Family First Magazine

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JULY 2020 | VOL. 2 � ISSUE 7

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER Brian Rushing EDITORIAL Mary Ditch Editorial Director Bonnie Rushing Contributing Writer CREATIVE Amber Duplantis Senior Designer Lauren Pontiff Graphic Designer COVER PHOTO Stacie Belanger ADVERTISING Deanne Ratliff Director of Sales Beth Tabor DIGITAL MARKETING Keely Diebold DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Michelle Ortego

CHLOE BELANGER

Happy July!

How is everyone’s summer going? Did your family get to go on vacation?

Sometimes my family has the most fun when we just pretend to get away, but never leave our neighborhood.

Earlier in the month, when it was raining everyday, we had fun pretending to go camping!

We set up a tent in the living room and ate our meals on a blanket by the tent. We used the STEAM craft from last month and a flashlight to make constellations on the ceiling. We made s’mores on the stove (with adult supervision of course!) and enjoyed a late night movie.

I hope you take the time to escape this summer, even if it’s just for pretend!

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 04 06 08 10 12 14

HOMEROOM HAPPENINGS

16 18

AT THE LIBRARY

FAMILYFIRSTHOUMA.COM

Summer Vacation

HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC Simple Summer Cookout

KID ENERGY ALL-STARS Noah Blanchard

SYNERGY CENTS WITH PENNY Penny Celebrates Independence Day

S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY

P.O. Box 5013 Houma, LA 70361 • 985.868.7515

Milk Magic

GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL Let’s Move Magical Books

FUN AND GAMES Test Your Brain

MARY DOWNER DITCH

JULY 2020 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 7

CONTACT Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com

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Family First Magazine is a free publication.

The entire content of this publication is copyrighted by Rushing Media, with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Family First Magazine is published monthly by Rushing Media.

Centered on what matters most to you

Patient Centered Care for 25 years

Jennifer D. Rodrigue, Kenneth J. Cruse, Micah A. Callais, Henry M. Peltier, Meghan Louque MD, FAAP FNP MD, FAAP MD, FAAP PNP

• Free expectant parent consult • Routine/Wellness Care/Sports Physicals • Immunizations • ADD/ADHD Screening/Management • Same Day Appointments

In network with most Commercial Insurance and Medicaid

604 N Acadia Rd, Suite 200 & 200B • Thibodaux, LA 70301 • 985-448-3700 5040 W Main St • Houma, LA 70360 • 985-851-2000 • www.centerfp.com

We're Ready to go Back to School!

Thank you to all our local businesses that allowed us to distribute our publication while our children were in virtual schools this Spring.

We will continue to distribute in our community this fall as well as in the Terrebonne Parish School System.

SCHOOL

See You Back in Schools in August! familyfirsthouma.com

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homeroom happenings

HOMEROOM HAPPENINGS: SUMMER EDITION!

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We hope you are having fun on summer vacation! Send your family pictures to mary@rushing-media.com.

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SHOP LOCAL • Shop Early • SAVE MORE!!

EXCLUDES SOME BRANDS. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS.

1539 MLK Blvd • Houma 985.851.1559 Mon - Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-4 (Closed Sundays & July 4th)

Enrolling

NOW

FOR SUMMER CAMPS

READING • WRITING • ENGINEERING • ROBOTICS • TUTORING • COLLEGE PREP MATH • CODING • STUDY SKILLS • GEOMETRY • ALGEBRA • ACT PREP Our personal learning approach will really connect with your child, combining engaging technology with amazing teachers, raising grades and confidence.

Visit our website for our summer camp schedule!

Sylvan Learning Center • 657 Corporate Drive, Ste A www.sylvanhouma.com • Call Today! 985-223-3798 FAMILY FIRST

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HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC | BY JAMIE KING RDN, LDN, CLINICAL NUTRITION MANAGER

SIMPLE SUMMER COOKOUT GRILLED HAWAIIAN CHICKEN IN FOIL INGREDIENTS • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces) • 1 yellow bell pepper • 1 cup bbq sauce of your choice • 1 15oz can of pineapple slices including juice • 2 tsp soy sauce • 1 tsp garlic • 1 red bell pepper • 2 medium zucchini • garnish with green onions

Summertime is a great time to try new family activities, including trying new recipes with your kids. Simple, nutritious recipes that utilize a variety of vegetables can be a great addition to your weekly menu! How do we encourage children to try this new variety of vegetables and fruit? Let’s get them involved in the meal prep process! Involving kids in meal prep makes them more curious about the taste and the health benefits of certain foods. See below for ideas on how you can involve kids of all ages in the meal prep process!

3 to 5 years old: Children can help wash veggies, tear lettuce apart for salads, or add diced veggies or fruit to a bowl to mix into a recipe.

6 to 7 years old: Children can help peel raw fruits or veggies with a vegetable peeler, measure liquid ingredients, or crack eggs into a recipe.

8 to 9 years old: Children can use a can opener to open canned goods, check the temperature of cooked foods with a thermometer, slice soft fruit with a plastic knife, or beat eggs using a wire whisk.

10 years and older: Children can slice or chop vegetables, boil potatoes, bake foods in the oven, and much more!

**Add any veggies you would like - squash, red onions, fresh tomatoes, etc. You can dice them for the kids.

DIRECTIONS STEP 1 Heat grill to medium heat or oven to 400 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of heavy duty foil, enough to wrap the chicken and veggies and seal them. Place chicken on the center of aluminum foil and divide the veggies and add 2-3 pineapple slices into each packet.

STEP 2 In a bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, juice from pineapple slices, soy sauce and garlic. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the sauce on the chicken and make sure to reserve about 1/4 cup. Seal up the foil packets.

STEP 3 Place chicken packets onto the grill and grill for 13-15 minutes, flipping at about 7 minutes. In the oven, bake them for 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. To serve, carefully open packets, baste with reserve sauce and garnish with green onions.

•

You can even let the children choose the theme of the meals!

This Grilled Hawaiian Chicken in Foil recipe would be a great one to try with your children! It’s fun, easy, and there are so many ways to involve the kids in the cooking process! Have fun cooking with the kids!!

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TAKING THE LEAD FOR OUR COMMUNITY

COV

19

ID-

We are Moving Forward

Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) is moving forward with restoration of normal business operations, in accordance with all state and federal guidelines, to provide needed healthcare services. Rigid precautions are in place that will include continued screening and testing, use of personal protective equipment and a zero or very limited visitation policy, making TGMC safer than ever before for our patients and staff.

TGMC SAFETY MEASURES:

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ROBUST CLEANING MEASURES

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SOCIAL DISTANCING

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TEMPERATURE CHECKS AT ENTRY

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COUGH & SNEEZE GUARDS

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REQUIRED PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

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VIRTUAL DOCTOR VISITS

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HAND SANITIZER STATIONS

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COVID-19 TESTING FOR PATIENTS

Patients who have postponed medical procedures are encouraged to visit with their physicians immediately and get rescheduled before a routine event becomes an emergent situation. TGMC advises to continue protecting yourselves each day by practicing social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing masks properly. TGMC will continue to care for the community that has taken care of us.

For more information, health and wellness tips and videos, visit TGMC.com.

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KID ENERGY ALL-STARS

ALL-STAR OF THE MONTH NOAH BLANCHARD BASEBALL, 3RD BASE AND CENTER FIELD RAMPAGE

When did you start playing sports?

At age 3, I played soccer for only one season.

What is the best part of a game?

To me, the best part of any game is your first turn at bat. My confidence is highest.

Why did you decide to give baseball a try?

A lot of my friends played, so I thought I’d try it. Plus, my Paw Paw Byron has always wanted me to play baseball, because it’s his favorite sport.

What is one thing you do after a good game?

We all high-five each other and congratulate each other on good plays.

How often do you practice?

Twice a week What have you learned about teamwork?

It creates a strong bond within the team.

How do you and your teammates make practice fun?

We do relay races at the end of every practice.

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Who is your favorite sports hero?

Drew Brees, of course!

What are you looking forward to doing next in your sport?

I look forward to moving up in our ranking, from AA to AAA. Do you play any other sports?

Not at this time.

Do you have a favorite jersey number and why?

1, because it’s my number

ALL-STAR ADVICE Championships are won at practice. Practice winning every day.

TIP FROM BERNIE & EARL Have an adult call 811 before you dig!

Nominate your child to be a Kid Energy All-Star by emailing rhett@kidenergyusa.com.

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SYNERGY BANK PRESENTS SYNERGY CENTS WITH PENNY D. PELICAN

PENNY CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY Hello, friends! One of my favorite holidays is the Fourth of July. I love hosting a picnic with my friends and watching fireworks in the evening. I also enjoy reading about our Independence Day. Did you know that it was actually on July 2, 1776, that the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain? So why do we celebrate it on the 4th? Because it was on July 4, 1776, that the Declaration of Independence was officially printed and formally adopted.

Have you ever seen a $2 bill? On the back there’s a painting from John Trumbull that shows the draft of the Declaration of Independence being presented to Congress.

PENNY GOES SHOPPING

To celebrate Independence Day this year, Penny wants to host a special picnic for her friends. Below are the items Penny will need and the cost of each item. Penny needs to make sure she has enough money in her purse to buy the supplies for her picnic. How much money does she need to purchase all of her groceries?

Apple Pie $7

Sandwiches $15

Watermelon $6

Drinks $6

Chips $3 FAMILY FIRST

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4+2

3+3

2+4

6+3

2+7

3+5

9+0

3

4+5

4+ 0+6

4+4 1+5

1+8

0+9 3+6

1+8

4+5

4+2

COLOR KEY 6 = Light Blue 7 = Dark Blue 8 = Yellow 9 = Red

3+6

7+2

5+4

Add to find the sum. Color the sections according to the color key.

2+7

8+1

1+8

COLOR BY NUMBER

5+4

SPONSORED BY

5+1

6+0

Find game solutions at banksynergy.com/penny.

banksynergy.com

No Wallet Needed Digital Pay is Here

Apple Pay is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Samsung Pay is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Google Pay is a registered trademark of Google LLC. LG Pay is a registered trademark of LG Corp. Fitbit Pay is a registered trademark of Fitbit, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Garmin Pay is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

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S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY

MILK MAGIC This magic milk rainbow science experiment is perfect for budding scientists!

This is an experiment on surface tension. The effects of the oils in the whole milk (which is high in fat) and the soap are instant! When the soap is added to the milk, it allows the fat to be carried through water. This is why we use soap to clean dirty dishes! When you drop the soap into the milk, the molecules combine. This causes the food coloring drops to move much more rapidly through the milk.

This experiment is also amazing when learning about color mixing. You can watch as blue and yellow mix together to create green, and so on.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Whole milk • Food coloring (Not the gel kind!)

• Shallow container • Dish soap

WHAT TO DO: STEP 1 Cover the bottom of your container with milk. You shouldn’t need much!

STEP 2 Drop in food coloring around your container.

STEP 3 Drop a TINY bit of soap onto each spot of color.

STEP 4 The result is instant, so be ready!

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EARN YOUR DIPLOMA IN

MASSAGE THERAPY

Become a Licensed Massage Therapist in 6 months!

Day and Evening Classes Available.

We are also enrolling for Esthetics, Cosmetology, Clinical Medical Assisting and Medical Billing and Coding to begin July 13th.

803 Barrow Street • Houma, LA 70360 • 985-601-4000

TIPS: • Use a toothpick to help swirl the colors around and see what new colors you can create.

• We tried different kinds of soap to see what would happen. (dish soap, shampoo, hand soap and even just soapy water.) They all worked!

• This experiment will also work in a clear drinking glass if you don’t have a shallow container. The colors will run down also!

• While this experiment works best with whole milk, anything other than skim will also work in a pinch!

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!

DR. MARK BILELLO

399 BAYOU GARDENS BLVD, HOUMA, LA 70364 985.872.9470 • DRMARKBILELLO.COM

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GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

LET’S MOVE

LEAVE THE HIGH-TECH WORLD BEHIND! We live in a high-tech world. Today’s children have been surrounded by technology since the day they were born!

As they get older it’s often more difficult to get kids away from their electronic devices to engage in active play. While it is important for children to understand technology, that importance does not override the need to be healthy and active away from these devices.

Experts say that children need 60 minutes of exercise a day. How can you get your kids moving?

Here are a few ideas that might help motivate your child:

Try using an activity jar.

Sometimes children are indecisive. Have them help you make a list of some of their favorite cardio activities. On the days they are unmotivated (or just can’t decide) you can draw an activity out of the jar as a prompt.

Whenever possible, get outside! Make it a family affair: Plan activities that get the whole family moving together. These can include bike rides, hikes and backyard games such as water balloon fights, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, relay races, kickball and family Olympics.

The more enjoyable and creative the activity is, the more likely your kids are to participate and to develop a positive feeling toward physical activity.

Maintain a structured routine: Develop a daily schedule that includes time allotted for movement-related activities to ensure your kids meet the minimum physical activity recommendations.

These can be scheduled in small intervals throughout the day or in larger blocks. By making physical activity a priority and encouraging your children to participate in activities they enjoy, you can help them to develop lifelong healthy habits, as those who are active during childhood are more likely to maintain physical activity participation into adulthood.

It’s clearly not difficult to get your family moving on a nice sunny day, but what do you do if it is raining outside?

Utilize some of the same tools your child’s teacher uses in the classroom. Go Noodle (gonoodle.com) is a great site to get your child up and moving. This would also give your child the opportunity to show you some of their favorite “brain breaks” from school.

There is no denying that the older our children get, the more difficult it is to get them away from technology. However, we also can’t diminish the importance of active play. Turning off electronics is good for our children in a multitude of ways; most importantly, it keeps them healthy. Regardless of which strategies you use to encourage your kids to be active throughout the summer, the most important thing is to make it fun. Find activities that your children enjoy, which will help motivate them to stick with it, and don’t be afraid to challenge them to try something new.

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SPONSORED BY

For more information contact the Thibodaux Regional Fitness Center, 985.493.4950.

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at the library

BY NAOMI HURTIENNE MAGOLA, YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN

MAGICAL BOOKS There’s a fantastic world of stories to discover--and they’re all at your library! Whether you want to read about dragons, magicians, or brave princes and princesses, there is something for everyone at your library.

This summer, the Terrebonne Parish Library will be kicking off its annual Summer Reading Program on June 1st.

By reading for just 20 minutes a day, library users of all ages can earn the chance to win big prizes (bikes for kindergarten to sixth grade and Kindle Fire tablets for teens and adults). Be sure to drop by any of the nine library branches or visit www.mytpl.org/srp to sign up!

Summer Reading ends on July 31st, so be sure to get your reading logs in in order to earn wonderful prizes.

In order to get you and your family in the mood to celebrate summer reading, here are a couple of my favorite magical books. All three books are available through the Terrebonne Parish Library System, and you can reserve a copy today at www.mytpl.org.

Preschool

A Big Mooncake for Little Star Written and Illustrated by Grace Lin

Mama just made a big, delicious mooncake and Little Star so desperately wants to take a taste, only she promised Mama she wouldn’t eat the cake. But surely Mama wouldn’t miss just one little bite, would she? This scrumptious tale

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tells the story of the phases of the moon and how after one mooncake gets gobbled up, we can just make another.

WE BUY & SELL GENTLY USED ITEMS

K-3rd

Aquicorn Cove

Written and Illustrated by Katie O’Neill A big storm has just ravaged Lana’s dad’s seaside hometown and they are returning to help clean up the mess. As Lana is picking up trash on the beach she discovers and rescues a small, seahorse-like creature called an aquicorn. Her aunt helps her nurse the creature back to life but won’t give Lana many details about the mysterious creature. When another storm bears down on the community

OFFERING CASH OR STORE CREDIT FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: Baby Gear (Pack N Plays, High Chairs, Walkers, Etc.) Children's Clothing (Newborn - Youth 10-12) Children’s Shoes (sizes 0 - Youth 4) Maternity Fashions

it is up to them (with the help of the aquicorns) to face their past mistakes and learn how to live in harmony with their environment.

www.paisleyparkresale.com 6861 West Park Ave. Houma, LA• 985-876-2227

MAKE YOUR SMILE

4th-6th

Lumberjanes: Unicorn Power!

Written by Mariko Tamaki Illustrated by Brooke Allen

THIS 4TH OF JULY

At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, running into the supernatural is an everyday occurrence. When April leads her fellow scouts from Cabin 5 up an unmapped mountain on camp running into the mysterious Cloud People, they also meet UNICORNS! And did anyone see those signs at the bottom of the mountain? Daring adventures and trouble await our scouts!

Braces for children, teens, & adults Nicole Thieler, DDS, MSD

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985.876.4484

206 Mystic Blvd. • Houma, LA 70360

www.thielerorthodontics.com FAMILY FIRST

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FUN & Games

CAN YOU FIND THE 10 DIFFERENCES? Look at the two images below and circle the 10 differences you find!

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CONNECT THE DOTS

Follow the numbers to connect the dots. Color the image when you’re done!

Auto - Home - Flood - Commercial 985-262-1435 • trinitycoverage.com

We have everything your skin needs for summer fun!

Curbside service and in store shopping!

Heavenly Scent of Houma, LLC Vitamins, Herbs, Essential Oils, Nikken Magnets

1437 St. Charles St. Suite. 109 • Houma, LA 70360 • (985) 868.2216

M-F 9:30-5:30 • Sat 9:30-2:00

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