The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/937581
C-8 Home Life Wednesday, Februar y 7, 2018 The Press-Dispatch Youth First Today by Joan Carie, Youth First, Inc. Is unstructured play really that important? To enter the Birthday Club, email your name, ad- dress, phone number and birthdate to birthdayclub@ pressdispatch.net. Only the person's name, town and birthday will appear in the paper. As an added bonus, one lucky person each month will receive a free three month Press-Dispatch subscrip- tion. This month's birthdays have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Trendy Tree Top. JANUARY WINNER And the winner is... Keith McDaniel from Fort Keith. Francisco won a $25 gift card from Prüvit and a three- month subscription to The Press-Dispatch. Congratu- lations! THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS Judy Ice ......................................Hazleton ..........2/5 Tammy Coan ............................. Petersburg .........2/7 Jason Query .............................. Petersburg .........2/8 Henry Nelsa ................................ Winslow .........2/13 THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR Main Street, Washington • Like Us on Facebook! Sweet's Column by Barbara Sweet REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Kerry D. Onyett and Patricia G. Onyett convey to Wesley E. Mullis and Tara N. Mullis, real estate as re- corded in Pike County. Theresa J. Lane and Dallas R. Lane convey to Dallas R. Lane. Theresa J. Lane, Derrick Lane, Samuel Lane, Jessica Jude and Jennifer Yaney, real estate as record- ed in Pike County. Donald E. Eilert and Gloria J. Eilert convey to Grant E. Eilert, Donald E. Eilert, Christina M. Eilert and Glo- ria J. Eilert, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Michael Wilson and Jessica Wilson convey to Nich- olas Lee Berry and Rebecca Lynn Corbin, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Charles F. Diedendorf and Lillian L. Diefendorf con- vey to Jeffrey D. Wheatley, Jr., real estate as record- ed in Pike County. Lisa G. Alexander conveys to Ronald W. Beadles, re- al estate as recorded in Pike County. Robbie Davis and Marcia Davis convey to Rodney C. Matteson, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Indiana Land and Mineral Company, LLC conveys to Basin Land Services, LLC, real estate as recorded in Pike County. Nathaniel K. Hook and Kelley C. Hook convey to Paul Collier and Lindsey Collier, real estate as record- ed in Pike County. Hi stars, and welcome to this big stage all lit up in colorful red and white lights and decorated to help celebrate with all of our stars who will have a birthday or anniversary in the week of February 8 -14. Come on up onto this big stage and take a bow. February 8 - Sam Williams, Cheyan- na Hayes turns 12 years. February 9 - Rosalee McQueen Wright, John and Brenda Bolin will celebrate 56 years. February 10 - Kayla Bailey turns 34 years, Shylee Russell turns 14 years, Diana Fickel turns 70 years, Ira Wilson turns 67 years, Jamen Russell turns 32 years. February 11 - Elizabeth Ann Tisdale turns 52 years, Nathan Williams turns 18 years. February 12 - Jason Mills turns 40 years, Dustin White turns 29 years, Theodore and Teresa Nicholson will celebrate 24 years. February 13 - Rachael Meyer turns 18 years, Ryan Meyer turns 18 years, Amanda Meyer Crane turns 40 years, Austin Bolin turns 22 years, Treven Maier turns 17 years, Henry Nelson turns 68 years. February 14- Zack Vickers turns 28 years, Tyler Hill turns 20 years, Nate Wineinger turns 39 years, Tom and Happy Vinnedge will celebrate 26 years, Jerry and Rosella Hill will cele- brate 34 years. May all our stars have a really great day and may all your wishes come true. Keep in your heart and in your prayers all our stars who need that card, visit, phone call and that daily thought of them to have a great week. The results on my mom, Mildred, is a torn ligament which requires thera- py. Be thinking of Brenda Gish, Sher- ry Burton, Arvle Wade, Don, Annabel, Benny and Margie, Virginia, Junior, many who still have the flu, and ev- eryone with the aches and pains of life. UPCOMING EVENTS February 8 -25 - Winter Olympics February 10 - Meeting for anyone who would like to help in the benefit for Donnie Pancake to help out in his expenses from the accident. Meeting is at 2 p.m. at the Patoka Fire Station in Arthur. Donnie is Chief for Spurgeon Monroe Fire Department and an EMT for Pike County. February 12 - Abraham Lin- coln's birthday. Winslow Town Hall meeting at 7 p.m. at the Sny- der Comm. Center. February 13 - Winslow Beautifi- cation at 6:30 p.m. Winslow Eco- nomic at 7:30 p.m. at the Snyder Comm. Center. February 14 - Valentine's Day. All of the kids will pass out Val- entine's cards to their classmates and teachers. Many of our stars will go out to eat as a couple or as a family. Show your love to your Valentine with the gift of "Love from You." Chocolates and flowers are fine, but "I love You" is the best gift of all. February 14 - Ash Wednesday. Girl Scout cookies will be delivered to all who ordered their sweet treats. February 15 - Winslow Lions Club at 7 p.m. at the Snyder Comm. Center. Pike County Moms Group at 7 p.m. at the Otwell United Methodist Church. February 16 - Chinese New Year of the Dog. Winslow Seniors meet on Monday and Tuesday at the Snyder Comm. Center. Petersburg Seniors meet on Monday, Tuesday, Wednes- day and Friday in the Courthouse basement. Postcards this week at Sweets Col- umn, Winslow, IN 47598 were none. Winslow Patoka River is full right now from the snow fall we had last Monday and Thursday that covered the yards, walkways and porches. The roads were clear until nightfall came with freezing temps in the 20's with the wind that continued the rest of the week. Right now, this Sunday, we have a heat wave, going from freezing temps to a high of 40 degrees. This heat wave may only last for a day, because when nighttime begins, the drop in tempera- ture will be in the teens. Not too much happened with Norm and I because of the weather, so we cut up a big limb that had fallen in Wayne's yard. We visited friends, Tim and Jeanette, and also Vernon, where he tasted my attempt to make beans and corn bread. I was told it was good, and I made enough for a small army. A container of beans went to the freezer for another wintry, cold day. Wednesday was the morning to see the blue blood moon and eclipse, so to all who got up early, we didn't. The view we saw on T V was exciting to see, espe- cially to those in the Western United States. My sister, Terri Ann, came back home from staying with our mom, Mildred. She stopped by to give Lau- ra her belated birthday gift and to get me caught up with Mom, George and Deby. We are all happy or elated to hear that Mom has a torn ligament in her arm and therapy is the best way to treat it. Well, Phil saw his shadow in the East, so six more weeks of winter is forecasted. With the snow, ice, rain, wind, plus the frigid temps, stay in - side. Put another blanket on the bed, don't drive on those ice roads if at all possible, and try not to overwork your- self when shoveling all those inches of snow. Our daughter, Laura, works quite a few hours and I would like to say to her, "It's an amazing work you do for all your clients and co-workers, and I know those long hours are tiring. You still do what you do for them, so to Lau- ra and others, thanks, they do appre- ciate you." We hope your team won the Super Bowl LII and your puppy won also in their Puppy Bowl. The rain overnight (Sunday) has washed all the snow away until the next blizzard comes. As the ramblings stop for this week and the lights dim, keep an eye on family, friends and pets, slow down and see all the beauty in your neck of the woods. Always remember to smile, wave and say Hi to everyone you see this week. Many schools have placed recess at the bottom of the priority list. Is un- structured play really that important for kids? It depends on who you ask. Providing organized sports and structured physical education time is not the same as unstructured recess time, according to Dr. Shari Barkin, Director of the Division of General Pediatrics and Pediatric Obesity Re- search at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. And according to American Acad- emy of Pediatrics spokesperson Dr. Robert Murray, "We are over-struc- turing their day...Kids lose that crea- tive free play, which we think is so im- portant." Following over two decades of re- search, the A AP refers to the many benefits of recess and unstructured play. Increased physical activity is ob- vious, but benefits are also seen with improved cognitive abilities and in- creased attention during classroom instruction time. Most notably, in an ever-increas- ing technological world with students spending less face-to-face time with others, researchers have seen growing skills in the realm of social and emo- tional development in students who are provided with recess time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are on board with the American Academy of Pediatrics, re- ferring to the recent trend of less re- cess time as problematic for our youth. The CDC recommends recess as nec- essary for optimizing youth social, emotional and cognitive development. Cognitive processing and academ- ic performance for both adolescents and younger children populations de- pends on regular breaks from class- room work, allowing time to decom- press. Recess should be a complement to structured physical education. The CDC recommends 60 minutes of dai- ly activity to counterbalance non-ac- tive classroom time. The A AP's Council on School Health, while viewing the "whole child" using surveys and studies, has found trends toward schools reducing recess time as a way to gain addition- al classroom instruction time. However, the Council on School Health states: "Children develop intel- lectual constructs and cognitive under- standing through interactive, manipu- lative experiences. This type of explor- atory experience is a unique feature of play in an unstructured social environ- ment. Optimal cognitive processing in a child necessitates a period of inter- ruption after a period of concentrated instruction." The Council on School Health goes on to say: "Recess promotes social and emotional learning and development for children by offering them a time to engage in peer interactions in which they practice and role play essential so- cial skills. Through play at recess, chil- dren learn valuable communication skills, including negotiation, cooper- ation, sharing, and problem solving as well as coping skills such as perse- verance and self-control. These skills become fundamental lifelong person- al tools. Recess offers a child a nec- essary, socially structured means for managing stress." As children enter the middle school years and experience puberty, they have an even greater need for this time to work on peer relationships and peer acceptance as well as time to work out social issues with friends and even "less friendly" classmates. Given the plethora of research-based evidence citing the undeniable need for our youth to have unstructured re- cess built into their structured and heavily weighted academic schedule, adults can easily reflect on their own need for unstructured breaks from rou- tines and schedules. The beneficial role of recess and un- structured time in all growth and de- velopment areas has been seriously un- dervalued. Free, unstructured play is essential for children to build the skills they will need to be happy and success- ful adults. This column is contributed by Joan Carie, LCSW, LCAC, school social work- er for Youth First, Inc., a local nonprof- it dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides 39 Mas- ter's level social workers to 57 schools in 7 southwestern Indiana counties. Over 60,000 youth and families per year are served by Youth First's school social work and afterschool programs that prevent substance abuse, promote healthy behav- iors, and maximize student success.