Salmon Falls Family Healthcare and Maplewood Elementary school recently hosted an end of the year dance party for the students. The goal of the dance party was to promote 5210 Healthy NH, a program which encourages children to eat 5 fruits or vegetables per day, limit screen time to 2 hours or less per day, get at least 1 hour of exercise per day, and to eliminate sugary drinks altogether.

Mitch Dugan’s company, The Music Man DJ Service, was hired for the event to play popular dance tunes for the kids. The children tested out several styles of dance lead by Maplewood and Salmon Falls’ staff. Dance teachers Heidi Hanson and Taryn Decker of Sole City Dance in Rochester taught them hip hop moves and helped them choreograph their own dance to the 5210 Healthy NH jingle.

Claire Menard, the pediatric nurse practitioner at Salmon Falls, along with Maplewood’s school nurse, Jenna Tousignant, organized the event. They hope to have more like it, along with more story walks, in the next school year.  Keep yourself posted by visiting www.SalmonFallsMD.com.

Students of Maplewood Elementary School in Somersworth dance along with Maplewood and Salmon Falls staff.

Salmon Falls Family Healthcare of Somersworth hosted its second 5210 Story Walk in cooperation with the Somersworth Recreation Dept. and the Somersworth Public Library this past Saturday, May 21st. Several families braved the possible rain to read about the exciting adventures of Dora the Explorer and Flat Stanley, and were pleased to eventually see the sun come out!

After the walk, everyone enjoyed some healthy snacks including strawberries, watermelon, veggies and cheese and crackers.  Salmon Falls would like to send a big thank you to Hannaford Supermarket of Dover for donating $50 worth of food to this event.  It was a big help!

The goal of the story walk was to promote 5210 Healthy NH, a program which encourages children to eat 5 fruits or vegetables per day, limit screen time to 2 hours or less per day, get at least 1 hour of exercise per day, and to eliminate sugary drinks altogether.  The walk will also promoted literacy in the community.

Thanks to all of the volunteers from Maplewood and Hilltop Elementary Schools for getting dressed up in costumes and reading to the kids, and thanks to the Somersworth Public Library and Recreation Dept. for all of their help.   Another thank you to all who attended the story walk!  For more information about the 5210 Healthy NH program and for notices about future events, visit www.SalmonFallsMD.com.

Photo caption: Stephanie Caucis, Administrator of Salmon Falls Family Healthcare, reads a page from Dora the Explorer to the children who attended the story walk.

Have your family participate in the 5210 Healthy NH program with Salmon Falls for a chance to win a 6-month family membership at The Works Health and Fitness Center in Somersworth!

5210 Healthy NH is a campaign to promote healthy eating and exercise.  It was chosen as a tool to promote healthy lifestyle in our practice and in the community because the message is easy to remember:

5 Fruits and vegetables… more matters!  Eat fruits and vegetables at least 5 times a day, and limit intake of 100% fruit juice. 
2 Cut screen time to 2 hours or less a day.
1 Participate in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
0 Restrict soda and sugar-sweetened sports and fruit drinks.  Instead, drink water and 3-4 servings/day of fat-free/skim or 1% milk.

Read on Fosters.com: Study: 1 in 3 Granite State third-graders is overweight: Schools work hard to help them eat healthier foods

Excerpt:

Somersworth and Portsmouth elementary schools have been using the 5210 program to help prevent childhood obesity.

The 5210 program stands for five fruits and vegetables a day; two hours or less of screen time such as computers, television and cellphones; one hour of exercise; and zero sodas or sweets.

Jenna Tousignant, school nurse at Maplewood Elementary in Somersworth, said the school has teamed up with Salmon Falls Family Healthcare on the program and provides incentives for students such as bracelets, pencils and T-shirts.

"It seems like it's working well," Tousignant said about the program. "Kids are more aware. I give kids stickers if they have fruits and vegetables, and I have been handing out more stickers than when I started."

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05/04/2011