre-matriculationlectureBlood test (fourth grade)
Estimated salt uptake test

Initialguidance

Blood test
(seventh grade)

Free physical exam onreaching age of majority
Blood test

- Nutrition teacher: How to Snack Between Meals- Guidance by nursing teacher (YOGO teacher): What
Are Lifestyle-Related Diseases?

- Height and weight measurement- Blood pressure measurement
Notiﬁcation - Waist circumference measurement- Blood sample analysis
ofexamination - Estimated salt uptake test
results[Studying lifestyle-related disease]

Follow-up
guidance- Miki-cho combined results presentation- Individual health consultations (school doctor,
nursing teacher [YOGO teacher], nutrition teacher)

The school believes that a firm understanding of the importance of healthful lifestyle habits will lead children to form such habits independently.
Initial guidance content is carefully formulated to be easy for children to incorporate into their daily lives. Instructors develop easily-understood teaching tools
based on extensive discussion before their use in class.
Starting four years ago, urine samples began to be taken to estimate salt uptake,along with the usual blood testing. Since the salt content of the previous day's evening meal is known, the salt uptake test is considered, along with blood testing, tobe a useful indicator of possible future lifestyle-related disease. Even if blood tests
and blood pressure are normal, some children have test results exceeding than thestandard values.
For children whose examination results indicate potential problems, a personal
medical chart is prepared and an opportunity for one-on-one health counseling isgiven. The school doctor, homeroom teacher, nursing teacher (YOGO teacher), nutrition teacher, guardian, and others coordinate to provide guidance. The student's
lifestyle habits are reviewed according to the individual, and advice, such as how to
improve the student's diet, or create opportunities for exercise, is provided, withthe student creating his or her personal list of goals to strive for. Where ongoingguidance is needed, a Child Lifestyle-Related Disease Prevention Management
Chart is handed off to the junior high school, so follow-up can continue uninterrupted.

１６

Family medical history

Test results
School doctor comment

Lifestyle proﬁleNutrition teacher
comment

Nursing teacher (YOGO
teacher) comment
Student goals

Guardian comment[Content of personal medical chart]

Starting last fiscal year, the school is making wearable sensors available to students with the help of the school doctor. The sensor is linked to a smartphone andcan record lifestyle patters in detail, giving student and guardian the motivation toachieve improvement.

[One-on-one health consultation withnursing teacher (YOGO teacher) andnutrition teacher]

１７[Wearable sensor]

[2] Promoting Health as a Community School
1. Parent/child joint effort! Daily life rhythm check
To promote the adoption of
better lifestyle habits, the school
carriesout

lifestylerhythmchecks four times yearly (May,summer break, September, January). During extended school
breaks, each student and his or
her guardian(s) hold a meeting attheir home to talk about health,with students setting personal[Parent/child joint effort! Daily life rhythm
check]

goals in line with their situation.
At the home meeting, the family members consider how they should support thestudent to achieve his or her goals. In this way, the awareness of improved lifestyle habits will be fostered in each household. The Healthy Body Group prepares worksheet content that will encourage families to think about health in thehome.
2. Fun nutrition education: Parent/child cooking
Twice yearly, during summer andwinter breaks, the school holds anevent where students and parents collaborate in the kitchen. This creates opportunities for guardian and student tospend time together, and for the student to learn about vegetables in season, nutrition, cooking techniques, andthe flavor of home-cooked meals. Somestudents in the higher grades make aneffort to cook on their own. Summer
student/guardian cooking efforts werescreened by the Healthy Body Groupand the nutrition teacher, with selected
efforts receiving the Group Leader[Parent and child cooking meals as a team]

１８Award, Colorful Cooking Award, orBalanced Nutrition Award. These awards are reported in the group's newsletter,
which is distributed to the community.
During the winter break, students aim to learn about and experience traditional Japanese cuisine, enjoy time with their families through seasonal events,and experience the season with guardians by enjoying cooking and meals featuring seasonal ingredients with their families. Judging from student diaries, the activities made for warm family gatherings.

Local delicacies of Kagawa
Prefecture
Small dried sardines from
Ibuki-jima
Kintoki carrots from
Sakaide City

Cozy family gathering
Everyone cooks together
Enjoying fresh-cooked ﬂavor

Abundant nutrition
Calcium-rich cooking[Winter hot meal cooking diary][Healthy Body Group review][Parent and child awarded at the ceremony]

１９3. To save your life, Float and Wait
Many ponds are located in theschooldistrict,raising

concerns

about water accidents. To prevent
such incidents, local fire department
representatives

teach

a

water

safety class called Float and Wait.
Participants receive specific instruction, including techniques to protect
themselves in the case of a water[Parent/child water safety lesson]

accident, and practice those techniques earnestly. During summer school, a water safety class is held for students
and guardians, and participants learn the importance of life-saving first hand.
4. Marathon training and competition to boost physical strength
Students strive to boost their physical strength by practicing running from December to February. Many students engage in independent training early in themorning or during other open time.
Participants can choose a marathon course suitable for their level. The marathon is aimed at boosting physical strength for the whole local community.
Guardians and local residents can take part, and some run with the students or
encourage them from the sidelines. The event is managed by the Healthy Body
Group, which has also prepared a Marathon Race Emergency Response Manual,
which is distributed to participants with explanation. In addition, the school doctor is notified of the race schedule, and the local hospital is requested to be onstandby. After the race, students, guardians, the Healthy Body Group, and instructors and administrators carry out a retrospective and discuss issues, such as
which practices should be maintained and which should change, to have an evenbetter event the following year.

[Running the marathon with guardians and community residents]

２０

Ⅴ. Achievements and Problems to Be Addressed[1] Results●

When performing examinations aimed at preventing child lifestyle-related disease, the school doctor, the child's physician, the nutrition teacher, the nursing
teacher (YOGO teacher), and guardians coordinate to provide guidance to thestudent. As a result of this guidance, an increasing number of students are showing improvement.

●

In their year-end evaluation of the school, 88% of students rated the efforts ofthe Healthy Body Group as
good.

excellent,and 100% rated themexcellentorStudents participate enthusiastically in a range of activities, and theschool believes that these will lead to the establishment of better lifestyle habits
and enhanced physical strength.
[2] Future Challenges and Responses●

Households differ greatly in terms of their fundamental lifestyle habits, and it isdifficult to approach households that require individual attention. An effort istherefore made to discern the kind of support the household requires, consider

the support method to be used, and change that method flexibly as needed.
●

Coordination with households and the local community have produced major
results, but the decline in PTA members and volunteers, low staff turnover, andthe aging of the local population is progressing rapidly. Consequently, the schoolcommunicates actively with the community, and is working to become an attractive school that will heighten awareness of child-raising in the local community.

２１

The School Coordinates and Cooperates with Households
and Related Entities to Deliver Health Education―The School Health Committee plays the central role―

Unzen Municipal Kojiro Elementary School, Nagasaki Prefecture

Ⅰ. Introduction to Kojiro Elementary School
The school was founded in 1873 and celebrates its 145th anniversary this fiscal year. As
of December, the school had 165 students ineight classes (six ordinary and two special needs
classes). The school is located amid natural
beauty on the north coast of Kyushu's Shimabara Peninsula. Heisei Shinzan, a peak of volcanic Mt. Unzen, rises to the south, and the Ariake Sea is to the north.
The Kojiro Elementary School District is located in west part of Kunimi-cho, Unzen
City, and covers the whole of the former land of the Kojiro Clan. The area has a long
history, and takes its name from a local samurai landholder of the Kamakura Period(1185-1333). The Kuji district, which is located near the school, is designated as a Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings, and still looks much as it did
centuries ago.
In addition, the local residents maintain strong feelings of solidarity, and are very
interested in education. The school's PTA is very active and has a record of positive
achievement. Since 1937, the PTA has also been engaged in traditional tea production.
Students' guardians take the lead in caring for the plantation year round. Every year
in early May, students and their guardians harvest the tea. In winter, tea gargling
and rubdowns with dry towels are practiced throughout the school to maintain andpromote health as well as prevent infection.

Ⅱ. School Management Policy and Health Education
Health education plays a major role as an important pillar of the school's administrative policies. The school's educational goal is to cultivate children's ability in termsof healthy body, mind, and learning attitude. Specifically, the school strives to develop
healthy, resilient children who can display compassion for others, and who take theinitiative to learn. Kojiro Elementary School's health education has traditionally

２２stressed the cultivation of a balance of knowledge, morals, and fitness, and the school
pursues these goals in collaboration with households, the local community, and related
entities.
The axis of this collaboration is the School Health Committee. The School HealthCommittee has a long history, dating back to 1951. Today, the committee meets six
times yearly, in coordination with the school, households, and the community, andmany of its activities are carried out by guardians. The committee manages and acts
according to plans throughout the year. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the committee sets individual district health goals as well as an activity plan for the year. Its
management structure is highly organized; in February it evaluates each activity
items for the coming year, and at the end of the year hosts a Healthy District Award
ceremony to recognize achievements gained from those activities.

Ⅲ. School Health Committee: Health Education Promotion Framework[1] FY2018 School Health Committee Organization and Goals
Chairperson
School doctor
School dentist
School pharmacist

Vice-chairperson
Kojiro Elementary School Health Committee
School administrators

PTA representatives

Principal
Vice-principal
School Health Coordinator
Nursing teacher (YOGO teacher)
All other administrators

Student representatives

PTA chairperson (1)District representatives (10)PTA vice-chairperson (3)Education Public Relations
Committee chairperson
Physical Education Committee
chairperson
Daily Life Safety Committee
chairperson
Facilities Welfare Committee
chairperson
Other district Health Committee
members

Committee

Committee

Committee

chairperson

vice-chairperson

vice-chairperson

Community representatives
Public health center staﬀ
Academics, etc.

Committee secretary
School Health Coordinator, nursing teacher

School dentist

School doctor

PTA chairperson(YOGO teacher)
District Health Committee
members

School Health Committee goals
Enhance health development awareness, and develop the habits and attitudes
required to foster health.

２３[2] School Health Committee FY2018 Annual PlanMonthCommittee

Content

Chair and secretary

April★

● Selection of officers● Establish organizations and1st Subcommittee
goals
Vice-principalof School Health ● Issue School Health Com- Nursing teacher
Committee meeting
mittee annual plan
(YOGO teacher)● Determine judging criteria
for Healthy District AwardMay★

● School Health Committee
annual plan description
Instructors and ad1st School Health ● Healthy District Award ministrators 1
Committee meeting
screening criteria descrip- District representation
tives 1, 2, 3
● Information exchange

June

School Health Coordinator● District Health Committee
2nd School HealthNursing teacher
member information exCommittee meeting(YOGO teacher)change meeting
District representatives 4, 5, 6
Instructors and administrators 2
District representatives 7, 8

October★

3rd School Health ● Lecture: School dentist
Committee meeting ● Information exchange

January● Pearl Award
Instructors and ad● Annual activity report (stu4th School Healthministrators 3
dent representatives, DisCommittee meeting
District representatrict Health Committee
tives 9, 10
members)

2nd Subcommittee ● Healthy District screening
February★ of School Health ● Year retrospective
Committee meeting ● Next-year plan＊Vice-principal
Nursing teacher(YOGO teacher)★: Held at night
All administrators attend School Health Committee meetings.
＊
The 1st School Health Committee is also attended by the head of the District Committee.
＊
Subcommittee meetings are attended by the principal, vice-principal, School Health Coordinator, nursing teacher (YOGO teacher), as well as persons in charge of educational
affairs, school life, and physical education.
＊
The chair of the School Health Committee rotates among school administrators who
have been with the school one year or more.
＊２４[3] School Health Committee (6 Times Yearly) Content
1. 1st Subcommittee of School Health Committee meeting (April)
Discussion and consideration of 1st School Health Committee content.
2. 1st School Health Committee meeting (May)The school's medical professionals (physician, dentist,and pharmacist), PTA, regional representatives, and allschool administrators meet to confirm such matters as
the committee's rules, the year plan, etc.
Individual district group discussions are held to exchange information, in order to further district health[1st School Health Committee meeting]activities. The meetings are also an opportunity to receive advice from the school's medical professionals.
3. 2nd School Health Committee meeting (June)
Health Committee members from each district meet
to exchange information, pose and respond to questions, and gather reference materials required for
health activities.

[2nd School Health Committee meeting]

The School Health Coordinator and nursing teacher(YOGO teacher) attend the meeting and provide
needed reference materials and advice relating to district health activities.
4. 3rd School Health Committee meeting (October)
Each year the meetings consider a wide range of[Lecturebypharmacist]

schoolhealth-related challenges. Two lecture sessions are
held, each about 30 minutes.
- FY2016

Locomotor Apparatus Examination: What it
Means[Pearl Award ceremony]

Main Seasonal Infections- FY2017

The Horror of Drug Abuse
Eye Health and Electronic Devices- FY2018

Cancer Education
Cavities (Fluorine)

5. 4th School Health Committee meeting (January)
The Pearl Award ceremony and presentation of district health activities areheld. The Pearl Award is given to sixth-grade students who were found, during

２５

the autumn dental examination, to have healthy toothalignment and gums, and no permanent teeth withcavities.
The District Health Activity Presentation is madeby District Health Committee members and student
representatives (mainly sixth-graders) to profile the ac-[District health activity
presentation]

tivities of the past year. All fifth-grade students also participate and learn fromthe presentations ahead of their own activities during the coming year.
6. 2nd School Health Subcommittee meeting (January)
The meeting includes a retrospective consideration of the fiscal year, a discussion of challenges for the coming fiscal year, planning for next year's activities,
and Healthy District screening.
[4] District Health Activities
The school district is currently divided into 10 districts. In each district, a guardian selected to serve on the Health Committee takes the lead to establish annual
health goals, plan annual activities, implement a wide range of health activities, andpresent the results at the 4th School Health Committee meeting. The condition ofhealth activities in each district becomes a subject of screening for the Health District Award. With respect to district health activity themes, the school introduced
the use of fluoridated mouthwash in FY1983, and has invested effort in school dental health activities. As such, the districts have also traditionally invested effort indental health, and the number of sixth-grade students in the school without a single
cavity in their permanent teeth (Pearl Award recipients) is close to 70%, a wonderful achievement that is being maintained.
More districts are taking up the themes of meal education, posture, and media
control, learning from the activities announced by other districts each year, and encouraging each other to make greater efforts in the following year.
[5] Healthy District Award System
The Healthy District Award system is a distinctive characteristic of the Kojiro
Elementary School's School Health Committee. Award screening takes into accounta wide range of factors, including presentations of district health activities; district
activities other than documented health activities; statistics by district of student
attendance rates, sanitary inspection results, number of books read, efforts to develop physical strength, relay race results in districts hosting athletic meets, and soforth. This data is screened during the 2nd Subcommittee of School Health Commit-

２６

tee meeting to select the Healthy District for that year.
The system has been in use since 1954, and 2019 marks its
65th year. The Healthy District Award ceremony is held
during a PTA workshop, with district representatives receiving the award certificate and commemorative items
from the school's medical professionals (physician, dentist,and pharmacist). Districts that do not receive the reward
are recognized with a participation award for their efforts
during the year. The function of the Healthy District[Commendation flag
awarded by the school physician, dentist, and pharmacist]Award is to propagate the activities of the school's PTA and School Health Committee, enhance household health awareness, and promote health education. Depending on efforts made, lower-scoring districts can be recognized with an effort
award, which helps to foster a greater sense of district cooperation and connection,
as well as a spirit of mutual aid and assistance.

Ⅳ. Characteristic Health Education Efforts[1] School Efforts
1. Health guidance after height and weight measurement and eye exam
(by nursing teacher [YOGO teacher], in Health Center)- Daily life rhythm (April)- Eyesight preservation (May)- Toe Training for Proper Posture (September)- Eye Health Development (October)- Preventing Colds (Immune Resistance) (January)
2. Dental health activities
Since 1983, the school has been using fluoridated mouthwash, and with support
from Nagasaki University's School of Dentistry, has engaged continuously in dental health promotion activities.
Each class receives guidance in brushing after meals. Each day, students observe themselves in a mirror as they brush their teeth in time to music.
During Dental and Oral Health Week, which takes place in June, all students
fill out an oral health check card. The curriculum also features activities for each
grade, including brushing guidance for parents and children (first grade) and participation in the national teeth-brushing tournament (fifth grade).
Student Health Committee activities include dental and oral health meetings,

２７

PA broadcasts, toothbrush inspection, and fluoridated mouthwash management.
During the lunch break, students whose dental
exam results detected plaque adhesion and/or
gum inflammation are given brushing guidance in[Parent and child brushing]groups by the nursing teacher (YOGO teacher) at
Health Center.
A school dentist lectures on the use of fluoridated mouthwash each year, and dental exams
are conducted twice yearly. The autumn dental
exam is preceded by a survey to check household[Dental andmeeting]oralhealthdental and oral health as well as a health consultation by a dental college instructor. Sixth-grade students with good dental alignment and no cavities in their permanent teeth are given the Pearl Award.
3. Health activities to prevent infection
Distinctive aspects of the school's infection prevention activities are thespot sanitation inspections carried out
monthly by each class, the results ofwhich are compiled by district and factored into screening for the Healthy
District Award; rubdown with a dry[Pouch for carrying a handkerchief
and tissues]

towel, performed from late September
through December; and gargling with tea from December to February, using tea
grown on the school's planation.
In addition, in FY2018 the school requested visiting lectures from Nagasaki
University for first- and second-grade students, on the subject of hand washingand infection prevention.
Many students in the lower grades are equipped with pouches for handkerchiefs or tissue, reflecting a high level of guardian awareness.
4. Sparkling Cards and Sparkling Newsletter
As part of the school's internal research, Sparkling Week is held three times
yearly. In cooperation with households, the effort aims at developing good daily
life habits, including early sleeping and rising times, limits on TV and video game
time, and home study. Students carry Sparkling Cards with a list of personal

２８

goals developed in consultation with their guardians. The card has a space forstudents, guardians, and supervising teachers to enter comments at the end of
the week, for reference for the next Sparkling Week.
Overall results are compiled and distributed to guardians via the Sparkling
Newsletter.
[2] PTA activities
1. District health activities (District Health Committee members)
2. Child-rearing lectures (Education Public Relations Committee)
FY2016: Legs, Feet and Physical Health: Children Who Cannot Stand Firmly
FY2017: Breakfast, the Foundation of a Healthy Day
3. PTA research paper presentation (headquarters)
FY2018 lecture: The Importance of Sleep for Children
4. Lifesaving and First Aid Regulations Work-[Child-rearing lecture]

shop (Daily Life Safety Committee)
5. Weeding (Facilities Welfare Committee)
6. Training support for athletic meet relay race (Physical Education Committee)
Health education and health practice has traditionally been a school priority.
The District Health Committees, as well as PTA headquarters and other specialized committees, engage in activities directly relating to health.
In February, the PTA holds a research study meeting with a ceremony for the
Healthy District Award, followed by a presentation of the activities of model districts and a workshop-style study and lecture meeting.

Ⅴ. The Foundation of Health Education: Environmental Arrangement and Its Fruits
In conclusion, the school believes that its environmental infrastructure is a criticalfoundation of health education. All students should feel secure in their classrooms,
and have an educational environment in which they can practice mutual acceptanceof self and others as they mature. All of the school's administrators collaborate to provide such an environment.
Through its overall health education activities, the school strives to monitor student
health on a daily basis, ensure that changes in student mental and physical health are
not overlooked, and provide early, organized response to problems.

２９Specifically, all administrators engage in training and internal research to familiarize themselves with special support education and student guidance structures, andundertake to collaborate closely in practice with related entities, including welfare
and medical treatment organizations, as well as with kindergartens, nursery schools,
and junior high schools. These efforts enhance the school's organizational response capacity, reinforce the trust of student and guardians in the school, and contribute to
the creation of an educational environment where students can live with peace ofmind.
As a result, for the last several years there have been no students with chronic absenteeism issues, with a need for segregated study spaces, or suffering from nonspecific conditions that would require frequent use of the school's Health Center, and theaverage number of daily visitors to the Health Center has remained extremely low.
In addition, by receiving the participation of many individuals, including local residents, guardians, medical professionals, and other specialists in its educational activities, the school aims to create an environment where many adults both in and outside
the school can cooperate and collaborate to help students grow and develop. This is
another major distinction of the school, and we take pride in the fact that creating ahuman environment where students can learn with others independently, interactively, and affirmatively is an unshakeable foundation of the school's health education.
Going forward, as it works to address the health challenges of the coming era, theschool will preserve its precious, long-standing traditions and undertake to provide
health education of the caliber students need to live independent lives.

３０

A School That Fosters Quality Learning Which Will
Serve Students Their Entire Lives―Promoting Tateoka Junior High's Personal Improvement Project,which aims for autonomy in students' daily lives―

Yamagata Prefecture Murayama Municipal Tateoka Junior High School

Ⅰ. Introduction to Tateoka Junior High School
Our school is located in the center of Murayama
City, in central Yamagata Prefecture, and is a mediumsized school with a total of 434 students in 17 classes(14 normal classes and 3 classes which provide special
support to students).
In 2005, Tateoka Junior High, Nishigo Junior Highand Sodesaki Junior High Schools were integrated to form New Tateoka Junior HighSchool, with this year marking the 13th year since its founding. With the motto
Learning, Communication, and Self-Development, we are firmly committed to dynamic school activities, with teachers and students striving towards the same objectives while sharing their thoughts.

Ⅱ. School Management Policy and Health Promotion
With a school that fosters quality learningwhich will serve students their entire lives as
our educational objectives, priority issues were

FY2017

Murayama Municipal Tateoka Junior High School

School Principles Learning,
Le
ear
arn
ning
ni
ng,, Co
Communication,
omm
mmun
unic
un
icat
ic
cat
atio
ion,
io
on,
n S
Self-Development
elfel
f-De
fDeve
velo
ve
lopm
lo
opm
p en
entt
Educational objectives of the school A school that fosters quality learning toserve students their entire lives
Learning

Priorities for this year

established based around the three school principles.

☆ Strive to become active learners☆ Acquire ﬁrmly-established academic
ability☆ Establish learning habits and daily
rhythms☆ Make full use of opportunities to learn

Communication

The slogan for achieving Learning is

well☆ Build a safe, secure group☆ Make sure our singing voices
and greetings resonate☆ Achieve the student council
sloganlearning lessons through a vast array activities

Self-Development☆ Build enthusiasm through the
Personal Improvement Project☆ Nurture mental development
through cleaning andvolunteer activities☆ Protect ourselves from injuries
and illnesses

and experience. This is the third year since Tateoka Junior High School was recognized as a Yamagata Prefecture research school and has been engaged in the Developing Active Learners inquiry-based learning project. This project aims to achieve
deep independent and interactive learning. The basis of deep learning is conditioningof the body and mind, and harmonious class building. From this perspective, the project has been implemented with an awareness that health education and group-building initiatives are essential in moving the research forward.

３１

The slogan for Communication is listening politely and speaking politely. This slogan is firmly established as a part of school life at Tateoka Junior High School andcontributes to create a safe and secure learning environment. These efforts havegiven all students the confidence to exchange opinions freely. By setting the slogan
driving forward at full throttle with all our strength, the 2017 student council has
strived to achieve major reform in greetings, choir activities and cleaning, and theschool as a whole is growing into a forward-looking group of young people.
In Self-Development, students are improving the quality of their own lives by living
in line with the slogan arriving at school with a smile and leaving with a sense ofgratitude. A large number of students participate in the Chobora mini-volunteer activities which are held regularly, and these activities serve as an opportunity to experience the joy of helping others. Tateoka Junior High School was also mandated with
the Project to Support the Management of Lifestyle Habits Particularly for JuniorHigh and Senior High School Student by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology (MEXT), and has rolled out the Tateoka Junior High Personal Improvement Project in striving to improve the desire for learning, willpowerand stamina. In FY2016 Tateoka Junior High School implemented this project as abase school in conjunction with three elementary schools in the catchment area, andin FY2017 rolled out initiatives to take this project to the all elementary and juniorhigh schools in Murayama City.

Ⅲ. Health Promotion Framework[1] Tateoka Junior High's Personal Improvement Project Grand Design
Improveacademic ability

Spontaneous changes to behaviour

Autonomy

Improve
stamina

Improve senseof self-esteem

through self-motivation

Maintain and improve health/ Healthy growth and development/ A stable mind/ Fulﬁlment in daily life
- Propose plans and support to encourage
spontaneous changes in behaviour- Promote veriﬁcation and self-awarenessof eﬀorts and achievements- Help students to help one another- Publicize and improve awarenessof learning

Have students manage their own
lifestyles with the goal of achieving
long-term self-fulﬁlment

Self-management of daily habits

Eﬀorts of students
Small changes
to behaviour
Feedback
Empowerment
Schooland family

1. Eﬀective utilization of the note Junior Highʼs Life
2. Implementation of sleeping habit improvement program
3. Personal Improvement Lecture (planned by student council)
4. Parent and Child Learning Workshop (Joint Student/ Parent and Guardian/ School Project) andFamily Meetings
5. Personal Improvement Week (three times/ year)
6. Implementation of workshops for teaching staﬀ and child-rearing workshops
7. Public awareness activities for the community３２[2] School Health Committee[3] Cooperation with the Community

Ⅳ. Characteristic Activities[1] Tateoka Junior High's Personal Improvement Project〈Objective〉
To develop students who can manage their daily lives, and can feel fulfilled intheir daily lives, and increase the interest in and desire for health across Murayama
City as a whole, through communication with families and the community, and indoing so promote healthy lifestyles.
〈Activities in Practice〉
1. Effective utilization of the note Tateoka Junior High's LifeIn FY2017 we prepared and distributed an original notewith the aim of having students be made aware of daily
rhythms throughout the year. In these notes students record
every day communications between parents and teachers
and reflections about their lives. Daily reflection in particularis also a viewpoint of the school's research. Things which
worked well should be continued, and things which did notwork out should result in improvement measures being considered to try again
next time. Notes are read every day by home teachers and comments are left toencourage students.
〈Characteristics of Tateoka Junior High's Life〉- Students recorded the times they went to bed, times they got up in the morning, homework time, and total media usage time, and confirmed their physicalcondition and feelings, helping them to become more aware of the links between these elements.
- An annual plan was included to enable students to gain an overall picture of theyear, and space was assigned for students to enter their own plans.
- Included a record page for the week to reinforce daily rhythms (Personal Improvement Week) held three times per year.
2. Implementation of sleeping habit improvement programThis involves recording sleeping time on a 24-hour time axis, helping students
visualize and evaluate their sleeping habits, and improving their lifestyles. In FY
2016 first grade students took part in the program, and in FY2017 all students

３３

took part.
〈FY2016 Implementation Schedule〉
August 25 (Thursday)
Guidance prior toyear group assemblies

August 25 (Thursday) to
September 7 (Wednesday)

September 8 (Thursday)

September 8 (Thursday) to
September 22 (Thursday)

September 28 (Wednesday)

Record sleep rhythms(Two weeks)First Personal
Improvement Meeting
The visit fromuniversity students

Record sleep rhythms(Two weeks)
Determined eﬀorts

Second Personal
Improvement Meeting
The visit fromuniversity students

Figure 1: Sleep rhythm record form

Scene from a ﬁrst Personal Improvement Meeting

After recording sleep rhythms for two weeks, as shown in Figure 1, the Personal Improvement Meeting, which local university students acted as facilitatorsfor discussions, were held to evaluate these rhythms. As a result of having evaluated their own actual sleeping patterns, set new goals and made a determined effort over two weeks to achieve these goals, many students came to realize thetrue importance of sleep, and spontaneously moved to improve their lifestyles.
Problems in sleep
rhythms
Doze off soon after I
get home
Wake up late on
weekends for lack ofsleep
No fixed time to go to
bed and/or wake up
Go to bed late

Scene from a second Personal Improvement Meeting

First
time

Second
time

14.7%

5.3%

25.0%

9.5%

33.1%

13.8%

29.4%

13.2%

In FY2017 the students elected their own
leaders and held Personal Improvement Meetings on their own. After the first meeting toevaluate their own lifestyles, a lecture from apaediatrician was organized to re-emphasize
the importance of daily rhythms, and thisScene from a Personal Improvement Meeting in FY2017

flowed through to the two weeks of making adetermined effort.
3. Personal Improvement Lecture (plannedby student council)
As a guest, Hiroyuki Yokoyama, Professorof Fukushima Medical University, gave a lecture entitled The Daily Habits You

３４

Learn Today Will Be a Lifelong Treasure. The Student Council Executive Committee held a planning meeting beforehand, and assigned roles for running thelecture. The chairman of the Health Committee proposed learning objectives before the lecture, thereby promoting an autonomous learning stance. This had theresult that in the post-lecture impressions, there was a great deal of pro-active
content, making the lecture highly effective.
In the lecture, in addition to hearing about the impact that daily habits have on
their daily physical activities from the perspective of a doctor, the external recognition of the initiatives currently engaged in by students also helped motivate
students to change their behaviour.
4. Parent and child learning workshop (joint student/parent and guardian/school project) and family meetingYear Held

Lecturer

Theme

Ryuta Kawashima, Head,FY2016

Institute of Development, Achieve Your Dreams by Developing
Aging and Cancer, To- Your Brain
hoku University
Susumu Yokota, Associate How to Turn on the

FY2017

Enthusiasm

Professor, Kyushu Univer- Switch―Daily habits to achieve your goals―

sity

A parent and child learning workshop at which parents and children listened
to the same lecture was planned for the class visit day at the end of the firstterm. On the day, more than 250 parents and guardians participated, listening to
the same lecture as their children. After the lecture, an exchange of opinions washeld in the form of a panel discussion between student representatives and lecturers.
In addition, in order to ensure that the content learned from the lecture flows
through to family life, the PTA Mother's Committee produced a family meetingmodel video to promote family discussions. As a result, record cards were submitted by more than 80 percent of families, with many reports of warm interaction within families and a heightened awareness of daily rhythms.

３５

Question 4
What would I like to try to raise my scoreby one point from its current level?

Important aspects as the attitude of a parent
1. Wait for the child to decide for themselves
2. Respect the childʼs choice

FY2016 Panel discussion at Parent and Child Lecture

5. Personal Improvement Week (three times/year)
Objectives:- To have each student acquire, as a natural daily rhythm, the healthy patternof going to bed early, getting up early and eating breakfast.
- To implement the program simultaneously over one week in the same period
at the three elementary schools in the catchment area. By doing so, strive tohave families with siblings in elementary, junior high, and senior high schools
work towards the same objective as a family.
Check items:!
###
Set and practice re###spective objectives
#
#
#
#
"

Time that students go to bed and get up in the morning
Is the time that student start homework fixed?
Does the student eat breakfast?
Is the student's media usage time appropriate?
Timing:First time:

Before exams at end of first term―June 28 to July 5, FY2017

Second time: Before exams at end of second term―November 22 to 29, FY2017
Third time: Before exams at end of third term―February 9 to 16, FY2018

Common record card throughout catchment area in FY2016[Health Committee member performing awareness-raising activities tothe class][A Good Plan for
Getting to Bed
Early displayed inclassrooms at theinitiativeofaHealth Committee
member]At our school, the Student Council Executive Committee and the Health Committee are aware that problems concerning daily rhythms are their own healthproblems. With a view to solving problems such as the way students handle me-３６dia and daily rhythms, during Personal Improvement Week the Health Committee publicized the importance of sleep and some good ideas that students actuallypracticing, announcing these items in daily reflection sessions in class, where
achievements and opinions regarding these matters were exchanged.
In FY2017, placing emphasis on having students manage their own lifestyles,
we had students utilize the original note Tateoka Junior High's Life to tackle thecycle of designing a lifestyle to be achieved, executing this lifestyle, reflecting on
this lifestyle, and modifying and continuing this lifestyle. The achievements werebrought together by the members of the Health Committee, and were presented
in the form of posters, together with messages to classmates, displayed in thecorridors.

Activities of the Health Committee

Display of achievements of Personal Improvement Week were displayed in the corridors

A poster notifying students of Personal Improvement Week (at the school entrance)

6. Implementation of workshops for teaching staff and child-rearing workshops for parents and guardians
Target audience

Lecturer

Theme
FY2016 Utilizing the QuestionnaireUtilities (A Questionnaire for
Living an Enjoyable School

Setsuko Sato
Teaching staff

Professor,

Professional

School of Education (PSD),
Yamagata University

Life) to Harmonious ClassBuilding
FY2017 Towards Group Building ofHarmonious Class and Year
Groups (To Address Issues
as a Team)FY2016 Anger Management for Bet-

Naomi Ito
Parents / guardians
and teaching staff

Yamagata

PrefectureHome Education Advisors
Yamagata

Prefecture

school counsellors

ter Relationships
FY2017 Communication to Encourage

Adolescents―How

Bring Out Enthusiasm in
Our Children―

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toIn striving towards improving the child-rearing environment, workshops forteaching staff and child-rearing workshops for parents and guardians wereplanned and held. At workshops for teaching staff, understanding of students
was promoted, and staff exchanged knowledge about dealing with specific situations in the classroom. Case meetings were held for each year group after completion of the workshops,
and the workshop content
is being utilized.
Child - rearing
shops

for

parents

workandWorkshops for teaching staﬀ in FY2017

Role play at child-rearing workshops in FY2017

guardians were held by
the PTA Mothers' Committee. Discussions were held to determine the content
that parents and guardians wish to learn about.
7. Public awareness activities for the wider community
When third-grade students planned welfare volunteer activities on their second
term in FY2016, they created a play on the theme go to bed early, rise early,
and eat breakfast, with the desire to inform small children of what they hadlearned. This play was performed in five kindergartens and children's centersthroughout the city. In FY2017 students planned a picture story production. Suggestions for stories and characters were solicited from the entire school body,and students who wish to visit kindergartens in Career Start Week (work-study
program for students) compiled them into a picture story. Their production, entitled Secret Personal Improvement Rangers was completed and performed in kindergartens,

where

it

was well received. The
play was a source of delight and self-confidence
to the student perform-

Performance of a play in a kindergarten in FY2016

Performance of original picture story show in FY2017

ers.
[2] School Health Committee
The FY2016 School Health Committee held group discussions including theschool doctor, and discussed the roll-out of the third Personal Improvement Week.
At these meetings ideas were exchanged in the form of a joint planning meeting
between three parties: students, parents/guardians and the school. The approachtaken was to share objectives, make proposals as to what each group could do from３８

their respective standpoint, and exchange opinions in the course of executing
counter-measures. The PTA effectively utilized contact e-mails to improve awareness among parents and guardians.

School Health Committee group discussion

Personal Improvement Week Joint Planning Meeting in FY2016[3] Cooperation with the Community
The Subcommittee of the Municipal Nursing
Teacher (YOGO teacher) has published information
about daily rhythms with the objective of raisingawareness in all households which are home to elementary and junior high school students, and produced a calendar showing the regular exam schedule and Personal Improvement Week, for the catchment area of each junior high school. This calendar
was modified to allow the times that students go to
bed and get up in the morning, homework start time

Personal Improvement Calendar for the second half of the FY2016

and family rules concerning media usage to be entered, before being produced and distributed to students. The content is changed
every six months to prevent these matters from becoming routine.
The calendar is also distributed to families whose children are about to enter elementary school in the coming year, which has helped families to review their lifestyles while children are still at kindergarten or nursery school.
The development of healthy daily habits is regarded as the cornerstone to observing the Four Promises of Murayama, which were devised by the Federation of
Murayama City PTA and Federation of Children's Education Committees to protect children from problems related to communication devices. Information about
daily rhythms was added to posters distributed to households in FY2017.

Ⅴ. Achievements and Problems to Be Addressed (〇: Achievements/△: Problems)〇 With regard to the initiatives of the Personal Improvement Project, steady progress has been made based on warm cooperation between the schools, families and３９the community, and we have felt aheightening of awareness about healthpromotion.
〇 We have seen an increase in the numberof students who are aware that improvements in their daily rhythms have a

Posters within the school (left: learning/group life, right: health)positive impact on physical condition andlearning, and are spontaneously changing their behaviour. The sense of self-esteem
has also improved. In particular we have seen an increase in the number of students who have felt a sense of fulfilment in their daily lives, and who actively
tackle difficult issues.
〇 The initiatives of the Personal Improvement Project have not been limited to students and their daily lives, but have extended to Personal Improvement activitiesin learning and daily lives, with spontaneous activities becoming firmly establishedamong students.
△ Problems with media are likely to become an even greater problem in the future.
We hope to provide support to students so that they consider it to be their own
problem, and take responsibility in addressing it.
△ For students who are finding it difficult to achieve improvements in their lifestyles,
we will persevere in providing support by strengthening initiatives such as support from school counsellors and peer support, etc.

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