A new school year begins, as do PATH points!

Starting July 1, you can begin to earn PATH points for the 2025-26 school year!

First, make sure you have a PATH account. If you do not, review the document here to help you get set up. Select Winooski SD as your district, then choose the building you mostly work in (JFK, MS, HS, or SD if you are across the district equally).

To learn more about VEHI and PATH, click on "About VEHI/PATH" on the header above.

Earn 25 points by completing the Sizzling Summer Challenge (July-September).

Each week, you choose one of the weekly challenges to complete and upload a picture for that week's challenge. If you complete all 10 weeks' challenges, you will earn 25 PATHpoints and a chance to win other prizes such as a SOLO stove, a hammock, or a Garmin VivoSmart 5 watch.

Log into your account and scroll down to the Sizzling Summer Challenge link on your dashboard. Follow the instructions. If you have questions, read the Q&A. 

A NEW Keeping Fit program starts July 1st: Earn 10 points each month!  

Keeping Fit is one way to continue earning PATH points while there isn’t an active Adventure. Effective July 1, 2025, all PATH account holders will begin a new Keeping Fit cycle, and cycles will follow a monthly calendar.

Here are some highlights of the new program:

• On the 1st of each month a new cycle will begin.
• To earn points, account holders will need to record a minimum of 12 exercise activities, dated during the current month, before the end of that month. Note that there will be NO grace periods.  If 12 exercise activities aren't recorded by the end of the last day of the current month, no points will be awarded.
• 10 points will be awarded for each successfully completed monthly cycle; up to 120 PATH points are possible per points year.
• PATH account holders will never need to activate a Keeping Fit cycle, it will happen automatically on the 1st of each month. This also means that account holders will not be able to opt out of a cycle but they are not required to participate. 

Many ways to Plan Action To Health (P.A.T.H.)

There are many other ways you can use PATH to help you be well, stay active and rejuvenate this summer...and earn points*! You can start your monthly Quizzify trivia (5 points) or begin a Self-paced Adventure (up to 30 points). Check out the options on your PATH dashboard.

*If you earn 200 PATH Points by next year, you are eligible for a $100 gift card to L. L. Bean! 

Winooski School District ROCKSTARS!

Winooski School District was a featured 2024 PATH Rockstar on our 10th annual Wellness Day! 

Check out what VEHI had to say about our event, and the video below!

2023-24 Harvard Healthy Living Guide

🍎This is the 4th edition of the digest on Healthy Eating and Healthy Living from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 

Key features this issue:

• Benefits of green spaces
• Mindful eating
• Plate and the planet: Strategies to reduce red meat and elevate your plate
• A blueprint for building healthy meals
• Intuitive eating
• Healthy beverage guide
• Spotlight on low-calorie sweeteners
• Staying active: Zumba
• Updates on sleep
• Healthy longevity

The apple in your hand is the body of the cosmos.
– Thich Nhat Hanh

In 2023, Harvard School of Public Health launched the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health. Many articles in this issue of Healthy Living Guide are dedicated to educating on simple techniques for mindful living. Find out more at mindfulpublichealth.org

SoulShine Power Yoga specials

Info about SoulShine Power Yoga 

Also they have specials for those new to SoulShine: $49 unlimited one month at the downtown location, and $59 unlimited one month at both Essex/Downtown location.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

 

Digital Detox Challenge

Hello,

Are you interested in reducing your use of technology? How often do you check your phone each day? What types of apps and other digital tools do you use to make your life easier? Do these tools really enhance your well-being?

Take this four week challenge and earn 10 Path points to reduce and re-evaluate the influence of digital tools in your life. During the challenge, you will assess your digital environment, eliminate one or more digital tools and make meaningful changes to how you use digital technology. 

If you are interested in this challenge, please email me and I will sign you up. 

Thanks!

Becky 

--

Rebecca (Becky) Savage
ELL Teacher

t (802) 655–0485   
e rsavage@wsdvt.org

  

List of Wellness activities

 As we climb over the peak of winter, I would like to offer some Wellness activity ideas that are little or no cost. These are based on recommendations from your Wellness leaders, and resources that other staff have used and enjoyed.   

Interval Trails - The Intervale Center trails are open to the public in the winter for snowshoeing and XC skiing (both classic and skate style). A trail map is here. Follow them on Facebook for up to date information about conditions and trail etiquette. Their annual Wintervale celebration is scheduled for March 6, 2022.

Yoga with Adriene - I kicked off the new year with a free, 30-day yoga challenge to Move with Adriene. When I started talking about it, I learned that other Winooski school staff enjoy Adriene's challenges and her many free videos on YouTube as well. 

Down Dog apps - Down Dog is offering its device apps free for educators and students until June 1, 2022! Down Dog apps include yoga, meditation, prenatal yoga, HIIT,  barre, and running. Look for the app on the Apple App Store, or get it on Google Play.

YouTube Channels

Sharona's Hill - This YouTube channel is full of home fitness workouts, kickboxing or dance style, set to popular music. Videos are short and fun. 

Get Fit with Rick - Here is another walk-at-home program--Getting Fit with Rick can either be via videos on his YouTube channel, or you can sign up for a free 7-day trial.

List of 15-min workouts - In this Good Housekeeping article, several youtube fitness programs are listed including HIIT, strength and cardio circuits and dance workouts.

Vermont Comedy Club - Laughing and comedy can be a great way to reduce stress. Whether you want to take in a show (live or LiveStream), or learn improv, the VCC has something for you. Check out some Vermont-made comedy here.

Cook Once, Eat Twice - Whole Health Nutrition, based in Williston, VT, has created a 4-part series of Mediterranean diet-based recipes like this Mezze Platter with recipes for tzatziki, tabouleh, baba ganoush and hummus. More recipes and tutorials are hosted on the recipe page of their website. And, Whole Health is in-network for BCBS-VT and other insurance providers so some nutritional counseling sessions should be covered. For instance, BCBSVT covers 3 sessions, but you may be eligible for more with some medical conditions such as diabetes. 

Drawing - At the start of the pandemic, I turned to How 2 Draw Animals online tutorials to learn to draw some of the birds that were coming to my feeder, like this chickadee and this cardinal with colored pencils. 

Acrylic Painting - Here are some staff-recommended tutorials if you'd like to try your hand at painting with acrylic on canvas. From Painting with Jane, a Tropical Sunset (32 min) and Summer Breeze (1 hr, 4 min). From Color by Felks, try this Tropical Painting (46 min). and Art with John Magne Lisondra brings you a Winter Evening with Snowman (1 hr, 6 min).

This Restorative Justice Life - For those of you who have taken on RJ in your classroom or just want to know more, you may be interested in this podcast which offers conversations and storytelling with Restorative Justice Practitioners, Circle Keepers, and others about how they bring Restorative Justice philosophy, practices, and values into their personal and professional lives. 

Healthy Living Guide 2021-22

The 2021-22 Healthy Living Guide has been published.

Key features this issue:

• A blueprint for building healthy meals
• Exploring aquatic foods
• Are anti-nutrients harmful? 
• Navigating information on food packages
• The science of cravings
• Anti-inflammatory diet review
• Clearing up confusion on soy and health
• Spotlight on collagen
• Staying active:
• Yoga for exercise
• High-intensity interval training
• Workout supplement review
• Updates on sleep

The Edge Sports & Fitness EDUCATOR DISCOUNT on Gym Memberships

It's a new year! And if your resolution was to "join a gym" here's some good news....

The Edge Sports & Fitness has a discount for teachers & staff!

The Edge offers three levels of membership: Fitness, Active and Ultimate (click here to see what is offered at each level).

• Fitness Edge is $67.00 / month
• Active Edge is $86.00 / month
• Ultimate Edge is $105.00 /month

Teachers receive 15% off that monthly rate if they pay via ACH autopay monthly.

If you prefer to pay for a full year (12 months), you will get...

• whatever promotion The Edge is running at the time you sign up (currently, it is 20% off for paying in advance),
• plus, another 5% for being a school employee,
• AND you will get an extra month (13 months in your fitness year!) 

One other thing perk...if you do pay in advance for a year, you can pause your membership at anytime. So, if you know there is a month or so where you won't be using the gym membership, call to put your membership on hold, then resume it when you are ready. You do not lose any of that time off, and it is added to your end date.

If you are interested, call Dennis Michael at 802-951-2324. Tell him you work for the Winooski School District. 

Healthy Life Survey - 60 PATH Points!