Spring Break!

Even though Christmas seems like just yesterday, Spring Break just can't get here fast enough!

This is a great time to catch up much needed rest and relaxation and to get refreshed and ready to face those last few months of school before the freedom of summer.

Here's a few tips for both teens and parents to make the most of this time: 

Teens

The more you sleep, the more tired you'll be.

Seems counter-intuitive, but you'll be more refreshed if you stick to a normal 8-10 hr sleep and then get up and move for most of the day. 

Activity boosts positive feelings

Exercising your body and brain will help you feel happier. Physical exercise especially, since it releases endorphins (happy hormone) and burns off excess cortisol (stress caused), strengthening your immune system. Exercising your brain through learning new skills or accomplishing a task gives you a mental boost with feelings of accomplishment and self-esteem. 

Get ahead 

Of course you don't want to do homework this week, but if you know of a big project that is going to have you swamped in a month, spend a few hours on it this week. A couple hours now might save you exponential more later when the stress levels are high.

Try something new

You have the same routine day in, day out. This week, try at least one new thing. How about a project from your Pinterest board? Or maybe see how much of a new language you can learn in 5 days. For a big change, try an alternative Spring Break like Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge. 

Parents 

If you have to be at work while they're home, take some time in the coming weeks to sit down with them and work out a plan of action: 

• Have clear ground rules set for being home alone. 
• Give options: Ask them some activities that they would like to do with their free time.
• Allow them to rest. It won't be good for them to lay around all week, but let them enjoy a bit of R&R.
• Spend some quality time together just enjoying each other's company. Play a board game, see a movie, cook a meal together....

For Wichita area residents, here are some great activities to check out over Spring Break:

Wichita Spring Break Events

Wichita On the Cheap

Turning a New Leaf

On Saturday, November 16th, Pure & Simple Health Education held their annual fundraising luncheon themed, "Turning a New Leaf" at Newman University. Our founding President, Lois Theis, gave the keynote address and Catherine Seiwert, the director gave her personal testimony. We also watched to short film clips, one being a trailer for our curriculum put together by Greg Alexander and the second showcased the thoughts of young people. We will be providing both on the website and facebook soon for everyone to see. 

We want to extend a huge thank you for everyone who attended, for all the board members, volunteers, and the organizations that supported us: Kansans for Life, Alexander Video Productions, and Legacy Bank. Also, a thank you to Newman for use of their facilities and the wonderful lunch. 

 

Show Your True Self While in Costume

CANDY!

That's how I feel about Halloween. To be honest, more like on the day after Halloween when it's all half price. 

Halloween is a great time. It starts the very full holiday season of the next 3 months. It's the gateway to winter time, food galore, and the coinciding of the football and basketball seasons. Do you know much about the history of Halloween though? We hear about Thanksgiving and Christmas a lot, but very few people know the roots of this spookier celebration. As many seasonal celebrations, it has roots in multiple historical festivals, often amalgamating as the years go on and cultures mix.

But today it has seemed to lose most of its meaning. Most notoriously, its an excuse for people to dress up in the most revealing outfits possible and try to pull it off as a costume. Two thoughts on this: First, it's nearly winter people! I remember it snowing one year at Halloween. Are we trying to catch pneumonia? Second, while these outfits are very revealing, what are they revealing about who you are? Yes, there is a lot of bare body revealed, but what about character? What are others thinking when they observe your 'sexy' nurse costume? What do you want them to think about you? 

How about this year, trade in sexy for creative. See how original of a costume you can come up with. Do it all with thrift store clothes (Macklemore would be proud). This doesn't mean sacrificing looking attractive or put together well, but I bet you my cauldron of candy that you'll make a much more positive, longer lasting impression on your friends and that crush of yours. 

As always, remember to be safe. Know the people that you'll be hanging out with. Make sure that your parents know where you'll be too. 

Happy Halloween!

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Essay Contest and Video Project

Happy Autumn Everyone!

The weather is turning crisper and the days are getting shorter. You are probably settled quite well into school now (and maybe even already looking forward to the holiday break!). Writing another paper might not be your first choice of activity right now, but what if you could win $250 for it!

You're in luck. Today we are announcing our essay contest where you get to tell us why you think abstinence is the best choice for teens. We talk a lot about it, but now we want to hear from you!

If you aren't up to writing an essay or giving it as a speech, we still want your opinion. We will be creating a video montage to play right before the essay contest at the November 16th luncheon.

Essay Contest Rules:

Ages: 7th-10th graders 
Length: 500-750 words
Deadline: November 1st, 2013
Prize: $250 
Submit your essay with a cover letter including: name, age, grade, school, phone number, email address to abstainpureandsimple@gmail.com with the subject line 'Essay Contest'.
Additional: Must be willing and able to attend and read your essay at our annual fundraising luncheon on Saturday, November 16 at Newman University in Wichita. 


Video entry guidelines: 
How to enter: 
1.   Get your parent's permission.
2.   Shoot a short video clip of yourself (approx. 5 secs) holding a piece of paper with the answer to one of the following questions written on it. Please only one answer per piece of paper and video. You can submit multiple videos for multiple questions. 

• Why are you waiting till marriage to engage in sexual activity (or have recommitted to abstinence)?
• What is most important to you right now? 
• What do you look forward to most in your future?
• Who or what most helps you achieve your goals? 
• Why are you worth waiting for?

3. Send an email to abstainpureandsimple@gmail.com with your video, name, age, and phone number. You will get an email back with the release form attached that you will need to have your parents sign and mail into our offices. 

• By uploading your video, you are giving us the permission to edit and use it on our social media pages and at our fundraising event. Your name will NOT be attached to the video for your privacy sake. 
• All video content must be original. 
• Videos cannot include profanity or other inappropriate material. 
• You may enter as many videos as you like, but they must each be submitted as separate entries. 
• All people appearing in the video must sign a release form prior to the video being posted on Pure & Simple Health Education, Inc. (Those under 18 must have the form signed by a parent or guardian).

5. Bring your parents to our luncheon to see yourself as our star! (attendance not necessary to submit video)

Summertime

Hello again! It's been a long time and we apologize for that. Pure & Simple has been going through many changes in the last year and we're excited for what is to come! Our commitment remains the same: To provide education about the healthy role of abstinence in teenagers' lives when it comes to risky behavior, be it pre-marital sex, drugs, alcohol, or the like. We will be operating a little differently now though. For those who have been with us awhile, you know that we had Federal grant money at one time. These funds do not exist anymore, so we are focusing more on grassroots fundraising now and re-establishing our base.

We are also in the process of moving offices. Feel free to stop by our new location at 2501 E Central, Wichita, KS and meet our new director, Catherine Seiwert.

A few of things that you have to look forward to are:

• A new website: Our URL will remain the same, but we'll have a totally fresh look for easier navigation and reading. 
• Community Events: This summer we'll be around the KS School Nurses Conference, the Midwest Catholic Family Conference, and the KS State Fair. 
• Board of Advisor biannual meeting in early August.
• Teacher Training in August or September
• An essay and video contest for middle and high school students. The winners will be presented at the luncheon in November.
• Our annual luncheon on November 16 at Newman. Theme and speaker TBA. 
• Plus more!

Don't forget to tell your school or organization about us. We offer a variety of programs that we are keen to provide and educate with.

While you await our new website, check out our Facebook page, Twitter, and the newly introduced Pinterest!

P.S. Stay safe this summer, especially this 4th of July. Fireworks are a common cause of severe injuries and property damage. Please use them responsibly and never without adult supervision. Adults, be good examples by following instructions and safety cautions. Always have water or a fire extinguisher nearby.