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Fit To Be Taught, Vol. 53

Preventing MRSA in Your School

“Super bugs" -- infections that sneer at conventional drugs and run unchecked through the population -- used to only plague actors in science fiction movies. Over the past decade, though, drug-resistant infections have become a reality in the general population, and one of them has forced several school districts into the forefront of a battle against a major public health threat.

That infection, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, pronounced mersa) is feared because it spreads rapidly, does not succumb to common antibiotics, and if left untreated can cause serious complications. While that is the bad news about MRSA, the good news is that by instituting and enforcing strict personal hygiene and school cleanliness policies, the spread of MRSA in schools and elsewhere can be slowed and even prevented. Many U.S. schools already have dealt with MRSA outbreaks.

It’s something every school district will have to face," said Cissy Bowman, spokeswoman for the Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania) School District, which waged a very public campaign against a MRSA outbreak in 2007. “We have to get parents involved, too. It’s a public health issue."

Read the full article on Education World

Wellness News
Teens Searching Online for Health Information A recent study showed that more than 50 percent of young people ages 13-24 are accessing health and wellness information on the Internet.

Poor Vision Could Be Source of Homework Problems
A common yet often missed vision problem called convergence insufficiency, which prevents the eyes from turning together properly to read, could be the cause of reading problems in as many as one out 20 children.

Getting Toddlers Moving

Animal Trackers is an action-filled physical activity and motor skills curriculum for children ages 3-5. The curriculum has ten units and ten family take-home activities devoted entirely to motor skill development -- each one with a fun animal theme. It is designed to be fun and educational for young children and it provides them an opportunity to learn and practice the movement motor skills that are basic to physical activity and sports.

The program was tested in New York City, New York, and New Mexico. Teachers were able to incorporate a physical activity curriculum into daily lessons throughout the school year. The lessons were easy to use and incorporated into their daily routine.

In addition to providing movement skill activities it also focuses on language and literacy readiness skills, comprehension, and math readiness skills. The program was developed by the nation’s leading specialists in obesity prevention, cardiovascular health, physical fitness, curriculum development, and intervention.

Read more about this program at: Animal Trackers.

Click to learn more about Action for Healthy Kids.

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