February
We can't help it, we love hippos! This light hearted article from MindFuel Daily reminds us of
what is important in life! Enjoy February!
Physical Activity
Boks has a new logo and a great weekly BOKS Bursts that they can email you regularly. To enroll use this link.
This is this week's Weekly Burst: Pop-up and Go
Have children start lying on their stomachs on the ground. On your command, instruct them to "pop up" as fast as they can, completing a different running activity (in place) each time (30 seconds each):
1. Fast feet
2. High knees as if running through tires
3. Butt kickers
4. Wide leg high knees
5. Fast feet while rotating in a clockwise direction
6. Fast feet while rotating in a counter-clockwise direction
It's Heart Healthy Month! Great time to get motivated and inspired to take care of the old ticker. Here are a few ideas...
Eat a heart healthy diet
Get and stay active- more than 150 minutes a week
Watch your sugar intake- keep blood sugars low
Mindful Movement Take 5- Thank you Megan Balfe!
Mindfulness
Plugging in to listen to a guided meditation is an easy way to get a core practice of mindfulness established. If you are looking for an app to use for guided meditations with yourself and your students read this list of some new options. 10 New Meditation Apps Article
Are your days starting out foggy, unfocused, uninspired? Try Carrie Wisehart's Six Habits of a Miracle Morning.
Seven Easy Steps to Personalized Mindfulness in Schools
by ASCD
Step 1: Allow Participants to Voice Their Stress
Step 2: Understand How Stress Relates to Mindfulness
Step 3: Appreciate the Multiple Benefits of Mindfulness
Step 4: Take a Brief Self-Inventory
Step 5: Look for a Main Pattern
Step 6: Choosing Our Own Paths to Mindfulness
Step 7: Revel in Your Personalized Approach
7 Steps to Mindfulness Article
Technology
Tech Talk Tuesdays
Do you need some discussion questions for class? Subscribe to the Screenagers Tech Talk Tuesdays blog and receive weekly ideas on what to discuss with your students and your own family members. This week is about shopping online and here is a taste of the questions...
- What are some of the upsides of being able to shop online? What are your favorite online browsing/shopping sites?
- What are some of the downsides? ** I often feel sad about losing shops in all of our communities who just can't survive the online competition.
- What are ways to stay on task longer with studying and not be pulled into switching to a shopping site?
Training Opportunities
Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Family Celebrations
Wednesday, February 14, 3-3:30pm (CT)
Learn how to engage families with healthy and fun events that help support an overall culture of wellness at your school. Hosting an event that involves physical activity and healthy eating can help you promote healthy behaviors, share positive messages, educate and engage parents, and motivate kids.
Thursday, February 15, 12-1pm (CT)
We've teamed up with National PTA to bring you the best resources and tools to help make your school a healthier learning environment. This webinar will give you the information you need to help school administrators and school boards understand the importance of school health to academic success.
Celebrating School Health with Every Kid Healthy Week
Thursday, February 22, 3-4pm (CT)
Every Kid Healthy Week brings attention to the nation's problem of childhood obesity, but more importantly, to its solutions: sound nutrition, regular physical activity, health-promoting school programs and successful engagement of families and communities. Join this webinar to learn more about Every Kid Healthy Week and how you can host an event to join the national movement.
Wellness Wednesday: Yoga in the Classroom
Wednesday, March 14, 2-3pm (CT)
Learn about integrating yoga into a classroom environment, including how to use simple yoga-based movements and practices to increase physical fitness, student focus and academic performance!
Helping Kids Learn Better with Healthy School Meals
Thursday, March 22, 1-2pm (CT)
Kids who eat healthy school meals have fewer absences and higher academic achievement. Learn how national school meal programs work and how parents and community members can deepen support, trust and meaningful collaboration with nutrition services staff to create a healthier school food culture.
Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Snacking
Wednesday, April 11, 3-3:30pm (CT)
Join us for tips to help spice up your snacking routine with fun and healthy snacks for all ages. Learn about easy, healthy snacks you can serve during or after school and as part of school celebrations.
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic...and Recess
Thursday, April 19, 12-1pm (CT)
Recess is more than just fun and games. It helps kids think creatively, make friends, share and resolve conflicts. Kids need recess, but schools are cutting out that time for more academics. Join us to learn more about why recess is important and how you can advocate for better recess in your schools.
Wellness Wednesday: How to Show Your Volunteers They’re Valued
Wednesday, May 9, 3-3:30pm (CT)
The end of the school year is a great time to show all the family and community members who have helped support your school health efforts throughout the year just how much you appreciate them. Join us to hear some creative ways other schools have thanked their volunteers and engaged them to become even more active in the future.
School Digs (or Raising the Bar and Profits with Healthy School Fundraisers)
Thursday, May 17, 12-1pm (CT)
Whether it’s the cafeteria, the playground, the classroom or another area on your campus, kids need to get the same message everywhere: Be Active & Eat Healthy! This webinar is designed to show you where campuses can improve to make sure that kids are getting the right message.
We've teamed up with National PTA to bring you the best resources and tools to help make your school a healthier learning environment. This webinar will give you the information you need to help school administrators and school boards understand the importance of school health to academic success.
Celebrating School Health with Every Kid Healthy Week
Thursday, February 22, 3-4pm (CT)
Every Kid Healthy Week brings attention to the nation's problem of childhood obesity, but more importantly, to its solutions: sound nutrition, regular physical activity, health-promoting school programs and successful engagement of families and communities. Join this webinar to learn more about Every Kid Healthy Week and how you can host an event to join the national movement.
Wellness Wednesday: Yoga in the Classroom
Wednesday, March 14, 2-3pm (CT)
Learn about integrating yoga into a classroom environment, including how to use simple yoga-based movements and practices to increase physical fitness, student focus and academic performance!
Helping Kids Learn Better with Healthy School Meals
Thursday, March 22, 1-2pm (CT)
Kids who eat healthy school meals have fewer absences and higher academic achievement. Learn how national school meal programs work and how parents and community members can deepen support, trust and meaningful collaboration with nutrition services staff to create a healthier school food culture.
Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Snacking
Wednesday, April 11, 3-3:30pm (CT)
Join us for tips to help spice up your snacking routine with fun and healthy snacks for all ages. Learn about easy, healthy snacks you can serve during or after school and as part of school celebrations.
Reading, Writing, Arithmetic...and Recess
Thursday, April 19, 12-1pm (CT)
Recess is more than just fun and games. It helps kids think creatively, make friends, share and resolve conflicts. Kids need recess, but schools are cutting out that time for more academics. Join us to learn more about why recess is important and how you can advocate for better recess in your schools.
Wellness Wednesday: How to Show Your Volunteers They’re Valued
Wednesday, May 9, 3-3:30pm (CT)
The end of the school year is a great time to show all the family and community members who have helped support your school health efforts throughout the year just how much you appreciate them. Join us to hear some creative ways other schools have thanked their volunteers and engaged them to become even more active in the future.
School Digs (or Raising the Bar and Profits with Healthy School Fundraisers)
Thursday, May 17, 12-1pm (CT)
Whether it’s the cafeteria, the playground, the classroom or another area on your campus, kids need to get the same message everywhere: Be Active & Eat Healthy! This webinar is designed to show you where campuses can improve to make sure that kids are getting the right message.
School Success Stories
Here are some fabulous ideas from Jennifer Tracy (Soaring Hawk) for Heart Health Awareness:
*Wear Red Wednesday - Staff and students celebrate Healthy Heart Awareness by wearing red each Wednesday. Staff are welcome to wear jeans if they remember to wear red on Wednesdays in February!
*Hidden Heart - Each morning, the 6th grade Wellness Ambassadors will hide a stuffed purple heart for the staff and students to find. It will be clearly visible in the common areas of the school. We hope to encourage some impromptu walks within our walls, and then don't forget to put a "heart in the jar"!
*Random School-wide Physical Activity - On multiple days throughout the month, there will be a random announcement on the PA (during CREW) asking the classes to stand up and do an activity (i.e. wall push-ups, 20 hops on each foot, etc.), THEN each class is encouraged to bring a heart down to the jars in the office.
*Go Red Day Blood Pressure Checks in the Lounge - Erika will be in the lounge from 11am-1pm and she will take note of anyone who gets their blood pressure checked (not their result). It's important to know your numbers! I will pull a name for a prize from all those who participated.
*"(BLANK) is Why" poster - All staff is encouraged to write their motivation of why they want to be healthy to live a long life. We will post these messages in the lounge on the walls for the month of February.
Nutrition
Many of us drink coffee practically every day, so why not add a little something, something to make it a bit healthier! Read these ideas from Greatist.
SLOW COOKER SAUSAGE & EGG BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
This low carb slow cooker breakfast casserole will make your mornings all the brighter. Packed with broccoli and breakfast sausage for a healthy start to your day.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium head broccoli, chopped
- 1 12-oz package Jones Dairy Farm Little Links, cooked and sliced
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar, divided
- 10 eggs
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Grease the ceramic interior of a 6 quart slow cooker well.
- Layer one half of the broccoli, half of the sausage and half of the cheese into the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining broccoli, sausage and cheese.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, whipping cream, garlic, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour over layered ingredients.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 3 hours, until browned on the edges and set in the center.
RECIPE NOTES
Serves 6 to 8. For 6 servings, each serving has 5.39 g of carbs and 1.18 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 4.21 g.
Food energy: 484kcal Saturated fatty acids: 16.50g Total fat: 38.86g Calories from fat: 349 Cholesterol: 399mg Carbohydrate: 5.39g Total dietary fiber: 1.18g Protein: 26.13g Sodium: 858mg
Fun and Healthy Valentine treats...
Strawberry, angel food cake, and Blackberry kabobs
Grape tomatoes & cheese
Chex cereal, driend strawberries, & yogurt covered raisins
Thank you for reading this month's blog! We are open to any suggestions for health and wellness ideas and resources that you make be looking tobring into your school setting. Just leave a note in comments and we will make sure to include it in our March blog. Have a heart healthy month!
Laurie LaComb & Kimmy Romine
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