Fun Summer Days!

Eating Better, Getting Active

Published by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services | June 30, 2010

School’s out. Things are slow at work. And the warmer weather brings lots of new opportunities to improve your health: plenty of fresh, local produce and more choices for outside activities. Here’s how to make the most of the summer . . . read more

Student Athletes & Parents Strongly Encouraged to Know the Risks/Signs/Symptoms/Treatments of Concussion

2 Resources Posted to Educate on Common Danger

June 22, 2010

If your child participates in high school sports, please read the following two resources pertaining to the dangers of concussion: Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports--A Fact Sheet for Athletes (published by the U.S. Department . . . read more

Strike a Chord for Health

Music Matters for Body and Mind

Published by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (January 2010) | March 30, 2010

Music can lift you up. It can bring tears to your eyes. It can help you relax or make you get up and dance. You probably hear it several times a day—on the radio or TV, in the supermarket, at the gym or hummed by a passerby. Music’s been . . . read more 1

Parents Encouraged to Learn True "Social Norms" of Teenagers

Truth Often Opposite of Common Stereotypes

by School Community Intervention Program's (SCIP) January 2010 Newsletter | January 12, 2010

Kids of every age attempt to sway parents and other adults with the arguments that everyone is doing it, everyone has it, or no one else has their rules. This is a type of persuasion, much like the self‐fulfilling prophecy that kids can . . . read more

Over 50% of WPS Staff Now Know Their Numbers

Three Rivers Offers Free Personal Health Risk Assessments

WPS Nurse Mary Specht | May 6, 2009

On April 29/30, staff members of Wahoo Public Schools had the opportunity to get to “Know Their Numbers.” Three Rivers District Health Department came to our campus to offer Personal Health Risk Assessments for employees as a . . . read more

Three Rivers Confirms Two Cases of Salmonella in Saunders & Washington Counties

Cases Likely Associated with Other Cases in the Omaha Area

by Three Rivers District Health Department | March 16, 2009

Two cases of Salmonella were confirmed in Saunders and Washington Counties last week. On March 3, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reported 14 lab confirmed cases, state-wide, with the probable source coming from an . . . read more

Tips for Teens: Driving Requires More Than Just a Set of Car Keys and a License

by Alison Thomsen | March 16, 2009

With spring on our doorsteps, and warm weather right around the corner, Wahoo High School students are ready to slide behind the wheel, roll down their windows, and cruise the square. Whether you’re driving by yourself, or with a . . . read more

Nebraska Posts One of the Highest Death Rates of Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in the United States

Nebraska Regional Poison Center Offers Tips to Keep Your Family Safe

December 10, 2008

Each year, carbon monoxide poisoning kills nearly 500 people nationwide and sickens thousands more. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Nebraska has one of the highest percentages of carbon monoxide fatality rates in the United . . . read more

Diet Danger: High Fructose Corn Syrup

The Effects of Corn Syrup Aren't So Sweet

by Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietician (Courtesy of SparkPeople.com) | April 21, 2008

Trying to save money, food companies introduced High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) into the food market in the 1970s. Sweetening manufactured foods this way is profitable, because it is less expensive and much sweeter than sugar, yet easy to . . . read more

Students Lacking Education on Healthy Relationships

While Not Often Discussed, Research Suggests Dating Violence on College Campuses Is Not Only Prevalent, but Also Tolerated

by Jonathan Rollins | March 12, 2008

This article is reprinted with permission from the September 2007 issue of Counseling Today, the monthly newspaper of the American Counseling Association ( www.counseling.org ). Early in her professional career, Carol Klose Smith . . . read more

WANTED: INFORMATION ON MIP PARTIES

Sheriff's Office Asks for Community Assistance to Keep Kids Safe

February 26, 2008

If you know of a MIP party going on now, call 911. If you suspect a MIP party will happen or know of one that will occur in advance, call the Saunders County Sheriff 's Dispatch at 443-1000 or Crime Stoppers at 443-8181. You may be . . . read more 8

Watch Your Cholesterol

Why You Should Keep Your Blood Level in Check

Published by the National Institutes of Health [NIH], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services | January 22, 2008

You’ve heard that you should lower your cholesterol, but do you know why? Sometimes we tend to ignore advice when we don’t understand the reasons. That’s why it’s important to learn what cholesterol is, what it does in your body . . . read more

'Meanest Mom on Planet' Sells Son's Car

Des Moines, Iowa (AP)

January 10, 2008

Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the "meanest mom on the planet." After finding alcohol in her son's car, she decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old's misdeed with everyone -- by placing an ad in the local newspaper. . . . read more 6

Keeping Portions Under Control

Tips for Parents to Help Raise Healthy Children

posted on www.kidshealth.org | November 26, 2007

Bagels as big as frisbees. Muffins the size of flower pots. Bowls of pasta so deep, your fork can barely find the bottom. It's not surprising that waistlines of kids and adults have been expanding over the last few decades. Part of the . . . read more

Make Time to Read to Your Children!

Popular Children's Author Offers "Ten Read-Aloud Commandments"

October 29, 2007

Without exception, research clearly shows that reading aloud to your child(ren) is one of the most important things you can do to prepare them for academic and personal success. Best-selling children's author Mem Fox has established . . . read more

"Family Day - A Day to Eat with Your Children": A National Initiative to Remind Parents that What Your Kids Really Want at the Dinner Table is YOU!

Monday, September 24

September 17, 2007

The Power of Parenting Whether you’re cooking a gourmet meal, ordering food from your favorite take-out place or eating on the go, rest assured that what your kids really want during dinnertime is YOU! Family meals are the . . . read more

Parents Be Aware: 'The Choking Game' Poses Dangerous Threat to Local Youth

The 'Game' Has Taken the Lives of Two Lincoln Teens

by Brad Freidel, DO | January 5, 2007

This article was originally posted in 2007. This past Friday, a David City Aquinas 6th grader passed away from participating in this dangerous game, so we have decided to re-post the article.  PARENTS: For more information on . . . read more 1

Government Releases MyPyramid to Stress Importance of Nutrition and Exercise

by WPS Nurse Mary Specht | January 17, 2006

MyPyramid was introduced in 2005 as the new food guidance graphic to share the importance of individualized eating plans. Shortly after this was introduced, the government released MyPyramid for Kids to help share with children, ages . . . read more

Nutrition -- Energy and Sports Drinks Attack Enamel

Article courtesy of the Academy of General Dentistry

Submitted by WPS Nurse Mary Specht | October 3, 2001

     Sports beverages and energy drinks appeal to people who maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, the same drinks that claim to recharge the body after a workout could cause more irreversible damage to teeth . . . read more