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JUNE 2020 | VOL. 2 • ISSUE 6
CONTENTS
PUBLISHER Brian Rushing EDITORIAL Mary Ditch Editorial Director Bonnie Rushing Contributing Writer CREATIVE Lauren Pontiff Graphic Designer Keely Diebold Cover Photography ADVERTISING Deanne Ratliff Director of Sales Beth Tabor DIGITAL MARKETING Keely Diebold
TABLE OF
CONTENTS Hot, Hot, Hot I’m writing this note in May while sitting outside in my backyard. It already feels like it’s the middle of July! Summer vacation is usually something we look forward to. Even just a quick trip to the Mississippi coast or Grand Isle works for us. But this year, I’m not sure what we will be doing. We are fortunate that my parents have a pool and don’t mind us crashing their peace and quiet. Jackson enjoys swimming around, pretending to be a shark. It’s a great way to escape the heat. This month, check out the delicious and easy to make recipe for spaghetti squash taco boats! There is also a fun activity for Father’s Day and fun ways to stay active outside. I hope you enjoy the start to your summer!
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HOMEROOM HAPPENINGS
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GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL
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AT THE LIBRARY
Pictures from the classroom
HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC Spaghetti Squash Taco Boats
CONTACT Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com FAMILYFIRSTHOUMA.COM
KID ENERGY ALL-STARS Alexis Williams
SYNERGY CENTS WITH PENNY June Is For Celebrating Dad
S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY WITH HOUMA FAMILY DENTAL Starry Night
Exercise is Key
P.O. Box 5013 Houma, LA 70361 • 985.868.7515
Magical Creatures
FUN AND GAMES Test Your Brain
MARY DOWNER DITCH
JUNE 2020 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 6
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Michelle Ortego
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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.
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homeroom happenings HOMESCHOOL HAPPENINGS! WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR CLASSROOM AT HOME?
Send your accomplishments to us at mary@rushing-media.com!
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HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC | BY JAMIE KING RDN, LDN, CLINICAL NUTRITION MANAGER
SUMMER FUN IN THE KITCHEN
SPAGHETTI SQUASH TACO BOATS INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 1 pound ground turkey • 1 cup chopped onion • 1 cup chopped bell pepper • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 packet of reduced sodium taco seasoning • 1 cup shredded cheese • 1 2 1/2 -to 3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded • Suggested toppings: chopped romaine, chopped
Sweet summertime is finally here, and children are always looking for new and exciting hobbies! Getting kids in the kitchen and learning a new recipe together can be a fun activity! Try recipes using a variety of vegetables, and take the opportunity to teach kids about the benefits of trying new vegetables. Let’s talk about squash….we have so many options when it comes to squash! There’s acorn squash, yellow squash, zucchini, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and the list goes on! Some of these squash varieties are more available during the summer, while others may be found more easily during the winter. Squash is a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber. There’s also so many different ways to prepare squash. You can grill it, stuff it, bake with it, and so much more! This vegetable would make a great addition to your kitchen pantry! Spaghetti squash is not a vegetable we would typically reach for when cooking with our children, but it can be a fun addition to many recipes! Spaghetti squash often makes a great gluten-free substitute for pasta. While regular pasta has about 220 calories per cup, spaghetti squash contains only about 42 calories per cup. How did spaghetti squash get its name? Well, once cooked, the flesh of the vegetable can be shredded with a fork, and it resembles pasta; you can even twirl it around your fork! Try this taco boat recipe while cooking with your kids this summer…make it fun!!
tomatoes, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, freshly sliced avocado, salsa and sour cream
DIRECTIONS STEP 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. STEP 2 Carefully cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place squash halves, cut-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender. Approximately 40 to 50 minutes. STEP 3 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and onions and bell pepper and cook until no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for 3 more minutes. Add taco seasoning packet and 1/2 cup water and simmer until thickened, then remove from heat. STEP 4 Scrape the squash flesh from the shells being careful not to tear the shell. Add squash to turkey mixture, add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and combine. Place the shells on a baking sheet and fill with the squash mixture. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. STEP 5 Serve with chopped romaine, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, freshly sliced avocado, salsa and sour cream.
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KID ENERGY ALL-STARS
ALL-STAR OF THE MONTH
ALEXIS WILLIAMS DANCER ¡ JMAC DANCE
When did you start dancing? I started dancing when I was 5. Why did you decide to enroll in dance classes? When I was young, I would make up dance moves all the time so my Mom suggested I take classes.
What is your favorite style of dance? Jazz
How often do you attend class? All the time
Who do you look up to in the world of dance? Miss Jenni
What is your favorite song to dance to? Razzle Dazzle
What are you looking forward to doing next with dancing? I would like to one day perform on Broadway and then teach dance
What is the best part of your routine? The Tumbleweed (a front roll with no hands from a kneeling position)
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Do you and the other girls have any traditions before performing? Group prayer before our performance
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Do you play any other sports? Swimming
ALL-STAR ADVICE Be focused and stay consistent with your training. But most of all, have fun!
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
JUNE IS FOR CELEBRATING DAD Hello Friends! Many of you are officially out of school this month and gearing up for some fun summer activities. While you are planning your activities remember that this month, we celebrate Dad! Father’s Day is celebrated nationally on the third Sunday in June in the U.S. since 1972 when President Richard Nixon declared that it would be celebrated annually. If you are looking for something fun to do with your dad this year, you are in luck. This year according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Father’s Day also falls on one of the best fishing days of the year. What a great activity to do with your dad! You can also cook him his favorite food or make him something special like a Father’s Day ribbon.
FATHER’S DAY RIBBON
Color the ribbon below and cut out to give to Dad. Don’t forget to write a message or what award Dad won on the top of the ribbon.
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NAME THE PRESIDENT
Did you know that George Washington is considered the Father of our Country? He is pictured on the U.S. quarter. Can you pick him out from the pictures of President’s below? Can you identify the other presidents pictured?
Find game solutions at banksynergy.com/penny.
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S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY WITH HOUMA FAMILY DENTAL
STARRY NIGHT CONSTELLATION SPY TUBES
Have you ever gazed up at the night sky and counted the stars? People have been looking to the stars since ancient times. The positions of the stars guided people to create calendars, told them when seasons were changing and when to plant crops, and also guided ships traveling across oceans. A constellation is a group of visible stars that form a pattern when viewed from Earth. The pattern they form may take the shape of an animal, a mythological creature, or an inanimate object such as a compass. The sky was divided up into 88 different constellations in 1922. A few of the most popular constellations include: Orion, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco and Pegasus. Small patterns of stars within a constellation are called asterisms. These include the Big Dipper and Little Dipper. You can learn more about what each constellation looks like by creating these constellation spy tubes. Once you are familiar with their patterns, go stargazing! Pick a clear night away from artificial light, like street lights. Lay down on a blanket and stare up at the sky. It’ll take a moment for your eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once they do, the stars will seem to suddenly appear in the sky. In the summer sky in the Northern Hemisphere, you should be able to easily find Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cygnus, Hercules, Lyra and the Northern Cross.
WHAT TO DO: STEP 1 Cut aluminum foil into squares that are slightly bigger than the opening of the paper tube. STEP 2 Take your constellation print out and select the ones you wish to create. Using a sharp “pokey” object, poke holes in the stars on the sheet. STEP 3 Place the sheet of paper on top of your foil square. Using a marker, press hard on each star to make a mark through the paper, onto the foil. (Tip: draw a small arrow or other mark to indicate which way is “up” on your star pattern.) STEP 4 Take each square and cover one open end of the paper roll. (We made marks on the rolls to match up to the mark on the “up” of the constellations so we would know which way to gaze.) STEP 5 Wrap a bit of tape around the foil to secure it to your tube. STEP 6 Using a “pokey” object, poke holes in the marker dots on the foil. STEP 7 Hold the foil end to the light and gaze into the open end to see the stars shine bright! FAMILY FIRST
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WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Toilet paper tubes • Aluminum foil • Sharp “poking” object, such as a toothpick, pin, or paper clip • Marker • Tape • Print-out of constellations, found at familyfirsthouma.com
TIPS: • We found a toothpick worked best to poke holes in the foil and a paper clip worked best to poke holes in the paper. • An adult may need to assist with poking holes. Aluminum foil tears very easily! • If you can’t print out the constellation sheet, feel free to use your imagination to create star formations of your own! Don’t forget to name them!
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Houma Family
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www.houmafamilydental.com FAMILY FIRST
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GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
EXERCISE IS KEY! It can be difficult to find the motivation to exercise daily as an adult, and encourage our children to be a part of that routine as well. In these new times of quarantine, we can all relate. However, moving our bodies is a basic part of caring for ourselves and teaching our children the staples of lifelong healthiness. We feel more energetic, rid our minds of stress, and rest better at night when we move and stretch. Did you know that exercise raises endorphin levels changing the chemistry of our bodies? This increases an individual’s happiness, decreases stress, and improves the long-term health of our bodies. We not only look better, we feel better. Exercise also offers us the ability to be better, more tolerant parents. The secret is setting aside the time to exercise. Just ten minutes a day outside together is a great start during the week. On the weekend, you can plan an outing. Before you know it, you will have worked up to 20 minutes daily, with an hour on weekend days. Sure, you will skip some days. But if that’s more exercise than you are getting now, you are on the right track!
• Let each person in the family take turns being the leader while the rest of the family follows, doing jumping jacks, sun salutations, sit-ups, or invented moves. • When you are confined to the house, play “Take off each other’s’ socks,” wrestling, or chase games. (Games that gets your family laughing! That is a huge bonus, because you are helping them evaporate any anxieties they are carrying around.) • Let your exercise time double as social time by walking with a friend and child virtually using zoom, FaceTime, or Google Duo! • Are you chasing your toddler all over the playground? Turn it into a positive by getting a pedometer, and work up to 10,000 steps a day.
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• Load the kids and their bikes or scooters into the car and drive to a walking track or the track at your local high school in the evening or on the weekend when there aren’t many people around. Let the kids ride their trikes or bikes around the track, while you walk or jog. • Take family pride in how far you can park from your destination and walk. (“Is this a two block day? Let’s go for it!”) Simply start by putting “exercise” as an event on your daily or weekly calendar, and aim for 30 minutes 3-5 times weekly. Next, choose a fun family activity that requires physical exertion. When you find something you love doing, do more of it. Soon you will have a whole repertoire of family physical activities that makes everyone in your family happy. You won’t believe how starting with 30 minutes of exercise will lift your mood. When we feel good, it has an almost magical effect on our children. We have a lighter touch, and a sense of humor that makes our kids happier and more cooperative. By encouraging your children to join in, they receive those same health benefits! Trying to find a counter balance to quarantine and increased screen time? Getting your child hooked on an active lifestyle is the perfect way to exercise their minds and bodies. Kids who are physically active into the preteen and teen years are 75% less likely to be overweight when they are grown. Making exercise part of your daily routine will become a habit. Do this every single day and you will all start looking forward to it. Exercise is a great way to nurture yourself and your child at the same time!
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For more information contact the Thibodaux Regional Fitness Center, 985.493.4950. FAMILY FIRST
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at the library
Enrolling
NOW
BY NAOMI HURTIENNE MAGOLA, YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN
MAGICAL CREATURES
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
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! In order to get you and your family in the mood to celebrate summer reading, here are a couple of my favorite books about magical creatures. All three books are available through the Terrebonne Parish Library System, and you can reserve a copy today at www.mytpl.org.
Preschool
You Don’t Want a Unicorn
Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Liz Climo You may find yourself in front of a wishing fountain one day with a coin in your hand. You may think that you want to wish for a unicorn. But I warn you, that is a big mistake, a HUGE mistake. Unicorns can be awesome, but it comes with a big price. They are messy, dangerous, and destructive. Trust me, you DON’T want a unicorn.
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Healthy
Teeth & Gums for
K-3rd
Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO
Written by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli Illustrated by Federico Fabiani Tallulah the Tooth Fairy runs one of the largest and most successful organizations for teeth collecting in the world. She divides her time by running her business, training new tooth fairies, and taking care of herself. When one night she finds herself stumped by what she finds under a child’s pillow, she has to use her business savvy to solve the problem.
Life!
CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!
DR. MARK BILELLO
399 BAYOU GARDENS BLVD, HOUMA, LA 70364 985.872.9470 • DRMARKBILELLO.COM
4th-6th
How to Train Your Dragon: The Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup the Viking
We'll find you the
Written and Illustrated by Cressida Cowell Long ago there were dragons. Dragons everywhere. But now they are disappearing. In order for them not to be completely forgotten, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III tells his story of finding and training a dragon. It is a story full of extraordinary feats, dangerous daring doing, and many misadventures.
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FUN & Games
DURING UNCERTAINTY MAKE A CHANGE THAT IMPACTS YOUR LIFE! MAKE A CHANGE THAT IMPACTS YOUR LIFE!
START CLASSES FROM HOME! 803 Barrow Street • Houma, LA 70360 • 985-601-4000
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WE BUY & SELL GENTLY USED ITEMS 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
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We're All About Smiles
Braces and Invisalign lahayeortho.com | 985.446.0988 1340 W Tunnel Blvd. Suite #530, Houma, LA 70360 100 Pecan St., Thibodaux, LA 70301 FAMILY FIRST
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