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Welcome to Botelle Elementary School Health Office!

SAVE LIVES- WASH YOUR HANDS-WEAR A MASK   

Hand washing

A simple secret to staying healthy! 20 seconds saves lives! 

Wash your hands:

1. After using the bathroom

2. Before and after eating

3. After coughing ,sneezing or blowing nose. 

4. After playing with pets.

5. After playing outside.

6. After touching a cut or sore.

Image by Bernard Hermant
Deer-Tick.jpg

Immunity-Boosting Snacks for Kids

Could the snacks you feed your kids cut their chances of getting sick? Healthy things in everyday foods -- from yogurt to walnuts -- may help boost a kid's natural defenses.

"We know that what you eat has a clear impact on your immunity," says Leo A. Heitlinger MD, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition. So whether you're arming your kid for cold and flu season or just aiming for good, year-round health, immune-boosting snacks may help.

 

5 Foods That Boost Immunity

From the WebMD archives

  •  Yogurt. Yogurt contains helpful germs called probiotics. You may already know that these critters live in your gut and can improve the way your body uses food. But they're also important in helping your body fight sickness. One study found that kids who had a yogurt drink had a 19% lower risk of coldsear infections, and strep throat.

    What type of yogurt should you get? look for brands that say they contain live cultures. "If it's separated when you open it, and there's a little liquid on top, that's a good sign,"          

  •  Kefir. This tart milk drink also packs lots of healthy probiotics. While the biting taste can be a surprise at first, it's catching on in the U.S. "You can buy it in single-size packages that you could pack in your kid's lunchbox," There isn’t much proof about kefir yet. But early research suggests it can help your immune system.                                             

  •  Walnuts. Walnuts have healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for you in lots of ways. Experts believe that omega-3s help your body fight illness. One small study found omega-3s cut the number of respiratory infections in kids. Walnuts are easy to sprinkle into a snack mix or on cereal.                                                               

  •  Fruits and veggies. To help your immune system,aim for ones that are high in vitamin C, like citrus fruits, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. Experts aren’t entirely sure how much vitamin C helps colds and flu.                         

  •  Lean meats. You might not think of a leftover pork chop as a snack -- or that it would boost your body’s disease fighting system. But lean meats can help. First of all, they have protein, which is important for keeping up strength. Second, lean meats also contain zinc, which seems to help white blood cells fight off infections.

Tips for Boosting Immunity With Foods

From the WebMD archives

  •  Choose a range of healthy foods. Don't get hung up on this month's hottest superfood, like a berry or grain that supposedly works miracle. It may be healthy, but it's not going to be a cure-all. Instead, offer kids a range of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.                                                            

  •  More isn't better. If one kiwi is good, that doesn't mean your kid should eat 10. Mega-dosing with foods won’t help. Once your kid's body has what it needs, the rest gets wasted. It's like pumping gas into a tank that's already full.                                           

  •  Know the limits. Remember, no food can prevent colds and flu. No food can cure them, either. So if your kid gets sick, it's not a sign that you didn’t give him a diet that was healthy enough. It's just life.                    

  •  Go for whole foods. Sure, orange juice has vitamin C, but your kid is better off with an orange instead. It has vitamin C and a lot more. "You get a lot more nutrients from the whole food than you would from a juice or supplement,"There are lots of healthy natural chemicals in foods that we haven't isolated in pills or juices -- or that we even know about yet.

Tips for talking to children about Covid-19

From the CDC

  • Remain calm. Remember that children will react to both what you say and how you say it. They will pick up cues from the conversations you have with them and with others.                                                          

  • Reassure children that they are safe. Let them know it is okay if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.                                             

  • Make yourself available to listen and to talk. Let children know they can come to you when they have questions.                    

  • Avoid language that might blame others and lead to stigma.                             

  • Pay attention to what children see or hear on television, radio, or online. Consider reducing the amount of screen time focused on COVID-19. Too much information on one topic can lead to anxiety.                                                         

  • Provide information that is truthful and appropriate for the age and developmental level of the child. Talk to children about how some stories on COVID-19 on the Internet and social media may be based on rumors and inaccurate information. Children may misinterpret what they hear and can be frightened about something they do not understand.                                

  • Teach children everyday actions to reduce the spread of germs. Remind children to wash their hands frequently and stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing or sick. Also, remind them to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then throw the tissue into the trash.                      

  • If school is open, discuss any new actions that may be taken at school to help protect children and school staff.

Tick - Talk 

How do you check a child for ticks?

1. Run a fine-toothed comb through your child's hair to check for ticks or run your fingers through their hair and scalp to feel for any bumps.

2.Light clothes are the right clothes. If your child plays outside in a wooded or tick-infested area, have him wear light-colored clothing so ticks can be spotted more easily.

What if I find a tick on my child?

  1. Use tweezers to grasp the tick firmly at its head or mouth, next to the skin.

  2. Pull firmly and steadily until the tick lets go of the skin. Do not twist the tick or rock it from side to side. ...

  3. Wash your hands and the site of the bite with soap and water.

  4. Swab the bite site with alcohol.

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