Connecting with Mrs. Cohen
October 25, 2020
Good Evening,
This week is Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is thought to be the catalyst to educate all youth about staying drug free. Since 1985, the Red Ribbon campaign has reached millions of US children and families. At Robinson, we focus on promoting healthy choices during Red Ribbon Week. We know that childhood experiences and habits lay the foundation for our adult years. We hope that by promoting healthy behaviors at this age, our children can thrive. We will have a different theme each day this week to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Monday we will kick off the week by wearing RED!
In addition to the daily themes, each day this week your children will be hearing a healthy choice message. The messages will include these five areas:
1) Get active each day:
- Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and wellbeing of children.
- Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’.
- Try to include activities that strengthen muscles and bones.
- Parents and other caring adults can be good role models and can promote a positive attitude toward being active.
2) Choose water as a drink and eat more fruits and vegetables:
- Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in fruit juices, soft drinks and other sweetened drinks.
- Give children whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices that have a lot of sugar.
- Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children grow and develop, boosts their immune system, and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
3) Switch off the screen and get active:
- With Covid-19 and online learning, this is an even bigger challenge.
- Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games has been linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.
- Break up long periods of screen time as often as possible, even when your student is an online learner. Try to build in regular stretch and movement breaks.
- Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on an iPad, electronic game, or a computer.
4) Spend time interacting with others:
- Children thrive by spending time with caring adults, their siblings, and their friends.
- When children play or interact with their peers, they are learning more about social behavior, including how to express themselves, how to take turns, and how to apply empathy when dealing with others. While this has been difficult during Covid-19, you can find creative ways to interact with others while socially distancing.
5) Select healthier snack alternatives:
- Healthy snacks help children meet their daily nutritional needs.
- Snacks that include fruits and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products, and whole grains are the healthiest choices.
- Avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.
Please partner with us and discuss this message at home-- maybe at the dinner table, or while you are on a family walk. Ask your child to tell you about Red Ribbon Week and the healthy choices they want to make.
The past 2 weeks have been busy for Ms. Harris and me. WE LOVE having students back in the building and we have been working in an "all hands on deck" capacity. This means we are pitching in wherever we are needed and popping into classrooms. We are also working hard to support all students-- those who are learning in person and those who are learning online.
This is a very busy time and we are without an Educational Support Counselor (ESC). While our district works to fill the ESC position, Ms. Harris and I are connecting with students who were previously seen by our ESC. We are, as shared in previous messages, very fortunate to have Mrs. Ampey-Elong, one of our KSD social workers, working with us. Mrs. Ampey-Elong supports KECC, Robinson, North Glendale, Tillman, and Nipher.
Our current goal is to return all calls and emails in 48 hours. If you need a quicker response or immediate assistance, please call the main office at Robinson and speak with one of our secretaries. They are very good at getting messages to us or reaching us by our walkie talkies.
We know that everyone is experiencing life and school differently. Please reach out if we can be helpful to your student or family.
HELP COMBAT PRESCRIPTION DRUG ABUSE
Want to do more in your community? Learn how the National Family Partnership and the Lock Your Meds Campaign can help you combat prescription drug abuse and bring awareness to the families in your state. Visit LockYourMeds.org