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School Wellness Weekly
06.26.20
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Thank you for supporting students and families during an unprecedented school year!
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As our City and nation cope with day-to-day life during the COVID-19 pandemic, recover from weeks of stress as virtual teaching and learning wind down, and continue to feel the pain and trauma of the ongoing violence against and killing of Black and Brown people across the country, you—our educators—have stepped up as leaders to educate and mentor our 1.1 million students. Thank you for rising to the occasion and delivering thirteen weeks of health and physical education remotely and providing virtual wellness programming to keep your school communities healthy and active.
Your strength and dedication kept our students, families, and caregivers motivated during this unprecedented school year, and there is no doubt that they will need continued support as we navigate the re-opening of our school system in the fall.
Health and Physical Education instruction—and strong school communities supported by School Wellness Council members—are needed now more than ever to help our students re-establish healthy habits that can help them recover from the trauma, isolation, and increased sedentary time of the past few months.
For more information about the importance of physical education in the coming school year, read the
SHAPE America 2020-2021 School Reentry Considerations (opens in new window)
, and share them with your networks. To help you plan for your School Wellness Council work in the fall, read the stories below for inspiration from four wellness councils that found innovative ways to keep their school communities connected remotely this spring.
A heartfelt congratulations to each of you for working diligently to transition the largest public school district in the country to remote learning, and for thriving in another school year!
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School Wellness Weekly
will be on summer hiatus and return in September with more resources and opportunities to support you in the 2020-2021 school year.
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Photo:
2018 School Wellness Campaign Contest winning entry, Samyuktha Arvind, P.S. 165 Edith K. Bergtraum, 25Q165
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Grades 9-12 Students: Join the Student Wellness Advisory Committee
- gain leadership skills;
- meet and learn from health, wellness, and education professionals from across NYC;
- build relationships with other high school students;
- recommend and initiate ways to advance health education, PE, and wellness-related initiatives for all NYC public school students.
Interested students can visit the
Youth Leadership Council webpage (opens in new window)
and select the "DOE Office of School Wellness Programs: Student Wellness Advisory Committee" from the drop-down menu under Step 2 to apply. Applications are due by
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
.
Professional Learning Catalog: New Remote Learning Page
Going Virtual: New York City Zone AHPERD Conference
On Wednesday, June 10, the
New York City Zone for NYS AHPERD (opens in new window)
held a virtual conference for Health and Physical Education teachers. Out of 11 zones that make up NYS AHPERD, the NYC Zone was the first to conduct a virtual—and free of charge—conference. With new leadership and a new vision, the NYC Zone plans to keep the ball rolling by offering one-hour workshops throughout the year as an opportunity for members to learn professionally, collaborate, and earn CTLE credit. NYS AHPERD will send updates on these workshops to their email distribution list. For questions about the NYC Zone, email Anthony Carrano at
acarrano@schools.nyc.gov (opens in email window)
.
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School Wellness Council Champion Highlight Stories
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M.S. 217Q Knows Self-Care
M.S. 217Q, Robert A. Van Wyck, The Green Magnet School for Career Exploration (28Q217), kept their School Wellness Council engaged throughout this year even as they shifted to working remotely. As School Wellness Council Champion Karen Kosubinsky shared, "The entire school has stepped it up, and has been providing a ‘Self-Care Calendar’ for the staff. We have used Brain Power Wellness [DOE vendor that provides social emotional learning support] and SEL activities, and have made many other forms of physical activity available."
Karen’s council adjusted their goals when schools shuttered. Even though they were not able to hold their after-school cooking club, they used online Brain Power exercises as a regular routine for staff and students, while keeping a priority on self-care during department meetings before and after school, during parent workshops, and in SEL lessons. They also ensured that students engaged in council work. Every student in grade 6 received specific SEL lessons, and teachers routinely incorporated physical and mental exercises into daily subject lessons. The image above shows staff leading a virtual "Mood Meter" training session with colleagues.
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Connie Lekas School's GSA, the “Good Vibes Club”
Within the first two weeks of remote learning, the Connie Lekas School’s (75K811) School Wellness Council shifted from weekly in-person meetings to weekly virtual meetings.
School Wellness Council Champion Kerry Ericson achieved their wellness goal of sustaining the school-based GSA, the “Good Vibes Club.” They met weekly to support students through discussions and activities, highlighting their motto of Friendship, Respect, and Support.
“Along with our Good Vibes Club, we have created multiple social clubs that students can join weekly, from Glee Club to ‘Reading Time with Jackson,’ to dance parties on Fridays,” said Ms. Ericson. “Many of our students across all cohorts have successfully joined these various clubs and participate weekly. We also discuss feelings in our groups, allowing kids the opportunity to express how they're feeling during remote learning. Our students also get the chance to see one another and talk through our virtual clubs and meetings.”
Their council continued to involve students in wellness work throughout the year. Students helped make decisions for the group and form goals by providing their opinions and feedback. Students on the council also completed school-wide surveys on topics relating to goals and ideas. The students advocated for healthier food choices for their peers by meeting with school leadership to discuss their ideas and goals for school breakfast and lunch. Another one of their goals focused on providing students who spend most of the day in a wheelchair with equipment like mats, chairs with arms, and a gait trainer. This gave them the opportunity to spend more time out of their wheelchairs during the school day. The image above shows the GSA at Connie Lekas School, the "Good Vibes Club," and their GSA poster.
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School Wellness Council at P.S. 20, Virtual Style
P.S. 20 Anna Silver (01M020) was able to keep their School Wellness Council engaged this spring by meeting virtually and keeping in touch via email and text messages. They also communicated to staff weekly via the P.S. 20 News newsletter, which includes a School Wellness Council section, where they added free resources around exercising, eating healthy, and mental health.
Given the challenges this spring, the School Wellness Council had to adjust its goals. According to Christine Drago, School Wellness Council Champion and certified PE teacher, “We put staff and students’ mental health at the forefront of our council’s goals for the rest of the school year.”
During remote learning, they maintained wellness check-ins with the entire staff. The council divided staff up including teachers, service providers, school aides, safety agents, paraprofessionals, administrators, and custodians, and reached out via text message, e-mail, or phone call to check in.
The council provided staff with workout and mindfulness routines, and nutrition tips they could follow on a weekly basis. They engaged families and staff with morning Judo, yoga, baseball, and live Physical Education class each week.
The council also held weekly student town halls where students, staff, and administration met to discuss how they were feeling, current events, and what the school year may look like in September. Once schools closed, classroom teachers held morning meetings to check-in with students and as a way to take attendance. Students also took mindfulness breaks throughout the day led by teachers. The school’s guidance counselor did at-risk mental health family check-ins with students throughout remote learning. The school engaged with community-based partners to offer online community services for students like cooking classes, health resources, and movement breaks. The image above shows the Wellness Wednesday activities planned by the P.S. 20 wellness council.
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Staying Connected at P.S. 154
By staying flexible and adapting, P.S. 154 Harriet Tubman (05M154) was able to keep their School Wellness Council engaged with most of their members during the pandemic. School Wellness Council Champion Carla Blanks explains that they were able to adjust meeting times and get creative with at-home activities for students and families. They also encouraged student feedback by providing surveys. They used “Wellness Fridays” to reconnect and provide staff with a place to share their emotions around COVID-19-related losses in their school community. One of their great joys and accomplishments in staying connected virtually was the creation of a digital app for their school. Check out the screen shot of the app in the image above.
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Building the Wellness Community
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For the Entire School Community: Free Meals Available Through the Summer
Share with Families and Caregivers: Summer Volunteer Opportunity for New York City Black Youth, Ages 15-19
The Mount Sinai Department of Health Education is offering a new Summer Institute for Black youth ages 15-19 living in New York City, designed to engage young people who are interested in learning more about the intersections of public health, race, and community activism. Interactive remote meetings are facilitated by a professional and take place via Zoom from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. each morning, Monday through Thursday, starting with an introductory meeting on Thursday, July 9.
Email Alyssa Gale at
alyssa.gale@mountsinai.org (opens in email window)
if interested. A strong internet connection during the hours of programming is recommended. Interested participants will be scheduled for a phone interview within 48 hours of receipt of their email request.
All School Staff: E-Cigarette and Vaping Updates
Share with the Entire School Community: Food Benefits for All NYC Public School Students
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