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The Beacon
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DID YOU KNOW...
...that NASPE considers recess a critical part of the school day. "A six-hour or longer school day is too long to go without breaks and without opportunities for substantive physical activity," said Judith Young, NASPE executive director. Some educators believe the school day is too short for children to "waste" 30 minutes chasing each other on the playground, sitting on seesaws and playing dodgeball. NASPE recommends extending the school day to include time for unstructured play. (National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Associated Press wires, 11/30/98)
...that children ages 7 to 12 in the United States ranked "playing outside" as their second-most enjoyable activity (46%), just behind "vacationing" (52%) and ahead of listening to music (40%) and attending live sporting events (30%). (From the ABC Global Kids Study, 1996)
...that school administrators should carefully consider the benefits of outdoor play before eliminating recess from their curriculums, according to NAEYC, a national childcare accreditation group. They report that play is an active form of learning that unites the mind, body and spirit for children who, at least until age 9, learn best when they involve their whole self. Also, play reduces tension that often comes with having to achieve or needing to learn; in play, adults do not interfere and children relax. The development of children's perceptual abilities may suffer when so much of their experience is through TV, computers, books and other media that require only two senses; involving all five senses through space is a powerful mode of learning. (From "Early Years are Learning Years: The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play," NAEYC 1997).
Recess Factoids from www.kaboom.org/
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HEALTH EDUCATION
- Flu symptoms include fever, headache, chills, body aches, tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion.
- Flu is spread when a person who has the flu coughs, sneezes, or speaks and sends the flu virus into the air. The virus enters the nose, throat or lungs of a person and multiplies. Flu spreads less frequently when a person touches a surface that has flu viruses on it.
- If you get the flu: rest, drink plenty of liquids, and avoid alcohol and tobacco.
- Antibiotics like penicillin will not cure the flu. The best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu shot. Over-the-counter medications may relieve symptoms of flu. The National Institute for Allergies & Infectious Diseases recommends acetaminophen (Tylenol) for children; aspirin or acetaminophen for adults. Decongestants, cough suppressants, and use of a humidifier can provide symptomatic relief.
- In addition to flu shots, three antiviral medicines are available by prescription that will help prevent flu infection: Tamiflu, Flumadine and Symmetrel.
Flu Information for School-age Children
- Do NOT give aspirin to a child or teenager who has the flu. To learn why, click here: www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/flu
- Most antihistamines cause sleepiness. If a child still has a stuffy nose when she returns to school, parents may want to ask their child's doctor to prescribe a non-sedating antihistamine.
- Encourage children to cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently, and keep hands away from eyes, nose and mouth.
- A sick child is advised to stay at home during the first days of illness when symptoms are most severe and the infection is most contagious. Children can return to school when symptoms are improving and no fever has been detected for 24 hours.
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NEWSLETTER
Volume 2, Issue 2
Fall/Winter 2003 Newsletter
ANNUAL MEETING
The Maine Cancer Consortium held its annual meeting on October 1, 2003 in Augusta. A new Board of Directors was elected. The Board gratefully acknowledged the outgoing chair and board members for their contributions: Meredith Tipton for serving as chair during the past two years and Rebecca Colwell and Andrew Dionne, MD. We are fortunate that all three will remain active in the Consortium. Meredith will continue to serve on the Board, Rebecca will continue participating in the Palliative & Hospice Care Work Group, and Andrew will stay on the Early Detection Workgroup.
Three Board members, Don Magioncalda, Barbara Leonard, and Kip DeSerres presented a brief history of the Consortium. Brenda Joly, the Consortium’s evaluation consultant, presented the evaluation plan for the Consortium. Rosemary Gibson, Senior Project Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was the keynote speaker. She spoke about the improvements on the treatment of pain, integrating palliative care into clinical settings, survivorship and supportive care, the role of systems in improving care, and RWJ’s Palliative Care Initiative.
For many meeting participants, the highlight of the day was hearing the workgroup presentations on past, current, and future initiatives and, in particular, having the opportunity for input. You will find a brief summary of current Work Group activities on page 3. Highlights from the Workgroup presentations are included in the Meeting minutes, which may be read on the Consortium’s website,
Read Complete Newsletter:
The Connection (PDF)
The Connection (Microsoft Word)
More newsletters can be located on our CSHP Resources page. Sign up for a few and be informed! www.mainecshp.com/resources
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WINTER ACTIVITY
Winter Safety Tips
from The WinterKids Outdoor Fitness Guide
Winter Outdoor Safety Tips
- Wear layers of warm and dry clothing.
- Wear a hat---most of your body heat escape through your head.
- Helmets are great for some sports, plus they're toasty.
- Drink lots of water and eat frequent snacks to keep up your energy.
- Remember to use sunscreen and sunglasses or goggles.
- Don't overdo it ---if you get tired, stop
- Always go with someone---it's safer and more fun with a friend
- Make sure somebody always knows where you are
Skier and Snowboarder Safety Tips
- Ski and board under control
- Don't ski or snowboard too fast
- Always be able to stop
- Listen and look around you
- Keep off closed trails
- Pay attention to others at intersections
- Avoid the skier or snowboarder in front of you
- Stop only where you can be seen
- Obey all signs and warnings
Learn all about the WinterKids Passport program! The program includes cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, ice skating, tubing, and tobogganing. Passport holders, along with their parents and siblings, receive free or discounted tickets, lessons, and rentals. Please visit:
www.winterkids.org
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 Tooth Decay May Affect a Child's Quality of Life
Poor dental health due to improper feeding may be a major cause of slowed growth in young children. Intervention and treatment gives children the chance to grow at normal, healthy rates. In addition, recent research highlights how children with cavities in their early childhood years tend to experience tooth decay again in later years in both primary and permanent teeth.
Recent research reports that children with dental decay may exhibit symptoms which affect their quality of life. Loss of appetite, inability to finish a meal, loss of sleep, and negative behavior patterns all improved in children after dental treatment.
Click here to read and download complete info sheet: Information Sheet
Fast Fact: Dental Pain interrupts work and sleep for the U.S. population more frequently that headaches, backaches, joint pain, muscle pain and stomach pain. From: Nuprin Pain Report, Survey conducted by Louis Harris & Assoc.
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CSHP NEWS
PowerPoint Presentation...
Making the Connection: Health and Student Achievement
Healthy children learn better! Enhancing health and educational outcomes for all youth are important for both health and education agencies, and Coordinated School Health Programs are an effective approach to meet these goals. This presentation makes a compelling case for school health programs, and suggests that implementation of the components of coordinated school health programs would go a long way toward enhancing the health and educational outcomes for young people. www.astho.org/docs/makingtheconnection.ppt
(This is a large download, so please be patient).
Also visit the ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials) website for up-to-date information pertaining to public health policy, including Early and Severe 2003-2004 Influenza Season Resources; state-provided information regarding the status of their current smallpox program vaccinations; and an "Analysis of State Response to Foodborne Illness" report.
www.astho.org
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FROM YOUR DESK
We would love to include voices from the field! Please e-mail us your comments, stories, feedback by clicking here, or call our Webmaster at (207) 624-6689.
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GOOD NEWS!
Senate Approves Nutrition/Physical Activity Bill
Before adjourning for the year, the U.S. Senate approved by voice vote the "Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act," or "IMPACT Act," which recognizes significant problems associated with obesity, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer and works to reduce those problems by encouraging better nutrition and more physical activity, including programs in schools. The House of Representatives is expected to pass similar legislation in the new session that begins January 20. The full text of the Senate-passed bill, is available here: http://thomas.loc.gov.
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