Grand Forks Gazette Wednesday, September 12, 2012
www.grandforksgazette.ca A15
COMMUNITY ❚ FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER
Winners of the FASD essay writing contest Top left: FASD essay winner Evan Gorman (13 to 15 years) and runner-up Jaclyn Salter. Middle: Back Row: Zinaya Lawson (YSHIFT), Riley Chapman (Winner 16 to 20 years $150), Becky Deane (adult mentor YSHIFT), Jessi Bryan (peer mentor, Baby’s Best Chance), Jacob Noseworthy (YSHIFT), Laranna Androsoff (winner 21 to 29 years). Front Row: Holden Johnston, Jodi Koftinow (peer mentor, Baby’s Best Chance), Kayla Hahn (peer mentor, Baby’s Best Chance) and Cynthia Garnett, (program co-ordinator, Baby’s Best Chance). Bottom: Ava Stellinga, another runner-up in the 16 to 20 years category.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Last winter, the Early Years team that meets monthly at the Glanville Centre (in Grand Forks) to organize programs and activities for families of young children decided to take a different approach to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) prevention and awareness. Instead of just creating awareness this past Sept. 9 for FASD Awareness Day, they would develop activities that would continue throughout the year. So this past spring, the peer mentors of the Baby’s Best Chance program decided to approach the YSHIFT (youth committee of the Phoenix Foundation) and see if they would sponsor a FASD essay-writing contest. They hoped to improve community awareness to the causes, effects, and personal and social outcomes of FASD in Canada. They believed that with youth and families researching the topic and community media printing the stories, our knowledge of FASD could improve. Unfortunately, we know that some peers and family members still encourage women to drink during their pregnancies and we are hoping to stop this practice of telling women that one or a few drinks, now and then, are OK. Our intention is that it becomes normal for pregnant women and women in their child bearing years (who are trying to or hoping to conceive) to abstain from alcohol. This needs to be supported by all aspects of our communities if we are to be entirely successful at changing these old practices and beliefs. We need grandparents, parents, peers, employers, friends, husbands, doctors and business people to all support women to abstain from drinking while trying to conceive, child-bearing or breastfeeding. This is a community effort that requires a change in the attitudes and behavior of its members. The results of the essay-writing contest: Riley Chapman won first prize for 16 to 20 years and $150. The contest date was extended and the following won: • Evan Gorman won first prize in the 13 to 15 year category taking home $100 • Laranna Androsoff won $100 in the 21 to 29 year category Selena Demenoff (16 to 20 years), Jaclyn Salter (13 to 15 years) and Ava Stellinga (also 16 to 20 years) were runners-up each winning $50. There was no runner-up for the 21 to 29 years category. To read all the essays, go to www.grandforksgazette.ca
CYNTHIA GARNETT Submitted
How can I get my picky child to enjoy a wider variety of foods?
Picky eaters are going through a normal developmental stage, exerting control over their environment and expressing concern about trusting the unfamiliar. Many picky eaters also prefer a “separate compartmented plate,” where one type of food doesn’t touch another. Just as it takes numerous repetitions for advertising to convince an adult consumer to buy, it takes most children 8-10 presentations of a new food before they will openly accept it. Rather than simply insist your child eat a new food, try the following: ➦ Offer a new food only when your child is hungry and rested. ➦ Present only one new food at a time. ➦ Make it fun: present the food as a game, a play-Ålled experience. Or cut the food into unusual shapes. ➦ Serve new foods with favorite foods to increase acceptance. ➦ Eat the new food yourself; children love to imitate. ➦ Have your child help to prepare foods. Often they will be more willing to try something when they helped to make it. ➦ Limit beverages. Picky eaters often Åll up on liquids instead. ➦ Limit snacks to two per day. – from helpguide.org Success By 6 supports parents and communities in creating healthy, nurturing environments for our youngest children, so that by age 6, they are physically, socially, and emotionally ready to succeed in school. The goal of Success By 6 is to better the lives of our Boundary area children in our families and enhancing our communities.
Success by 6® is a locally based initiative in partnership with: Phoenix Foundation of the Boundary Communities • Ministry of Children & Family Development • Grand Forks Credit Union
is a proud supporter of this community initaitive
Grand Forks Figure Skating Club Call for Board Members The Grand Forks Figure Skating Club is in need of Board Members. Join us and put your volunteer skills to good use. New and past members welcome. Meetings held the first Thursday of every month. Contact Tara Evdokimoff • 250-442-0117
Thank You
To all our Customers and to
Grand Forks Home Hardware Downtown
&
DEANNA LUDOWICZ
For your Generous Donations to
Over $400 worth of school supplies were donated to children in need in the Boundary! Carol and Dave Lajoie at
250-442-5633 • 317 Market Avenue • 250-442-0897
Check out this week’s flyers in the West Kootenay Advertiser If you watch the nickels and dimes the dollars will take care of themselves!
Overwaitea Buy Low Extra Foods Pharmasave Sears The Cash Store Panago
Husqvarna Castlegar Canadian Tire The Brick Homegoods M & M Meats