National Nutrition Month
March is National Nutrition Month. It’s a great time to take a closer look at what you and your kids are eating.
Through National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association promotes healthful eating by providing practical nutrition guidance and focusing attention on making informed food choices and developing sound physical activity habits. The theme of this year’s campaign is 100% Fad Free. Here are some ideas for healthful eating:
- Develop an eating plan for lifelong health. Too often, people adopt the latestfood fad rather than focusing on overall health. Get back to basics and use the newDietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid as your guide to healthy eating.
- Choose foods sensibly by looking at the big picture. A single food or meal won’t make or break a healthful diet. When consumed in moderation in appropriate portions, all foods can fit into a healthful diet. Learn how to spot a food fad. Unreasonable or exaggerated claims that eating (or not eating) specific foods, nutrient supplements or combinations of foods may cure disease or offer quick weight loss are key features of fad diets.
- Find your balance between food and physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your overall health and fitness, plus it helps control body weight, promotes a feeling of well-being and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
- Food and nutrition misinformation can have harmful effects on your health and well-being, as well as your wallet. Registered dietitians are uniquely qualified to communicate current and emerging science-based nutrition information and are an instrumental part of developing a diet plan that meets your individual needs.
Snow Days and Test Performance
The snow days that many Kentucky school kids enjoyed earlier this year could have an impact on test scores.
According to David Marcotte, an economist who studies education, there is
a substantial difference between years when the winters are white and when they are warm. His hunch is that time lost in the heart of the school year can never really be reclaimed and that schools pay the price in lower scores on standardized tests.
Marcotte says a few makeup days tacked onto the end of the school year
don’t make much of a difference.
School Calendar Update
If your child’s district has had any snow days this school year, you may want to check the school calendar for any updates.
In Kentucky, districts have a lot of flexibility in amending school calendars to make up for snow days. Several districts have already cancelled previously scheduled school holidays or extended the school day. Others have extended the school year in order to meet the state minimum instructional term of 175 six-hour days or the equivalent for the 2006-07 school year.
Check with your child’s school or district office for any changes to the current school calendar.
Exceptional Children Panel Meets
The State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children invites parents of children with disabilities to a public hearing on March 3 from 4:45 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.
During the public hearing citizens may express their comments regarding any issues in the education of children and youth with disabilities. There also will be an opportunity to meet panel members.
The primary purpose of the panel is to advise the Kentucky Department of Education’s Division of Exceptional Children Services on issues concerning the education of child and youth with disabilities.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Showcase
The Showcase of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will be held on March 9 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Fair and Expo Center in Louisville.
The showcase is an educational program designed to raise awareness of opportunities at HBCU. The event is aimed at students in grades 8-12, parents of college-bound students and current college students considering a transfer.
At the showcase, students can attend college preparation workshops and career-planning sessions with professionals in various fields and careers in addition to visiting various college and university booths.
Daylight Saving Time Reminder
It’s almost time to spring ahead. Thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Daylight Saving Time (DST) starts earlier and runs later starting in 2007. This year DST returns at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March (March 11) and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November (November 4).
So before you go to bed on Saturday, March 10, be sure you set your clocks and watches ahead one hour.
The time change also should serve as a reminder to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and to make sure they are in working order.
Web links in this edition:
*National Nutrition Month
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/
ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_4920_ENU_HTML.htm