Categories
Seasons

The Importance of Outdoor Play

By Kristen Munoz
Lakehill Preparatory School, Science Teacher

Spring is in the air…finally! With warmer temperatures and longer days comes the potential for all sorts of outdoor adventures.  I love this time of year because it provides my students with the opportunity to shed winter coats and explore the outdoors.

Outdoor play and the exploration that comes with it is so important for our children.  Children’s innate curiosity allows them to be such incredible observers of the natural world.  This time of year, I enjoy having recess duty – watching my students play reenergizes me and helps to remind me to slow down and take it all in.

In the coming weeks, as the days grow even more pleasant, I will make a point to take my students outside for class.  This encourages them to enjoy Lakehill in all its spring beauty and take advantage of new opportunities outside the classroom.  As we focus our lessons on life science in fifth grade, it seems only natural to extend our classroom time to the outdoors.

I welcome the diversions that nature provides to us and encourage my students to take a break from screen time to enjoy being kids.  Getting dirty, exploring, scrapping knees, climbing trees, riding bikes, and all the other pleasures of spring…isn’t that what being a kid is all about?

Categories
Uncategorized

Summer Fun: It’s Not Rocket Science, or Is It?

The long, lazy days of summer… Kids look forward to a break from their studies, while parents worry that all that “doing nothing” will wreak havoc on their performance when school resumes in the fall.

Learning shouldn’t stop during the summer months. Luckily, it doesn’t have to, as parents have a wide variety of options to help their children have fun while they learn, all summer long. Whatever a child’s interests and abilities, parents can find a summer camp to fit his or her needs.

Many parents turn to science-based camps when making their summer selections. Science camps can introduce children to a world of discovery while sparking their imaginations.

In an age when science is as vital as reading, writing, and arithmetic, science camps help develop a vital skill.

“Science allows us to make simple, truthful observations that can lead us to a better understanding of the world,” explains Melissa Carpenter, Director of Environmental Education at Lakehill Preparatory School. “The study of nature gives students practical and helpful knowledge as they make their way through the world. We are never helpless if we know something about science and how to investigate for the truth, whether it is in a laboratory or in nature.”

Lakehill Preparatory School is offering more than a dozen selections in science-based camps this summer. The camps are designed to give children of all ages the opportunity to explore and discover the mysteries of science through hands-on interactive experiments and adventures. The names of Lakehill’s camps alone invite discovery and imagination: Candy Science, Rockin’ Rockets, and Terrific Trees and Dynamic Dirt.

The curriculum is engaging, allowing campers to experience how science works in the real world. Who wouldn’t want to test the speed of their own wind-powered car, see how high they could launch a rocket, or conduct fascinating experiments with their leftover Halloween candy?

About Lakehill Summer Camps

Lakehill Summer Camps are unique in offering quality, teacher-led camps at an affordable price, with free before-camp and after-camp care available every day.

Lakehill Summer Camps offer programs for boys and girls entering kindergarten through grade 12, with weekly sessions beginning June 9 and ending August 8, 2014.

In addition to science camps, Lakehill offers a variety of camps in LEGO, Minecraft, visual and performing arts, crafting and building, film making, and more.

There are a variety of sports camps, including cheerleading, tennis, disc golf, soccer, and basketball.

Young minds can stay sharp over the summer with fun camps in reading, writing, mathematics, and technology, or get a leg up preparing for kindergarten, fourth grade, or Middle School.

Altruistic campers can spend a week volunteering in the Community Connections Camp. With 85 different camps available, there truly is something for everyone.

Camps are $220 per week for a half-day session, and $295 per week for a full-day session. Free before-camp and after-camp care is available.

Camps will be offered at both the main campus and at the Alice and Erle Nye Family Environmental Science Center. Online registration is now open and programs are filling fast. More information and easy online registration is available at http://www.lakehillprep.org/summer_camps.html.

Categories
Heath and Wellness

Seasonal Allergies and Sinusitis

By Kelly Johnson, MD, the founder and owner of Pediatric House Calls

Spring is almost here, so I thought it would be a good time to discuss nasal allergies and sinus infections.

Allergic rhinitis is the medical term for all the sneezing, coughing, and congestion caused by allergens in the air. In the spring and fall, allergens are usually from plant and tree pollens. There are also many indoor allergens that can exist year round like dust, mold and pet dander. Allergy symptoms occur when you are exposed to these airborne particles. Your body mistakes them for cold viruses. You end up snotty, congested and miserable, just like a cold. It’s all one big mistake by our immune system and this is why many people mistake allergy symptoms for cold symptoms.

Antihistamines (Zyrtec, Allegra,Benadryl) and steroid nasal sprays (Nasacort), which are all over the counter, are the best way to combat allergy symptoms. They are safe for all ages and the generic products work well and save you money.

Treating your child’s symptoms appropriately should relieve most of their symptoms after about 3-5 days. Some people may need to continue these allergy medications for several weeks to avoid the return of symptoms. If nasal congestion and drainage continue for longer than 10 days without improvement, then sinusitis may have developed. Sinusitis is an inflammation of the sinuses and is a complication of impaired sinus drainage. Sinusitis can resolve with allergy medications, but sometimes antibiotics are needed. Sinusitis is not contagious and cannot be spread from person to person.

Treat your child’s allergy symptoms appropriately and avoid antibiotic usage unless necessary after 10-14 days of symptoms. Avoiding outdoor activities on peak pollen days will also help manage symptoms.  Keeping windows open during the spring and fall may not be a good idea if household members are sensitive to plant and tree pollens. If your child has asthma or has ever had breathing treatments, allergies can trigger coughing and difficulty breathing. Start breathing treatments immediately for coughing if not alleviated by allergy medications alone and consult a doctor.

Allergic rhinitis and sinusitis do not cause fever. If your child has a temperature greater than 100.4, then you may need to consult a doctor.

If you have further questions, need an appointment or want to read previous newsletters, go to my website at www.pedihousecalls.com

 

Categories
College Readiness

Let Your Interests Lead the Way

By Heather Dondis
Director of College Counseling, Lakehill Preparatory School

I heard the most exciting news this week that one of our students was selected among all nominees in Dallas to attend a three-day interview program at a major university on the east coast along with 100 students from around the world in hopes of a full scholarship for his four undergraduate years in college. I also heard this week that another one of our students was one of twelve students worldwide selected to interview on campus for a full scholarship for four years at a liberal arts college on the west coast. Pretty impressive.

These students didn’t even know about these scholarships until this year, yet they have been preparing for them for at least the last four years, if not more. To be at this level of competition, students need to have an excellent academic record, but this doesn’t just come in the form of grades. It comes in the form of knowledge and being able to apply that knowledge to real-world situations and being able to talk about that knowledge with others who share the same interests.

Students need to challenge themselves in the classroom and outside of the classroom, learning all they can about a variety of subjects. They should take challenging and interesting courses in high school, but also continue that learning process on their own. Both of these students had a desire early on to learn about specific subjects that interested them. They spend hours reading at home, combing the Internet, and putting their knowledge into practice at research labs and internships. They followed through on that spark, that passion.

This played out naturally in the college scholarship process as colleges are looking for students who will do great things on their campuses. Everyone has the potential to have that spark. Learn all you can about the subjects that interest you. Find ways to discover what you are interested in within your community. Learn from people who share the same interests. Use your knowledge to help others. Perhaps you, too, will be preparing for an interview weekend to share your story with others.