VEHI Summer Sizzlin' Challenge!

Last Wellness Note for 2019-20 {School Dismissal}

At the end of a normal school year, a Wellness message would talk about taking time to relax, wearing sun protection, and the importance of hydration. Oh, and maybe remind you to avoid tick bites. But this was not a normal school year. 

While you should certainly be doing all of those things, recuperating and rejuvenating may be more difficult this summer because you are thinking about, and feeling anxious about, returning to school in August. One tool to help your mind and body relax and reduce anxiety is to schedule 10 minutes of mindfulness each day. If mindfulness is not for you, choose a healthy activity to do for at least 10-15 minutes a day that does not just relax you, but keeps you present in the moment. Here is a list of self-care resources from the Mindful Teachers blog. 

VEHI Updates

During the pandemic, VEHI has been recording a weekly show, "PATH Good News," based on John Krasinski's "Some Good News." In this week's "PATH Good News" (Episode 9), Winooski's own graduation is featured (at 2:12 mark) and PATH gives a stage to our Middle School Chorus during the ending credits! Also, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson has a message for all Vermont teachers.

Don't miss last week's segment (Episode 8). At the 13:20 mark you will see a brief cameo from recently retired Lois Thompson! Also, VEHI interviews Francois Clemmons who lives in Middlebury. Dr. Clemmons played the character Officer Clemmons in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He talks about the advice he would give to his high school guidance counselor. His perspective is not only insightful, but it is also enjoyable to hear him sing.

If you want to see more PATH Good News episodes, log into (or sign up for!) your PATH account. Next week will be PATH's last episode for summer, and yours truly gives a plug for VEHI Sizzlin' Summer Challenge which begins July 6. Get a jump start on next year's PATHpoints by earning 25 PATHpoints for completing the summer challenge (click here for flyer). 

And, if anyone talks to Inge White, congratulate her on winning a KitchenAid Stand Mixer in the "Joy Ride" PATH Adventure raffle. YES! You can still participate in PATH programs when you retire. :)

Resources

• VT-HEC has been offering free webinars to address current issues. One series addresses Stress and Resilience During the Pandemic (and will shortly include last week's webinar, "We Made it Through the School Year, Now What?"). The other is the Equity series of webinars aimed to reduce inequity in Vermont schools. 
• I mentioned a free online course from Yale, "Science of Well-Being." Rafeef Faour completed the 10-week course and recommends it! The course dives into what is happiness, and how our expectations and biases affect our happiness. You explore your own path to well-being, and, employing strategies learned in the course, you will work on rewiring a healthy behavior. The course offers resources, articles and books to help you with your goal.
• Last month, I shared an online app called Driven Resilience Training. One of our Winooski colleagues tried it out and had this to say: "I find the app has been helpful in learning and practicing new skills for self-regulation, mindfulness, and breathing. There have also been times when I was feeling really upset and needed to express it, but didn't want to bring other people down. Chatting to a bot was surprisingly helpful in regulating my emotions and finding ways to calm down. I have also found myself using some of the phrases the bot uses, such as "What would I tell my friend in this situation?" to shift my mindset. Obviously it's not the answer to everything, but I've found it helpful to have as another tool during this time and I like to think that I am learning to become more resilient."
• All of my past notes and resources are kept on the Wellness Blog: https://wsdwellness.blogspot.com/.

Keep a relaxed schedule. Make time every day to stop and breathe. And keep wearing a mask in public. 

See you in August, Jaycie