Hancock Health Boomerang Issue 28 | Sept. 2025

ISSUE #28 | SEPTEMBER 2025

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HOW DO KIDS AROUND THE WORLD GET TO SCHOOL? Depending on where you live in the United States, you likely take a bus or car to school. If you live in a city, you might even walk on your own or with friends. In other parts of the world, children use different methods of getting to school — and some of them are VERY unique!

MANY CHILDREN DON’T GET THE CHANCE TO ATTEND SCHOOL For many children around the world, school is a privilege. They will go to great lengths to get there, sometimes even travelling for a few hours every morning and every evening. This might happen if they live somewhere that has few people or little money and, therefore, no access to schools. Another reason may be what is called the geography of the area, meaning things like the mountains, rivers and lakes that are present there.

Why do you think kids might work so hard just to get to school?

Although we might take it for granted, learning things like reading and writing in school is really important if you want to be able to express yourself and work to earn money as a grown up. So, they make the trip no matter how hard it is.

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THE MOST UNIQUE WAYS KIDS GET TO SCHOOL PLANES - In small island communities, planes may need to be used to reach ferries that will bring children to a larger, more populated island for school.

BOATS - In areas with rivers or waterways, like in Peru or Guatemala, kids may take boats or ferries to get to school.

CABLE CARS - This is like a small train that has only one car. It is attached to a cable above it that helps to propel it forward.

In Venezuela, cable cars are used by children to traverse difficult terrain and dangerous neighborhoods.

RICKSHAWS - A rickshaw is a small compartment on wheels that can be pulled by a person or bicycle. In the Philippines, some children will ride a rickshaw to school!

LADDERS AND HIKING - When travelling through mountainous areas on the way to school, some children will need to traverse obstacles using tall (sometimes REALLY tall) ladders and hiking up steep inclines.

SNOWMOBILES - In places that get heavy snow, even in our own country, some children may need to use a snowmobile to get to school because cars are no longer

For some children, their morning and evening commute are a few hours long, which makes it difficult to complete homework and go to bed before waking up to do it all over again. What would you do if you didn’t live near a school and needed to get there in a unique way? Do any of these forms of transportation sound fun to you?

able to drive through tall drifts.

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like hiding behind your parents when you are somewhere new? Do you get all sweaty and nervous when it’s time to speak up? This might make talking to new friends difficult, too! Nothing is wrong with you, it just means that you might need to build up your confidence.

What does it mean to you to feel confident? Are there certain things you do really well? Can you focus Raise your hand if you are a shy kid who, well, never raises their hand in class! You aren’t alone. Many kids in all grade levels will label themselves as shy or say it is difficult for them to speak up and make friends in school. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend the school year alone.

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HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU MAKE SOME GREAT NEW FRIENDSHIPS THIS YEAR!

BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE Sometimes, we can have trouble speaking up for ourselves because we have low self-esteem. Do you feel

on these things more? Identifying your strengths is a great way to boost confidence. Talk to a trusted grown up or friend about your best qualities.

JOIN AN ACTIVITY Do you have any hobbies or interests? If so, why not follow your curiosity and join an activity

or after school club? Many schools

BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF

offer opportunities for students to

It’s okay if you don’t make friends

get involved and, by joining a club,

on the first day of school … or even

you will likely find friends who have

in the first month! Just be patient

the same interests as you!

with yourself and remember that

PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILLS

the right friends will come along at

Making friends doesn’t come easily to everyone. Just like with other subjects in school, sometimes it

the right time. Keep yourself open to new possibilities, but don’t push yourself too hard.

takes a little extra practice. Ask a grown up to help make a script that you can rely on for meeting new friends. After introducing yourself, have three questions on hand that you can ask someone to learn more about them. Some examples include: • What do you like to do on the weekends?

• Do you have a favorite movie/TV show/book?

• Do you have any pets?

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Do you ever wonder how in the world you are supposed to get everything done? From schoolwork to chores, hanging out with friends and afterschool activities, kids these days have a LOT to manage. It might even feel like you are trying to juggle many things at once.

Time management is a great skill to learn. What does it mean? It refers to the ability to organize your time so that you can fit what is really important (as well as things you LOVE to do) into each day.

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Do you ever wonder how in the world

have your grown up help you write

When you are all done, make sure

you are supposed to get everything

out all of the things you need to do

to put it on the fridge or in your

done? From schoolwork to chores,

every day. This can even include your

bedroom where you can see it!

hanging out with friends and

homework, chores and after school

afterschool activities, kids these

activities. There are some tasks that

BE FLEXIBLE - Some things are out of

days have a LOT to manage. It might

may be more important than others,

our control such as catching a cold,

even feel like you are trying to juggle

and these are called PRIORITIES.

getting extra homework or family

many things at once.

Make sure you know how long each

events. Just remember that this is okay, and you can always get back

Time management is a great skill to

task will take. Then, have your grown

learn. What does it mean? It refers

up help you organize your day. You

to the ability to organize your time

may even want to write the different

Managing your time by creating a

so that you can fit what is really

activities and tasks on strips of paper

routine, estimating how long tasks

important (as well as things you

or sticky notes if it makes it easier for

will take and then being flexible

LOVE to do) into each day.

you to see them and put them in order.

about all of it is a great way to head

You may have different routines for

into your school year!

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME? Good time management doesn’t

on task tomorrow!

different days of the week.

mean just rushing through everything. It is important to take your time and finish tasks carefully.

What time management helps you do is feel like you have plenty of time to do that. Here are some tips that might help you this school year!

UNDERSTAND TIME - It might seem silly, but the first step is understanding time! Do you know how to tell time and how many hours are in the day? What about how many hours you are asleep and awake daily? Answering these questions will help you understand how many hours you have to work with every day.

CREATE A ROUTINE - A routine or schedule is a tool that helps you to set aside specific times every day for specific tasks, such as eating, bathing, sleeping, school, etc.

Maybe your grown up has already helped you create a routine. If not, Boomerang

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Do you have a morning routine now that school is back in session? Getting into the swing of things feels easier if you know what to expect on weekday mornings and evenings. There are some things you can add into your routine to help you feel even better and more energized for school and other activities.

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Sure, you have probably heard your parents, teachers and maybe even your doctor talk about the importance of eating your vegetables and getting your sleep. But has anyone ever told you why these things are good habits?

And what if we told you there were a few more that might make you feel even better?

HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE WAYS TO FEEL HEALTHY EVERY DAY! EAT THE RAINBOW Your body runs on vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. They help your cells repair damage, growat a steady rate and maintain all of your body’s functions. When it comes to a healthy diet, eating plenty of variety is the best way tobe sure your body gets everything it needs. This means trying all different kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Make it a game by seeing if you can pack in a few foods of every color of the rainbow in one week. And by color we definitely DON’T mean food dyes. Aim for foods that come straight from the earth, like oranges, bananas, apples, celery, carrots, beets and blueberries!

GET YOUR SLEEP Sleep is important part to being a healthy kid. Did you know that while you sleep, your brain is busy organizing everything you have learned that day? This is why you feel better the morning after a good night’s rest. If you have trouble getting to sleep, ask a grown up to help come up with a routine that will ease you into bedtime. That might include reading a book before bed, listening to relaxing music or sharing a cup of tea.

No matter how you slice it, being a super-powered kid requires building healthy habits into your daily routine.

Try these three big ones and see if they help you feel better this school year and beyond!

GO SCREEN FREE

But no worries, we’ve got your back. Here are some fun, screen-free activities you can try:

Video games, YouTube, Roblox… it’s all great fun! But did you know it can impact your brain negatively? Screens are exciting for our brains,and sometimes that means we can get overstimulated. It is important to recognize when your body needs abreak.

See if you can find one day a week to go screen free. If you aren’t used to it, you may wonder what in the HECK you will do with the time.

• Build a fort • Go biking with a friend • Make a recipe you have been wanting to try • Learn to crochet or knit • Take up a fun new sport, like Pickleball, GaGa Ball or frisbee • Have a spa day with friends • Write a short story about what your dream day would look like Boomerang Boomerang

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After school hangries kicking in? We have just the thing to help. Not only are these snacks healthy, but they don’t require much grown-up assistance, which means YOU get to be the chef!

FRUIT & YOGURT PARFAIT All you need is your favorite yogurt, some granola and berries or chunks of fruit for this one. We like greek yogurt because it has extra protein for growing brains and bodies. First, choose a bowl, or cup. Then, create a layer of yogurt, followed by granola and fruit. If you want to be extra fancy, you can make two layers of each so it looks like stripes!

APPLE DONUTS Have a grown up help you core an apple and then slice it into discs. Now, top them with your favorite nut or seed butter. Then, you can add more decorations, like raisins, shredded coconut or even chocolate chips!

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BANANA SUSHI Take a tortilla and spread it with your favorite nut butter. Then, peel a whole banana and place it at the end of the tortilla. Roll it up, covering it with the tortilla as you go. Now, using a knife (or having a grown up help you), slice the tortilla-banana roll into discs. Use chopsticks to snack on this treat for an extra dose of fun!

ANTS ON A LOG Plain celery can feel bland, but top it with peanut butter and raisins and you have a filling, healthy and delicious snack. You might need a grown up to help you slice the celery. If you don’t like raisins, try topping your ants on a log with chocolate chips!

MINI PIZZAS Have a craving for pizza after school?

Try this easier version: First, grab an english muffin, bagel, piece of bread or even a pita. Then, have a grown up help you toast it. Next, spread it with tomato sauce and top with cheese. You may even want to have an adult help you put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted and gooey. Yummy!

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Personalizing your back-to-school supplies can make even the most mundane math lesson feel special. Try this craft to create your own pencil case using duct tape. There are so many fun designs out there that it may be difficult to choose!

You can also use a solid color and then top it with mini rolls of duct tape or washi tape for a more intricate look.

• Scissors • Duct tape • Quart-size plastic bag with zipper closure (Ziplocs with a sliding zipper work great)

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This craft is pretty easy. The trickiest part is making sure the duct tape goes around the edges so that everything is sealed. That way, it will be less likely to rip or tear. Make sure to leave room at the top so the zipper can slide back and forth!

1. Place a piece of duct tape on the front of the bag, just below the zipper, wrapping it slightly around the edges. Do the same on the other side, allowing the ends to wrap slightly around again.

2. Repeat the same thing for rows two and three, moving down the bag.

You can make this pencil case as shallow or deep as you would like.

3. When you have reached the depth you want, cut off the bottom of the plastic bag that is still sticking out.

5. Your final row will go beyond the new bottom of the bag. Cut the final row of tape, leaving about ½ inch to create a sealed bottom.

6. Now, decorate with more duct tape or washi tape around the sides, bottom, front and back!

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P O H L M A T H L E S S O N S T O F R U I T U K E H S L T L M T S P O R T S L C E U U I E R C E L C Y C I B V N D B W N S E S L S U O R E C E R O A N W U A A I S K G H N A R H A H P P E S F E E R T R K R C C P I C L W D T E E I H B K T L C F H C Y A H B A K E S K I N N U F D B C S N F E N S E I I L E U L A F R I E N D S R E T A T E E I I U R S S A P Y E I S S T

R S S C H O O L B U S L R P

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SUPPLIES | SPORTS | SCHOOL BUS | FRIENDS LUNCH | TEACHER | MATH LESSON | PRINCIPAL BICYCLE | SNACKS | STUDY | FRUIT | LIBRARIAN HOMEWORK | VEGETABLE | STUDENT

BOOMERANG BOOKSHELF THINK IT OUT: HOW TO PLAN AHEAD

BY SLOANE HUGHES A SMART GIRL’S GUIDE: GETTING IT TOGETHER: HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE, YOUR STUFF, YOUR TIME, AND YOUR LIFE

BY ERIN FALLIGANT GERMY SCIENCE: THE SICK TRUTH ABOUT GETTING SICK (AND STAYING HEALTHY)

BY EDWARD KAY DA SCHOOL LIKE MINE: A UNIQUE CELEBRATION OF SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD

BY DK PUBLISHING GROWING FRIENDSHIPS: A KID’S GUIDE TO MAKING AND KEEPING FRIENDS

BY EILEEN KENNEDY-MOORE ARE YOU WHAT YOU EAT?

BY DK PUBLISHING SAVE ME A SEAT

BY SARAH WEEKS AND GITA VARADARAJAN

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Can you find all of the following items hidden around the classroom?

Try setting a timer to see how fast you can find them all!

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Become the healthiest generation ever!

When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!