Health & Wellbeing News
Allied Health News
As a part of the Jackson Social Skills Initiative this week your child learned about asking for help. Teaching students how to ask for help is important to develop self-awareness, advocacy skills and confidence.
Teaching your child to ask for help is as simple as:
1. Modelling how to ask for help by saying the word, using the sign or their communication device
2. Letting them it’s okay to ask for help
3. Model this skill by asking your child or family members for help
Over the course of the week students have practiced asking for help across their day during daily routines, play, and work.
Students used AAC (Alternative and Augmentative Communication) this included learning the signs for ‘want’ and ‘need’.
THANK YOU FROM OT STUDENTS
We have greatly enjoyed our time and experience here at Jackson School. We have learnt a lot and have made many connections with the staff and students therefore, we are sad to say goodbye.
During our time here we worked with individuals on their fine motor, emotional regulation, sensory processing, and toileting.
We also conducted two groups which were primary and secondary snack squad where the students participated in preparing practical snacks whilst socialising with their peers.
Thank you for having us at your school!
Amy & Matilda.
HEALTH AND FITNESS
If you struggle to find time and motivation for regular exercise, you’re not alone. Joining a gym or pounding the pavement isn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t have to be. By looking at exercise in a different way and making a few small changes, you can create healthy habits that stick.
START WITH FINDING YOUR ‘WHY’
Understanding why you want to be active can help get you motivated, set goals and keep yourself accountable. Ask yourself:
⚫What are the important areas of your life that could be enhanced if you improve your health through exercise?
What types of movement make you feel good?
It doesn’t matter how big or small the goal, it just has to be meaningful to you. That could be returning to work after an injury, going for a longer walk with your dog or getting a better night’s sleep.
CHALLENGE WHAT ‘EXERCISE’ MEANS AND FOCUS ON MOVING
The human body is designed to move. Any extra movement you can add to your day is a positive, so focus on simply moving rather than intense exercise.
Daily physical activity can include many basic day to day activities, such as:
- 10 minutes of weeding
- Walking around the room while on a phone call
- A quick stretching session in your lounge room
- Getting up every hour and walking away from your desk.
BREAK IT UP AND BOOST YOUR MOOD
Getting your recommended amount of physical activity doesn’t have to mean a 30-minute workout every day. Spreading it out into smaller blocks can make it easier to fit in and improve your mental health, as consistent exercise elevates mood and reduces the production of stress and anxiety causing hormones.
Movement increases blood flow to the brain, improving concentration, memory, creativity, learning, and mental stamina. Physical activity also increases endorphins – your feel-good hormones – which can drastically improve mood.
ADD STRETCHING TO YOUR ROUTINE
Stretching is another form of exercise and is just as important to include in your day, especially if you work at a desk. Stretching warms up your body and allows blood to flow, which relieves muscle fatigue and sends extra blood to your brain.
By reframing the way you think about exercise and finding ways to incorporate small amounts of movement into your daily routine, you are on your way to improving your health and wellbeing in a sustainable and enjoyable way. Recipes for cooking with kids
Australia's Best Recipes Team by Australia's Best Recipes Team
If the idea of cooking with kids has you worried, never fear. We're here to tell you that it doesn't have to be a big production or lots of work. And above all, it can be fun. Cupcakes, biscuits, pancakes and smoothies are all things that kids are eager to learn to make for themselves. Here's a collection of the best recipes to involve little helpers without much fuss.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
The following article is from the Australia’s Best Recipes website, a free website full of great ideas for family cooking. School holidays are a good time to occupy kids in the kitchen as well as enjoying their creations with the family once it is made.
TIPS FOR COOKING WITH KIDS
Here are some handy tips that prove that cooking with kids doesn’t have to end in disaster. Whether you have toddlers or teens, an hour or all day, get the kids involved to teach them one of life’s best skills.
Choose the right recipe: Start out with a recipe that the kids can help with. Cakes, biscuits, pancakes and muffins are all great kid-friendly options, that include lots of mixing, stirring and sifting to occupy helpers of all ages.
There will be mess: Be prepared for the kitchen to get messy: flour will be spilled, batter will be dropped and clothes will probably end up messy. Invest in an apron for everyone to cut down on the washing and embrace the messy fun.
Don’t expect perfection: Overworked batter, wonky icing and oddly cut vegetables are just some of the ways you’ll know the kids have been helping out. Encourage their efforts and let them feel proud of their achievements, no matter the outcome.
Introduce vegetables: If you have fussy eaters, one of the best ways to get them eating vegetables is to let them cook with them. Make smiley face pizzas, savoury muffins and vegetable skewers to get them to start enjoying cooking with vegetables. They’ll be so keen to try their efforts, they’ll forget all about their fear of veggies.
Don’t force it: While your little ones may love peeling the first carrot, by three they’ve probably had enough and are ready to move on to something else. Be prepared to step in and finish off jobs to keep everyone happy.
Weet-Bix Balls
Ingredients
2 1/2 cup Weet-Bix crushed
395 g condensed milk
3 tbs dark chocolate melted
1 tbs golden syrup
1/4 cup coconut
1 tbs dark brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut to coat
Method
Mix together Weet Bix and condensed milk. Divide the mixture in two bowls.
Add dark chocolate to one bowl.
Add golden syrup, ¼ cup coconut and dark brown sugar to other bowl.
Roll mixture into balls.
Roll balls in extra coconut.
JACKSON SCHOOL COMMUNITY SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES DIRECTORY 2023
With school holidays just around the corner, I am once again publishing our Community Sports and Activities Directory as a resource that you might like to access for your child over the holiday period. What is unique to our school and this directory, is that all of the sporting groups and community organisations listed in the directory have worked or in many cases, are still working with our students. As before I invite you to help grow the directory by forwarding me details of community groups or sports groups that your child is involved in but are not yet listed.
