San Leandro Unified Employee Wellness Newsletter

Welcome to Friendly February! We need each other more than ever right now! This month let's focus on reaching out to connect with others and doing our best to be good friends. Our acts of kindness and connection ripple out and impact so many more people than we realize - and they also boost our own happy hormones too! In stressful times, people around us may be feeling the strain, so let's try to keep calm, take time to listen and show compassion. Click here to download and print the calendar.

SPECIAL Free Wellness Opportunity for Educational Staff

The Golden State Warriors and Generation Thrive are excited to announce a complimentary three-part series for educational staff. Thrive Within will provide actionable tools to help educators stay calm amid the chaos and better cope with stress. Show up as your most effective, authentic teacher and best version of yourself. Join us to learn how to reflect with purpose, recharge with intention and revitalize with graceful power.

Tuesday, February 8 4PM-5PM Click to Register Session 1: Learn sharable techniques to manage the new normal for teaching Release guilt associated with putting yourself first Identify daily classroom actions to deal with the stress of teaching Carve out ‘me time’ to reflect, rejuvenate and revitalize

Tuesday, March 15 4PM-5PM Click to Register Session 2: Identify domains of self-care and doable actions to incorporate them Select your own mini-retreat Learn the types of rest needed for restoration Name your own emotional trigger points and how to manage them

Tuesday, April 26 4PM-5PM Click to Register Session 3: Learn stress management techniques Identify activities that deplete or nurture you Create your own personalized self-care plan and promise Use a Resilience Reset Repertoire tool to recalibrate, revive, and revitalize yourself

RAK is February 17! Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day is exactly what you would guess...a day to celebrate and encourage random acts of kindness! Join us in celebrating on Thursday, February 17, or go wild and celebrate every day of this month! Get inspired here!

Healthy living could offset genetics for heart disease People who follow seven rules for healthy living – such as staying physically active and eating a healthy diet – could offset a high genetic risk for heart disease, according to new research that suggests it could mean as many as 20 extra years of life free of heart disease. Read more here.

Seeking a Silly Way to Celebrate Every Day? Our friends at National Today are connecting the world through everyday celebrations that you may not have known about. See if their daily suggestions can help you make every day an opportunity to party and share with friends and coworkers! See what's coming up here.

10 Happiness Practices a Doctor Prescribes to His Patients In the face of the ongoing pandemic, one doctor is prescribing habits for health and happiness. Read more here.

2022 East Bay Trails Challenge is ON! Every year more than 10,000 people participate in this FREE self-guided hiking and bicycling program to explore the East Bay regional parks and to keep fit outdoors. The 29th annual Trails Challenge is sponsored by the Regional Parks Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, and East Bay Regional Park District. With our February week off coming up, here are some great suggestions to get healthy and happy outdoors! Take the challenge here!

Science of Happiness Video What Makes Us Happier Than Money? The key to happiness isn't our income but something more meaningful. See more about this paradox here.

Questions about benefits? Contact Veronica! Deferred compensation plans, also known as 403(b) and 457(b) plans, are valuable retirement savings options that you may be missing out on! Read plan summary information (Meaningful Notice) for 2022 here and contact Veronica Ochoa at the district office with any questions is email at vochoa@slusd.us or phone (510) 667-0537.

Visit the SLUSD Benefits website here!

SLUSD Dogs of the Month: Smokey & Ivy Clark This darling duo keeps the Clark Clan on their toes! When SLUSD Educational Services Senior Director Joanne Clark wants to walk off a grueling day of cerebral challenges, she gets her heart pumping on long walks with these sweetie pies! Smokey is the senior member of the Aussie bark patrol at 14 years young (!) with 3-year-old pal Ivy never far behind. There is no way you can stay sedentary with these faces saying, "Where's the leash?"

SLUSD Cats of the Month: Maizey & Tannhauser Diehl Sibling love is pretty precious! Thank you to Stephanie Diehl, James Monroe Elementary 5th grade teacher, for sharing this perfect pair of purr boxes! Maisy and Tannhauser came from San Carlos Petsmart but via the Friends of the Madera Animal Shelter out of Fresno. Stephanie, we agree. They are the absolute cutest. If you would like your SLUSD family to meet any members (fur, feathers, or other!) of YOUR family, please share with communications@slusd.us.

Lemon Olive Oil Cake This vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake is sweet-yet-tart, rich, zingy, supremely lemony, and is so tender and moist that it practically melts in your mouth. It’s easy to make and requires just 10 ingredients! Serve as a sweet snack or breakfast, or dress it up with the strawberry compote. INGREDIENTS 2 medium-large lemons 1/2 cup oat milk 1/4 cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x5-inch or 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper overhang to use as handles. Zest the lemons to get 1 tablespoon of zest. Set aside. You’ll use more zest to finish the cake (and if making the strawberry topping, shown below). Juice the lemons to get ¼ cup of juice and combine with the oat milk; set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This is the vegan “buttermilk.” Pour the aquafaba into a medium bowl. Using a handheld electric mixer, whip the aquafaba on medium speed for 45-60 seconds, until uniformly foamy. Wipe the bowl out to use again in the next step. To the medium bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to ensure the leaveners are well-combined. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and olive oil. Mix using the electric mixer until well combined. Add in the whipped aquafaba and mix again until incorporated. Add the buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and vanilla, and mix again until combined. Add half of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until well- combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until almost smooth, then switch to a silicone spatula to finish combining. Important: do not overmix to prevent the cake from becoming dense. The finished batter should be light and airy. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with the spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center top comes out clean and the top is lightly golden. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Then use the parchment paper handles to lift the cake out of the pan and onto the wire rack and cool for another 10 to 15 minutes. If you made the strawberry topping, spoon the strawberry compote over the cooled lemon cake and then top it with the macerated strawberries. Finish with some extra lemon zest on top. STRAWBERRY TOPPING INGREDIENTS   1 pound strawberries, hulled and cut in half or quarters 3 ½ tablespoons sugar ½ tablespoon lemon zest Sea salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice INSTRUCTIONS  In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Toss well to combine. Transfer half of the strawberries to a small or medium saucepan. Keep the other half and allow them to macerate in the bowl. Cook the strawberries over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the berries break down and the liquid thickens into a syrup. Reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Turn off the heat, then stir in the lemon juice. (Credit: www.rainbowplantlife.com)

Farmers Market Fried Rice A simple recipe that can be made with almost any veggie you have on hand. Vegan-adaptable and gluten-free.  INGREDIENTS 4 servings 8 ounces tofu (or two eggs, whisked) Or for meat, see notes. 4-5 tablespoons coconut oil (or peanut oil, olive oil, or use butter or ghee) divided 2 leeks (chopped and rinsed) or 1 onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, rough chopped ( or try garlic scapes!) 4 cups chopped veggies: carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, asparagus, kale, bell pepper, broccoli, broccolini, zucchini, snow peas, green beans, baby spinach, kale. 1 cup shelled edamame or peas (frozen) 3 cups cooked, cold, dry rice (or brown rice) see notes 3 tablespoons soy sauce or GF liquid aminos 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup scallions 1–2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds INSTRUCTIONS In an extra-large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat and scramble the eggs or tofu. If using tofu, blot it dry first, and break it apart into little bits with the spatula in the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper (if you want your tofu yellowish, add a pinch of turmeric). Set aside on a large plate. See notes. In the same pan, heat oil over medium, and saute the leeks or onion. Once tender add the garlic, saute for 1-2 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add longer cooking veggies first like carrots and mushrooms, then add the other veggies, leaving the greens, kale, or cabbage to add at the end. Toss in the frozen edamame and give a stir, and set the veggies aside next to the tofu (or scrambled eggs). Add enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the rice, spreading it out. Turn up the heat to med-high, and let it get a little crispy, resisting the urge, to constantly stir. Flip the rice big sections, using a spatula, and crisp up the other side. Once the rice is crispy enough to your liking, add back in the tofu (or eggs) and the veggies. Give a good stir to combine. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls and top with fresh scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Fried Rice will keep up to 4 days in the fridge and can be reheated on the stovetop or in a microwave. Notes If adding chicken or shrimp, pan sear first in an oiled skillet, season with salt and pepper, and set aside. If using eggs– whisk in a bowl first and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Scramble in an oiled pan and chop up into smaller bits with your spatula– set aside. To cut back on the oil here, you can steam or roast the veggies first instead of sauteing in oil. RICE: Using leftover rice that is stored in the fridge uncovered, works best here. You want the rice cold and dry. (Credit: www.feastingathome.com)

San Leandro Unified School District | communications@slusd.us | www.slusd.us