Halloween Safety Tips for Tonight!

Dr. Michael Finch, a South Carolina Medical Association Board Member and Pediatrician has developed some Halloween safety tips! As your students and children prepare to trick-or-treat tonight remember to stay safe and follow these suggestions:

1) Try to have reflective stripes, clothes, or at least a hat on your child.

2) Have them carry a flashlight

3) Only trick or treat in areas that you know and are comfortable with.

4) Parents should still try to look through the child's bag at the end of the night.

5) The child shouldn't enter someone's home (i.e. like for a haunted house inside) unless a parent is with them

6) Parents should avoid driving through crowded, often dark neighborhood streets while the kids are out and about. Try just to walk along the curb, and they can run down to the doors, etc., or go down with them if younger

7) Consider a meeting spot or particular house in case you get separated.

8) Despite all the excitement, be sure children look carefully and not be allowed to dash into a dark street in their haste to get to the next house.

9) Residents should try to be tolerant of groups of YOUNGER children with their parents who are not from the neighborhood in which they are trick or treating (as long as good manners prevail). While there was a time this frustrated me, I realized later that the parents likely feel unsafe in their own neighborhood and sought out a better place.

10) Lastly, expect and encourage good manners in the children, avoid littering, and respect the homeowners property and privacy if lights are out and they are done for the night.

Click here to view the Voice of Healthcare Blog.

Healthy Treats for Halloween

With Halloween exactly one week away, check out this article in the Post and Courier on healthy Halloween ideas for your students and families! Local parents, physicians, and Coleen Martin with the MUSC Boeing Center for Children's Wellness were featured in the article, "Obesity and diabetes epidemics call for a check on Halloween candy."    

Dr. Bowlby with MUSC stated, “For Halloween, make more focus on costumes, games, fun with your friends, and for the other holidays make it fun with family and not be so food-focused or, at least when you’re focusing on food, make smart, healthy choices."

Some of the healthy tips and tricks for Halloween listed in the article include:

• Celebrate Halloween at school with 'Pumpkin Dashes' and costume parades instead of candy
• Hand out temporary tattoos, stickers, and vampire teeth!
• Before trick-or-treating have a healthy family dinner so children's stomachs are full 
• Weigh your children's candy when they bring it home
• Sort out the candy and store some in the freezer to eat later in the year
• Have the 'Halloween candy fairy' come visit and exchange some candy with books or toys

Remember, candy on Halloween is okay as long as it is in moderation! Teach your students and families about balance and that the holidays are about more than just sweet treats!

We hope everyone has a healthy and safe Halloween!

Boosterthon Fun Run- A Healthy Fundraiser for your School

Last week James B. Edwards Elementary held a healthy fundraiser at their school called Boosterthon Fun Run! Boosterthon is a nine day fundraising campaign that begins with a school wide pep rally and ends with a Fun Run. Students receive pledges for the number of laps they plan to run, walk, and skip. All students participate in the Fun Run even if they do not receive any pledges, and each grade participates for one hour on the day of the event. Check out the video below of students during the Fun Run at JBE in Charleston County!

For more information about how to have a Boosterthon Fun Run fundraiser at your school, visit http://www.boosterthon.com. 

Bring Yoga to your school!

Check out the video below with Dave Spurlock from CCSD and Kids Yogaverse! Yoga is a great way to bring wellness into the classroom and teach students about their bodies and relaxation techniques. Kids Yogaverse (formerly knows as Kids Yoga Journey) provides trainings for teachers to learn more about how to incorporate yoga into the school day. Many schools across the Charleston area have already been trained and have yoga during the morning announcements and take yoga breaks during the day.

For more information on trainings and to download yoga videos for your school please visit: http://www.kidsyogajourney.com

National Child Health Day this week!

Dr. Michael Bowman with MUSC presented at Jennie Moore Elementary this week for National Child Health Day. This is another great opportunity for physicians who have adopted schools to get involved!  Please read this recap from Dr. Bowman about his experience:

                              

It appears to be a very well-kept secret that the first Monday of October is recognized nationally as “Child Health Day”.  It apparently started in the 1930s in May each year and was then moved to October in the 60’s.  I was asked to give a talk to a group of students at Jennie Moore School in Mount Pleasant this week, on October 7^th, as a part of their recognition of that day.  I went after school to see kids involved in “Kaleidoscope”, the Charleston school district’s after-school program for students at over 50 schools.  (How many of you know that the Title 1 schools in CHS now serve “dinner” to the kids in the after-school program?  Students can now get three meals a day at their school, so it’s another place to work to improve menus and teaching about healthy choices for food consumption as well as promoting physical activity.  Consider trying to get someone from food services to be involved in your school’s wellness committee.) 

I have given many talks to providers and caregivers, but only a few to students.  I strongly encourage our team members to offer to talk to students about health.  My talk was to be a half-hour or so.  I talked about health in general, growth/development/learning, safety, exercise/activity, health conditions and taking care of yourself, and making good choices.  The kids had way many more questions and comments (“my mom was in a car accident and went through the windshield—now she has a scar beside her nose”) than I had minutes.  After the talk, one girl quietly came up to say “I have dyslexia”.  Already I had asked who has asthma and found that 10-15% of them do.  A boy came up to ask what made me decide to do Pediatrics as my career.  They were enthusiastic and seemed interested.  At 4 p.m., they all stayed awake, too.  I found it really rewarding and encourage you to consider finding a time when you can not only participate in health fairs, but also find a venue and topic to talk to the kids directly.  One of the nurses I work with did a wonderful job of steering me to a MUCH more kid-friendly slide format than what I am used to using!  Last May I gave a talk at another school about tobacco risks.  They, too, were excited and respectful (about 50 5^th graders).  It’s a bit intimidating at first, but go for it.  The nurses and teachers REALLY appreciate our involvement, as do the students. 

Oakbrook Middle's Walk to School Day Morning News Show Video with Dr. Moore

Check out the morning news show video below Oakbrook Middle School in Dorchester 2 County School District made to promote their International Walk to School Day event on October 9! Their Docs Adopt physician, Dr. Joe Moore, was also interviewed on the morning news show to speak about the benefits of physical activity. Great job Oakbrook Middle and Dr. Moore!

We hope everyone who is participating has a safe and healthy Walk to School Day tomorrow morning!

Oakbrook Middle School Walk to School Promotion from Joseph Moore on Vimeo.

Let's Go Walk! the Bridge with MUSC and ESMM

Let’s Go WALK!

Saturday, October 5th

  

 Join MUSC Boeing Center for Children’s Wellness and Eat Smart Move More Charleston Tri-County for a kick-off event for the new Let’s Go! Campaign to promote physical activity. This event coincides with and serves as our Monthly Bridge Walk.

Where: Meet in gravel parking lot at corner of East Bay and Cooper Street –across from the Julian Divine Community Center on Charleston side of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge- free

When: 9AM Saturday, October 5^th (arrive a few minutes early to sign-in and stretch)

What: A self-paced 2.5 to 5.0 mile walk/run on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge

Why: if 3 people from your school participate you can earn points on our Wellness Checklist Contest for Employee Connections.

Contact: no pre-registration required.  Show up and look for Dave Spurlock and Mike Campbell wearing Let’s Go shirts. 

Check us out!:

www.esmmsc.org

www.musc.edu/leanteam

What a great day for a Walk To School!

The SC Safe Routes to School program supported Hursey Elementary School students in participating in the 2013 Walk To School.  From the waves, smiles and skipping along, this will be a Wellness activity to remember and hopefully will encourage parents and children to chose their own legs as a mode of transportation.