Here S to Your Health s1

HERE’S TO YOUR HEALTH - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Publication of the Braintree School Nurses Volume 3, Issue 2 January, 2013

Welcome back to the 2012 – 2013 school year! Happy and Healthy 2013!

Welcome Back and Happy New Year From the School Nurses! Start Your School Day off Right! Breakfast gives you energy to start the day. A healthy breakfast is important for everyone. A healthy breakfast consists of high fiber for good digestion and digestive support. It is high in nutrients and has the right amount of protein to repair muscle and tissues. It also consists of fats and healthy carbohydrates in the right proportions. A healthy breakfast should provide 20-25% of your daily energy needs. A good breakfast will: 1) Provide the body with nutrients 2) Provide the body with energy 3) Rehydrate the body to replace the fluids lost during sleep 4) Improve memory and ability to concentrate 5) Maintain energy level 6) Improve ability to control weight 7) Lower cholesterol levels

A healthy breakfast should consist of a variety of foods. You should choose one item from at least three of the four food groups: • Fruits and Vegetables: Consider fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, fruit or vegetable smoothies, or 100 percent juice without added sugar. • Grains: Choose whole-grain rolls, bagels, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, or low-fat bran muffins. • Dairy: Consider skim milk, low-fat yogurt cups or low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses. • Protein: Choose hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish, such as water-packed tuna or slices of salmon.

Get the morning nutrition you need with these quick breakfast ideas.

• Make instant oatmeal or Cream of Wheat with skim or low-fat milk instead of water. Mix in raisins or dried cranberries. Top with chopped walnuts.

• Layer low-fat yogurt with your favorite crunchy cereal and sliced fruit or berries.

• Mix up a breakfast smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt, frozen strawberries and a banana. • Top a bowl of whole-grain cereal with blueberries, sliced peaches or any favorite fruit. Pour on low-fat or fat-free milk.

• Top a toaster waffle with low-fat yogurt and fruit.

• Stuff a whole-wheat pita with a sliced, hard-cooked egg and low-fat shredded cheese.

• Spread a flour tortilla with peanut butter or sun butter and add a whole banana and roll it up. • Spread almond butter on a whole-grain toasted bagel. Top with apple slice.

• Add lean ham and low-fat Swiss cheese to a toasted whole-grain English muffin.

• Make scrambled eggs or veggie omelet and serve with toast and vegetable juice

**The January edition of Chop Chop Newsletter from the Department of Public Health Mass in Motion program is available at the link below: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/wellness/healthy-living/eat- better/tips/chopchop.html

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!

The antioxidants in apple have so much health promoting and disease prevention properties; thus truly justifying the quote, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

When shopping for produce, it’s so easy to think that an apple is an apple, but in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Each variety of apples has its own distinct flavor and character. The next time you need a sweet snack, you may head for a Cameo or a Gala.

Pink Lady and Cameo: Superb sweet/tart flavor, needs long season Gala: Sweet/tart, best early apple GoldRush: Sweet/tart, stores well Jonalicious: Sweet/tart, best apple no one has heard much about Smooth Golden Delicious: yes it can be very good Fuji: Sweet, long keeper Sekai Ichi: Sweet, mainly because it's so big

Concussion and the Role of the School Nurse Braintree Public Schools has a concussion policy in place to ensure that students who have sustained a head injury and/or concussion will receive proper medical treatment and academic accommodations so that healing will occur and students will maintain optimal learning.

The policy states that students who have suffered a head injury and exhibit signs/symptoms of a concussion must be evaluated by a medical doctor. Students must have the medical documentation listing academic and physical activity restrictions upon his/her return to school.

The Braintree Public Schools have a color coded concussion form listing stages of recovery and the academic modifications teachers will make during each stage. These forms are given out to parents to bring to their doctor by the school nurse when the injury occurs during school hours and by the athletic trainer when the injury occurs during after school sports.

As soon as the school nurse is notified that a student has been diagnosed with a concussion, teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and the athletic department are notified. At the High School, notification is done initially by e-mail. Additionally, copies of the concussion paperwork listing academic and sports restrictions are sent to teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and the athletic department on the day the nurse receives the written documentation.

As the student goes through the stages of recovery medical updates are sent to the appropriate people regarding concussion status. When the student is cleared by his/her doctor, the student will then work with the athletic trainer in the gradual return to play protocol. This means that the student will resume physical activities slowly under the supervision of the athletic trainer. When the student is cleared by the athletic trainer, he/she may resume physical education and sports. This phase is important because concussion symptoms may reoccur upon introduction of physical activity.

Cold Weather Safety Tips

It is important during the winter months that children get outside, to play, stay active, and have fun. There are many winter sports that children and families can participate in during the cold winter months, sledding, skating, skiing are just a few. It is important when going outside in the cold that are children are safe and warm. Here are some helpful Cold Weather Safety Tips, from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help your children stay warm when outdoors.

1. Make sure your kids have a snack before going outdoors. The calories will give their bodies extra energy in the cold weather. 2. Dress your child warmly in layers of clothes. If the top layer gets wet from snow or freezing rain, they can peel off some clothes down to a dry layer. 3. Avoid cotton clothing because it won’t keep kids very warm. Stick with wool or other fabrics. Dress them in long underwear, a turtleneck, and a sweater and coat. Add more layers depending on the temperature. Waterproof pants and jackets are great top layers because they don’t let the wetness seep into the other clothing. Wear warm socks, boots to keep the feet dry, and of course wear a hat. 4. There is no set amount of time that kids should be allowed to stay out in the cold. However, when being cold becomes unpleasant, it is time to go inside. Sometimes, though, kids may just need some dry gloves. It helps to have an extra pair of gloves or mittens tucked in their pockets if they plan to be outdoors for a while. 5. Remember even though it is the winter you should still be protecting the kid’s faces with sunscreen. Snow can reflect up to 85% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and can cause sunburn when you least expect it.

February is National Dental Health Month Tooth decay is the most common childhood disease affecting millions of children nationwide. Having your child free of dental disease is not only important for their growth, development, and self esteem, but also their ability to concentrate in school.

Here are some tips to help promote good dental health for your family  Limit sticky and sugary food and drinks like cookies, dried fruit, candy and soda  Always use a toothpaste with fluoride  Always use a soft bristled toothbrush  Encourage tooth brushing at least twice a day, for 2 minutes  Floss your teeth daily  Ask your dentist about sealants  Use a mouth guard during sports like soccer, field hockey, basketball and baseball  Drink fluoridated water

Unfortunately, our water in Braintree is not fluoridated. However, Braintree students in grades 3-5 are able to participate in the Fluoride Mouthrinse Program sponsored by The Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This free program benefits our students by providing a safe and effective method of preventing tooth decay. Weekly rinsing with fluoride provides a topical effect on the tooth by strengthening the outer surface of the tooth known as the enamel. Studies show that using fluoride regularly can help prevent tooth decay by about 30-60%. It can also help to reduce tooth decay at its earliest stage.

Here are some important facts about our fluoride mouthrinse program:  The program is supervised by your child’s school nurse  Students rinse their mouth for one minute and spit it out  The rinse is not swallowed  Students learn about oral health while they are rinsing  The FDA has approved the 0.2% weekly fluoride rinse as a safe method to reduce tooth decay  The program is free

**Reminder to parents of students in grade 3 – a local area dentist will be coming to your child’s class one day during the month February. The dentist will provide dental education and a screening. If you do not wish your child to have a screening, please send a note to your child’s school nurse. SAVE THE DATE: Making a Difference

Wednesday, March 6, 2013 “The Secret Life” John Mattleman’s presentation is high energy that actively focuses on what teens are really thinking, what they fear, why they do not share their fears, and how parents can more effectively support their teen. This presentation will cover areas such as acting out behaviors, drug and alcohol use, depression, suicide, and more.

Braintree High School Auditorium 7:00pm-8:00pm

The audience will leave the presentation with…

 Strategies they can implement immediately.

 New ways of understanding teens

 Innovative techniques for engaging teens

 Confidence, courage, and new language All parents/guardians and interested community members are encouraged to attend this program

Presented by Braintree Alliance for Safe and Healthy Youth