Back To School

Back to school sales are hitting the newspapers, so it’s time to get back into the classroom. Knock down those cobwebs, clean out your files, rip down the bulletin board and jump into action. Tackle that bulletin board first because first impressions are always important. Use white for the background, staple on a gigantic red heart, and add some knock out facts. Here’s some great statistics to include, more at American Heart Association:

© The normal human heart is a little larger than a fist (draw or find a picture of a normal-sized fist).

© The heart is a strong, muscular pump (include a picture of a common muscle-bicep).

© Each day an average heart “beats” (expands and contracts) 100,000 times.

© The heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood (add a “half-cut-out” gallon of milk).

© In a 70-year lifetime, an average human heart beats more than 2.5 billion times.

What type are you?

¶ Blood falls into four basic groups: O, A, B, and AB.

¶A and O are the most common blood types.

¶About 45% of the population are type A another 45% are type O; only about 3% are AB, and the remainder, about 7% are type B.

Start out this year on a fun and exciting note by keeping your pulse racing with new activities. Also, check out the "Organize, Organize, Organize" section with Tips for Beginning Teachers, Classroom Rules, and First Day Icebreakers.

Lisa Rakoz
Health, Fitness & Nutrition Section Editor

Are you ready to HOOP IT UP? If you haven’t added Hoops For Heart to your curriculum you might want to check out the American Heart Association website. What does Hoops For Heart do for children?

1. It gives children the opportunity to work on basketball skills and play exciting games.
2. And it funds critical research and educational programs that fight heart disease and stroke, our nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers.

The idea for Hoops For Heart was first held in 1992-93 at the Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico. The American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) further developed the concept for use by various groups nationwide. These two organizations also developed Jump Rope For Heart, a fundraising event primarily for elementary students that features rope-jumping skills.

Involving Your Entire School is a great way to add new games and activities, grades K-12 in your curriculum.

Jump Rope For Heart is an educational fundraising event. It's held each year in elementary schools across the nation by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). Jump Rope For Heart raises funds for medical research and for programs such as HeartPower! that help prevent heart disease and stroke.

Jump Rope For Heart teaches students:

1. the benefits of physical activity,
2. how to keep their heart healthy,
3. and that they can help save lives right in their own community.

Jump Rope for Heart was developed in 1978 by the American Heart Association and the AAHPERD; and has raised more than $327 million for cardiovascular research and education programs.

Dial It Fast

Heart attack and stroke are life-and-death emergencies -- every second counts. If you see or have any of the listed symptoms, immediately call 9-1-1. Get help fast! Today heart attack and stroke victims can benefit from new medicine and treatments unavailable to patients in years past. These drugs must be given quickly. So don't delay -- get help right away! 

Use Your Noodle

Did you know that a normal brain weighs 3 pounds and is a moist and spongy organ made up of 10 billion neurons that controls everything that you do during the day? Your brain manages thoughts, movements, memory and all that you sense. The brain produces waves of electrical impulses that vary in length and frequency, depending upon your activity. Every person has a different brain wave pattern, just as every person has a different fingerprint.

Try this fascinating site from The Secret Life of the Brain: 3-D Brain Anatomy and let your students explore the wonderful world of the brain.

Helmet safety is an important point of emphasis when educating youth.

b Helmets decrease the risk of head injuries by 85 %. (Rivara, 1997.)

b And only about 18% of cyclists in the US use helmets all or most of the time (Rodgers, 1995.)

b Universal helmet use could prevent an average of 500 bicycle-related deaths each year (Sacks, 1991.)

Concussions and other brain injuries are fairly common. About every 15 seconds, someone in the United States has a brain injury, and 1.5 million brain injuries are reported in the U.S. every year. Injuries from car crashes, playgrounds, or sports are the most common ways that kids get concussions.

HEADING

Soccer is another concern for head injuries. But if heading is done properly, the ball's impact is not usually strong enough to cause a concussion. The proper technique involves contracting the neck muscles so the head is more rigidly fixed to the trunk of the body and hitting the ball squarely with the forehead near the hairline.

The dreaded bicycle crack-up happens mostly during the summer. Are you prepared for the ouches and owies? Cuts, scratches, and abrasions need first aid. Help your students understand the importance of strains and sprains, and fractures and broken bones.

Fast Food Mania

It is estimated that Americans eat out 190 times per year. It is not any wonder why fast food restaurants are under scrutiny these days. Fast food meals are high in fat and salt which can be linked to heart disease and certain cancers in later years. Look up the nutritional information of the twelve largest fast food chains in America.