News Bulletin

January 2014 Edgewater Early Learning Center A program of One Hope United 5244 N. Lakewood Ave., Chicago IL, 60640 773.907.0278

Monthly

Healthy Lifestyles Curriculum

OVERALL HEALTh EXERCISE NUTRITIon EnVIRonMEnTAL SUSTAInABILITY

Sniffle or Sneeze? No Antibiotics Please!

CDC advises parents about colds, flu and antibiotics Source: www.cdc.gov

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has news for parents this cold and flu season: antibiotics dont work for a cold or the flu. Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses. And colds, flu and most sore throats are caused by viruses. Antibiotics dont touch virusesnever have, never will And its not really news. Its a long-documented medical fact. But tell that to parents seeking relief for a childs runny nose. Research shows that most Americans have either missed the message about appropriate antibiotic use or they simply dont believe it. Its a case of mistaken popular belief winning out over fact. According to public opinion research, there is a perception that antibiotics cure everything. Americans believe in the power of antibiotics so much that many patients go to the doctor expecting to get a prescription. And they do. Why? Physicians often are too pressured for time to engage in lengthy explanations of why antibiotics wont work. And, when the diagnosis is uncertainas many symptoms for viral and bacterial infections are similardoctors are more likely to yield to patient demands for antibiotics. Risk of antibiotic-resistance The problem is, taking antibiotics when they are not needed can do more harm than good. Wide spread inappropriate use of antibiotics is fueling an increase in drug-resistant bacteria. And sick individuals arent the only people who can suffer the consequences. Families and entire communities feel the impact when disease-causing germs become resistant to antibiotics.

The most obvious consequence of inappropriate antibiotic use is its effect on the sick patient. When antibiotics are incorrectly used to treat children or adults with viral infections, such as colds and flu, they arent getting the best care for their condition. A course of antibiotics wont fight the virus, make the patient feel better, yield a quicker recovery or keep others from getting sick. A less obvious consequence of antibiotic overuse is the boost it gives to drug-resistant disease-causing bacteria. Almost every type of bacteria has become stronger and less responsive to antibiotic treatment when it really is needed. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria can quickly spread to family members, school mates and co-workers threatening the community with a new strain of infectious disease that is more difficult to cure and more expensive to treat. According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance is one of the worlds most pressing public health problems. Americans of all ages can lower this risk by talking to their doctors and using antibiotics appropriately during this cold and flu season.

Four Components of the

Children and adults with viral infections recover when the illness has run its course. Colds caused by viruses may last for two weeks or longer. Measures that can help a person with a cold or flu feel better: Increase fluid intake Use a cool mist vaporizer or saline nasal spray to relieve congestion Soothe throat with ice chips, sore throat spray or lozenges (for older children and adults) Viral infections may sometimes lead to bacterial infections. Patients should keep their doctor informed if their illness gets worse or lasts a long time.

HEALThY TIPS

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER IN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION

Book of the Month:

In this new feature, we highlight literacy with a recommended book of the month! If you have any favorite books that you would like to share with others, please let us know! Snowballs, written by Lois Ehlert, is a seasonal favorite! The book takes you on a journey to follow birds to see how snowballs become snow creatures. Along the way, the reader sees familiar shapes and objects that were created with snowballs. The recognizable objects make it easy for children to follow the simple text. Lois Ehlert is the author of many favorite childrens books, such as Growing Vegetable Soup, Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf and many others!

2. Can you move around the home with a pa per plate on your head without it falling off? How about on your hand? How about on your tummy or back? 3. Make up your own yoga moves with your body. Have someone try to copy your shapes and sizes. 4. Find more great ideas for family physical activities in the December Get Moving Today Activity Calendar from Head Start Body Start at http://www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart

Holiday Gift Drive

Special thanks to the many donors who contributed to One Hope Uniteds Annual Holiday Gift Drive! Thank you for helping to make the holidays special for our children and families!

Healthy Bodies are Moving Bodies

Start this year by focusing on the importance of physical activity for your child-and your entire family! Even though it is still important to be outside for short periods of time during the winter months, you may find less opportunity for outdoor activities. For those days that do not allow you to be outside for long, here are some ideas for physical activities you can do with your child in the comfort of your own home. 1. Sort your toys as you exercise. Begin by figuring out how to sort by color, by sizethen make piles on different ends of your home. As you find an object move quickly to the correct pile, hop on each foot 5 times, and then move quickly back to get another toy.

Tell Your Friends About Us!

We would like to thank you for all of your wonderful words of praise about our center to your family and friends! Our program continues to grow through your referrals. Because of this, we are pleased to announce the Refer-A-Friend incentive program. Heres how it works: 1. You tell a friend about our program. 2. Your friend calls us and provides your name as the referral source. 3. Your friend enrolls his/her child(ren) in the program. 4. You receive $25 after the child is enrolled for three months. (1 incentive per family referred).

Cooking on a Budget
Is it possible to create healthy snacks for your family while staying on budget? Why, yes it is! Try Chickpea Dip, a low cost, delicious and easy to prepare snack for you to make with your family. CHICKPEA DIP Ingredients: 3 garlic clove 14 cup yogurt (plain, low-fat) 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh) 1 teaspoon olive oil 14 teaspoon salt 14 teaspoon paprika 14 teaspoon pepper 1 can chickpeas (19oz, drained garbanzo beans) Instructions: 1. Put all ingredients into a food processors and blend until smooth. 2. Serve at room temperature with whole wheat pita chips, crackers, carrots or other dipping vegetables. This recipe creates 4 servings, each having 160 calories, 2.5 g of fat and 8 g of protein. Cost per serving is only $0.32! Chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high in dietary fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. Eating chickpeas regularly can help you manage your weight, boost intestinal health and reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Whether you call it a chickpea or a garbanzo bean, theres no question that chickpeas are a healthy addition to any diet.

From the Directors Desk:

Happy 2014 to our EELC families! Thank you to all families who took time to meet with Family Support and Classroom Teachers last month for Family Conferences. Our teaching teams are continually collecting observations so that we can plan, individualize and set goals for our children and classrooms. Our children are learning and developing in so many areas, including Social/Emotional, Cognitive, Math, Language, Literacy, Physical (Fine & Gross), Science, Arts and Social Studies. Each quarter, we take the time to reflect and review our strengths and areas of development so that we can better plan for the remainder of the school year and focus on school readiness for those children heading to Kindergarten. During our January Parent Meeting, we will spend some time reviewing this information, as well as our center and school readiness goals with families. Please join us! Our Parent Meetings are a wonderful way to stay involved in what is going on at the center. More importantly, they also are a splendid opportunity to meet other families and share struggles, accomplishments and challenges about parenting. Our Parent Meetings are a great chance to network and find support! We hope to see you at our January Parent Meeting on January 30, 2014. Happy New Year! Marybeth Mlikotic Center Director

Calendar
January 2014
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FRiDAy Saturday

Monthly

1 CLOSED New Years Day

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20 CLOSED Martin Luther King Day

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30 31 Parent Meeting at 4:30 p.m. Topic: Healthy Bodies are Moving Bodies!
All dates are tentative.

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