2020 WSD Walk More Challenge!

WINOOSKI WALK MORE CHALLENGE

Would you like to earn 10 PATH Points while increasing your daily movement? 

Would you like to earn a chance to win a pair of Darn Tough socks?

Then sign up for the Winooski Walk More Challenge by 12:30pm on March 3rd! 

The Winooski school district wellness leaders challenge you to move more and increase your time spent walking or number of steps each week. From March 9-April 10, 2020, ALL Winooski School District Employees are invited to participate in a walking challenge. 

Sign up for the Challenge by contacting your building wellness leader:

Becky Savage (WHS)     Nan Johnson (JFK)

Laura Graves (WMS)      Angela Moulton (WSD/CO)

or sign up by 12:30pm on Wellness Day! 

About the Darn Tough prize drawing on Wellness Day

• Drawing for the Darn Tough socks will happen during the closing activity on Wellness Day (3/3/20).
  
• Ten (10) Darn Tough socks will be drawn for WMHS employees that have signed up, and Ten (10) Darn Tough socks will be drawn for JFK/CO employees that have signed up.
  
• You do not have to be present to win.

Gift Card Drawing

To keep you challenged, participants will be sent a short google survey by their wellness leader to complete at the end of each week during the Challenge. Participants that complete the survey on time will be entered into a raffle to win one of two (2) $50 gift cards to Dick’s Sporting Goods at the end of the Challenge. You will be entered one time for each week you complete a survey; up to five possible chances!

To receive 10 PATHpoints, participants must have an active PATH account, AND complete at least THREE weekly Google surveys.

wellness day sign up!

Wellness Day is Tuesday, March 3.

The agenda, list of activities & workshop descriptions and the sign up for Wellness Day are available below.  Breakfast and lunch are provided by The Abbey. 

If you are new to WSD Wellness Day, you can sign up for one workshop at each of the four time slots: 9am, 10am, 11am and 1:10pm. We have done our best to offer a variety of wellness activities so there is something for everyone. Some activities have a limited number of participants so reservations are first come, first reserved. Double check what TIME you are choosing an activity--I will delete duplicates so others have a chance to sign up for activities.

If you are planning to participate in any physically active workshops, you may want to wear active clothing/shoes, bring a change of clothes and water bottle. If you are participating in a yoga workshop, bring your own mat--there will be a limited number available.

Click here to sign up for Wellness Day 2020

This Sign Up will close on Thursday, February 27th.

Make sure that you click on the "Submit and Sign Up" button at the bottom of the survey to capture your responses and reserve your slot. You should receive an email shortly after. If you do not receive a confirmation, check the sign up form to ensure your choices were captured.

Click here for a list of activity descriptions

Be prepared for your workshop! Some activities have special instructions in the description so be sure that you know what you are signing up for. Contact me if you have questions. 

Agenda

7:30am Breakfast (Cafeteria)

8:10am Welcome/Opening Activity (PAC)
9:00am First Workshop
10:00am Second Workshop
11:00am Third Workshop
11:50am Lunch (Cafeteria)
1:10pm Fourth Workshop

2:15pm Closing Activity/Final Remarks (Cafeteria)

Menu

Breakfast: Frittata and Yogurt bar with toppings

Lunch: Morrocan Kefta Kabob and Vegetable Moussaka with salads

Coffee service all day

BCBS Snow Days: Free Snowshoeing

BCBSVT Snow Days! 

A free outdoor fun day for the whole community (first-come, first-served basis).
Click here for more information.
From 10am-2pm at these dates and locations:

• January 4th
   Grafton Trails and Outdoor Center
   783 Townshend Rd., Grafton
• February 8th
   Mountain Top Inn and Resort
   95 Mountain Top Rd., Chittenden
• February 15th
   Lyndon Outing Club
   1580 Lily Pond Rd., Lyndonville
• February 23rd
   Bolton Valley Nordic Center
   4302 Bolton Valley Access Rd., Bolton Valley
• February 29th
   Prospect Mountain Free rentals
   204 Prospect Access Rd., Woodford, VT

Free access to trails
Healthy Snacks
Free fleece hats for the first 50 participants!
No preregistration required.

For more information, email events@bcbsvt.com or visit www.bcbsvt.com/snowdays

Self-Care for Teachers: Spring 2020 Session

Castleton State University is offering a course: "Self Care for Teachers: Transform Your Self and Classroom."

Participants will develop a thorough plan for personal self care that will focus on balancing their daily work and personal lives. The course is designed so learners can create their own learning outcomes within the realm of self care. They will be coached by the instructor in the areas of nutrition, sleep habits, movement, communication, mindfulness, habit change and stress reduction. Click here for more information.

Course Number:  EDU 5515 C24

Instructor: Rebecca Day

Location: Online using Google Classroom and Zoom Videoconferencing

Dates and Times: February 10 - May 15, 2020

Credits: 3 graduate credits

Tuition: $975

Yoga with Lucy D'Aponte continues this winter!

Yoga with Lucy D'Aponte continues this winter!

The next series starts Thursday, January 9

Yoga w/ Lucy D'Aponte

Thursdays

3:30pm - 4:30pm in the iLab

January 9, 16, 23, 30, and February 6, 13.

$52 for the 6-week series, to be paid on first day of series.

$10 drop in fee

Sign up here 

Call to Action: Supporting VT Foodbank

If any of you saw (or tasted!) the apples, cabbage and carrots that were distributed at Veggie VanGo today, you may have noticed that the produce was very fresh. This is because it was locally sourced as a part of a new Foodbank program called "Vermonters Feeding Vermonters." The produce is purchased directly from Vermont farmers to be distributed at locations like our school through the Veggie VanGo program.

(click for flyer)

VT Foodbank needs our help to reach out to the legislature for public funding to support the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program. 

The VT Foodbank relies on grants and donations to purchase the food they distribute. However, their fresh produce programs are growing. In fact, the first year I managed this program here in Winooski, an average of 250 people participated in the program. Today, we served 426!

The staff here knows how important this fresh food is for our students and Winooski school & community. If you'd like to see the produce continue to be fresh and locally sourced, please consider letting your lawmakers know you support this funding request. Click here for more information and to e-sign the petition.

If you prefer to send a handwritten card, I have them in my office. Jaycie

PATH Adventure: Joy Ride!

Register now for the annual PATH Adventure!

"Self-Care is Not Selfish"

During pre-service, Mohamed Diop and I were chatting about wellness. He commented that he wanted to make a t-shirt with the slogan, "Self Care is Not Selfish". I thought that was an idea worth sharing. Your health and wellbeing are important not just to you, but to your students, colleagues and those who you live with and love. Taking care of yourself ultimately means taking care of others.

It's been over 7 weeks since the start of school. Younger classrooms have laid the groundwork for the rest of the year, and older classes are already assessing how students are performing. Your hard work as an educator is showing the first signs of progress.

Now is a good time for educators to check in on their wellbeing. Here are a few things to think about (and assess if necessary) to see if you need to make some adjustments so you can continue to feel invigorated and satisfied in the work you do here.

Build Resilience (in Yourself!)
At any given moment, our students are challenging us in different ways. These moments offer us opportunities to cultivate resilience (Read, "Why it is importance for Teachers to Cultivate Resilience"). Use this survey to do a quick assessment of your own resilience. If you want some ideas to build your own resilience, check out this article "12 Ways Teachers Can Build Resilience."

Know Your Strengths
You may be practicing positive psychology in your classroom already. This work focuses on using character strengths to develop a foundation for self-awareness and confidence. Take a survey to learn about your own strengths and what that means for your personal happiness and wellbeing.

Balance Your Work
Understand if your work-life balance is sustainable. Read this article to learn more about the importance of work-life balance. And here is a quick survey to answer "How strong is your work/life balance?"

After you have investigated one of these areas, share your results with a friend or colleague. If you think you need support in changing something, know that you are not alone. I would be happy to just listen, or help you find ways to plan a change.

Fall19 Castleton Course: Self Care for Teachers

Castleton State University is offering a course: "Self Care for Teachers: Transform Your Self and Classroom."
Participants will develop a thorough plan for personal self care that will focus on balancing their daily work and personal lives. The course is designed so learners can create their own learning outcomes within the realm of self care. They will be coached by the instructor in the areas of nutrition, sleep habits, movement, communication, mindfulness, habit change and stress reduction. Click here for more information.

Course Number:  EDU 5515 C29

Instructor: Rebecca Day

Location: Online using Google Classroom and Zoom Videoconferencing

Dates and Times: Monday, October 21, 2019 - Friday, January 25, 2020. Note: No classes during Thanksgiving & Christmas breaks.

Credits: 3 graduate credits

Tuition: $975

Healthy Life Survey = 60 PATHpoints in October!

Starting October 1, the Healthy Life Survey will be open on PATH to give you an opportunity to assess your health using VEHI's personalized survey. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. When you have finished, you can see your results which highlight where your wellness is going well, and note areas you may want to improve. You will also receive 50 PATHpoints! And, if you finish by October 31, you will receive and additional 10 points (that's 60 points toward the 200 needed for an LL Bean gift card!)