7 BRONX WEEKLY March 17, 2019 www.BXTimes.com
Preston to offer computer
science courses with
Amazon Future Engineer
Preston High School
is now part of the Amazon
Future Engineer program
and will receive funding
from Amazon to start offering
computer science
classes to students this
Fall. Preston High School is
one of more than 1,000 high
schools across the country
currently signed up for
Amazon Future Engineer, a
national program aimed at
making computer science
accessible to all students.
Amazon Future Engineer
is a four-part, childhood-tocareer
program that works
to inspire and educate 10
million children and young
adults each year to pursue
careers in the fast-growing
fi eld of computer science
and coding – Amazon Future
Engineer focuses on
access for all. With Amazon
Future Engineer’s funding,
Preston High School
will offer Intro to Computer
Science and Advanced
Placement (AP) Computer
Science classes through
curriculum provider, Edhesive.
Amazon’s funding
provides preparatory lessons,
tutorials, and professional
development for
teachers, fully sequenced
and paced digital curriculum
for students, and live
online support every day of
the week for both teachers
and students. These fullyear
courses are designed
to inspire, prepare, and
propel students in their
pursuit of computer science
education. All students participating
in this program
will receive a free membership
to AWS Educate which
provides them with free access
to computing power
in the AWS Cloud for their
coding projects and content
to learn about cloud computing.
Each year, Amazon
Future Engineer aims to
inspire more than 10 million
kids to explore computer
science; provide over
100,000 young people in over
2,000 high schools access to
Intro or AP Computer Science
courses; award 100
students with four-year
$10,000 scholarships, as
well as offer guaranteed
and paid Amazon internships
to gain work experience.
Amazon Future Engineer
is part of Amazon’s
$50 million investment in
computer science/STEM
education. In addition, Amazon
Future Engineer has
donated more than $10 million
to organizations that
promote computer science/
STEM education across the
country.
BENEDETTO PRESENTS RESOLUTION TO HIBERNIANS
Assemblyman Michael Benedetto presented a legislative resolution to the borough’s Ancient
Order of Hibernians in recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Ireland’s Declaration of Independence
in 1919. The resolution passed the NYS Assembly and the NYS Senate unanimously
(Above Hibernians, Joe McManus, president of the county’s division 3 and Bob Nolan, county
president, accepted the citation on behalf of their brothers. Photo courtesy of Bob Nolan
What you need to know about exercising outside
BY SONIA RAPPAPORT,
PHYSICAL THERAPIST &
REHAB INSTRUCTOR,
THE VISITING NURSE SERVICE
OF NEW YORK (VNSNY) AND
PARTNERS IN CARE
It should come as a surprise
to no one that exercise
boosts metabolism and
mood. But did you know
that exercising outdoors,
particularly in the winter,
can increase those benefi ts?
Believe it: According to a
study published by the National
Center for Biotechnology
Information, exercising
in the cold weather
increased participants’ metabolism
and their muscles’
capacity to use oxygen –
not bad! Meanwhile, a 2017
study found that climbing
outdoors, compared to both
exercising indoors on a
treadmill and to remaining
sedentary, vastly improved
feelings of enjoyment and
reduced fatigue, supporting
the notion that exercise is a
viable stress recovery solution,
and “green” outdoor
exercise even more so.
This is especially good
news for people in today’s
“sandwich generation,”
whose busy lives may include
caring for older parents
and also for their
own children. While your
70-year-old mom might not
be a candidate for competitive
rock climbing, she just
might want to join you for
a walk in the park, giving
you both an enjoyable fi tness
boost and some time
just to catch up.
As a physical therapist
and rehabilitation instructor
working with the notfor
profi t Visiting Nurse
Service of New York and its
affi liate Partners in Care,
I work with people of all
ages and fi tness capabilities,
from 25-year-olds to
95-year-olds—from those
recovering from surgery
to homebound seniors with
limited mobility. To help
make winter exercise safe
and enjoyable for all, I’ve
put together a few important
tips and precautions
that I share with patients
who get “cabin fever” or are
looking for safe ways to stay
fi t and get outside during
the winter months!
Protect Your Heart: If
you have a history of high
blood pressure, high cholesterol,
heart disease, diabetes
or smoking, consult
with your doctor before
exercising in the cold, as
these are all signifi cant risk
factors for a heart attack.
Start by exercising regularly
indoors, and if you get
the ‘OK’ from your doctor,
feel free to venture outside.
Start slowly and chart your
course with a simple walk
around your neighborhood
or a stroll through the park.
For added safety and enjoyment,
ask a friend or neighbor
to join you.
…And Your Skin,
Feet, Hands and Ears: A
little cold will bite if you
don’t prepare for it. When
it’s cold, blood fl ow concentrates
in the body’s core,
leaving your feet, hands
and ears susceptible to
frostbite. A thin pair of
glove liners made of wicking
material under a pair of
heavier gloves or mittens,
a headband to cover your
ears and extra thick socks
under your sneakers should
do the trick to protect those
areas.
Remember, your skin
needs protection in the
winter, too! Approximately
80 percent of UV rays still
penetrate through the
clouds, so the sun doesn’t
have to be out for your skin
to be in danger. Moisturizing
before you leave the
house or apartment will
also help you avoid dried
out and irritated skin that
can result from strong
winds.
Watch Out for Ice!:
Here’s a three-word solution
for slipping on ice and
snow: take it slow. The most
frequent winter injuries
are slips and falls, but they
can absolutely be avoided
by a few careful steps, like
wearing boots with soles
that won’t skid, making
sure all paths you walk on
are well-lit and walking as
fl at-footed as possible in areas
that may be icy.
Dress the Part: Bundling
up like the abominable
snowman or dressing
down in anticipation
of a sweat-a-thon are both
rooky mistakes! It’s true
that exercise generates a
lot of heat – maybe enough
to make you forget that it’s
winter! The evaporation
of sweat pulls heat from
your body, and as a result,
can make you feel chilled.
My solution is to dress
in layers: A thin layer of
synthetic material draws
sweat away from your body
and an extra layer of fl eece
adds insulation – and can
be removed and put back
on as needed.
Hydrate: Even though
you can expect to sweat less
than you might in the summer,
dehydration is still a
major risk factor. Seniors
in particular are susceptible
to fl uid and electrolyte
imbalances because of the
body’s declining ability to
conserve water with age. Be
sure to drink water before,
during and after exercising.
How Low Can You
Go?: Older adults are also
more susceptible to hypothermia,
a medical emergency
in which your body
loses heat faster than it
can produce it. People can
lessen their chances of developing
health complications
resulting from hypothermia
if they prepare
and are made aware of the
symptoms, which include
cold hands and feet, fatigue,
confusion, trouble walking,
slow breathing and a low
heart rate. It’s advisable
to consult with a doctor or
healthcare provider before
embarking on any new kind
of exercise, fi tness or wellness
routine – especially
when that routine involves
a winter wonderland!
Sonia Rapaport is a
physical therapist and rehabilitation
instructor with
the Visiting Nurse Service
of New York and its private
pay affi liate Partners in
Care. For more information
please visit www.PartnersinCareNY.
org or www.
VNSNY.org, or call (212)
609-7700.
and was signed by Governor Cuomo.
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