Families are getting ready for the start of a new school year (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
Woodland Mall and The Salvation Army in Kent County are helping local students get ready to go back to school with a fun event and food drive 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19.
The event will serve as a fundraiser for The Salvation Army’s emergency food pantry. It will also feature a variety of activities for all ages to enjoy in Woodland Mall’s Macy’s Court.
On a monthly basis, The Salvation Army feeds 550 people, including 145 children, and that number is increasing daily.
“We used to provide people with enough food to last three to five days,” said Victoria Arnold, director of Kent County Social Services. “Due to increased demand, we now provide enough food for six days. And we predict we will need another $10,000 alone to stay at that level, just for the next year.”
An increasing number of families are in need food during the school year (Courtesy, www.pxhere.com)
Attendees are encouraged to bring shelf-stable food donations to the event or make a monetary donation online to support Salvation Army Kent County Social Services, which provides food pantries, warm meals and sack lunches for community members in need. Personal care items, household products, clothing and baby essentials are also accepted.
“Countless families struggle to access nutritious food, and most affected are children,” said Mikia Ross, interim Senior Marketing Director for Woodland Mall. “To help address this issue, we’re focusing on promoting nutrition for children and families during this year’s back-to-school season and encouraging the community to participate by donating to our charitable partner, Salvation Army. Together, we can help students get the fuel they need to start their academic year out strong!”
Suggested items for donation include:
Canned goods, including meats, fruits and vegetables, with a pop top.
Pasta and pasta sauces.
Ramen noodles.
Macaroni and cheese.
While supporting the nonprofit, event attendees will be able to meet special characters like Princess Tiana and Captain America, enjoy DJ music and games, get their faces painted, make friendship bracelets, view back-to-school fashion displays and get makeover consultations. Those who make a monetary or food donation will also be able to capture memories with a photo booth.
For many American families, back to school means back to waking up early, stressful schedules, and junk food. All three of these can wear down children’s immune systems, leaving them more vulnerable to colds, the flu, and, these days, COVID-19. What can parents do keep their kids’ immune response strong? The answer is a lot!
Sleep, the great healer
As the new school year approaches, start encouraging kids to wake up and go to bed a little earlier each day. That way, the 6 a.m. alarm won’t be such a shock on the first day of school. According to the Mayo Clinic, when we don’t get quality sleep we are more likely to get sick when exposed to a virus. And, when we do get sick, we might not recover as fast.
When we sleep, our immune system releases cytokine proteins, which not only help promote sleep but help our bodies handle infections and stress. When kids don’t get enough sleep, their bodies may make fewer cytokines. Lack of sleep also reduces our bodies’ production of the antibodies that fight off infections.
Over-scheduled and overwhelmed
Another hallmark of the school year is the full calendar. Between schoolwork, sports, clubs, music lessons, and other appointments, many families rarely have time to enjoy some good old-fashioned downtime. One lesson we learned during the COVID lockdowns was how to be with our families. Resist the urge to step back into overbooked routines amp up stress and reduce quality family time.
On its website FamilyDoctor.org, The American Academy of Pediatrics advises, “Finding a balance between school, activities, and play can mean the difference between a well-adjusted child and a stressed-out one. Finding this balance is different for every child. It’s up to you, as the parent or guardian, to find the mixture of scheduled time and play time that works best for your child.”
Try to arrange your schedules so kids have free time every day and a day every week with nothing to do.
Overfed and undernourished
Back to school too often means back to junk food. We cave into sugar cereals at breakfast to get them to eat something. If kids eat hot lunch at school, they may eat the sugary treats and throw the real food. In the trash. And, when school activities dominate the calendar, it’s way too easy to serve them a fast-food dinner.
Plan ahead
Make a list of healthy breakfast, lunch and snack items that your child will eat and stock your pantry accordingly. Look for items without added sugars or chemicals and 100% whole grains. Stock up on fresh fruits and veggies—bring baggies of carrots, celery and green pepper with you when you go to pick the kids up. Keep them on the table for munching. Serve them alongside meals. Instead of chips and cookies, stock up on nuts, seeds, 100% whole grain cracker snacks. Don’t forget the cheese and peanut butter! Pop some popcorn the old-fashioned way–in a pan on the stove where you control the additives.
Plan healthy dinners, too. Put that crock pot to use or cook two portions and keep one for the next day to cut your prep time in half. As you cook dinner, relax. The simple act of preparing healthy food can bring solace to the soul as well as health to the body.
A well-adjusted child
You may not have realized that chiropractic care is for kids, too. Many spinal problems seen in adults begin at childhood. Children experience bumps, falls and accidents almost daily. These incidents can cause their spine to misalign the same as they do in adults. Chiropractic care keeps children’s spines and nervous systems healthy, too! Chiropractic adjusting techniques are modified to fit a child’s size, weight and unique spinal problem. Parents of children, who are regularly adjusted, report that their children seem healthier than other children their age.
It’s good to see schools opening and kids getting back to normal. Let’s all do the best we can to support the kids in our lives with good sleep, good times, good food, and good care!
Kentwood Public Schools latest back-to-school plans, announced in a district-wide letter July 27, includes a two-week remote/virtual education period for all students as the district prepares for a possible return to in-school learning and parents can have more information before making their decision on having their students attend school at home or in classrooms.
Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff, Kentwood Public schools. (Supplied/KPS)
“Kentwood Public Schools is bound by the directives from the Governor’s Office, the Michigan Department of Education and the various Health Departments,” Kentwood Public Schools Superintendent Michael Zoerhoff said in the letter from his office. “Since the guidelines from the Governor’s Office are yet to be finalized, KPS planning has to remain highly flexible.”
The district conducted several parent surveys over the past several months, according to the letter, and the “results identified a split perspective. Many families want school to start with ‘in person’ learning; while others want to start with remote/virtual learning.”
As of July 27, Kent County is labeled to be in “Phase 4” of the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s reopening plan, which means schools may open for in-person learning. with restrictions. But if the Governor moves to the county to “Phase 3” then schools must stop all in-person learning and go completely to remote learning.
According to the district letter, the current plan begins school on Monday, Aug. 24, with all students involved in remote/virtual learning for the first two weeks. On Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day, parents can choose to shift their student to the option of in-person learning.
The stated reasons for the two-week remote/virtual beginning of school include:
In addition to being introduced to the academic content that will be studied for the term, the first two weeks will be focused on training students and staff on the safety protocols and cleaning procedures for a safe in-person return.
Students and staff will learn “positive habits and behaviors” for successful remote learning should in-person learning be shut down and virtual learning become the only option.
Those households intending to use the remote/virtual learning option will be able to have computers delivered to students needing a device, and families will have an opportunity to evaluate our new remote learning platforms and compare them, to “make an informed choice when in person learning becomes an option on September 8.”
“Kentwood Public Schools will also have time to observe and learn from those area districts that engage in person student learning immediately,” according the letter. “We can benefit from seeing what others do or fail to do.”
Mask and busing policy detailed
If in-school education is available and chosen, the Governor’s current Return To School requirements are that students and staff in grades 6-12 must wear a face mask if they are attending in-person learning, and students in grades K-5 will be “strongly encouraged” to wear a face mask.
Kentwood Public Schools “has worked with our business partners and Spectrum Health to purchase many approved face masks for those who do not have one, forget to bring it to school or lose their mask,” according to the district.
And while busing will be provided for students who attend in-class school, “we will follow the requirements in the Governor’s Return To School regarding social distancing and face mask covernings. This will require us all to be flexible as there will be a limited number of students allowed on each bus run. Those bus runs will be published and communicated once we know how many families need transportation.”
While the exact mode of education for Kentwood Public Schools students is in flux, Superintendent Zoerhoff, in the letter, made clear the district’s ultimate goal.
“Kentwood Public Schools, together with parents and the community, will educate all students in a safe, secure environment,” he said. “We are committed to excellence, equity and diversity in education. Our goal is for each student to master and apply the essential skills to be a successful, productive citizen.
“These challenging times will pass, but the quality education that your children receive at KPS will serve them for a lifetime.”
For more information on Kentwood Public School’s back-to-school plans and other COIVID-19 related district communications visit kentwoodps.org/covid-info.
One size doesn’t fit all. Backpack safety and features should be considered before you purchase a new pack for your child. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
It’s school backpack shopping time, and for kids that means checking out the cool new colors and designs with their favorite TV and movie characters, sports teams or brands.
But for parents, there’s far more to consider in picking out the perfect pack.
Books. Binders. Lunch. Snack. Water bottle. Gym shoes. Laptop. Even musical instruments. When you pile it all in—and add in the stray pens, long lost papers and random “treasures” collecting at the bottom—it’s easy to see how a child’s backpack can become a hefty safety hazard.
Jennifer Hoekstra, injury prevention program coordinator at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, is here to help.
Backpack is best, but wear it right
A backpack is the best option for children and teens to carry all they need for a school day (rather than shoulder slings or messenger bags), because it allows them to distribute the weight across the strongest muscles of the body—the back and abdomen.
But, Hoekstra urged, they should wear it right, using both shoulder straps, rather than slinging it over one shoulder.
“It’s so much safer to carry the backpack with the weight distributed over the whole back,” she said.
If there’s just too much stuff to fit in the backpack, carry overflow (like musical instruments and sporting equipment) in a separate bag. Kids tend to carry things on their dominant side, but it’s important to switch from side to side to keep their spine in proper alignment and prevent “gravitational pull,” she said. One day carry it in the right hand, the next day, use the left hand.
Shopping tips
Hoekstra said parents should look for these things in a safe backpack—as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:
a lightweight pack that doesn’t add a lot of weight from the pack itself (for example, leather packs can be much heavier than canvas)
two wide, padded shoulder straps; straps that are too narrow can dig into shoulders and cut off circulation
a padded back, for comfort and protection from being poked by sharp edges on objects (pencils, rulers, notebooks) inside.
a waist belt, which helps distribute the weight more evenly across the body using hip bones. (Hoekstra said parents should encourage their kids to wear the waist belt at all times. “It really is a good idea if you can teach kids from the beginning that this is an expectation,” she said.)
multiple compartments, which can help distribute the weight more evenly, rather than having just an open backpack where everything falls to the bottom.
Lessening the weight
According to doctors and physical therapists, kids should carry no more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight in a backpack. Books and supplies can add up in a hurry, so Hoekstra suggests emptying the backpack each night to clear out any extras that have accumulated.
Many backpack manufacturers offer age and height recommendations for their products. This can be helpful in picking a backpack that’s the right fit for your child, but still be mindful of how much kids are piling inside.
Kids carrying big backpacks often aren’t aware of how much space they’re taking up. Show kids in a mirror what their loaded backpack looks like on their back, so they can take care not to knock over other kids on the bus or in the hallway, Hoekstra said.
Safety first
Do not have your child’s name printed or monogrammed on the outside of the backpack.
“Strangers may use that to call a child by name,” she said. “We, as creatures of habit, are very comfortable when someone knows our name, so people with bad intentions are going to use that to their advantage.”
Instead, find a place inside the backpack to label it. If you want to use the monogramming option offered by some manufacturers, use initials instead, she said.
Children walking to school or waiting at a bus stop should also have something reflective on their backpack, making them as visible as possible to passing motorists, Hoekstra said.
As the summer draws to a close, Michigan State University Extension suggests parents and caregivers address back-to-school basics now to help their children get the school year off to a good start.
Back-to-school time is an exciting time for most children — it’s a time to make new friends, reconnect with old friends and meet new teachers. As exciting as school can be, however, it often is a source of anxiety for children. As the summer winds down, take time to plan ahead for the start of school to avoid complications and reduce anxiety.
Ten tips to help your child be ready for the school year
Visit the school. Most school buildings open a few weeks before the first day. Take your children to school for a tour. Where is the lunchroom? The playground? Where do they hang their coats? Where are their classrooms? How do they get from the front door to the classroom? Many schools offer a special open house or picnic, a time to meet up with old friends and make new ones. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.
Meet the teacher. Once the coveted teacher assignment arrives in the mail, plan a meet-the-teacher visit. Call ahead to see if you can make an appointment to stop in and say “hello.” Help your child find their coat hook, locker, desk, etc. Talk with the teacher about any concerns you may have and any special needs, allergies or other issues that may arise.
Make new friends. If your child is new to the building, see if you can arrange for a play date with other children going into the same grade or in the same class. Having a few familiar faces that first day can help your child feel much more confident and comfortable.
Be prepared. Include your child in back-to-school shopping. Even kindergartners have strong opinions about what they would like on their backpacks or what they want to wear to school the first day. If the teacher has provided a supply list, take your child shopping to help select those special items.
Adjust the schedule. As the final days of summer draw to a close, start moving your child onto the school schedule. Those late bedtimes have been fun all summer but not so much when kids have to get up and moving early. Begin by moving up bedtime 10 to 20 minutes a day until you have adjusted children to their normal school-day bedtime and wake-up time. Remember, elementary school-aged children should be getting 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
Practice the routine. In the last few days before school starts, take time to run through a typical school morning. Get your child up and dressed as if they were headed to school. After a healthy breakfast, head out to the bus stop or the car on time. Look for potential glitches in your routine and plan ahead to avoid “morning madness.”
Think safety. As you plan for your child’s day, think about safety coming and going from school. Walking, carpooling and riding the bus present different potential safety risks. Talk to your children about their specific situation and make sure they know how to cross streets safely, are using an appropriate booster seat in a car if needed, or that they understand bus rules. More back-to-school safety information can be found at SafeKids.org.
Immunizations and physicals. Check with your child’s pediatrician to be sure immunizations are up to date. Back-to-school time is a good time to schedule annual well-child exams. An exam may be required if your child is planning to participate in a sport. More information about the Michigan school vaccine requirements, as well as contact information for your local health department, can be found online at the Michigan Department of Community Health website.
Plan for healthy meals. Research has shown that kids who eat a healthy breakfast and lunch get better grades and are more attentive at school. Talk with your children about what they would like to eat and help them choose a well-balanced selection of “brain foods.” More information on children’s nutrition can be found at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlatewebsite.
Assistance is available. Your family may qualify for nutrition assistance through the National School Lunch Program. This federal program provides for free or reduced-price school lunches and in some cases breakfast as well. Contact your school’s nutrition program for an application. Some districts make this application available online. Many community agencies also offer additional back-to-school support, such as free backpack events and discounted or free school supplies and clothes. If you are in need of support to help get your children ready for school, be sure to contact your local community service agencies for more information on events in your area.
Taking time to plan ahead for the new school year is well worth the effort. Confident, calm, well-rested children are more likely to have an excellent first day and a fabulous year ahead. Let’s help our children start the school year on a positive note.
If your child is headed to college for the first time, you can allay some of your worries by ensuring they’re up to date on vaccinations. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
If you’re looking to help your burgeoning thinker prepare for the first year of college, you could do worse than start with a simple science lesson.
Think of the higher learning universe as a giant petri dish.
Your youngster will dive headlong into that glorious environment, seizing opportunities to broaden the intellect and test new ideas that challenge the status quo.
College is, however, a life-sized cauldron of cellular chaos, swimming with a frightening array of potentially deadly germs.
What important steps can parents take to ensure their college student is prepared for life on campus?
Above all else, make sure your child is properly vaccinated, said Mary Zimmerman, immunization program manager at Spectrum Health.
Does this mean you can’t spend this last month of summer scouting out the best deals on futons, bed sheets and mini refrigerators? No. It just means immunizations need to maintain their proper place at the top of the to-do list.
Teens headed to college should be current on six vaccinations in particular—meningococcal serogroup B, meningococcal conjugate vaccine (serogroups ACWY), hepatitis A, Tdap, HPV and influenza.
Meningococcal serogroup B vaccine
Given their bustling social lives and close-quarter living, college students are uniquely prone to exposure of meningococcal disease, Zimmerman said.
And if there’s just one thing to remember about meningitis, it’s this: It is deadly serious.
“People who have had meningitis had flu-like symptoms and then they were dead within 24 hours,” Zimmerman said. “If you survive, it’s a long-term stay in the hospital.”
The disease kills 10 percent of its victims, she said. Of those who survive, 20 percent will suffer long-term consequences from infection, including brain damage, amputation or loss of hearing.
When the bacteria infect the brain and spinal cord, it’s known as meningitis. When it infects the bloodstream, it becomes septicemia. There are two different vaccinations for meningococcus—serogroup B vaccine and serogroup ACWY vaccine, also known as the conjugate vaccine—and they immunize against different groups of the disease.
The CDC requires children to receive the conjugate vaccination by age 12, with a recommended follow-up conjugate booster at age 16. It’s also recommended that children receive the serogroup B vaccine at age 16, when they get the conjugate booster, but it’s not required, Zimmerman said.
Only recently has there been growth in awareness about the serogroup B vaccine.
In Michigan, the family of Emily Stillman, a Kalamazoo College sophomore who died of meningitis in 2013 at age 19, has emerged as the vanguard in pushing for awareness about meningococcal serogroup B.
Stillman died within 36 hours of contracting bacterial meningitis. She had received the meningococcal conjugate vaccine in her youth and also the recommended conjugate booster at age 16.
She did not receive the serogroup B vaccine.
Why? In 2013, the serogroup B vaccine hadn’t been available in the U.S. Not until 2015 did it become available.
Zimmerman cautioned that parents may encounter circumstances, even today, in which a primary care provider doesn’t have immediate access to the serogroup B vaccination.
This should not discourage them from pursuing it further.
“Check first with your primary care provider,” Zimmerman said. “If they don’t carry the B shot, you can check with the local health department — they do have it.”
Don’t assume the serogroup B vaccination isn’t important simply because the CDC made it a recommended vaccination, as opposed to a requirement, said Mary Wisinski, immunization program supervisor at Kent County Health Department.
“Absolutely get the vaccine,” Wisinski said. “It’s a deadly disease.”
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine
All strains of meningitis are spread through secretions from the throat and respiratory system—coughing, kissing, sneezing, sharing cups and so forth. Simply living in the same environment as someone with the disease could put you at risk.
About 10 percent of people who carry the bacteria in their nose or throat won’t show symptoms of the disease. But they can spread it.
“That’s why it’s so scary,” Zimmerman said. “There’s no rhyme or reason as to who might get the disease and who might just be a carrier.”
This is why vaccinations are so critical, she said, especially for the age 16-to-24 group headed into socially rich environments such as universities.
While the CDC requires the conjugate vaccination by age 12, there are of course children whose parents may have opted them out of vaccines.
College is a great time to reconsider such views.
“A college student will think they’re just run-down, and then they have to be rushed off to the hospital,” Wisinski said. “There’s nothing they can do.
“People do survive it, but the infection can cause them to lose their arms or legs, or cause them to be deaf,” Wisinski added. “It’s not a pleasant thought. Especially when there’s a shot to protect against it.”
The Kent County Health Department follows the mantra, “Vaccinate before you graduate.”
“(Parents) are sending these kids off to college very unprepared and unprotected,” she said.
In recent years, there has been a grassroots push among certain parents to opt out of vaccinations, but that has only led to spikes in diseases that had virtually fallen off the threat radar.
In 2016 and 2017, for example, the CDC logged outsized jumps in the number of mumps cases—directly traced to university campuses. The two largest cases were in Iowa and Illinois.
A Michigan college hit with a recent mumps outbreak didn’t have the data they needed to tackle it, Wisinski said.
“They didn’t know the vaccination status of any of their students,” she said.
In respect to the meningitis conjugate vaccination, nearly half of all teens fail to get the follow-up booster shot recommended at age 16, Wisinski said.
“(In Michigan), 80 percent of our kids get the first meningococcal vaccine at age 12,” she said. “But they don’t come back. In Kent County, only 50 percent of the teens that are immunized with the first vaccine will get that second one. Nationally, it’s 30 percent.”
For about the past decade, the CDC has recommended children receive two HPV vaccinations starting at about age 11.
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, with some strains causing various types of cancer. Much like other series of vaccinations, it’s important to have the complete series before any exposure, Zimmerman said.
HPV is a two-dose series if the first dose is administered before a child’s 15th birthday. If administered after the 15th birthday, three shots are required, Zimmerman said.
It’s important to remember the follow-up.
“Obviously, you get your best protection by completing the series,” she said.
“So many college students are traveling abroad,” Zimmerman said. “It’s good just to be protected.”
Hepatitis A is a liver disease spread through contaminated food and water. The vaccination is a routine recommendation for children starting at age 1, but there are adults and older children who have never had it.
The hepatitis A disease rate has declined 95 percent since the vaccine became available in 1995, but don’t imagine for a second that it has magically disappeared in this country.
The disease incubates in the body anywhere from 15 to 50 days before manifesting itself, Zimmerman said. Adults who get the disease can be ill for up to six months, with symptoms including nausea, vomiting and jaundice.
“It’s a virus,” Zimmerman said. “You clear it from your system. If you have the disease, you then have immunity. But that’s the hard way to get it.”
The easiest route is vaccination.
Tdap vaccine
Babies and small children receive a series of shots called DTaP, which protect against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, also known as whooping cough.
As a child ages, the effectiveness of this vaccination wears off. Consequently, at about age 11 the CDC recommends children receive a Tdap vaccination, Zimmerman said.
It’s effectively a booster for the original shot.
“They get the maximum benefit from (receiving) doses at the proper time,” Zimmerman said.
Tetanus is caused by toxins from bacteria in the soil. Diphtheria and pertussis are spread through coughing and sneezing. According to the CDC, about 1 in 5 people who get tetanus will die and 1 in 10 who get diphtheria will die.
Pertussis is most dangerous for babies. They contract the disease from children or adults who haven’t been vaccinated.
“Pertussis won’t kill adults, but it does kill infants,” Zimmerman said.
Here again, the anti-vaccination crowd has given rise to pertussis outbreaks at levels not seen since the 1950s, according to CDC data. In 2012, more than 48,000 pertussis cases were reported—the most since 1955.
Researchers have blamed these developments on a reduction in herd immunity.
Influenza vaccine
A list of recommended vaccinations for any age group, infant to elderly, would be incomplete without the addition of the influenza vaccination.
“The annual flu vaccine is always recommended,” Zimmerman said.
Children from eligible families can receive free vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children program, Wisinski said. This applies to all vaccines, from birth to age 19. Children with medical insurance that does not cover certain vaccines can also receive vaccines, but they must get them at the health department or a qualified facility.
“If they have Medicaid or no insurance, or even insurance that doesn’t cover shots, they can get free shots,” Wisinski said. “It’s part of the VFC program.
“If someone from birth through age 18 has no insurance, or insurance that does not cover vaccines, the vaccine is free—but we do charge an administration fee on a sliding scale fee, from $0 to $23,” Wisinski said.
It is not just the local school that will be starting before Labor Day, but many of the area’s private schools as well.
Both Wyoming and Kentwood are home to several faith-based and charter schools. Most of these schools will be opening Aug. 28. Those schools include: Grand River Prep, Potters House, South Christian High School, West Michigan Aviation Academy, West Michigan Lutheran ad Legacy Christian School. West Catholic and Catholic Central High Schools also are starting on Aug. 28.
Grand Rapids Christian High School started before everyone — and this includes public schools as well — on Aug. 16, while the first day of school for all the Calvin Christian schools is Aug. 29
Tri Unity Christian High School is one of the only private schools scheduled to start after Labor Day on Sept. 5.
Michigan law mandates that public schools may not start before Labor Day. However, districts may seek a wavier with the Michigan Department of Education reporting a record number of waivers for this school year totaling 123. This included 99 school districts and charter schools and 24 intermediate school districts, which includes Kent Intermediate School District. The Kent Career Technical Center is started on Monday, Aug. 21.
A for a list of the public school start dates, click here.
