Coronavirus update-March 6th

UPDATED MARCH 6TH

As many of you are aware, there has been an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by novel (new) coronavirus.  The outbreak first started in Wuhan, China, but cases have been identified in other international locations. Our school district is keeping track of this situation through our local health department, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the NJ Dpt of Health.  These health officials believe the risk to our school community is very low at this time.

Based on the current information, health officials are recommending local communities and schools take the same steps to protect against the coronavirus as we take to prevent the spread of everyday illnesses like the common cold or the flu:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

The 2019 novel coronavirus is believed to spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, much in the way the flu or other respiratory viruses spread.  Symptoms can be fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.   

Rest assured our staff here at Cozy will continue to encourage the healthy habits listed above.  Please also continue to reinforce these habits at home with a focus on frequent and effective hand washing. 

If your child exhibits signs and symptoms of the flu, please be sure to consult your child's pediatrician for further evaluation.  In addition, remember to keep your child home from school for a full 24 hours post fever/diarrhea/ vomiting without the use of fever-reducing medicine and/or according to your doctor's recommendation.  

That said, today, March 6th, Cozy is still looking VERY healthy with only 2 illness related absences.  I am hopeful we are over the hump and ready to welcome in a healthy and happy spring season! 

Thank you for your all you do from home to help keep our kids and schools safe and healthy!

Updated reliable information from the CDC on coronavirus in the United States can be found at the following link..

Update Coronavirus Information   

Wellness Week: Thursday's Theme "Be the Best You Can Be"

Today's kids are growing up with continuous influence from social media, movies, TV, video games, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snap chat, and more.  There is a strong tendency for kids these days to compare themselves to the images projected and glorified on social media.  Now more than ever before, it is important for us to frequently remind our kids that they have unique skills and talents that make them important, special, wonderful and loved.

Today, during Wellness Week, we celebrate "being yourself", "being confident" and "being comfortable with who you are".  This is a lesson we all  need to remember and a daily basis, no matter how old or young we are.

The Kindness Pledge helps to encourage our kids to refocus and start the day on the right path.  Please consider learning and reciting the following with your kids;

"I pledge to myself on this day, 
To try to be kind in every way, 
To every person big and small, 
I will help them if they fall. 
When I love myself and others too, 
that is the best that I can do. 
Today the choice is mine!"

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext 5535.

Wellness Week: Wednesday's Theme "Eat A Rainbow"

Why are they so many songs about rainbows???  Because they are amazing and beautiful-not just in the sky, but also on the dining table!  "Eating a rainbow" helps your body get a complete range of nutrients.

What does it mean to "eat a rainbow"?

Choose a variety of different-colored whole foods throughout the day and week.  The more naturally occurring colors on your plate at each meal or snack, the better.   It DOES NOT mean making a rainbow with artificially colored foods like Gummy Snack, Popsicles, or Soda. 

Fruits and vegetables get their color from naturally occurring micronutrients-such as vitamins and phytonutrients-which are essential for good health. One key function of these nutrients is antioxidants, which include beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, and E.  Not all antioxidants have color, but eating a colorful range of food helps you get them all. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Wellness Week: Tuesday's Theme "Stay Hydrated"

Tuesday, during Wellness Week, we focused on the importance of staying hydrated.
We tend not to drink as much water in the Winter.  We don't sweat as much and don't get as thirsty, but it is very important that we continue to drink between 5-8 glasses of water each day to stay hydrated.   Please review and reinforce the following with your children....

It seems like we're always hearing about how important it is to drink a lot of water.  Our bodies need water to preform the many jobs our bodies do every day.  Our bodies constantly lose water-when we breathe, sweat, and go to the bathroom-so we need to replace it.  When it's warm out, when you're exercising, or when you're sick, it's important to drink extra water. 

Some of the fluid we need comes from food other than water.  So the liquid we consume does not have to be water, but WATER IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS TO DRINK. For one thing, water contains no calories or sugar.  Orange and other 100% fruit juices can be a good source of vitamin C, but they also contain calories and sugar that you may not need.  It is very important to avoid drinks like Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Gatorade and Sports Drinks.  They contain excess sugar and even added caffeine. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Wellness Week Challenge!

Below you will find our Cozy Lake Wellness Week Challenge! See the previous post for our Wellness Week JAM and Theme Day  information.   Please consider participating in these activities to help promote and ensure you and your family stay happy and healthy all winter long!

o   Spend 30 minutes or more each day doing physical activity (walk, jog, bike, dance, ice skate, sleigh riding)    
     

                                 

o   Drink 5 glasses or more of water each day

         

                                                 

o   Eat 5 or more colorful foods each day

o   Recite this pledge every morning....

"I pledge to myself on this day, 
To try to be kind in every way. 
To every person big and small, 
I will help them if they fall. 
When I love myself and others too, 
That is the best that I can do!
Today, the Choice is Mine!"

o   Plan 10 hours of sleep or more every night

   

    

Wellness Week Theme Days!

COZY LAKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

WELLNESS WEEK 2020

FEBRUARY 24th-28th

Jefferson Township Public Schools' Wellness Week is scheduled for February 24^th -28^th.  We dedicate this week to supporting and encouraging healthy habits in our school communities and our homes.  

We kick off our Wellness Week with our school wide JAM.  See previous post for more information about this fun and inspirational program.  

I put together some exciting theme days (see below).  Please encourage your children to join in the fun! 

Stay Tuned...I will be posting our Wellness Week Challenge as well as additional information every day during Wellness Week so be sure to check it out!

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Theme: Exercise	Theme: DRINK	Theme: EAT HEALTHY	Theme: BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE!	Theme: REST
When you exercise, you make your body stronger. Be active every day.  Your body will thank you.	Stay Hydrated! Water is one of the best things to drink! .	Rainbows are amazing and beautiful-not just in the sky but on your plate. Eating a rainbow of colorful foods helps your body get the nutrition it needs.	You are special. Be Yourself. Be Confident. Be comfortable with who you are!	School-age kids need 10-11 hrs of sleep per night.
Wear Your Favorite Sports Team Jersey or School Spirit Wear!	Water Day! Bring a water bottle to school and try to finish drinking it before the end of the day	Wear Rainbow Colors!	Dress in Your most Comfy Clothes or sweats!	PJ DAY!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at                   (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535. 

Monday's Theme of the Day: Exercise

Today our theme is the importance of exercise.  Please reinforce the following with your children at home....


Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of it.  They run around outside, play kickball at school, play sports, dance...even walking the dog is considered exercise!

When we exercise and stay active, we make our bodies stronger. It feels good to have strong, flexible bodies that can do all the things we enjoy. 

Exercising can also put you in a better mood.  When we exercise, our brains release chemicals that make you feel happier.  It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea. 

Most importantly, when we exercise, we make our heart happy.  Your heart is a muscle.  It works hard pumping blood every day.  When you exercise, your heart has to work even harder.  This gives the heart a workout and your heart gets stronger. 

These are just some of the many reasons why it is important to exercise every day.  We should all aim to get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day. 

Stay tuned, tomorrow I will be posting information about Tuesday's Theme of the Day: Staying Hydrated!

As always, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Wellness Week JAM

Happy Wellness Week Everyone! 

Wellness Week 2020!  Let's JAM!  JAM stands for Just A Minute.  When we JAM, we are showing support for taking JUST A  MINUTE to make a decision to be the best we can be!!!

Something new we are doing this year to support and encouraged wellness is a school wide JAM.  The JAM is a song and dance that the kids perform together.  JAM stands for Just A Minute and when the kids JAM together they are showing their unity and support for taking "just a minute" to make a decision to be the best they can be. 

The song the kids have been JAMMING to is called  "It Only Takes a Minute" by Bess Beckman, which is available in a Lyric Video on YouTube. The students will practice the JAM from now until May 6^th in preparation for Project ACES Day.

ACES stands for “All Children Exercise Simultaneously”.  On Project ACES Day, the entire district will participate by exercising at the same time and, here at Cozy, we will plan to come together to perform our school-wide JAM.      

In order to better assist our staff and students in learning and practicing the JAM, the "JAM Team Leaders" agreed to being videotaped performing the JAM to share out with our school community.    

The following is the link to the "JAM Training Video” (includes the Lyric Video playing in the background).  Feel free to play the JAM at home and encourage your kids and your family to become familiar with our school wide JAM. 

JAM TRAINING VIDEO  

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Cold and Flu UPDATE

Hello Cozy Families,

Spring will be here before we know it, but we are still in the midst of cold and flu season.  Cozy has had a relatively healthy season so far, but unfortunately,  this past week we have seen a spike in illness related absences.  The majority of these illnesses are due to fever and/or generalized cold symptoms.  So far, we have had only 5 confirmed cases of flu.

Rest assured, we are doing everything we can to limit the spread of illness here at Cozy.  We have stepped up the cleaning and disinfecting in the classrooms and will continue to encourage the students to use their healthy hygiene habits on a regular basis. 

Please be sure to keep your child home if he/she exhibits signs of illness and please continue to reinforce the importance of frequent and effective hand-washing at home. You have all been wonderfully supportive and patient during this challenging season and we truly appreciate it!

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.

Looking forward to the Spring!