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PACE 6B THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 6, 2008 School News PLACES AT LAMB SHOW The Farm Credit Summer Lamb Classic and the GCLPA Futurity statewide lamb shows were held recently in Perry, where over 200 lambs were entered. Banks County 4-H'ers, Shelby Quakenbush, Darby Quakenbush, and Chelsea Pusbach exhibited their lambs at both shows. All three 4-H'ers placed either third, fourth or fifth place in their showmanship class. PARTICIPATED IN MAYSVILLE SUMMER READING The Maysville Public Library's summer reading program, "Catch the Reading Bug," had 69 partic ipants this year, including young readers (L-R) Christopher Stephens, Brandon Stephens, Danielle Stephens, Hannah Kent, Isaac Kent, Gabriel Martin, Beronica Martin and Eliana Martin. Pack nutritious, homemade lunches for your child BY HELENA ATWATER The key is to keep lunches simple and plan ahead, says a nutrition specialist with the University of Georgia. “Try to include a protein source, grain, fruit and/or vegetable and a dairy product in each meal,” said Connie Crawley, a UGA Cooperative Extension health and nutrition specialist. For the main course, a sandwich is a quick, easy option that usually includes two or more items from each food group. However, if kids get tired of sandwiches, Crawley suggests a few other foods: •Whole grain crackers or pitas with hummus or natural peanut butter. •Low-sodium corn tortilla chips and bean dip with shredded cheese. •Reduced-fat mozzarella cheese sticks with toasted flat bread bro ken into pieces. •Hard-cooked eggs with whole grain crackers or toasted whole wheat pitas. Salads or leftovers from previous dinners are good, too. Raw veg etables are a good choice for a side item. Include a low-fat vegetable dip to add a little flavor and fun, Crawley said. Kids can buy milk at school or bring a juice box from home. No food items are off limits. However, there are some items that should seldom be included in a lunch. “Avoid giving children candy, cookies and cakes in their lunches,” she said. “They are just too high in trans fats and saturated fat.” Crawley recommends fruit yogurt, pudding or canned fruit. Oatmeal or fruit muffins made at home, not store bought, are also good options. Don’t introduce a child to a new food every day. Crawley recom mends limiting new foods in a child’s lunch to about once a week. When new foods are included, make sure to pack enough familiar food for the child to become full, in case they dislike the new food. Prepackaged meals, like cracker combinations, should be packed only as a last resort, Crawley said. “They are full of sodium, fat, pre servatives and sugar,” she said. It helps to make extra lunches when time permits. This will allow a quick, nutritious lunch to be packed when time is short. Sandwiches can be made ahead and stored for several days in the refrigerator or freezer, she said. Lettuce and tomato can be added the day the lunch is packed. Soups can be made ahead and poured into a thermos in the morning. Salads and cut-up vegetables can be pre pared two to three days ahead. Remember, if you pack foods that need to be kept cold, pack a frozen cold pack in the lunch box. “Kids like simple, so keep lunch simple," Crawley said. Helena Atwater is a consumer journalism student at the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Prepare for school —practice the morning routine BY KRISTEN PLANK Practice makes perfect. When it comes to getting your child ready for the new school year, having a set morning routine is the best way to reduce stress and ensure success. Practicing your morning routine during the summer can keep ten sion-filled morning mania at bay, said Don Bower, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension human development specialist. Bower recommends preparing for the school day the night before by getting a good night’s sleep. “Young people need eight to nine hours of sleep a night,” he said. “And upwards of 75 percent or more get six hours or less.” Sleep is very important in a child’s routine, he said. Lack of sleep Mentors are needed for Banks County High School students. School leaders say mentors can “change a life, build a relation ship, make a difference, listen and encourage students.” “High schoolers are kids, too,” leaders state. “Help make a dif- can affect performance in school. Adhering to a set bedtime is not something parents should back down on. To get children in the school mind set, practice rounds should be done a week or two before school begins. Getting a morning routine estab lished will help ease the child’s tran sition from slow summer mornings to the faster pace of school days. Bower suggests completing tasks, like packing backpacks and lay ing out clothes, in the evening. “Organize as much as possible the night before,” he said. Give children responsibility for waking up and getting ready. Children can gain valuable experi ence through simple task responsi bilities. ference in the life of a fellow citi zen of Banks County and mentor a student from BCHS.” It will take one hour per month. For more information, contact Lynn Suggs, 706-677-4662, or 1 suggs @ banks ,k 12 .ga.us. “Getting up by themselves, get ting dressed and making their own breakfast are all things children can do and feel good about them after wards,” Bower said. “Adults under estimate the amount of responsibil ity young children can handle and this robs them of practice in making their own decisions.” Parents need practice, too. To reduce household stress. Bower sug gests parents get ready 15 minutes earlier than normal, before the hub bub begins. “Parents set the tone with their atti tude,” he said. “If they are stressed out, they can convey that to their kids and getting ready in the morn ing becomes an unpleasant routine.” Keep Banks County beautiful! Mentors needed for BCHS PALS planned for parents of 8-12 th graders A new program, Parents Advancing Leopard Success (PALS) is being introduced for parents of Banks County students in eighth through 12 th grade. Meetings will be held to answer questions about high school, tran sition from middle to high school, Internet safety, academic require ments, teenage drug/alcohol use, college, scholarships, level of par ent involvement, upcoming man datory testing (GHSGT, EOCT), teenage sex, anger management and other topics. Meeting will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. in BCHS caf eteria on the following dates: Tuesday, September 30; Tuesday, November 18; Tuesday, January 27; Monday, March 30; and Tuesday, April 28. The agenda includes: supper, academic pre sentation/discussion, social pre sentation/discussion, questions/ answers/discussion, school per sonnel on-hand, administrator, counselor, teachers and gradua tion coach. Possible door prizes include: gas cards, rent/mortgage supple ments, groceries and restaurant/ retail gift cards. For more information, call Lynn Suggs, 706-677-4662 or lsuggs@ banks.k!2.ga.us. High school diploma preparation class offered A class is being offered in Stephens County that will give people a second chance to get a high school diploma. The class is taught from 3:30 to 10:15 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at the Mountain Education Center, located at 191 Old Big A School Road in Toccoa. The number at the office is (706) 886-3114. The class is free for full-time students, is individualized and self-paced, has no failing grades, offers joint enrollment with tech nical schools and colleges and allows students to work a full time job during the day. For more information, contact Lynn Suggs at (706)677-4662 or lsuggs@banks.kl2.ga.us. Family Fun Center ^ Dippin' Dots 4 Available! Closed-in shoes required for go-karts. Socks required in inflatables. 706-335-3866 Book Your Summer Parties Notv! 40155 Hwy. 441, Commerce, GA 30529 Located at Interstate 85 at exit 149 just past the Wal-Mart www.funopolisfamilyfuncenter.com Hours; Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. - 9 p.m Spider Zohe •Sfc DIPPIN-DOTS 1 /2 PRICE No cash value and no substitutions. Expires 9/20/08. • Laser Tag • Arcade Games • Inflatables APPRECIATION The family of Kimsey Wood would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who worked to make the benefit BBQ a great success. Thanks also for all the donations. Everything was greatly appreciated. May God bless each of you. The Family of Kimsey Wood \ 1270 AM / WJJC LIVE WEBSTREAMING \wjjc\ 7:ooA — 7:ooP ) 50 YEARS f l COMMERCE, GEORGIA J Listen to all your favorites over the Internet Beginning August 15 2008 www.WJJC.net 706-335-1270