THE TRUMPET LAWRENCE MIDDLE SCHOOL/MARCH 2011/VOLUME 6 SPECIAL REMINDER KEEP LMS PEANUT AND NUT FREE By Brianna Burbia and Remy Geier Lawrence Middle School is peanut free. Students are not allowed to bring peanuts or items containing peanuts to school. More than one notice has gone home about peanut awareness and the way in which peanuts and tree nuts are not allowed in the building under any circumstances. The cafeteria, school store and vending machines do not contain items with peanuts in them. LMS is peanut free because many kids have allergies to peanuts; they could suffer from an allergic reaction. What causes an allergic reaction? An allergic reaction occurs when someone’s immune system wrongly thinks that something harmless, such as a tree nut, is actually harmful to the body. Special antibodies, called immunoglobulin E (IgE), are created to fight off the invading proteins in that food. IgE antibodies trigger the release of special chemicals into the body. One of the chemicals is histamine. It can affect a person’s respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin and cardiovascular system. This may cause the effects of an allergic reaction, wheezing, stomachache, vomiting, itching, LMS Friendly Snacks hives and swelling. It could even result in death. One of the most common allergies is the tree nut allergy. Many students that attend Lawrence Middle School have a peanut allergy. Many teachers, including Mr. Lee Araoz, Mrs. Lisa King and Mr. Peter Sebor have children at home with peanut and other allergies. Why shouldn't you bring peanuts or items containing peanuts to school? You could cause an allergic reaction. Your friend sitting at the lunch table could have one or someone across the cafeteria. Some children have a reaction just from smelling peanuts. If you have peanuts on your hands and you touch doorknob, the peanuts could get on the doorknob. Then, someone with an allergy could have a reaction or a teacher could take it home to his or her child. It is challenging for kids who are allergic because they cannot control what other students bring for lunch. This is why you should be careful with what you bring for lunch. Some foods contain peanuts or have been exposed to peanuts and nobody may know it. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts is not school friendly. Dunkin’ Donuts makes peanut butter cookies. As a result, their products are unsafe for those with peanut allergies. With other foods it is very obvious. Peanut butter and jelly, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers are all delicious but bringing them to school could cause danger to other students and is very selfish. Eat these things before and after school in the privacy of your own home. There are many other alternatives for meals and snacks. Other foods are manufactured in the same area as peanuts. Always check your food labels to see if foods contain peanuts and nuts or it was manufactured in the same area as peanuts. Do not bring peanuts or items containing peanuts to school. Remember that some allergic reactions could result in death. Check your food labels and be careful about what Brianna and Remy showcasing items that should NOT be you bring to school. Keep Lawrence Middle School peanut free. It is the right thing to do and brought to school under any circumstances! someone’s life may count on it. Spectacular Lunar Eclipse Avoiding the Sniffles By Victoria DiCeglio By Ryan Hickey On the night of Monday, Everywhere you go, people are sniffling, December 20, 2010, millions of sneezing and coughing. Use this checklist to stay people around the world stayed up to healthy through cold-and-flu season and beyond. see the phenomenal scene of the Earth passing directly between the •One way to avoid sickness is to get the flu shot. It is sun and the full moon. This is known recommended for everyone 6 months or older. The as a lunar eclipse, which is very rare ideal time to get vaccinated is before the onset of flu season (which is usually sometime in November or to see. The last time a lunar eclipse December), but it's never too late. was witnessed was on December 21, 1638, about 372 years ago. The next lunar eclipse is predicted to happen •Another way to avoid getting sick is to eat healthy. in the year 2094, a very long time from now. "Diet is the fuel that runs the complex human machine A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the rays from and all of its parts, including the immune system," says David Katz, MD, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center. Good things to eat are the sun. This prevents the sun’s rays from reaching the face of the moon. protein, such as fish, lean meats and beans, needed to help build white blood The moon then is completely blocked by the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse cells (the body's defenders); brightly colored fruits and veggies, which provide lasted for a particularly long time on Tuesday morning. It started at 1:32 immune-boosting antioxidants; and omega-3 fatty acids (good sources include AM with the total eclipse starting at 2:41 AM, lasting a total of 72 fatty fish, walnuts, and flaxseed) to keep the immune system balanced. minutes. At 3:53, the moon appeared to change into an intensifying orange-reddish color. The light that was flittering through the Earth’s • Another way to stay healthy is to exercise. Exercise can keep you from getting sick by stimulating the immune cells that target cold infections. atmosphere and reflecting on the moon’s dull surface caused this. Then, the partial eclipse ended at 5:01 AM. As a result, the stars in the sky •Staying hydrated, both inside and out is important. Your body seemed to be brighter than usual because of the contrast in the sky. It needs lots of water. And your home needs to be warm and moist was amazing! because lower humidity and temperatures help the flu virus spread, The odd fact about the eclipse was that it happened on a winter which may explain why flu outbreaks peak in winter. Humidity, on the other hand, kills the virus, so keep air at home warm and moist. solstice, which is even that much more uncommon. A winter solstice is when the sun is at its southernmost point, which supposedly occurs on •The most obvious way to stay healthy is to avoid germs. Your biggest December 22, 2011. "Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance defense against lurking cold and flu bugs: old-fashioned hand-washing. Soap of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is up long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice through (about 20 seconds); if 1638 DEC. 21," Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory said, you can't wash, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Be according to NASA. "Fortunately we won't have to wait 372 years for sure to scrub or sanitize after touching the germiest surfaces—doorknobs, fridge handles, TV remotes, the next one...that will be on 2094 DEC 21." bathroom faucets, and money—and after shaking Although I did not happen to stay up for the lunar eclipse, I hands. Keep your mitts off your face, to avoid giving heard fascinating stories and saw magnificent pictures. Our own germs a free ride into your eyes, nose, or mouth. Lawrence High School student stayed up for the eclipse and took incredibly amazing pictures throughout the night. All the different In summary, your body needs help in staying phases of the moon and the color changes that occurred during the healthy. Everyone needs to eat healthy foods, drink lots water, exercise and wash thoroughly! eclipse can still be found on the homepage of Lawrence’s website. The lunar eclipse was spectacular. An Apple a Day... NJHS ROCKS AND WRAPS IT UP! By Emily Becher By Tatiana Doll Rock and wrap it up! What is it? It is an organization that There are many reasons to eat an apple helps the less fortunate. Over the Christmas break and during the holiday season, it helped many people. The National Junior every single day. In schools apples are Honor Society teamed up with this organization to help give out symbols for teachers. They make a great presents to people who could not buy them on their own. Rock snack and are very portable. Apples are and wrap it up also helps people all year long. Helping over the holiday break was an incredible experience. very healthy. Read on to see why everyone This reporter worked at a church spreading Christmas joy. should be eating apples daily. Through NJHS and Rock and wrap it up presents were donated Apples are a slow food! Apples are at a church in Far Rockaway. Gifts for people of all ages were firm and packed with fiber. They contain 5 grams or 20% of the daily- donated along with food. Men, women, young children, required value. It takes time to chew apples and makes teenagers and elders benefitted from the day and received all sorts of donations. People were lined up in front of the church. It was humbling, on people slow down to eat them. This helps prevent Christmas Eve, when helping serve hot chocolate and food. No NJHS members asked the people from inhaling too many calories too quickly people at the church why they were there. Personally, I felt it was none of my business. I without even being hungry.