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Family Fun Night Provides Healthy Lessons

Family Fun Night Provides Healthy Lessons Family Fun Night Provides Healthy Lessons

Northside Elementary School educated students and parents in an entertaining fashion with a family fun night on Thursday, May 23.

Northside Principal Georgie Gourneau explained the recent event was the third family fun night of the school year. “The goal is to increase the math and reading skills along with cultural values,” she said.

The sixth-grade teaching committee consisting of Patricia Payne, Andrew Tumonong, Ronnell Tumonong and Alvin Padilla organized the night, which featured four stations. At the end of the programs, a hamburger and hot dog meal was provided. Payne thanked HPDP for collaborating with the sixth-grade teachers and Native Connections for donating the food items.

“Each station was developed so they could learn about the topics and make healthy choices,” Payne said. “We wanted to incorporate issues that have effects on youth and we wanted to promote culture.”

The first station featured Roosevelt County tobacco prevention specialist AJ Allen discussing vaping causes and effects.

“It’s been a huge problem for our youth,” Payne said of vaping. “Our goal was for parents and youth to know how companies are targeting them.”

Information provided by Allen notes that companies that sell vaping products say they are safer than cigarettes, but the truth is that vaping can harm your body in many ways.

Vaping can have negative impacts on a person’s brain, lungs, heart, eyes, ears, skin, hair, nose, throat, teeth and bones.

Students were told that vape devices may be easy to hide, but if you have a vaping habit, the effects on your body can’t be hidden away.

The second station had Jeff Berger, a Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribal member, present about the traditional practices of using tobacco in sacred ways.

“His goal is to tell parents and students how we honor and respect life in all forms,” Payne said.

Myltin Bighorn, the youth health and recreation director for HPDP, provided an inspirational program regarding “Earning Your Feathers.” Bighorn shared how he returned to Poplar to help build programs and ignite interest in youth to create goals for academics and sports.

“He stresses healthy choices and making good decisions,” Payne explained.

Advice that Bighorn provided included: be comfortable with being uncomfortable, home will always be there and be great in whatever you want to do.

Janaeya Sutherland and Elise Young provided instruction for archery on the school’s playground.

“They talked about archery being one of our traditional games,” Payne said.

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