Attention News Editor:

News Release              For Immediate Release

June 2, 2006

Winners Announced for the Turn Off The Screens Week Challenge!

Forty-four schools in Grey Bruce participated in the fourth annual Turn Off The Screens

Week! The challenge encourages students to turn off the TV and computer and to get up and get active. Bayview Public School topped all others with 81% of students taking part. Dawnview Public School saw 62% and Brant Township Central School registered 51% student participation. Among the private schools, 62% of students at Riverforest Montessori and 60% of students at Lambert Hall took the challenge. The 12 Ontario Early Years Centres received Turn Off The Screens T-shirts for draws held at each centre. Forty-four teachers also took the challenge.

Participating in the Turn Off The Screens challenge was hard said first-prize winner Baillie Vyhnal, from Dawnview Public School. Baillie’s name was draw from all the students who were screen-free from April 24-28. Her prize is a $150 gift certificate for sports equipment. “It was really hard. I missed my favorite TV show.” Asked what she did instead, Baillie said, “I played outside with my brother and sister and I walked to get the mail.” She said, “getting more exercise” was what she enjoyed about the week.

The other winners of $50 gift certificates for sports equipment were: Lauren Hoare, St. Vincent- Euphrasia Elementary School; Deanna Ernewein, Walkerton Public School; Ben Stuckless, Mildmay-Carrick Public School and Emily Harvey from Holland-Chatsworth Community School. Each registered school received three Turn Off The Screens T-shirts for individual prizes in their schools.

Organized by Public Health, the Turn Off The Screens challenge is designed to get children moving. This annual campaign raises awareness of the amount of time young people spend in front of the TV and computer. More than half of Canadian children and youth watch two to four hours of television daily, according to the Active Healthy Kids Canada report card released in May 2006. Approximately a third spends two or more hours daily on leisure–related computer use. The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends limiting screen time –use of television and computer combined – in children and youth to no more than two hours per day and only one hour per day for preschoolers. Active Healthy Kids Canada warns children who watch TV more than two hours per day are more likely to be overweight and obese.

This year Public Health received additional funding from the Ministry of Health. Local recreation departments offered free programs. “The pool was filled to capacity for the Wednesday night swim,” said Bert Lennox from Hanover Parks and Recreation. In Formosa, up-and-coming baseball stars filled the gym attending clinics with level three international baseball coach Bill Wilkinson. A number of School Community Councils also organized free events in their school to encourage fun family activity. 

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For more information:

Betty Perkins R.N. B.Sc.N

Public Health Nurse

Grey Bruce Health Unit

519-881-1920 ext. 239

bperkins@publichealthgreybruce.on.ca