Windham News : health & fitness

Increased school absences cause concern in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:27:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

School officials kept a close eye on attendance rolls last week after a spike of absences at Windham Middle School on Nov. 2 with many students complaining of flu-like symptoms.

Around 200 students missed class the Monday after Halloween with about half that number reporting a flu-like illness, said Superintendent Frank Bass.

“We’re watching it very carefully, he said. “Many of the kids contracted their bout with the flu late last week. We’re not going to be in a position to know what we’re looking at until Wednesday morning.”

Officials had planned to meet to discuss their next move if absences stayed high, which could have including closing one or more schools, said School Board Chairman Bruce Anderson. But by Wednesday, the absence rate began to fall as students recovered and came back to school, he said.

The student population at Windham Middle School wasn’t the only one hit by increased absences on Nov. 2, Anderson said. Roughly 13 percent missed classes at at Center School and 16 percent missed at Golden Brook School. At the high school, absences were at 8 percent, but that’s normal for this time of the school year, he said.

Schools were closed Nov. 3 for a teacher’s workshop and officials took the opportunity to have desks and chairs disinfected as well as water fountains, sinks and bathroom doors, according to Bass. Desks were spread out in classrooms to minimize close contact among students and prevent the spread of the virus, he said.

The day off from school may also have encouraged parents to keep their children home Monday to prevent them from catching the illness, increasing the number of absences, said Anderson.

So far, the flu seems to run its course in about three or four days, he said. Anderson believes many are possible cases of H1N1, though the presence of “swine flu” has not been confirmed.

At this point any cluster of flu cases is considered H1N1, said Marcella Bobinsky, of the New Hampshire Immunization Program. As the state tests flu patients, H1N1 always seems to be the cause, she said.

“Generally, we know it’s probably H1N1,” Bobinsky said. “It’s widespread not only in New Hampshire but throughout the entire country. If you’re feeling rotten and you’ve got the fever and if it happens not to be H1N1, we still want you to take care of yourself. It would be the same if it was H1N1 or not.”

School officials are requesting parents of students suffering from flu-like symptoms keep their children home for a full day after a fever has subsided.

EEE in Windham

Salem Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:53:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

After a local pool of mosquitoes turned up positive for Eastern equine encephalitis last week, town officials are again urging residents to take precautions to avoid the insect.

According to David Poulson, Windham’s transfer station manager and health officer, town officials learned about the positive test on Sept. 22. Officials did not immediately release the exact location where the infected mosquito was found, but Poulson said it was important for residents across town to take steps to avoid contracting EEE.

According to Poulson, not knowing whether the mosquito carrying EEE was native to that particular spot or had flown in from another region added to his hesitancy to release the particular location where the pool was taken from.

“Mosquitoes have no boundaries ... Say you’ve had a positive hit in ‘Area A.’ That doesn’t mean those mosquitoes are never going to leave that area. You can’t (assume) that those mosquitoes are going to stay at a specific spot. Those mosquitoes could travel anywhere within a certain area in Windham,” he said.

Those precautions include wearing protective clothing, using insect repellent, eliminating standing water and avoiding spending time outdoors at dusk or dawn, according to an informational flier public officials released to residents on the town’s Web site earlier this week.

Poulson said the town did not plan to take any emergency mosquito control action in the wake of the positive test result. The community’s agent, Swamp Inc., sprayed the town’s athletic and recreational fields for the pest after Rockingham County fell under a state public health threat for EEE earlier this month.

The spray is considered effective for two weeks to a month and officials hope colder weather in October will eliminate the problem before more action is needed, said Poulson. According to state officials, more 3,000 pools have been tested for EEE statewide this season, with 53 coming up with a positive identification. One human case has been reported in Candia, officials said.

Windham cancer survivor competes in Danskin triathlon

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:37:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

Diagnosed with breast cancer 11 years ago – just three years after her sister died from the same disease – Janet Leblanc celebrated her recovery by competing in a triathlon.

“Always being active and then coming down with cancer – it was a year of hell dealing with it and not knowing whether it was going to go good or bad – I just wanted to achieve something,” LeBlanc said.

Now, more than a decade after surviving a form of cancer that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 women in 2008 alone, Leblanc has just crossed the finish line of her eighth Danskin triathlon in Webster, Mass.

She ran her first triathlon two years after her brush with cancer with the encouragement of friends she made at the Salem Health Club.

Not knowing how to swim, LeBlanc began practicing in the club’s pool and learned the breast stroke in time to participate in and finish the event.

“I was so excited that I ran up to the closest person and grabbed them, and I was crying because I was just so happy I had finished,” she said. “I finished. I did one. I was so excited the next year I did it again, another triathlon.”

Since then she has run in a number of different triathlons across the country and even formed a small group of friends that train together locally. The Tri-Pods, as the group calls themselves, arrange times to swim together at Cobbetts Pond, or bike and run during nicer weather.

“It’s a lot of different people that are involved,” LeBlanc said. “It’s become more of a fun thing to do and it’s keeping everyone young and in shape.”

A self-described morning person, LeBlanc also likes to weight train before work two days a week, swims several times a week and uses the treadmills and cycles at the health club during the winter months when running outside is no longer an option.

“I’ve always been healthy. I’ve always played sports of some kind,” she said. “I try to improve my times every year.”

Having fallen in love with the event, LeBlanc competes in triathlons regularly, has plans to run one in San Fransisco with her daughter and aspirations of completing a race in Los Angeles or in Colorado. She has even gone as far as Orlando, Fla., to run a triathlon, though in hindsight she doesn’t think she’ll run the event again.

“It was kind of scary,” she said. “You swim at Disney World and there are alligators around. They have boats there and people watching for them. That was kind of an experience that I don’t want to do again.”

The one race she returns to year after year is the Danskin Triathlon, an event she describes as “very well organized,” with more than 3,000 women competing every year.

Athletes raise $95 each to participate, with much of the funding going toward breast cancer research.

“I’ve done a few others and I think the Danskin one is very well organized,” she said. “You hear people’s stories. You think you’re bad off until you hear these other people who have been fighting cancer two or three times and they are quite an inspiration.”

In the middle of a move from her home in Windham to a new house in Salem, LeBlanc was confident that beating last year’s time across the finish line was out of the question.

With less focus on her training and more toward moving into her new home, LeBlanc just looked forward to completing the Sunday, July 27, race.

Despite a late start due to inclement weather and another delay after the medical personnel standing by left the race to respond to a bad accident, Le- Blanc ran, biked and swam faster than she did last year.

“We all did great. One of our neighbors came in fifth in her age group. I bettered my time. How I did that, I don’t know,” she said. “We’ve all vowed to do it again. Hopefully we can do it again. It was a fun weekend to get away from everything.”

‘Recess Lady’ advocates playtime for adults

Salem Editor — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:10:00 GMT

BY JENN McDOWELL

For Trudie Young of Windham, hula hooping never gets boring.

Young, 58, known as the “Recess Lady,” worked at Fidelity Investments in project management and production services for years before breaking free of the corporate world to pursue a career in –you guessed it – playtime.

“I’ve seen people open up and find more joy, more freedom to express themselves,” said Young, who runs programs in the local area for adults who want to partake in her recess sessions.

Her next recess will be at Nesmith Library in Windham on Friday, April 25 starting at 2 p.m.

Whether it’s coloring, jumping rope or experimenting with Play-Doh and Tinker Toys, Young said all adults can use a little trip back to their youthful days on the playground.

Or for those who were the frequent punching bags for playground bullies, it’s an opportunity to create new, fond memories of playtime. Young said her evolution from work to play started after she dealt with a family member’s addiction about four years ago.

“After that, I was the stressed person,” Young said. The realization came when her friends began asking her what she was doing for fun, and she didn’t have an answer. “When somebody asks me what I’m doing (for fun), I know I’ve lost my balance in life,” she said.

She began logging in what she called a “gratitude journal,” listing five things she was thankful for in each entry. Eventually, she started making stick figures with heart-shaped heads playing and having fun, and realized she wished she was one of them.

One day, she called her friends and asked whether they wanted to go skipping with her in the park. When they all declined, she went anyway, and kept going. After a few times, her friends began to partake.

She also read a book by Stuart Brown of the National Institute For Play, which said creative people find an outlet and part of the creative process in play.

This past winter, Young began bringing her play to the community. She recently completed a series of recess sessions at the Derry Opera House, and also books corporate recess events.

“One of my main goals of recess is to provide a stepping stone for people,” Young said. The sessions provide insight into people’s callings and hobbies, bring adults and their teens together and contribute to productivity, she said. Her family was very supportive of her move to the world of play, and some have attended her recess sessions.

Young said she is looking at starting a daily recess session somewhere, maybe at the Derry Opera House. “It’s such an enhancement to life,” she said.

Cognitively impaired youths get a chance to learn scuba, gain confidence

Salem Editor — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:11:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

When Timmy Rochon vacationed with his family, he made only small dives while his family went scuba diving. The Windham teen felt left out and wanted to do more – he wanted to become a certified diver.

Timmy, who has born with a rare genetic disorder, eventually obtained his diving certification.

Because of remarkable improvements he made as a result of scuba diving, Timmy inspired his grandfather and others to start a camp where other cognitively impaired people can also enjoy the adventures of diving and reap benefits from it.

This is the third year that a half-dozen people will attend the one-week camp.

Among them will be a young man from Pelham.

Timmy’s family has organized a local fundraiser to support the program.

“It’s a life enhancement camp for kids like Tim,” said Nate Boutwell, Timmy’s stepfather.

“It opens the doors for a lot of other things in life. We never thought Timmy could achieve scuba diving, and his mother had always been very protective and never really wanted him to try it.”

But thanks to Timmy’s diving, Nate and Timmy’s mother, LeeAnn Rochon- Boutwell, have seen remarkable changes in their son. He is more confident and independent, has three jobs, and understands the importance of setting goals.

“He’ll look at anything and take it on,” Nate said.

“He’s more motivated to do things that I don’t think he would have risked trying to do or we would have let him,” LeeAnn said.

While vacationing a few years ago in Little Cayman, one of the sister islands of Grand Cayman, Timmy’s family met Ron Thompson, a diving instructor. He worked with Timmy and realized that he and Timmy’s grandfather, John Johnston, both had a dream.

Thompson wanted to work with the handicapped, although he didn’t expect to work with the cognitively impaired.

Johnston wanted to give opportunities in scuba diving to other cognitively impaired kids.

The In-Water Experience Camp for the Cognitively Impaired was developed by Johnston, Little Cayman Beach Resort and Reef Divers, and the Oceans for Youth Foundation.

The foundation, based in Naples, Fla., promotes underwater education and an appreciation and respect for the ocean in young people.

The camp, held at the resort, is open to participants 16 and older who work one-on- one with an instructor.

Through donations, the foundation covers the cost for campers and a parent or caregiver to attend the program.

The week includes other activities, such as sailing, nature walks, kayaking, fishing and games on the beach.

Organizers, whose mission is to promote self-respect, self-reliance and independence among participants, have witnessed campers improve their motor skills and communication skills.

“It’s exciting to watch the transition,” said Ruth Lowther, the camp’s administrator. “The excitement builds as time goes on.”

Timmy has Cornelia De Lange Syndrome, a genetic disorder. One of the characteristics of CdLS is delayed intellectual development.

Timmy, now 22, likes scuba diving because he can enjoy warm water and being with his family. Scuba diving gives him the feeling of being free.

His family attends the camp every year and Timmy has become a camp counselor. He looks forward to camp year-round.

“This whole camp has broken down many barriers for these kids,” Boutwell said. “It allows (the campers) to get out into the real world and become productive in a normal every day life in a lot of aspects.”

One camper, an autistic boy from California, was angry and would never speak.

By the week’s end, he had enjoyed the program so much he wanted to take speech classes and share the experience with his friends.

It’s not only the campers who benefit. So, too, do the protective caregivers and parents who see what the campers can do and learn to let go.

“The parents see their child do something they never thought they would be able to do,” LeeAnn said.

Jeffrey Newcomb, 22, of Pelham, will be attending the camp this summer. He has Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, a neurological disorder.

Jeff’s parents, Linda and Ed Newcomb, will be going with him. Linda hopes Jeff will benefit not only from learning how to scuba dive but also from the social interaction with others.

“He’s very excited,” said Linda. “He loves anything to do with fishing and water. He’s excited about learning (how to scuba dive.)”

Hoops competition is March 27

Salem Editor — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:19:00 GMT

The physical education teachers, together with the Windham Basketball Club and the American Heart Association, present the second annual Hoop-Star Competition, open to any Windham sixth- to eighth-grade student, on Tuesday, March 27, at the Windham Center School gymnasium from 4 to 6 p.m.

Individual hot-shot competitions, knock-out competitions and 3-on-3 tournaments are planned. All events will be played by grade, and prizes, trophies and a raffle for Boston Celtic tickets are planned.

If you would like to participate, e-mail the following information to Joni Matthews at jmatthews@windhamsd.org by Friday, March 23:

Your name, grade, emergency contact person and phone number, the events you will participate in, as well as the names of the two other 3-on-3 players if you’re taking part in that event.

If you can make a donation, make checks payable to the American Heart Association.