U of S experts available for back-to-school topics

Helping kids handle stress:
Professor of Psychology Michelle Gagnon is available on Monday, August 27to talk about mental health and teens. She can address how parents can help their kids handle stress, discuss options for parents in helping their teens safely handle stress and treat depression, or offer insight on what parents should be looking for if they are concerned.

How to pack healthy foods your kids want to eat:
With kids heading back to school on Sept. 4, it is time to start thinking about what to pack as school snacks or in lunches. It can be challenging to pack a lunch that tastes good while providing enough nutrients to keep children active. Faculty within the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition are available to offer some healthy lunch ideas that everyone can be happy with.

The importance of exercise for the entire family:
Sometimes it is as easy as spending time outside with your kids—physical activity is crucial for bone and muscle development, endurance and weight management among kids and adolescents. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines, children and adolescents should have 60 minutes or more of physical activity daily. Professor Louise Humbert, with the College of Kinesiology, can offer tips on how to create opportunities to be physically active at school and talk about the many benefits for children, along with the many other topics below:

• Keep the physical in education:  Schools are often under pressure to achieve literacy and numeracy outcomes, but what about developing a healthy body?  What is the connection between a healthy body and a healthy mind?
• Physical literacy: In order to form the foundation for a lifetime of physical activity, children need to be offered opportunities to develop physical literacy while they are young. 
• Sport: What does a quality sport experience look like for children?  What should parents be looking for in a sport opportunity for their children?

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To arrange interviews, please contact:

Jennifer Thoma
Media Relations Specialist
University of Saskatchewan
jennifer.thoma@usask.ca
306-966-1851