Congratulations!!Mary Balfour, Navi Basten, Kenny Chapman, Kristen Leon-Joe, Chehalis Community School; Edmond, Mussell, Cultus Lake Community School; Chance Big John, Diamond Vale Elementary School; Derek Porter-Magun, MacKenzie Robinson, Justin Smith, Gitanyow Independent School; Billie-Jean Robinson, Denise Wilson, John Field Elementary; Ashton Ruetten, Dylan Wilson, Kispiox Community School; Shyann Chantyman, Lhoosk’uz Dene School; Hailey Cullen, Nokum McKigney, Dakota Ned, Rebecca Nicholls, Rayanne Sheena, Merritt Central Elementary; Taylynn Eustache, Lyric McLeish, Neqweyqwelsten; Keagan James, Jerimiah Rapada, Sardis Elementary; Anastasia Boyce, Kadense Giroux, Cruzito Sepass, Seabird Island Community School; Sloan Big Eagle-Barnes, Skylar Nash, Sensisyusten School; Ashley Gutherie, Tyson Elementary; Summer Dejager, Sasha Tuttle, Yarrow Elementary

even your friendships. When you put your mind to reaching your goals, you might be surprised with what you can achieve.

The Seventh Generation Club hopes that you will enjoy this

newsletter and study hard through the upcoming months!

Is there news that you’d like to share from your school or community? Write to us or send us a picture and we’ll try to share it in the newsletter.

NewsletterClubMarch 2010

The Seventh Generation Club is created in partnership with:

The Seventh Generation Club Office is located at: Suite 113, 100 Park Royal South, West Vancouver, BC V7T 1A2. Phone: (604) 925-6087 Fax: (604) 925-6097 Website: www.seventhgenerationclub.com If you have any questions, or would like to see something included in upcoming newsletters, write to the Editor at the address above, or send an e-mail to: seventhgen@fnesc.ca

Administration and coordination is provided by theFirst Nations Schools Association

THIS ISSUE

• Hello Club Members • The Nook • Just for Laughs • Did You Know? • Canucks Corner • Food for Thought • Study Tip • Snowboarding Excellence • Brain Teasers

• Congratulations • What You Should Know About Caffeine • Next Contest!

First NationsHealth Council

Hello Club Members!The Nook

Drawing by Taylynn Eustache, Neqweyqwelsten

Just for Laughs1. What kind of fish performs

brain operations?

2. I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest human can’t hold me for much more than a minute. What am I?

3. What word, when written in capital letters, is the same forwards, backwards and upside down?

Answers on page 4

“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Essayist, Philosopher and Poet

Have you ever wondered how your brain works? The brain is an amazing machine that acts as “mission control” for everything you do. It is how you make sense of the world, learn, move around and store memories.

In this issue of the Seventh Generation Club Newsletter we’ll ponder some fun brain facts, try some brain-bending puzzles, and think about the connection between the health of our bodies and the health of our brain.

For example, consider the awesome mental skills of Olympic athletes like gold medallist Canadian freestyle skier Alexandre Bilodeau. To reach his dream of gold, he had to not only become an expert in his chosen sport, but also an expert in thinking like a top athlete. That state of mind kept him practicing, pushing himself, and coping with all of the pressures of performing on the world stage.

As you work your way through the last third of the school year, it is a good time to remember the importance of your own state of mind and the strategies you can use to stay focused. You might also find it helpful to write out your goals for the next few months, including goals for your school subjects, after school activities and

Brainy facts• Your brain keeps on growing

until you are about 20 years old.

• Your brain is about 80% water.

• Your brain feels no pain. There are no nerves that register pain within the brain itself.

• The left side of your brain is usually better at problem solving, math and writing.

• The right side of the brain is creative and helps you to be good at art or music.

• When we touch something, a message is sent to our brain at about 200 kilometres per hour.

Reference: Child and Youth Health www.cyh.com/SubContent.aspx?p=261

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Did You Know?Some animals sleep with only half their brain at a time! The scientific name for this is unihemispheric sleep (uni = one, hemisphere = half of a sphere). Several types of birds, some reptiles, dolphins and some species of whales and seals have this strange sleep habit. For mammals that live underwater, this sleep pattern lets them to swim to the surface to breathe. It also lets dolphins keep one eye open to watch for danger while asleep.

Why humans and other mammals can’t sleep this way is not known. Don’t try unihemispheric sleep in school!Source: New Scientist, 2010

What You Should Know About Caffeine

Caffeine is a natural chemical found in tea leaves, coffee beans, cacao (used to make chocolate), and cola nuts (the plant used in cola drinks). Caffeine has been around for hundreds of years, and today it is found in many common foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, hot cocoa, pop, chocolate, and some medicines.

When humans drink or eat caffeine, it acts as a stimulant. That means it makes us feel more awake. But while caffeine can boost your energy temporarily, too much caffeine can also lead to problems.

Caffeine can make you feel nervous or jumpy. It can also make it difficult for you to fall

asleep, which might mean you won’t be able to pay attention in school the next day. Too much caffeine can also give you a stomach-ache, headache or a racing heartbeat.

9 42

5 37

1 86

Brain Teaser answer

Congratulations to the winners of the “My Inspiration” Contest!

Next Contest!

The Place I Come From

For this Seventh Generation Club contest, we would

like to learn more about what makes the place you come

from special to you. Would you like to share information

about an annual sports tournament, or a special cultural

celebration? Maybe you could share something about the

beauty of the natural surroundings in your area.

Get creative, and send your best drawing or writing

entry to the club by April 23 to enter the contest for

Club prizes!

Just for Laughs answers1. A neurosturgeon2. Breath3. NOON

Canucks CornerTo excel on the ice, Vancouver Canucks players and coaches spend a lot of time studying plays and working out the things that didn’t go well in the previous game. This takes hours of studying video and drawing up different attacks on the whiteboard. By constantly learning from their mistakes, the Canucks are able to improve from their last game and be better prepared for the next.

The same principle applies to school, and to the activities that you love to do outside of school. In order to get the grade you want on your assignments and tests, it is important to put in study time. Likewise, in order to make those crucial saves late in a game, you will need to learn and practice good goalie mechanics and form. Spending an extra 15 minutes before bed studying your notes for an exam or spending an extra 15

minutes after practice to work on your puck handling can go a long way!

The Canucks coaches often post reminders in the dressing room. Above these reminders are motivational messages like “Pursue the Cup!” and “Never Quit” that help the players keep their focus. You can be your own coach by writing reminders of daily tasks in your daytimers and posting motivational messages in the areas where you study at home.

Whether your goal is to get a good mark in school or to win the championship game, remember that it takes a lot of studying and preparation to reach that goal. And remember that the Canucks will always be there cheering for you along the way!

Study to Succeed!

Study Tip: Do you always understand the instructions you are given in school? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t understand them all the time. If you don’t, ask your teacher to repeat them or to explain them in a different way. Before you jump into any assignment, it is important to understand what needs to be done. Asking will also show your teacher that you are serious about learning.

Challenge 2: Make words (two letters or more) by using letters that are beside each other or diagonal from each other. Don’t use the same letter twice in the same word.

For example….See the word NET

How many can you find? (If you like this game, we recommend that you try the game Boggle!)

Brain TeasersChallenge 1: Write the numbers 1 to 9, so that each row, column and diagonal adds up to the same number. (No number should show up more than once)

9

8

2

AY T

HP N

OC L

R

E

Y

KS E T

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

4. ___________________________

5. ___________________________

6. ___________________________

7. ___________________________

8. ___________________________

9. ___________________________

10. __________________________

Ans

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on

page

4

Food for ThoughtYour brain is the communications hub of your body, controlling the growth and activities of all of the other parts of your body. It is made of billions of neurons (nerve cells) that send messages back and forth inside your head, and along with your spinal cord and nerve cells, all through your body. Everything you know about the world, everything you learn and remember later, is all stored in this amazing organ.

Keeping your brain in top working order means treating it well! Here are some tips your brain will thank you for…

• Eat a rainbow! Wild salmon, blueberries, dark green lettuce, peaches…. Your brain will get the fuel it needs if you put a little colour on your plate every day.

• Get moving! Exercise your body to get your blood pumping. You’ll feel more alert, and keeping your body healthy is important for keeping your brain in

top form, too.

• Get some shut-eye. Sleep is important for memory and learning. It is possible that sleep helps form memories.

• Stay away from drugs. Drugs are chemicals that can interrupt normal brain activity and actually change how the brain performs its jobs. These changes can lead to addiction.

• Treat your brain like a muscle and give it a regular workout! When you push yourself by reading books that are challenging, solving difficult puzzles, and learning new skills, your brain is given a good challenge.

Snowboarding Excellence!Snowboarding star Shaun White was unstoppable at the 2010 Olympics. His sky-high stunts brought him home Olympic gold (for the second time) and showed what a breath-taking sport snowboarding can be.

Have you ever wondered if you could do it too? Well, youth across BC and Washington State have got involved in snowboarding through the First Nations Snowboard Team. The team began in 2004 with 10 youth from the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, and since then it has grown to about 200 members.

The most experienced snowboarders make up the team’s competitive branch, called the High Performance Team. Being part of the High Performance Team gives members a season pass at Whistler Blackcomb, Cypress Mountain or Big White Ski Resort, 20 days of coaching, dry-land training, trampoline training and equipment. High Performance Team members have also competed in the Canadian Nationals.

Most members of the First Nations Snowboard Team are taking part for fun and sport, and competition is of secondary importance. They get 10 days on the snow with a certified instructor, equipment and a season pass. The program is a challenging one that has a lot to teach about healthy living, including nutrition, education, culture and sport.

Being part of the team takes serious dedication. Each team member has to commit to keeping their school marks at C+ or better, attending at least 90% of the practices and staying drug and alcohol-free. For more information about the First Nations Snowboard Team, visit www.FNRiders.com.

Fakie: Riding a board backwardsGapper: Someone who doesn’t know how to snowboardGoofy Foot: Riding with your right foot forward

McTwist: An inverted halfpipe aerial trick, named after skateboarder Mike McGill, in which the rider performs a 540-degree flip White wash: Face wash with snow

A Snowboarder’s Dictionary

For some more fun terms, visit www.cbc.ca/olympics/history/story/2009/11/25/spo-glossary-snowboard.html