LiveWELL
Preparing to go back to school
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G
oing back to school varies from country to country, state to state, and city to city. While some countries have been able to start school as early as June, others are still planning their return. It is a very difficult situation for schools, students, and the community. While students must be eager to return to school, the students, teachers, and administrative staff’s safety are always at the forefront of any decision. Below is information to help you prepare for back to school amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
What to expect
Previously, back to school was an exciting time for students to reconnect with their friends and meet new teachers. Parents/Guardians also benefited from seeing their children off to school and connecting with other families! This year it will look a little different for each city and state. Some schools may open but then may need to close depending on local circumstances. It is important that everyone experiencing this change: families, administrative staff, and educators be adaptable and flexible, remembering to keep everyones’ health and safety is at the forefront.
Precautions for schools
Every school’s process will look different as they return to school following their local health manmandates. Below are some precautions schools may take to prepare to welcome students back to campus and to the classroom:
- Staggering the start and close of the school day
- Staggering meal times
- Moving classes to temporary spaces or outdoors
- Holding school in shifts to reduce class size
Student safety around water and hygiene facilities within schools will be of utmost importance. It is recommended for administrators and teachers to be trained on physical distancing and school hygiene practices. Furthermore, training should be encouraged for operations such as proper hand washing, hygiene etiquette, respiratory etiquette (sneezing and coughing into elbow), cleaning procedures for facilities, and food safety. These are all preventative steps that can be taken by schools to keep students, families, and staff safe on school sites.
Questions to consider asking my child’s teacher or school administrator
- What steps has the school taken to help ensure the safety of students?
- How will the school support the mental health of students and combat any stigma against people who have been sick?
- How will the school refer children who may need specialized support?
- Will any of the school’s safeguarding and bullying policies change once schools start to re-open?
- How can I support school safety efforts, including through parent-teacher committees or other networks?
Options to consider if my child has fallen behind
Social Distance learning has impacted every student differently and it is important for families and educators work together to support students during this change. Here are some ways to consider supporting your student:
- Some schools are preparing to start the year with refresher lessons from the previous year to help bring students back up to speed. This may come in the form of refresher or remedial courses, after school programming, or supplemental assignments to work on at home.
- Schools may implement blended learning options, which area mixture of classroom instruction and remote learning. The remote learning can be done through various forms of self-study, that would include using home exercises through platforms such as radio, tv, or online learning as different methods for learning.
- Help your child establish and maintain a routine around school and schoolwork. This will help provide structure if they feel restless or are having trouble focusing.
- Remember you are not alone. Contact your child’s teacher if your family is facing specific challenges such as experiencing grief over a passing of family member or heightened anxiety around COVID-19.
How to support my child/children if they are struggling to adjust into back-to-school mode
- Remember every child and family member will deal with stress differently.The most important thing to do is create a nurturing and supportive environment, and make it normal to have positive and open conversations around feelings they may be experiencing.
- Normalize feelings of anxiety or frustration that your child might be feeling.
- Create and follow a routine with your child to give them structure. Make learning playful by mixing in activities like cooking, games, and family reading time into their learning practices.
- Find or join a parent or community group to connect with other parents to see how they are working through their experiences.
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PlayWELL
Hero's Challenge
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Do your kids love comic books or superheroes? Then they know how much fun being a fan can be! With the Hero’s Challenge, all participants get the opportunity to play the role of a fan and superhero! Not only is this game fun, but its intended outcome and focus is teamwork. The kids will practice teamwork by cheering for each other, celebrating each other, and refocusing on the team goals if they have a setback.
Since we are still practicing social distancing, this can be a great game for your family to try at home!
How many players?
Up to 10 people or more
What ages can play?
Ages 6-10 or above
Is any equipment needed?
No equipment needed
How long does this game take?
Under 10 minutes
Development Goal:
Practice social awareness, self-management, and relationship skills.
Before You Start
Make sure everyone understands the rules.
How to
Play
1.
Group everyone into pairs.
2.
Have each partner group introduce themselves and play a round of Ro Sham Bo (or enough rounds to break a tie).
3.
Everyone who does not win becomes the winner’s cheerleader, following them and shouting ‘Go _____!’
4.
The winner moves on to play another winning participant.
5.
Each round, the winners advance to play again and the non-winners and any previous cheerleaders are now all cheering for the winners.
6.
The game continues this way until two players are left and the whole group is cheering for one or the other.
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EatWELL
Sweet potato pizza bites
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Anytime we can transform a kid’s favorite food into something healthy- it’s a win!, With more time being spent at home, this is an opportunity to get kids involved in cooking and using their creativity to make their custom pizza! It’s also great news for the family- prep is simple and cleanup is easy! Check it out!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL Toppings
- 1/2 cup organic marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup green peppers
- 1/2 cup mini pepperonis, or protein of choice
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2.
Slice the sweet potatoes into thin rounds. Place them on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, and then place them in the oven for 15 minutes.
3.
Remove sweet potato rounds from the oven.
4.
Prepare sweet potato pizza bites by topping with sauce of choice (marinara or pesto).
5.
Then, top with toppings of choice.
6.
Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.
7.
Remove from oven and ENJOY!
NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 1 pizza bite Calories: 86 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 72 Fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 13 Fiber: 2 Protein:
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WorkWELL
5 INNOVATIVE WAYS EMPLOYERS ARE PRACTICING HEALTH AND WELLNESS
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Inclusivity
The Center for Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience at Arizona State University is closely aligned with the ASU charter, which holds that we measure ourselves not by whom we exclude, but by whom we include and how they succeed.
As educators at ASU, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support and connect our community to the skillsets of mindfulness (living in the present moment), compassion (kindness to self and others) and resilience (bouncing back from adversity) to create a culture of well-being.The following resources are open to the public.
Caring and Connection: Moving Mindfully through a Healing World Initiative
We are in a time of deep listening, needed reflection, and global hurt. Our world is experiencing a global pandemic, economic recessions, and our people are creating rally cries built on the experiences of oppression and racism. As we continue to work on our care and connection, we also consider the need of moving through this healing world in a mindful way. We are listening. We see you, and we continue working with you to make this world a more inclusive, loving, and compassionate place. Through daily YouTube sessions, written content, and social media, we will be focusing on this call to action and invite you to join us as we build resilience for continued advocacy and resistance to injustice, health inequity, and personal isolation.
Online Well-Being Certificate
Adopting health and well-being habits can improve overall quality of life. Since well-being encompasses various aspects of life, such as mental and physical health, it’s important to understand how science-based techniques for health and wellness can have a positive impact.
After taking this 5-series course, learners will earn a professional certificate and a badge to place on their LinkedIn account to showcase advanced abilities in health and well-being practices.
Equitable Mindfulness Initiative
How can we use the intersection of mindfulness and social transformation to activate social justice and equity? Our goal is to create a more equitable world through sustained practice of compassion and mindfulness. Equitable mindfulness, is simply, the practice of mindfulness for everyone. The intent of this initiative is presenting the concept of mindfulness in a way that speaks to each and all people, and uses mindfulness to be active in our communities with a platform to remove barriers and create systematic change.
Workshops, Trainings, and Presentations
To provide the most robust experience, workshops and trainings are co-created with both internal (ASU) and external (state- and nation-wide) audiences. Session topics can include: mindfulness for stress reduction, leadership development, and dealing with uncertainty and feelings of being overwhelmed. Research opportunities are also available to your team through collection and analysis of pre- and post-data on constructs such as: mindful attention, frustration tolerance, and levels of readiness. For more information,
view videos of previous events and initiatives
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Health & Wellness
Share with us how your team is practicing health and wellness
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Our community has adapted to a new "normal" this year. We are learning new and innovative ways to keep ourselves, our family, our colleagues, and our community healthy and well. Many employers and organizations have taken steps to implement health and wellness efforts among their team to provide support. Inclusively, employers have extended those efforts to offer health and wellness resources and initiatives to support the community as well. We are all learning from and working earnestly to support one another as we all transition to change. We would love to hear about your health and wellness efforts! Please email us with five Innovative ways your employer is practicing health and wellness at info@wellnessatoz.org . We would love to feature your team and continue creating a community of collaboration and support!
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WELLCommunity
ElevateEDAZ
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As students get ready to start school in the fall either virtually or in person, it is never too early to start preparing for college and career goals. ElevateEdAZ, a new program of the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation, prepares individuals for college and career through stronger alignment between business, education, and the community.
ElevateEdAZ transforms education through three mutually reinforcing pillars:
1.
Teaching and learning by providing students with meaningful learning that give them the technical knowledge and skills to be successful in college, careers, and life
2.
The school experience by providing career development, integrating related pathways, and providing practical application through work-based learning
3.
Business and civic engagement by building stronger employer and civic engagement in career connected learning
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