Satlirddy; Janvary'9,°1993 af

AroundTOWN

Our person
for
Our People
Corinne Jackson
365-7266

BREAKING
THE HABIT

National Non-
Smoking Week
runs from Jan.
18 to 24.
According to the
Registered
Nurses
Association of
B.C., successful
quitters often
make six or
seven serious
attempts to quit
smoking.
Therefore, they
say when you try
to quit smoking,
you should
realize that this
attempt is not a
single act but a
process to be
completed. For
more information
on kicking your
smoking habit
call the B.C Lung
Association at 1-
800-665-5864.

AND THE
WINNER IS...

Elma Maund
reports that the
person holding
the winning
number from the
Seniors’ Housing
Survey form has
been found. Lois
Johnson is the
lucky lady who
has one herself
$50 worth of
lottery tickets.
Good luck Lois.

NOT TO BE
__ MISSED

Selkirk College is
offering courses
in Russian
Literature in
Translation and
beginners
Russian this
semester. The
courses are open
to the public and
will be taught by
visiting Russian
professor Dr.
Alexander
Vaschenko. Call
365-7292 for
more information.

OurPEOPLE

@ Local schools exploring
opportunities through B.C.
healthy schools initiatives

Corinne Jackson
NEWS REPORTER

Students are preparing for the Year
2000. A year when today’s youths will
be healthier and the government will
be wealthier.

Five Castlegar schools received
news this week that grants had been
approved for them to implement
healthy school initiatives.

“This is an exciting opportunity,”
John Eggleton says.

The Castlegar Primary’s vice
principal says the money they
received will be put to good use as he
explains some of the programs they’ve
planned.

“(Students were involved in)
developing ways in which we can
develop healthy bodies and healthy
minds that will hopefully allow them
to make healthy decisions,” he says.

And that’s what it’s all about.

In all, Castlegar schools received
$2,790 — part of a $10,000 fund set
up by the Ministry of Health’s office of
health promotion in the Central
Kootenay.

Both Castlegar Primary and
Stanley Humphries Secondary School
received $750, while Valley Vista
Elementary was awarded $690,
Tarrys Elementary $400 and Twin
Rivers Elementary $200.

The money is aimed at helping
implement the Year 2000’s ‘Learning
for Living’ curriculum and promoting
preventative health care.

The government hopes that in the
end, money will be saved with a
healthy population.

The partnership between students,
teachers, administrators, parents,
community and government is a
fantastic one, Eggleton says.

“This is really my first experience
in terms of... outside agencies
(helping) make schools a better place
by supporting students, teachers and
parents. It’s exciting,” he says.

For Eggleton, the one program he is
looking forward to implementing is a
cross-country ski program.

“It allows students to get out
during winter months.

The purpose? Well, according to
Eggleton, students will come away
from the experience with “a life long
activity in the winter months. We'll be
giving them something for the rest of
their lives.”

Don Mair says programs at Stanley
Humphries Secondary School will be
aimed at helping students inside —

~

eee A

It won't take long for Valley Vista students to learn about the healthy schools initiative.
The school was one of five to receive grants from the province as British Columbia

moves towards the Year 2000.

and outside — the confines of his
building’s walls.

Students at the high school will
implement nutrition awareness and
anti-smoking campaigns.

As well, they hope to take last
year’s drug and alcohol awareness
program out on the road again, the
counselor explains. .

Last year, SHSS students made a
visit to Twin Rivers Elementary to
present a video on drug and alcohol
abuse and show a drug display case.

“The students couldn't believe the
barrage of questions from kids.

“We were very happy with it and
actually (Twin Rivers principal) Paul
Phipps asked if we’d do it again this
year,” Mair says proudly.

Project committees at SHSS
include both school counselors, an
administrator, a public health nurse,
a parent, the drug and school’s alcohol
prevention worker and possibly an
RCMP officer. .

But Mair says the power for the
programs will come from the 12 peer
counselors. The fact that the projects
are student-driven is very important
to their success, he says.

“Other students see (the projects)
presented by other students rather

than having it presented by adults, ”
Mair explains.

“It’s critical.”

Patrick Audet agrees and says “the
whole thing about the program is to
see what students think is a healthy
school.

“Our students say it’s one that
helps the environment,” Valley Vista
Elementary’s vice principal says.

Audet says the school is planning to
install recycling boxes and plant trees
in the spring to create a much-needed
shaded area for students to play in.

“They'll take the knowledge and
concern for the environment with
them.

“It’s pretty neat and different,”
Audet says of the project.

“It’s not a teacher’s program. It’s
the whole school, parents and
students... it’s coming from the grass
roots.”

Everyone agrees that’ the
government’s vision of empowering
students to take the lead in promoting
preventative health is a good one .

“(The Ministry of Health) is doing
an excellent job of it,” Mair says.

“What better way to deal with
health care than prevention — trying
to prevent illness.”

@ Saturday, January 9,:1993

A Look Back At The Year That Was
— Compiled by News Staff