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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2012)
Page 12 The INDEPENDENT, September 5, 2012 Head Start now taking applications Chalk Talk Chalk Talk is a column of information about Vernonia schools. This column was provided by Superintendent Dr. Ken Cox. The first day of school has come and gone. Senator Betsy Johnson and Commissioner Tony Hyde handed out apples and pencils to all the students Tuesday morning. We had an all school assembly first thing and were able to fit all our students in the commons quite handily. We were happy to receive a $10,000 check from Fred Meyers for the project. We can all be proud of the new schools. The first day’s traffic also went well, with everyone learning how to negotiate the turns in the parking lot. We are going to make some traffic changes as quickly as we can to help alleviate the congestion and hope you can be patient in the meantime. Please keep your eyes out for students as you come down Mis- souri Avenue. Also, we have placed cones blocking access to St. Mary’s church parking lot as that should not be used to drop off students. We are trying to be good neighbors and want everyone on Missouri to know that we will work with you as best we can. A great big Thank You to our community for your continued support of our new schools. It was great seeing so many smiles on the first day of school. We are not over the finish line yet, but are nearly there. In my next article I will share with you just where we are and what is left to do. Car seat checkup in St. Helens on September 22 There will be a child car seat checkup and installation on Saturday, September 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Em- mert Motors, 2175 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens. This event is sponsored by Emmert Motors. Safety tips – Never leave in- fants or young children unat- tended in a vehicle, even if you leave the windows partly open or the air conditioning on. You run the risk of losing a child to heatstroke because kids are more sensitive to rising temper- atures than adults. If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number im- mediately. If the child is in dis- tress due to heat, get him out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly by spraying him with cool water or with a gar- den hose. Do not use ice. Remember: Kids in hot cars are a deadly combination. Safe Kids Columbia County is an initiative of the Columbia County Commission on Chil- dren and Families and works in partnership with Community Action Team and Columbia County Transit Division. Pet of the Month Find the pet that’s right for you at the Columbia Humane Society 2084 Oregon Street, St. Helens. Phone 503-397-4353 Open Mon - Fri 1 pm to 5 pm & Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm We believe Cimarron is a lab/shepherd mix about 2-3 years old and 60 lbs. At first he was a little shy, but now he is turning out to be a real clown. He loves attention. He is a real gentleman with other dogs. He is going to require daily exercise and room to run. He loves toys. If you're looking for a great addition to your family then this is your guy! The Columbia Humane Society is a No-Kill non-profit shelter dedicated to helping friends find each other since 1985. This Month’s Pet is Sponsored by: THE INDEPENDENT News & Information you can use Head Start, a federally fund- ed pre-school program, is seeking students for the 2012- 2013 school year. Applications are being taken from all three and four year olds in Columbia County. Recruitment for fall en- rollment is now in progress. If parents are interested in enroll- ment information they are urged to phone immediately. Perspective students must be three or four years old by September 1. Children must be from limited income house- holds or have a disability and/or special needs to qualify. Head Start incorporates a total family program that in- cludes nutrition, education, medical and dental services for the enrolled child and home visitations. USDA approved meals are served. Training on various subjects and on-the-job training is offered to all enrolled families. Transportation is not available. The U. S. Dept. of Agricul- ture (USDA) and the State of Oregon prohibit discrimination in all USDA programs and ac- tivities on the basis of race, col- or, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability. The Vernonia Center is lo- cated in the Blue Heron Hollow apartment complex. Families who live in the Mist, Birkenfeld and Vernonia areas may phone 503-429-9243 for more infor- mation. The Clatskanie Center is lo- cated behind the high school in Clatskanie. Families in the Clatskanie, Quincy, Westport and Knappa areas may phone 503-728-2940 for more infor- mation. The Rainier Center is locat- ed in the Riverside Church building. Families in the Rainier and Goble area may phone 503-556-2807 for more infor- mation. Students in the St. Helens area attend class at the center on Columbia Blvd. next to Mc Bride School. Families may contact 503-397-4114 for more information. Head Start is an agency of Community Action Team, Inc., serving Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. Take control of marketing to children Take this simple test. Ask a young child to identify a picture of George Washington, the first President of the United States, and another of Ronald McDon- ald™, icon of the fast-food restaurant chain. Most likely, George Washington will be un- recognized by your children. This informal survey was shown in the film documentary, Super Size Me. The film ex- plored the role the fast food restaurant has in influencing the way we eat. In turn, the sur- vey was a powerful illustration of the influence that media marketing plays on our chil- dren’s young minds. It is estimated that the typi- cal child sees about 40,000 ads a year on TV and that the ma- jority of the ads targeted to kids are for candy, cereal, soda and fast food as reported by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report concludes that the ma- jority of children, who spend the most time with the media, particularly watching television, are more likely to be over- weight. The exposure to the food commercials influence children’s food preferences that are in themselves incon- sistent with the national dietary recommendations. The food industry under- stands and puts to work the marketing concept of “imprint- ing” or “brand-loyalty” that be- gins at a very early age. “Food marketers are interested in youth as consumers because of their spending power, their purchasing influence, and as future adult consumers” as stated by researchers Mary Story and Simone French, from the University of Minnesota. Media takes many forms aside from TV, newspaper, magazines, the internet, and radio. Advertising and market- ing directly in public schools has grown in the last 10 years. Schools offer a “captured” au- dience able to to reach large numbers of children and ado- lescents in a contained setting, and schools are financially vul- nerable due to chronic funding shortages. Marketing to our children in schools exists by the following examples: • exclusive soft drink con- tracts where only one soda vendor is allowed to be sold in schools, • book and file folder covers with brand names and logos, • short-term sales of candy, pizza, or cookie dough, • displays, billboards and signs in school halls, gymnasi- ums and gymnasium score boards, or on school buses ad- vertising a particular soda, can- dy or snack; • classroom rewards and fundraisers such as Pizza Hut’s Book-it Program and McDon- ald’s McTeacher Nights. Parents can begin to take back control by establishing new rules in their own homes. Here are some ideas: Sit less. Sitting and watching TV burns less calories – not only less that when playing, but even less than when reading or “doing nothing”. In fact, watch- ing TV burns as few calories as sleeping. A reasonable goal is no more than two hours a day. Another idea is to take the TV out of your child’s bedroom. Encourage imaginative play. Depending on the age of the child, playing with Legos, side- walk chalk, reading a book, playing a game or doing a puz- zle are just a few of many things to do. Boredom can lead to ideas for filling free time with the right parental encourage- ment. Move more. Lead the way and be active together. Make physical activity a part of each day. Walk with your child to school, enjoy family walks in the evening or play at the park. See Fight on page 14