September Newsletter

Dear Parents and/or Guardians:

Back to School Supplies! As summer draws to a close it is, once again, time to shop for back to school supplies. As you shop for the pencils, notebooks, crayons, paper, and paste, I am going to suggest some new types of “back to school” supplies that will help your child get good nutrition, plenty of sleep and 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The healthy school supplies include:

Healthy nutritional snacks

When you plan your child’s lunch, put in fresh fruit, a box of raisins or other types of dried fruit, use whole wheat bread for sandwiches, unsweetened applesauce cups, and cheese. Make sure to encourage your child to drink plenty of water during the day and low fat milk at meals. Check out this website for more helpful information – http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is critical for your child’s growth and development. Physical activity helps strengthen bones and muscles, maintain appropriate weight, improve academic achievement and reduce the risk of various diseases. Supplies that can assist in improving your child’s physical activity level include activity related supplies such as a short jump rope, a ball that bounces, and sidewalk chalk. Encourage your child to be physical active at least 60 minutes per day. You can do this by taking your child to places that encourage physical activity such as parks, fields, courts and pools. You can find a great resource for physical activity and children at http://www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign/marketing/adult/index.htm.

Healthy Behaviors

Encourage your child to live a healthy life.  Make sure your child washes his or her hands frequently throughout the day. Adding a small bottle of hand sanitizer to your child’s school supply list would be a great idea. You and your child could practice the right way to wash your hands by using the guidelines at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing/. Use fluoride toothpaste and encourage regular brushing. You might want to buy a brand new toothbrush for your child to start every new school year. A website you and your child can visit together is http://www.adha.org/kidstuff/facts.htm. Make sure your child gets sufficient rest and sleep. Sleep helps with memory, concentration and learning. Make sure to set a regular time for bed and try doing some relaxing activities prior to bedtime such as reading a story or taking a warm bath. You can include a bottle of bubble bath on your school supply list! A great website for you and your child on sleep is http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov./health/public/sleep/starslp/index.htm

Here’s to the Beginning of a Healthy School Year!

Candi Schuelke

Connie Etheredge

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