Health Resources
A comprehensive list of resources designed to promote overall well-being. Overall, the page serves as a one-stop destination for families seeking reliable information on maintaining a healthy life.
There are information and resources on cold and flu, nutrition, sleep, physical activity and sun safety.
Cold & Flu
A cold or flu is a common reason for students to stay home from school Young children get about eight colds per year.
| Signs and Symptoms | Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Symptom Onsent | Gradual | Abrupt |
| Fever | Rare | Usual |
| Aches | Slight | Usual |
| Chills | Uncommon | Fairly Common |
| Fatigue, weakness | Sometimes | Usual |
| Sneezing | Common | Sometimes |
| Chest discomfort, cough | Mild to Moderate | Common |
| Stuffy nose | Common | Sometimes |
| Sore throat | Common | Sometimes |
| Headache | Rare | Common |
Adapted from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Additional Resources:
Physical Activity
Consistent physical activity helps people feel better, function better, and sleep better. It can improve overall health and reduce the risk of various chronic diseases.
Physical Activity Recommendations by Age:
- Preschool Age 3-5 Years: Every day throughout the day.
- Children and Adolescents 6-17 Years: 60 mins or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity daily. At least 3 days a week, this should include vigorous activity, an activity that strengthens muscles, and an activity that strengthens bones.
- Adults Age 18-64 Years: At least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity and at least 2 days a week of an activity to strengthen muscles.
- Older Adults 65+ Years: At least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity and at least 2 days a week of an activity that strengthens muscles, and activities that improve balance.
Additional Resources:
Nutrition
Good nutrition is essential in keeping people healthy. Learning how to read a Nutrition Facts label helps make quick, informed food decisions.
Understanding Food Nutrition Labels:
- Start with the serving size information. This will tell you the size of a single serving and the total number of servings per container.
- Check total calories per serving and container.
- Check key nutrients and understand what you're looking for.
- Avoid trans fat. When the Nutrition Facts label lists "O g" of trans fat but includes "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredient list, it means the food contains some trans fat, but it is less than 0.5 grams per serving.
- Total sugars can include both natural and added sugars.
- Limit the amounts of added sugars, saturated fats and sodium you eat.
- Check the % daily value. This tells you the percentage of each nutrient in a single serving, in terms of the daily recommended amount.
Additional Resources:
- Sutter Health - Nutrition
- Kaiser - Mindfulness: A Lasting Approach to Healthy Eating
- Kaiser - Recipes
- CDC - Food Safety Tips
- CDC - Good Nutrition Starts Early
- CDC - Tips to Help Your Picky Eater
- CDC - Benefits of Healthy Eating
- CDC - Learn How the Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health
- FDA - The Nutrition Facts Label
Sleep
Getting enough sleep and good quality sleep is important to stay in good health. Signs of poor sleep quality include feeling sleepy or tired even when you had enough hours of sleep, repeatedly waking up during the night, and having symptoms of as sleep disorder, for example snoring or gasping for air.
Recommended Hours of Sleep:
Infant 4-12 Months: 12-16 hours per 24 hours
Toddler 1-2 Years: 11-14 hours per 24 hours
Pre-School 3-5 Years: 10-13 hours per 24 hours
School Age 6-12 Years: 9-12 hours per 24 hours
Teen 13-18 Years: 8-10 hours per 24 hours
Adult 18+ Years: 7 or more hours per night
Habits to Improve Sleep:
- Be consistent. Go to sleep and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
- Sleep in a quiet, dark, relaxing room at a comfortable temperature.
- Remove electronic devices from the room.
- Avoid large meals and caffeine before bedtime.
- Exercise. Exercise can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
Additional Resources:
Sun Safety
California Ed Code (35183.5) addresses the importance of protecting children from the sun's harmful rays. Most skin cancers are caused by over exposure to the sun's UV rays. We receive 80% of our lifetime sun exposure by the age of 18.
Students are allowed to wear sun-protective clothing including hats when outdoors. Students may use sunscreen during the school day without a physician's note or prescription.
- Parent/guardian may provide their child with a personal supply of sunscreen
- Students must apply their own personal sunscreen. To test for possible allergic reaction, apply sunscreen on a small patch of skin, such as the underside of the forearm, to see if any irritation develops within the subsequent 24 hrs.
- Parent/guardian must provide the student's sunscreen in the original container stored in a ziplock bag with their child's name on it
- Sunscreen must be carried in student's backpack and kept in the classroom.
- Remind students not to share sunscreen because of possible allergic reaction
- Hats are encouraged to be worn when outside the classroom
- Sunglasses that provide UV protection shall be encouraged to be worn when outside the classroom in the sun
- Education of students about proper use of sunscreen should be reinforced by teachers
UV radiation is more intense from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when there is a lack of thick cloud cover, and from mid spring to mid fall March through October.
- Wear a hat with a wide (at least 4") brim.
- Cover up - wear tightly woven, loose fitting clothing that covers as much of the body as possible, weather permitting.
- Wear UV protective sunglasses that screen 100% of UVA and UVB (broad-spectrum).
- Seek shade - use trees or physical structures to shield you, especially from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Apply sunscreen - use SPF 15 or higher. Apply to exposed skin 15 minutes before going outdoors.
- Use lip balm - with SPF 30 or higher.
- Avoid tanning salons and sunlamps.
- Do not depend on sunscreen alone to protect children and adults from skin cancer. Use a combination of these recommendations.
Additional Resources:
If you have questions please contact Health Services.