Health officials offer back to school tips; Fair on Saturday

Columbus Regional Health is offering back to school health and safety tips.

The hospital is sharing tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics on how healthy choices can help lead to success at school.

Experts say that you should make sure to enforce healthy habits. They say you should choose a bed time that allows for plenty of time to sleep and provide a healthy breakfast every morning. Encouraging exercise and limiting the time spent sitting around watching TV, playing video games or on the their phones or tablets, will also help with school success.

They say to stick to a routine schedule, and make sure you have a place where children can have their school items already gathered each morning, including backpacks, lunchboxes, and school projects. That way they will know where to find everything to get out the door each morning.

You should also set aside a clear space in your home where kids can do their school work. It should have lots of light, school supplies on hand and room to spread out do their work.

You can find a link with more information on our website.

The Bartholomew County Health Department’s Nursing Division will be partnering with other groups for a back to school health fair on Saturday.

According to organizers, back to school vaccines will be offered and there will be free haircut vouchers for the first 80 students. Columbus Regional Health’s Healthy Communities initiative will be on hand providing health information along with other community groups.

The health fair will be from 9 to noon Saturday at the health department at 2625 Foxpointe Drive. If you need to get vaccinated, call to make a reservation at 812-379-1555 and hitting option 1.

Bartholomew Consolidated and Flat Rock Hawcreek School Districts both return to class on Wednesday, August 7th.