Momence CUSD 1

Momence Jr. High recently held it's yearly Math Competition, and, as in years past, there was reason to celebrate.  MJHS students claimed the top spot in the 6th Grade A Division, squeaking past Watseka by 4 points, 494-490, while Bishop McNamara took the 3rd spot with 414 points respectively.  The 7th and 8th Grade MJHS squads both took 2nd place honors in the A Dvision.  In the 7th Grade A Division, the same 3 schools finished in the top 3, but Watseka came out on top with 546 points, while MJHS had 513 and Bishop Mac again took 3rd with 470 points.  The 8th Grade Team from Bishop Mac finished 1st in their competition, with 549 points, while MJHS grabbed 513 points and the Iroquois West Team scored 448 points to take 3rd.

The double AA Division results are included:

6th- Hickory Creek 634, Columbia Central 544, Peotone 518

7th- Coal City 702, Columbia Central 562, Hickory Creek 559

8th- Hickory Creek 567, Prairie Central 553, Bourbonnais (Liberty) 477

Thanks to all participating schools for making this event, and thanks to all parents and staff for your hard work and encouraging our students to excel in mathematics.

For the love of all that is healthy

According to a recent national survey we commissioned, only 30% of parents feel very confident in their children's ability to make healthy decisions. It's a good thing, then, that Action for Healthy Kids started a campaign to put children's well-being at the forefront. 

With your actions, we can make sure all kids are equipped to make healthy choices—not because they feel forced but because they love how it makes them feel. So far, their campaign has resulted in nearly 11,000 actions. Will you help them get to 25,000 this month?

• Share the love on social media this Valentine's Day by raising awareness of the movement to Take Action for Healthy Kids. Post a selfie with your child or another kid in your life where each of your hands make up one half of a heart. Then caption the photo with why you #takeaction4healthykids out of love for your kids. Be sure to tag Action for Healthy Kids or link back to actionforhealthykids.org/take-action in your post! Here are a couple examples from our CEO, Rob Bisceglie, and Program Manager, Grace Perry.

• Celebrate Heart Month to show kids the importance of heart health and showing their bodies love. Check out these additional ideas for heart-healthy activities and snacks.
• Run a marathon! We need passionate and enthusiastic people to join our 2020 Chicago Marathon roster, so register by March 31. Be like Ethan and do it for the kids. 
• Pop quiz for parents: How healthy is your school? For kids to love all things healthy, their school's environment and policies should infuse wellness into all aspects of the day. Does your child's school? Find out and then take action to make change happen.
• ​​​Take action on World Day of Social Justice (Feb. 20). If you, like us, believe that health is a human right and every child deserves a happy, healthy future, choose an action and spread the word.  

The 2020 Census is approaching.  

Conducting a census is one of the first responsibilities our Founding Fathers mandated the federal government to carry out every ten years. 

And for good reason. Every decade, census population data is used to determine how our state and congressional maps are drawn, how many members we will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and how many votes Illinois gets in the Electoral College. 

Just as important, though, is how census data is used to determine the distribution of federal funds to pay for programs such as a Medicaid, Head Start, Title 1 Educational funding, and infrastructure funds to fix Illinois' highways and bridges. 

All of this money and power is at risk if not everyone fills out the census form next year on April 1, 2020. An Illinois undercount in the 2020 Census would mean political maps that don't accurately represent us, less representation in Washington and in future presidential elections, and worst of all, greater funding crises in Springfield as lawmakers try to make up for lost federal funds. 

This isn't about politics. This isn't about what party controls Springfield or controls Washington. It's simply about Illinois getting the full resources and representation we deserve. 

To do that, we need to make sure every person is counted. That is why CHANGE Illinois and our partners will be convening events around the state to reach people in some of the communities that are hardest to count to help them understand the importance of being counted ahead of the 2020 Census. 

Will you support our efforts by pledging to participate in the 2020 Census? 

Too much is at risk if some children or others in Illinois are not counted. We will lose money, power and full representation. We need your help to reach your neighbors, friends, and family to make a concerted effort so everyone counts for the 2020 Census. 

 Together, we can ensure Illinois has the representation and the full resources our state deserves.

Have you subscribed to the MJHS Student News yet?  If you haven't, you're missing out.  Presented by MJHS students, this production continues to improve over the course of this school year.  Subscribe today!

https://youtu.be/PT0Lj5IZfmU

Last week, IDPH learned of the death of an individual who had recently vaped and was hospitalized with severe respiratory illness. The number of cases of people reported to IDPH who have used e-cigarettes or vaped and have been hospitalized with respiratory symptoms has doubled in the past week. As of 8/23/19, a total of 22 people in Illinois, ranging in age from 17-38 years, have experienced respiratory illness after using e-cigarettes or vaping. 

E-cigarette use is epidemic in the US and Illinois.  Among Illinois high school seniors, past 30 day e-cigarette use is significantly rising while cigarette use is declining.  In 2018, 8.4% of 8^th grade students and 23.1% of 12^th grade students reported using e-cigarettes.  Using e-cigarettes puts youth at risk for addiction and other health consequences, but unfortunately, 40% of 10^th and 12^th graders said there is low- or no-risk of harm when using e-cigarettes. 

Tobacco 21 law, effective July 1, 2019, prohibits the sale of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to person under 21, however, youth continue to access and use these products at alarming rates.  Parents and anyone who works with young people may have seen an e-cigarette device without even knowing it. The most often sold e-cigarette in the United States is a brand called JUUL, which looks like a USB flash drive. JUUL “pods,” which contain liquid heated by the device, have as much nicotine as a pack of 20 cigarettes. They also come in flavors, which can make them more appealing to young people. E-cigarettes can also look like other everyday items, such as highlighters, credit cards, remote controls, and pens.  There are many internet websites which provide easy-to-follow instructions on how to alter or “hack” these devices to add other products such as marijuana.

The attached materials have been designed by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist school staff, administrators, and families with understanding these products and the dangers they pose to young people.  The first two documents were developed by IDPH to provide awareness on vaping and share cessation resources which are designed for youth and young adults:

• Vaping – What School Staff and Teachers Need to Know
• So You Want to Quit

IDPH and ISBE are committed to working to distribute this information to schools, administrators, and families through multiple sources. IDPH will also be communicating this information to local health departments, colleges and universities and other organizations which work with or serve youth.