The Montclair Public Schools Health and Wellness Parthership is presently funded by the Montclair school district and by a grant from NJ Department of Health and Senior Services' Child and Adolescent Health Program to the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network. Other past and present funders include The Healthcare Foundation of NJ, Junior League of Montclair-Newark, Montclair Community Intervention Alliance, Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, Mountainside Health Foundation, Mountainside Hospital Community Benefits, Rutgers University (grant from NJ Department of Education), United Way of North Essex, and from private donations.
This newsletter was made possible in part by grants from the Montclair Community Intervention Alliance, and the Governor's Council on Alcohol and Drug Addiction. The Montclair Public Schools Health and Wellness Partnership is currently seeking office space in Montclair. UPCOMING EVENT: SATURDAY JUNE 19
12:00 - 4:00 pm
Free community potluck picnic and concert
at Montclair High School
ampitheater to celebrate the end of the school year.
Donations accepted
to support Montclair Public Schools.
Entertainment by Melissa Walker, Glenfield Jazz Band, The Reticents, Jazzhouse Kids, Electric Fusion with Takashi Otsuka, Angel Williams, Passing Notes,Eugene Chrysler, and Obed World Music.
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THINKING OF A VACATION OR A STAYCATION?
Would you like to avoid crowds, save money and gas, and enjoy life at home this summer?
Montclair offers a variety of free and low-cost summer activities for the entire family. Visit
http://www.montclairnjusa.org/staycation
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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR:
Welcome to the second issue of HEALTHWISE. 
You are receiving this free E-newsletter in response to your interest, involvement and support of our programs in the Montclair public schools.
This month marks the start of our 10th year as The Montclair Public Schools Health and Wellness Partnership. Since 1991 we have grown from a stalwart group of twelve concerned people to over 2,000 community partners today. Our goal is to provide you with useful information throughout the school year to strengthen our children's physical, emotional and mental health, and support their success as students.
In response to our first issue, which featured an article on improving parent-child communication through active listening, students at Glenfield have created their own newsletter, the "Glenfield Sound." Their first issue includes student-written articles on hearing and listening. Click here to view their creative undertaking and read their interesting perspectives.
This issue features other very important facets of health - nutrition and physical exercise. As summer approaches, we join with First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative "Let's Move" and say yeah to joyful movement, exercise and physical activity. Summer is also the perfect time to begin planning our families meals and snacks around healthful, fun food. Read more below.
See you in September!
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| FEATURE ARTICLE |
KEEPING KIDS HEALTHY AND FIT:
What You Can Do This Summer
By Karen Straim, Associate Director
Childhood obesity is a nationwide epidemic. Recent reports show that nearly 30% of children ages 10 - 17 are overweight or obese. This statistic also applies to Montclair, New Jersey. Why has the rate of childhood obesity grown in recent years? Why should it concern us as parents and educators? And what can we do about it?
Experts agree that our children are consuming more fast food than any previous generation. Fast convenience foods are readily available everywhere and are cheap. Unfortunately, fast food is also full of harmful fats, sugar, sodium and chemical additives. While these ingredients may make fast food taste good, they also make it harmful to our health. Our children also get less exercise than previous generations, as they spend more time in front of the TV and computer. The result is an alarming increase of body fat in growing children that is linked to the development of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other medical conditions. First Lady Michelle Obama has addressed this epidemic by launching the "Let's Move" campaign, aimed at educating both children and adults about getting healthy.
Health is not determined solely by one's weight. Health also includes one's level of fitness - our capacity to perform physical tasks like walking a distance or climbing stairs without fatigue. Physical exercise provides many health benefits in addition to controlling weight - it improves endurance, supports a healthy mood, provides socializing experience when done with others, and contributes to better brain function and concentration. Studies have shown that students who exercise perform better academically. Visit www.letsmove.gov to learn more. What else can you do to keep your kids healthy and fit? Summertime is a wonderful opportunity to help your family develop new healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Here are some tips to get you started:
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HEALTH NOTES
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Here Come the Sun...
We love sunshine. It brightens our mood and its warmth makes us relax and feel good. It also helps build strong bones by providing Vitamin D. Summer is the perfect
time for kids to be outdoors - playing, doing chores, and participating in family activities, sports and swimming. Unfortunately, we can no longer take sunshine for granted.
Exposure to harmful UVA and UVB rays increases the risk of developing skin cancer and rapid skin aging. Damage to skin during the childhood and teen years - including tanning and mild to moderate sunburn -
leaves behind damage that can last a lifetime. Protect your children's skin by generously applying full-spectrum sunblock before they go outdoors, and by reapplying it frequently.
And, while you're at it, remember that the same rays that damage skin also damage eyes and can lead to macular degeneration. Protect them with sunglasses designed to filter both UVA and UVB rays. |
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