Parent Talk Magazine | June 2015

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Reasons for ReadingThe Benefits of Books During the Summer- 34

parenttalk

Knowledge is PowerDiscussing STEM - 39

June 2015

30 PARENT TALK MAGAZINE | June 2015

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I hope you enjoy this issue of Parent Talk. If you ever have any ideas or input, please email them to [email protected]. We welcome any input from local parents looking to spread their message of raising children in South Louisiana.

Keep talking, parents!

The Toy BoxThe ABC's of Healthy HabitsReasons for ReadingPrincipal's List: Blaise Pellegrin

Knowledge Is PowerLet’s Get Fit

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33

COVER PHOTO: JULIANA PENNISON

PublishersBen Jones Jr

Cody J. Blanchard

MANAGING EDITORKara Domangue

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTSJasmine Richard, Joni Bascle, Anne Marie Naquin,

Kim Thompson, Katherine Toups

TO ADVERTISE985.441.7073

PHOTOGRAPHYJuliana Pennison, Brian Waitz

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JUNE 2015VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 8

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Although we’ve had a heavy focus on outdoor summer activities, sports, and being physically fit and active last month, we also want to promote a healthy mind! During the summer, it’s a great idea to keep your child’s young mind on the move by participating in summer reading.

Whether it’s through a local program or local library, or you as a parent asking your child to read a little each day, active reading during the summer months will keep your child in tip-top shape when it comes time for school to start up again.

Dear Parents

Kara Domangue, Managing Editor

In This Issue

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parenttalk

Insight From The Inside40


Statistics from doh.wa.gov

The

Toy BoxJASMINE RICHARD, SOCIAL MEDIA LIBRARIAN

Free; All content is free with your Lafourche Library card. Ages: 4+; available on Google, Apple.Download the app and use your library card to get instant access to thousands of hit movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and music, which can be streamed on your computer, mobile devices, or web-connected TV. Hoopla has content for children, teens, and adults so the whole family can use it. https://www.hoopladigital.com

Toy of the Month

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JASMINE is a Technology and Media Librarian at the Lafourche Parish Public Library. She has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Psychology and a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS). You can contact her at:

[email protected](985) 446-1163

Lafourche Parish Library314 St. Mary StreetThibodaux, LA 70301

33WHATNOWMAG.com

The ABC’s of

Healthy Habits!F is for FISHBY KATHERINE TOUPS, THIBODAUX

Should I be eating fish in my diet? Yes! Here’s why you should! — Fish have lots of fatty acids, called Omega-3’s, that help protect our heart from heart disease and stroke. — They can also help boost your brain development and improve your mood! — Fish have healthy fat that can help your hair and skin look healthy too!— Regular consumption of fish can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. — Fish have protein to help build our muscles to be big and strong!

Here are some ideas to help you fit fish into your diet…(you should be eating fish two times a week to keep your body healthy!)— Try putting a spoon of tuna fish on wheat crackers for a healthy snack! You can also put some on a wheat wrap for a healthy lunch or dinner. — Ask your mom or dad to make tacos with fish rather than beef.— You can also ask them to make you baked fish sticks!

Some FUN FACTS about Fish…— Starfish are not considered fish. Neither are jellyfish!— Most brands of lipstick contain fish scales.— Seahorses are the only fish that swim upright. — Most fish have taste buds all over their body.— Most fish cannot swim backwards. Those that can are most likely members of the eel family!

Don’t forget to EAT your FISH today! pt

KATHERINE is Owner and Creator of Fusion Wellness. She is a Certified Wellness Coach, Personal Trainer and Exercise Group Instructor.

You can contact her at:[email protected]

Or visit her website at:www.wellwithfusion.com


REASONS FOR READINGTHE BENEFIT OF BOOKS DURING THE SUMMERBY BEN JONES JR, THIBODAUX

What’s the most important trait you’d like to develop in your child? If you’re like most parents, intelligence is probably at

the top of your list. Everyone wants bright, smart children, which is why there is so much time spent choosing the right schools and making sure teachers are exceeding expectations. But remember: as a parent, you have the power to boost your children’s learning potential simply by making books an integral part of their lives, especially during the summer months.

The benefits of reading start with the first book a baby hears and continues into childhood and throughout the child’s life. Here are some benefits of reading and reasons why reading is important and why children, as well as adults, should read often and widely.

Kids who read often and widely get better at it. This is pretty much just common sense. After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything we humans do and reading is no different from anything else.

Reading exercises our brains. Reading is a much more complex task for the human brain than, say, watching TV is. Reading strengthens brain connections and actually builds new connections.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JULIANA PENNISON

Reading improves concentration. Again, this is a bit of a no-brainer. Children have to sit still and quietly so they can focus on the story when they’re reading. If they read regularly, they develop the ability to do this for longer periods.

Reading teaches children about the world around them. Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experience. They are exposed to ways of life, ideas, and beliefs about the world, which may be different from those that surround them. This learning is important for its own sake however it also builds a store of background knowledge, which helps younger children learn to read confidently and well.

Reading improves a child’s vocabulary and leads to more highly developed language skills. This is because children learn new words as they read but also because they unconsciously absorb information as they read about things like how to structure sentences and how to use words and language effectively.

Reading develops a child’s imagination. This is because when we read, our brains translate the descriptions we read of people,

35WHATNOWMAG.com

places and things into pictures. When we’re engaged in a story, we’re also imagining how the characters are feeling. We use our own experiences to imagine how we would feel in the same situation.

Reading helps kids develop empathy. A person reading and getting involved in a book can identify with the character in the story so you’re feeling what he’s feeling.

Children who read do better at school. And they don’t just do better at subjects like reading, English, and history. They do better at all subjects and they do better all the way through school.

Reading is a great form of entertainment. A paperback book or an e-reader like the Amazon Kindle doesn’t take up much space so you can take it anywhere and you’ll never be lonely or bored if you have a book in your bag.

You can read while waiting in a queue, while waiting for a friend who’s running late, or during a flight delay at an airport.

Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. The constant movement, flashing lights, and noise which bombard our senses when we’re watching TV, looking at a computer, or playing an electronic game are actually quite stressful for our brains. When we read, we read in silence and the black print on a white page is much less stressful for our eyes and brains.

Reading is the key to opening doors in your young child’s mind. Through imagination and understanding new words, reading will boost your child’s learning potential with the turn of each page. pt


37WHATNOWMAG.com

What made you decide to join the school system?I wanted to make a difference in the lives of young people by educating them and creating an environment filled with positive experiences. I know what made me who I am are the experiences I had in school.

What has been your greatest joy in being a part of an elementary school?Seeing students who both excel and struggle receive a high school diploma, and realizing the future opportunities that this opens for them brings me joy.

Tell me about your school (It’s history, number of students and grades, etc.)

Ellender was originally a Junior High built in 1976. It housed

Principal s ListBlaise Pellegrin, Ellender Memorial High School

BY BEN JONES JR

grades 8-9 and fed into South Terrebonne. In August of 1988 it became a 9-12 High School and now has just under 1000 (954) students on average. We are the most culturally diverse in the area with a population of 35% African American, 35% Caucasian, 17% Native American, 8% Hispanic, and 3% Asian.

What was your favorite book or favorite characters as a child and why?

I remember being in 8th grade reading George Orwells 1984 when I was in Junior High (actually here at Ellender). The events of that book and the description of a society controlled and monitored by “Big Brother” fascinated me and sparked my interest in the political influences behind the story. pt

PHOTO: BRIAN WAITZ

,


snack and keep them hydrated with lots of water. If your child is not a fan of baseball, you have plenty of other options to choose from!

Does your athlete prefer to participate in sports that don’t require a team all of the time? There’s lots to choose from there too! Martial Arts is a great way for kids to get physically active and learn on their own level. The school free days of summer might be the perfect time to work on their next belt in Karate! With no homework to keep them busy, they might just enjoy the extra attention they can give to improving and moving up! No matter what you and your fit kid decide to do this summer, keep lots of water and sunscreen handy and use them both often! pt

June is the official start of summer! The year may be getting away from us, but that doesn’t mean that our children’s fitness has to do

the same. Summer time is a great time to try new things and help your child(dren) stay fit. Check with the local recreation department for fun team sports like baseball and softball and let your little one make new friends while getting more than his or her fair share of exercise as they run the bases and swing those bats! While they might only play once or twice a week, this gives you a reason to get outside with your little slugger at home and practice. You can help them practice something that they have fun doing, while sneaking in some exercise during the lazy days of summer. Be sure to keep lots of fruits on hand as a healthy

Let s Get FitFit and Fun Summer

BY JONI BASCLE, THIBODAUX

JONI is Manager and Certified Trainer of Koko FitClub, Advocare Distributor, Nationally Certified Personal Trainer and Master Certified Koko FitCoach. She is the mother of 1 son.

You can contact her at:[email protected]

Or visit these websites:www.kokofitlcub.comwww.advocare.com/131030270

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39WHATNOWMAG.com

Knowledge is PowerDiscussing STEM

BY ANNE MARIE NAQUIN, HOUMA

ANNE MARIE is Director of the Sylvan Learning Center. She is the mother of 2 children and has a Bachelor's Degree in English and Math from LSU.

You can contact her at:[email protected](985) 233-3798

Or visit Sylvan's website at:www.sylvanlearning.com

STEM is becoming a more and more prominent topic in the mainstream and is something that should be considered by

all parents.

What is STEM? The topic of STEM seems to appear often in discussions about

education in the recent news. Are you curious what STEM is? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education.

Major US companies are showing a growing interest in STEM. But why? One of the main reasons to focus on these areas is that the skills and knowledge in these subjects are essential for student success. In addition, these fields will play a part in the real world, influencing a child’s potential future jobs. There is growing concern that the students of today are not prepared for the jobs of tomorrow unless we put more focus and resources towards STEM education at an early age.

“The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) will grow 17 percent by 2018—nearly double the growth for non-STEM fields. By 2018, the U.S. will have more than 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs because there will not be enough qualified workers to fill them. STEM is where jobs are today and where the job growth will be in the future.” (Source Forbes)

The White House Focus on STEMTo address this concern President Obama helped launch Change

the Equation, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of STEM education in the United States. Change the Equation works at the intersection of business and education to ensure that all students are STEM literate by collaborating with schools, communities, and states to adopt and implement excellent STEM policies and programs. Part of the focus is to empower teachers and parents with STEM resources. STEM Integration in K-12 Education shares the latest National Research Council.

Major Companies Focus on STEMSTEM is growing and it’s important for some major companies.

The White House and The Department of Education are supporting the need to emphasize STEM for students and asking for companies to do the same. Clearly the research shows that the demand for STEM is high, which is why companies like Google, Nascar, Chevron and more are creating programs for teachers and parents to help support students. Companies want to help to prepare future

employees with the knowledge and skillset they will require in the future roles our children will play in their companies.

What do STEM programs mean as a Parent?As a parent, knowing that major companies are investing in STEM

for my child, it’s clear that we need to be proactive for our children to provide them with these opportunities at school and outside of school to help prepare them for future careers. Let’s ignite their interest at an early age and give the right opportunities for them to build on. pt


Insight from the InsideDetecting and Preventing Disordered Eating Behaviors

BY KIM THOPMSON, THIBODAUX

Pre-adolescence is that awkward stage in everyone’s life that is ripe with change. These are called the formative years for a reason:

the way we experience and perceive the world during these crucial years helps us to shape our self-worth and learn the skills needed to navigate the wonderful world full of twists and turns. Girls are experiencing a surge in estrogen; and boys testosterone. Bodies are changing, and body image, as well. Our little birdies go from sheltered and dependent to peering over the nest as they dream about those independent days of flight up ahead. This can be very exciting; but it can also be unnerving for them (and for parents, too). When our children face challenges at this stage, their former coping skills may be inadequate. This is why we sometimes begin to see strange and seemingly dysfunctional ways of dealing with stress like disordered eating and self-injury (addressing the latter in a later column). Fortunately, early detection is the best way to head these potentially dangerous concerns off before they become serious.

Here are a few things to look for if you are concerned about your child’s eating habits.— Drastic change in eating habits. He may make excuses for not eating, push his food around on his plate, or may eat large portions of food. Some children begin to hide when they eat.— Visiting the bathroom after meals. People who engage in vomiting or use of laxatives create distractions and often hide their purging activity long before others notice.— Sudden and unexplained weight loss.— Preoccupation with body image and food. She may need lots of validation about her beauty or spend inordinate amounts of time in the mirror (above and beyond normal teenage admiration). She shows anxiety around food or becomes obsessed with counting calories.— Over exercising. Pushing their bodies to the limits of physical exertion is another way teens can disguise purging activity.— Significant mood swings and negative thoughts. Often, the types of children who develop eating disorders may be perfectionistic or may have low self-esteem. They may think “it” is never good enough, including their body and their weight. They say things like, “If only I could be as skinny as her, I would feel happy.” — Social activity change. These kids are often people pleasers. When “everybody” doesn’t like him, or so he perceives, he may withdraw

from typical social activities and relationships because he feels lonely and inadequate.

Here are some things you can do to model appropriate eating behaviors and body image in your home:— Keep the lines of communication wide open. When kids come to you with issues that may shock you, be sure to listen and respond in a way that keeps them coming back again and again. — MODEL appropriate and healthy self-esteem and body image – in WORDS and in ACTION. This means LOVE your body, no matter the imperfections you see. If your child witnesses a parent constantly poking their imperfect areas in the mirror or hears a parent constantly complaining of their love handles, the child could put a lot of emphasis on body perfection, as well.— MODEL appropriate eating habits also. If a child sees a parent engage in extreme eating – meaning either binging or restricting – then the child may potentially develop disordered eating ideals, too. Likewise, if a parent repeatedly talks about dieting or the scale around her daughter, for example, it will likely make an impression on the girl that her weight is a value of her worth.Now, I am not saying that if your child likes to look in the mirror, loves sports, is eating cleaner, and has lost her baby fat means that she has an eating disorder. Lots of these behaviors, in MODERATION, are normal for a teen who is growing into his or her own body. If you are concerned about your child’s eating behaviors, don’t delay in addressing the issue. You never want to force it out of your child. Many people with eating disorders will deny it because it is shameful, and they don’t understand it themselves. You can say something like, “I’m concerned about you because I see that you have been unhappy and not attending school functions. I also notice that you haven’t been eating supper with us lately. I’d like to help.” Do not let them make excuses if you believe your child is truly struggling. Seek professional help such as a counselor or an eating disorder clinic if you need a professional assessment or treatment. It may be a struggle for cooperation in that tense moment, but, in the end, it will be relief to all to get the truth out and to find a better path. Lastly, I refer to the National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) website for more information on issues like these. pt

KIM is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Counselor, Nicholls State University Instructor and has her MSW, LCSW, and LLC. She is the mother of 3 sons. You can contact her at:

[email protected] (985) 493-9304

41WHATNOWMAG.com

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Parent Talk Magazine | June 2015