Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

We are looking for girls aged 10-13 to join our exciting summer group. We are recognizing that some girls this age start dropping out of sports and activities they previously enjoyed. Our goal is to encourage girls to stay active and eat well. Building self-esteem and learning to have a positive body image are also important parts of this program.

July 5-9; 10:30 am-1:30 pm Or
August 23-27; 10:30 am – 1:30 pm

Kitimat Child Development Centre, 1515 Kingfisher Avenue

Each session will consist of three parts:
• A fun activity in a supportive environment
• Cooking a healthy lunch
• Learning about your self

Girls must be willing to participate and have fun! This group would not be appropriate for girls who are already active in organized sports or other activities. If you would like more information or would like to register for this FREE program, please contact us at 250-632-3144 (ext. 24—Carolyn, ext. 30—Luiza) or by e-mail at cwatt@kitimatcdc.ca or lcouto@kitimatcdc.ca

• see full poster: girlpower Revision 2010

Salvaging Sisterhood has started @ RW!

The group is titled Salvaging Sisterhood and is designed to raise awareness, develop empathy, teach healthy conflict, explore feelings, and promote a positive change in female relation­ship.  This program also addresses the “relational aggression” that is frequently used by girls in their friendships.  All grade 6 girls at Roy Wilcox are taking part in this initial group.  Salvaging Sisterhood will meet for forty-five minutes, once a week, for eight weeks.

Purpose of Salvaging Sisterhood:

l  Teach girls to communicate efficiently

l  Raise awareness

l  Develop empathy

l  Teach healthy conflict

l  Explore feelings

l  Promote a positive change in female relationships

If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact:
Jocelyn Iannarelli, Community LINK Program,
Roy Wilcox Elementary, @ 250.632.7180 ext 6021

FRIENDS For Life in BC – recognized by the World Health Organization as a “first in the world” universal school-based program targeting anxiety and resilience.

Monday, March 29th, 2010 6-9pm

FREE! Refreshments – Door Prizes – Question Opportunity

Location: Kildala Elementary School
Please RSVP to: 250-632-6194 or
email nancy.tormene@cmsd.bc.ca to register your seat

For more details see flyer posted in this post

FRIENDS for Life is a school based, evidence based curriculum, delivered by teachers/educators in the classroom. FRIENDS is now in its sixth year of implementation; available to students in grade 4, 5, and 7. Our goal is to reach as many students as possible, to provide them with life skills that will help them cope with worries and stress, by strengthening resiliency while reducing their risk of developing an anxiety disorder.

WHAT IS THE RAINBOWS PROGRAM?

Children grieving a loss NEED SUPPORT as well as HEALING. These needs touch an ever-increasing number of children each year. RAINBOWS provides effective peer support programs for children grieving the loss of a family member due to death, divorce, separation, abandonment, adoption, foster home or other painful life transitions. RAINBOWS is available to all children and is free of charge.

WHY DO WE NEED THE RAINBOWS PROGRAM?

We need the program because when something significant happens in a family, the entire family is affected. Even though death, separation or divorce occurs, not only do the parents grieve, the children do also. Because of their age and limited life experiences, children find it extremely difficult to verbalize their feelings.

WHEN: Starting March 2010

ARE YOU INTERESTED? If you are interested in enrolling your child, or would like more information please call:

David Mills 250-632-2912 | david.mills@cmsd.bc.ca
Sandy Boguski 250-632- 6194 ext 6303 | sboguski@kitimatcdc.ca
Jocelyn Iannarelli 250-632-7180 ext 6021 | jiannarelli@kitimatcdc.ca

A community partnership between the Coast Mountain School District, Kitimat Child Development Centre and Kitimat Hospice Society

Teenagers who start smoking marijuana before the age of sixteen are four times more likely to become schizophrenic. That’s the startling conclusion of some of the world’s top schizophrenia experts, whose research is featured in the new documentary The Downside of High.

The scientists’ groundbreaking work on the connection between marijuana and mental illness also reveals that, for all young adults, smoking marijuana nearly doubles the risk of developing recurring psychosis, paranoia and hallucinations – the hallmarks of schizophrenia.

The Downside of High, directed and written by Bruce Mohun, tells the stories of three young people from British Columbia who believe – along with their doctors – that their mental illness was triggered by marijuana use. All three spent months in hospital psychiatric wards, and still wage a battle with their illness. Today’s super-potent pot may be a big part of the problem. Modern growing techniques have dramatically increased the amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – ramping up the threat to the developing teenage brain.

view pdf article : Downside_of_High_PRESSKIT_WEB2

[The British Columbia Schizophrenia Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1982 by families and friends of people with schizophrenia.]

For more information contact The Terrace Branch at:

Phone/Fax 250.635.8206
Toll free 1.866.326.7877
Email bcssterr@telus.net

Happy New Year and welcome back!

Roy Wilcox has a fantastic new program starting up with ActNowBC, an initiative to improve the health of BC children and families.

The program is called The School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program.

Participation in this Program is at NO COST to your school throughout the school year.  Students and school staff will receive a fresh fruit or vegetable snack twice a week every other week. Eating the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables improves children’s health and improves children’s ability to concentrate. The fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables to be served in the Program will be grown in BC, subject to availability.

See the 9 minute instructional video below


More Information from BC Agricultural:

Here is an overview of the Risk Watch program
The Roy Wilcox Risk Watch Program

For children ages 14 and under, the number-one health risk isn’t drugs or disease: it’s injuries. Each year, unintentional injuries kill more than 5,000 kids and injure more than 6,000,000. In Canada, injuries are the leading cause of death for children over one year of age. Every time a child is injured or killed by an unintentional injury, everyone suffers – the child, his or her family, classmates and friends, and the entire community. Sadly, the vast majority of these injuries are not random “accidents” – they are predictable and preventable. With education, motivation, and the support of caring adults, NFPA believes that children can learn to be much safer.
What is Risk Watch?
Risk Watch is the first comprehensive injury prevention program available for use in schools. Developed by NFPA and in collaboration with a panel of respected safety and injury prevention experts, Risk Watch gives children and their families the skills and knowledge they need to create safer homes and communities. Risk Watch is a school-based curriculum that links teachers with community safety experts and parents. The program addresses the following topics:

• Motor vehicle safety
• Fire and burn prevention
• Choking, suffocation and strangulation prevention
• Poisoning prevention
• Falls prevention
• Firearms injury prevention
• Bike and pedestrian safety
• Water safety

Many people consider the holidays a stressful time. Shopping, meal planning, decorating, social obligations, family expectations, and added expenditures can create significantstress. But in 2009, there are additional stresses that come with the economic recession and the associated uncertainties. The last things we need are more money worries, more hassles, and more stress during the holidays! You can decide to make this year different. The less-than ideal economy provides a perfect opportunity to change your approach to the holidays, for this year, maybe forever.

See HANDOUT

Family Services Employee
Assistance Programs
1-800-667-0993
www.fseap.bc.ca

The EFAP provides 2 4 -hour immediate counseling support to help you and your family deal with any crisis or urgent situation. There is always a master’s level
counsellor available to talk with you, 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year.

Your Community Service Providers, Kitimat Child Development Centre and Haisla Health Centre would like to share some messages with you.

There have been a number of unexpected/unplanned occurrences in our communities. Any change can trigger stress and anxiety reactions in both adults and children.

We would like to share some tips and resources you can use in this poster!

Please be advised that, the following consultation with Dr. Bowering, our Medical Health Officer, all Coast Mountains School District schools in Kitimat will be closed effective tomorrow, Wednesday, November 4th, through Friday, November 6th. These schools will reopen on Monday, November 9th. Schools affected are: Kildala, Nechako, and Roy Wilcox Elementary Schools; Kitimat City High Alternate and Mount Elizabeth Secondary School.

All of our school in Kitimat are experiencing escalating absenteeism due to flu-related illness, and at this point, it is difficult to maintain effective instructional settings. As with our earlier closure of Mount Elizabeth Secondary, closing the schools will help to reduce the current cycle of transmission of the flu virus.

Dr. Bowering has asked us to remind you that it will be important for students and staff to isolate themselves as much as possible over these next few days, and that you continue to take all precautionary measures as outlined by Health authorities.

Further communication, or updates on this situation will be provided through local media and the District Website: www.cmsd.bc.ca

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely, Rob Greenwood
Superintendent of Schools

A big thank you to Roy Wilcox parents from Mrs. Hone and Ms. Meyer!

The number of people who phoned in this morning to tell us their children are sick was amazing.  It made our jobs alot easier!

Janet Meyer

Aboriginal Child and Youth Mental Health will be hosting a group for all children ages 8-12 that demonstrate symptoms of anxiety. Our goal is to teach both children and their families relaxation techniques and coping strategies to successfully manage the challenges a child with anxiety may face.

WHAT: Anxiety Support Group

FOR WHO: Children ages 8-12 and their parents/guardians

WHEN: Every Thursday from November 12th to December 17th

TIME: 3:30-4:30pm

PLACE: Kermode Friendship Society, #4-528 Mountainview Square, Kitimat
(Door is beside entrance to Constant Cravings)

PRICE: FREE! Snacks & Refreshments provided

See flyer for more details

With winter approaching, so is the flu season; here is some more information to protect yourself and your family.

The following advice, given by Dr. Oz (an American cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and talk show host), makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation (to increase or spread at a rapid rate) is.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

• Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
• “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe.)
• Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don’t trust salt).  H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
• Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. Blowing the nose softly once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
• Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
• Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Symptoms of H1N1

• For the first one to two days, a person infected with H1N1 will not have symptoms.
• The third day the person would start to feel the normal aches and pains that one gets with the regular flu.
• The fourth and fifth day the person will get other flu symptoms such as a sore throat and diarrhea.
• The seventh to tenth day is where one can tell a difference between the swine flu and the regular flu. He reported that a person has the swine flue if they start to get more breathing problems instead of getting better.

Dr. Oz stated that a person should seek medical treatment if they’re having difficulty breathing, experiencing dizziness and confusion, or vomiting so much that he can’t keep fluids down. He reported that parents should take their children to a doctor if they’re skin color is bluish gray or they’re nonresponsive. Dr. Oz said to immediately seek medical treatment if your child begins to get better and then gets sick again.

Interestingly, among things in the household that help to prevent the swine flu are:

• Basic cleaners including antibacterial wipes
• Probiotics such as garlic, onions, and yogurt
• Supplements including vitamin D and North American ginseng

More Links

• How to look after someone at home with H1N1 flu virus

• Key Facts on H1N1 Flu Virus: Be Prepared, what to have on hand