Dressed in our camp t-shirts, ribbon, and Santa hats the weather was just right for a stroll in Uxbridge. TakeTIME gave out over 300 TakeTIME info-sheets to spectators, 400 candy canes, and 500 fire safety colouring books from the Uxbridge Fire Dept. If you were one of the lucky on-lookers who yelled “I LOVE CAMP!” you received a free camp t-shirt! Following behind the Celtic band, TakeTIME participated in their songs and dances.

Do you think we had the most energy? We definitely feel like it!

BOSTON, Nov. 30, 2011 — New initiative of ChildObesity180 has the potential to improve the health of tens of millions of children every year

ChildObesity180, an alliance of multi-sector national leaders committed to reversing the trend of childhood obesity, announced today a unique partnership of leading out-of-school-time organizations that have united to adopt consistent principles for nutrition and physical activity.

The Healthy Kids Out of School initiative, launched at the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Building a Healthier Future Summit today, is a collaboration between Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Council of La Raza, the National Council of Youth Sports, the National Urban League, Pop Warner, US Youth Soccer, YMCA of the USA, and the National 4-H Council.

The leaders of these organizations, convened by ChildObesity180, developed universal nutrition and physical activity principles from a broad list of evidenced-based recommendations for combating childhood obesity – marking the first time leaders from these groups have worked together toward a common goal.

“Healthy Kids Out of School represents a groundbreaking collaboration of major youth-focused groups in a new and strategic effort,” said Peter Dolan, chairman of ChildObesity180. “These organizations are demonstrating the essential leadership and cooperation necessary to counter the childhood obesity epidemic and to meaningfully improve the health and well-being of the tens of millions children who participate in their programs.”

A significant percentage of school-aged children in the U.S. are enrolled in out-of-school-time activities, including a large number of rural, urban, and low-income children who are particularly vulnerable to the poor health outcomes linked to childhood obesity. Because of this broad reach, out-of-school programs have been identified as a promising area for promoting healthy habits and preventing childhood obesity.

However, there has been great variability in the foods and beverages served and opportunities for physical activity offered to children participating in out-of-school programs.

Recognizing this opportunity for action, leaders from the nine ChildObesity180-affiliated organizations identified and agreed upon three sustainable, actionable principles that are sufficiently flexible for adaptation to local environments and cultures. They are:

Drink Right: Choose water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Move More: Boost movement and physical activity in all programs.

Snack Smart: Fuel up on fruits and vegetables.

“The National Urban League is pleased to join ChildObesity180 and our national partners in this collaborative movement. Many children in communities of color are more likely to be obese and live in unsafe communities where there are few opportunities for physical activity and limited access to healthy food,” said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial. “Now, by adopting these three principles in after school programs and as a part of out-of-school-time activities, we are coming together to offer our children practical, smart, cost-effective measures for a lifetime of lessons about healthy food choices and physical activity.”

In addition to developing the framework for these principles, the Healthy Kids Out of School initiative will develop a comprehensive implementation plan to connect organizations with the local resources needed to help adopt the principles.

“Aligning these organizations with unifying principles ensures that all children who participate in out-of-school programs are consistently encouraged to eat and drink healthfully and to be active, regardless of where they spend their time out of school,” said Christina D. Economos, Ph.D., associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and director of ChildObesity180. “ChildObesity180 and its partners are committed to pursuing these kinds of results-oriented strategies that are innovative and ambitious and that champion the best interests of children and their futures.”

About ChildObesity180 Healthy Kids Out of School is the first of several major initiatives that ChildObesity180 will execute to combat childhood obesity. ChildObesity180 fosters cross-sector collaboration to reverse the trend of childhood obesity within one generation’s time. Charter members are national leaders from the public, nonprofit, academic, and private sectors who are using their reach and expertise to drive an integrated national strategy of high-impact initiatives to prevent childhood obesity. ChildObesity180 is chaired by Peter Dolan and directed and co-directed by leading obesity researchers Christina Economos, PhD, and Miriam Nelson, PhD, of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Founded in 2009, ChildObesity180 is conducted in collaboration with Tufts University; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation serves as a core strategic partner of ChildObesity180. For more information, visit www.ChildObesity180.org.

This year Bucketball was held inside due to the weather, we had about 16 families come out to Joseph Gould PS to take part.  Starting off with some warm up and stretches, we played a couple rounds of bucketball in which a ball had to be thrown into different buckets – each of which were worth different points.

Our break-time snack consisted of delicious fall apples provided by Sandy from Precious Minds! Everyone was sent home with generously donated colouring books from the Uxbridge Fire hall.

See you on Nomember 16th for Hide & Seek at the Uxbridge Early Learning Centre hosted by Durham Farm & Rural Family! 

Did you miss the hunt? No worries, check out what we hunted for. Delicious apples were donated from Brooks Farms that were enjoyed by families after their long hunt. The draw prize was a HUGE gift basket donated by the library with books and water bottles, little gadgets, bookmarks, and more!! Congrats to Sandi Lavery and her family for winning the gift basket! And thank you to the Uxbridge Public Library and Leslie Nagle for hosting such a successful event!

Pictures can be found on the library’s Facebook page.

Be sure to check out our BucketBall event on October 29 at 2pm at Joseph Gould PS hosted by Precious Minds! See you there!

In a recent survey, 90 percent of parents said their children under age 2 watch some form of electronic media. On average, children this age watch televised programs one to two hours per day. By age 3, almost one third of children have a television in their bedroom. Parents who believe that educational television is “very important for healthy development” are twice as likely to keep the television on all or most of the time.

The policy statement, “Media Use by Children Younger Than Two Years,” will be released Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Boston and will be published in the November 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online Oct. 18). Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy, will discuss the recommendations in an embargoed news briefing for reporters at 10 a.m. ET Monday, Oct. 17, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

The AAP first provided guidance on media use for children under age 2 in 1999. This consisted of a recommendation in the Academy’s policy statement, “Media Education,” which discouraged TV viewing for children in this age group.

At the time, there was limited data on the subject, but the AAP believed there were more potential negative effects than positive effects of media exposure for the younger set. Newer data bears this out, and the AAP stands by its recommendation to keep children under age 2 as “screen-free” as possible. More is known today about children’s early brain development, the best ways to help them learn, and the effects that various types of stimulation and activities have on this process.

“The concerns raised in the original policy statement are even more relevant now, which led us to develop a more comprehensive piece of guidance around this age group,” said Dr. Brown, a member of the AAP Council on Communications and Media.

The report set out to answer two questions:

• Do video and televised programs have any educational value for children under 2?
• Is there any harm in children this age watching these programs?

The key findings include:

• Many video programs for infants and toddlers are marketed as “educational,” yet evidence does not support this. Quality programs are educational for children only if they understand the content and context of the video. Studies consistently find that children over 2 typically have this understanding.
• Unstructured play time is more valuable for the developing brain than electronic media. Children learn to think creatively, problem solve, and develop reasoning and motor skills at early ages through unstructured, unplugged play. Free play also teaches them how to entertain themselves.
• Young children learn best from — and need — interaction with humans, not screens.
• Parents who watch TV or videos with their child may add to the child’s understanding, but children learn more from live presentations than from televised ones.
• When parents are watching their own programs, this is “background media” for their children. It distracts the parent and decreases parent-child interaction. Its presence may also interfere with a young child’s learning from play and activities.
• Television viewing around bedtime can cause poor sleep habits and irregular sleep schedules, which can adversely affect mood, behavior and learning.
• Young children with heavy media use are at risk for delays in language development once they start school, but more research is needed as to the reasons.

The report recommends that parents and caregivers:

• Set media limits for their children before age 2, bearing in mind that the AAP discourages media use for this age group. Have a strategy for managing electronic media if they choose to engage their children with it.
• Instead of screens, opt for supervised independent play for infants and young children during times that a parent cannot sit down and actively engage in play with the child. For example, have the child play with nesting cups on the floor nearby while a parent prepares dinner.
• Avoid placing a television set in the child’s bedroom.
• Recognize that their own media use can have a negative effect on children.

The report also recommends further research into the long-term effects of early media exposure on children’s future physical, mental and social health.

According to Dr. Brown, “In today’s ‘achievement culture,’ the best thing you can do for your young child is to give her a chance to have unstructured play — both with you and independently. Children need this in order to figure out how the world works.”

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AAP/29092

It was a pleasure to see everyone giving it their all! Almost 200 people from all over Uxbridge came out ready to rumble in their track gear! This wasn’t just a Joseph Gould Public School event, it was a community event! This wouldn’t have been successful without the unbelievable help and effort that was put into the evening from parents and volunteers.

The Student Community Council from Joseph Gould Public School, Grade 7 and 8 volunteers, plus Andy/ Mel and their crew were set up and ready to go with some track and field favorites: an obstacle course, tires for agility, long jump, shot-put, javelin, tug of war, and the 100m dash. All great events to work up an appetite for the treats and FREE hot chocolate One of the highlights of the evening was the Parent vs Kids Tug of War! 40 kids vs 15 parents gave all their might in this thrilling competition

Thank you to everyone who filled out a TakeTIME comment card. We hope you managed to pick up some of the great resources we had at the tents! These included healthy food booklets, Uxbridge community guides, Canadian Tire Jump Start forms, and of course the ever popular Fire Fighter colouring books and crayons! Plus those wonderful glowsticks that helped keep everyone lit into the early hours of the evening. If you missed out this time, make sure you attend Sunday in Udora this Oct 2, 2011 at Udora Hall!

This event was a pleasure, and what a great team at Joesph Gould to have organized this! I give this event a 10 out of 10!

This past weekend was a gorgeous one for the Oak Ridges Trail Association to host a hike in the Secord Forest. Families from Uxbridge, Richmond Hill, and Toronto came out for this event!

During the 2.5hr hike participants came across 2 swans, a beaver dam, 4 caterpillars, wild mushrooms, squirrels, a waterfall, and more! Brian Millage, our informative hike leader, enlightened us along the way with his knowledge of nature and fun environment factoids! In addition to wildlife, Brian taught us about the history of Oak Ridges Trail, how to read hiking signs, safety, and the different types of trees, shrubs, and vegetation in the forest. The fun didn’t stop there, as the hike included a scavenger hunt too!

Freebies at this event included colouring books and crayons courtesy of the Uxbridge Fire Department! Thank you to everyone who participated and gave us feedback, and congrats to everyone for completing the hike with a pedometer on their hip! Special mention to Kate Mader from Toronto who took 6695 steps to take the lead for the day.

Hope to see you at the Kids vs Parents Track & Field event this Thursday September 29 at Joseph Gould Public School from 6pm – 8pm!

KIDS SHOULD NOT CONSUME ENERGY DRINKS, AND RARELY NEED SPORTS DRINKS, SAYS AAP

Sports and energy drinks are heavily marketed to children and adolescents, but in most cases kids don’t need them – and some of these products contain substances that could be harmful to children.

In a new clinical report, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) outlines how these products are being misused, discusses their ingredients, and provides guidance to decrease or eliminate consumption by children and adolescents. The report, “Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?” is published in the June 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online May 30).

“There is a lot of confusion about sports drinks and energy drinks, and adolescents are often unaware of the differences in these products,” said Marcie Beth Schneider, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Nutrition and co-author of the report. “Some kids are drinking energy drinks – containing large amounts of caffeine – when their goal is simply to rehydrate after exercise. This means they are ingesting large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which can be dangerous.”

Sports drinks and energy drinks are different products, said Holly J. Benjamin, MD, FAAP, a member of the executive committee of the AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, and a co-author of the report. Sports drinks, which contain carbohydrates, minerals, electrolytes and flavoring, are intended to replace water and electrolytes lost through sweating during exercise. Sports drinks can be helpful for young athletes engaged in prolonged, vigorous physical activities, but in most cases they are unnecessary on the sports field or the school lunchroom.

“For most children engaging in routine physical activity, plain water is best,” Dr. Benjamin said. “Sports drinks contain extra calories that children don’t need, and could contribute to obesity and tooth decay. It’s better for children to drink water during and after exercise, and to have the recommended intake of juice and low-fat milk with meals. Sports drinks are not recommended as beverages to have with meals.”

Energy drinks contain substances not found in sports drinks that act as stimulants, such as caffeine, guarana and taurine. Caffeine – by far the most popular stimulant – has been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems. Energy drinks are never appropriate for children or adolescents, said Dr. Schneider and Dr. Benjamin. In general, caffeine-containing beverages, including soda, should be avoided.

The report contains tables listing specific products available today and their contents.

“In many cases, it’s hard to tell how much caffeine is in a product by looking at the label,” Dr. Schneider said. “Some cans or bottles of energy drinks can have more than 500 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of 14 cans of soda.”

AAP recommendations include:

• Pediatricians should highlight the difference between sports drinks and energy drinks with patients and their parents, and talk about the potential health risks.
• Energy drinks pose potential health risks because of the stimulants they contain, and should never be consumed by children or adolescents.
• Routine ingestion of carbohydrate-containing sports drinks by children and adolescents should be avoided or restricted, because they can increase the risk of overweight and obesity, as well as dental erosion.
• Sports drinks have a limited function for pediatric athletes; they should be ingested when there is a need for rapid replenishment of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes in combination with water during prolonged, vigorous physical activity.
• Water, not sports drinks, should be the principal source of hydration for children and adolescents.

Convieniently located at the edge of town, the trails brought in over 40 runners who joined the Optimist Flyers volunteers in an introduction to trail running safety. Experienced Flyers (the rabbit and turtle, the first and last runners) led the group through an 800m looped trail. The warm up and cool-down included instruction on the secret “Flyers switch” maneuver that was successfully executed by all participants! Great job, Uxbridge! Look out for the next TakeTIME event in September 2011.