San Leandro Unified Employee Wellness Newsletter

Welcome to Mindful March! It's a great month to pause, breathe, and really take in what's all around us all the time. Click here to download and print the calendar.

SPECIAL Free Wellness Opportunities for Educational Staff

The Golden State Warriors and Generation Thrive complimentary series for educational staff continues this month. Thrive Within provides 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, March 15 4 PM-5 PM Click to Register 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 4 PM-5 PM Click to Register 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

Is Your Brain Foggy? Here Are Five Ways to Clear It Studies are finding that isolation, stress, and uncertainty can cause forgetfulness and disorganization. Here’s what to do about it.

Celebrating International Women's Day with Women's Health This annual celebration is a perfect time to learn more about many women's health topics, like fertility, menopause, and osteoporosis just to name a few. Get informed and empowered here!

March is National Kidney Month Did you know 37 million people in the United States are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD)? As many as 9 in 10 people are not aware that they have CKD. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure you are at higher risk for developing kidney disease. Read more here.

Claremont EAP is always there for you Claremont Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers a range of behavioral health tools to help resolve personal issues and enhance your well-being. You and your eligible family members can receive confidential, mental health support at no cost. Claremont also provides access to a range of digital and in-person resources to help you address virtually any personal concern or question, for FREE as a SLUSD staff member. Call 800-834-3773 or learn more here!

SLHS Track & Field Invitational Needs Volunteers! Are you looking for a great way to get outside, get active, and get your community spirit recharged? Consider volunteering to support the annual SLHS Track & Field Invitational on Saturday, March 19 by emailing our own Coach Boom (aka Brad Bowers) here: bbowers@slusd.us

Planning for Mindful Meals The pandemic has affected us all in different ways. For many of us, healthy eating has fallen to the wayside. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard - and you don’t have to live on salad, buy expensive vitamins, or swear off snacking. Check out these tips from Kaiser Permanente nutrition experts to get healthy eating back on track. Manage stress for healthier eating Many of us are facing the challenge of losing the “COVID 15”. Stress can lead to extra eating and snacking on junk food, so it’s more important than ever to manage stress levels, eat mindfully and move more. Keeping healthy snacks on hand and avoiding stress eating helps keep your snacking in check. Get ideas for quick and healthy meals from kp.org. Take a break from screen time When working from home, be mindful not to eat in front of a screen. Take a break from the computer to eat and focus on your food. Mindless or distracted eating often leads to added caloric intake. Be sure to block time in your calendar to make a healthy lunch and eat slowly at the table, savoring every bite. Stock up with healthy items With fewer trips to the grocery store these days, planning meals ahead is more important than ever. Stock up on healthy pantry items, such as brown rice, whole grain pasta, canned or dried beans, tuna, peanut butter, and low-sodium pasta sauce. Take advantage of healthy frozen options such as frozen fruits and vegetables, fish, and meat. Visit kp.org/nutrition to learn more.

Science of Happiness Video How a Time Capsule Can Make You Happier Revisiting everyday experiences can bring you more joy than you might expect. Take a minute and see how here.

Spring Forward this Weekend! Daylight saving time 2022 begins at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 13, in most of the United States. Don't forget to set your clocks an hour ahead and use this opportunity to "spring clean" your outlook on life! Here are five quick exercises to help you blossom.

SLUSD Benefits Quiz Do you consider yourself a financial whiz or are money matters murky for you? See if you know the answers to these common SLUSD questions. Q: What’s the difference between a 403(b) and a 457(b)? A: A 403(b) is like a 401k for public school employees whereas the 457(b) provides the ability to defer compensation. They operate basically the same, but the main difference is when you can access your money and if you are able to take a loan out against the account.  With the 403(b) you must be 59½ before you can withdraw money without penalty whereas with the 457(b) you can withdraw the money once you separate from service with your employer without penalty. Also, typically you can take out loans against your 403(b) whereas with a 457(b) you cannot usually take out loans on your plan. All the other rules and contribution limits are pretty much the same! Q: I can opt into savings plans at any point during the year. T/F A: True. In SLUSD Deferred Compensation Plans are retirement savings that are voluntary and paid 100% by the employee. You can elect to enroll or stop your contributions at any time, as long as the Plan Administrator receives the salary reduction agreement no later than the last business day of the month to be processed for the last day of the following month.  Q: If I am injured and unable to work, will I continue on paid status? A: It depends, classified employees automatically pay into state disability. SDI pays part of an employee’s wages if they have to stop working due to any of the following: A non-work-related illness or injury. A pregnancy or to bond with a new child entering the family through birth, adoption, or foster care placement. To care for a seriously ill child, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or registered domestic partner. Check your state disability requirements here to see if you qualify.  If you are a certificated employee, such as a teacher or administrator, you do not pay into state disability. Therefore, it is suggested that you look into enrolling in a disability plan. Disability plans are affordable, but no one plan fits all, so it is important to meet with a financial advisor to understand what plan is best for you and to understand your coverage. Contact Veronica Ochoa at (510) 667-0537 or vochoa@slusd.us if you would like to more about any of the above, or if you'd like more information about benefits in SLUSD.

Visit the SLUSD Benefits website here!

SLUSD Bunny of the Month: Chai Zanipatin Look who just hopped into the SLUSD Administrative Services Division! Just in time for spring (and her birthday) SLUSD Administrative Services Assistant Superintendent Zarina Zanipatin welcomed a new beautiful bouncing bunny named Chai into the family over our break. Dr. Zanipatin is one of our resident rabbit experts, with an extensive background in hare-ology, but even she was surprised at Chai's willingness to jump right in and get to work with snuggles and smiles. Join us in welcoming Chai and let's hope for Dr. Zanipatin's sake, Chai doesn't start to multiply!

SLUSD Grandbaby of the Month: Jack Steven Duncan Gramma & Grampa Duncan expand the clan! SLUSD Classified Payroll Specialist Zaira Duncan and Garfield Elementary playground supervisor extraordinaire Robert Duncan grew the grandbaby team by one, sweet, 9 lbs, 5 oz. (!) bundle of joy! Say hi to Jack, who joins big sister Lily as one of the luckiest grandkids in SLUSD! If you would like your SLUSD family to meet any members (fur, feathers, or other!) of YOUR family, please share with communications@slusd.us.

Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Tacos Beautiful sheet pan roasted veggie tacos filled with perfectly seasoned vegetables and plenty of plant-based protein. Serve these easy vegetarian tacos with avocado, sliced red cabbage, fresh cilantro, and your choice between two creamy, delicious sauces. The ultimate meatless dinner made on one pan! INGREDIENTS For the spices: 1 ½ teaspoons cumin 1 ½ teaspoons coriander 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric ¾ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon dried oregano Optional: ¼ teaspoon cayenne ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper For the veggies: 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3-4 cups cauliflower florets) 1 medium sweet potato, diced into ½ inch cubes 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks 1 red onion, cut into chunks Optional: 1 cup frozen or fresh corn 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil ½ medium lime, juiced For the black beans: 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained For serving: 8 tortillas of choice, charred for serving 1 avocado, sliced or diced Sliced red cabbage, for crunch Jalapeno cashew cream sauce OR Cilantro yogurt sauce Fresh chopped cilantro INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Depending on the size of your sheet pan, you may need to use two pans in order to fit all of the veggies. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the spices so they are well combined: cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower florets, diced sweet potato, red bell pepper, red onion, and corn (if using) to the prepared pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and lime juice. Sprinkle spices all over the veggies. Use a tong or clean hands to combine all the veggies so they are well coated with the spices and oil. Roast the veggies for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through. You’ll know they are done when sweet potatoes are fork-tender. During the last 5-10 minutes of baking, remove the pan from the oven and add the rinsed and drained black beans right to the sheet pan with the veggies. This is simply to warm the beans in the oven without needing to use another pot or bowl! Serve on charred tortillas with jalapeno cashew cream sauce (recipe below), a little red cabbage for crunch, avocado slices, and cilantro. (Credit: www.ambitiouskitchen.com)

Jalapeño Cashew Cream Sauce Delicious and easy cashew cream sauce with a kick of heat from jalapeño! This wonderful vegan cashew cream sauce is packed with flavor and healthy fats and is perfect for pasta, grain bowls, tacos, and even dipping. INGREDIENTS ¾ cup raw cashews 1/3 cup water, plus 2 tablespoons more if necessary 1 medium jalapeno, seeded 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon onion powder Freshly ground back pepper INSTRUCTIONS Soak the cashews in 2 cups of warm water for at least 2 hours, or add the raw cashews to a pot with water and place over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for about 30 minutes in the hot water, then drain. Once the cashews have finished soaking you'll be ready to make the sauce: add drained cashews, fresh water, jalapeno, garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, onion powder, and black pepper to a blender. Blend on high until sauce comes together. If you want a bit of a thinner sauce, add 1-2 tablespoons more water. Makes roughly 1 cup of sauce. Serves 4. (Credit: ambitiouskitchen.com)

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