Friday, February 26th: 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. 

Thank you for participating in our Wellness Week Activities.  If your child did the Wellness Challenge, be sure to send the completed form in to their teacher for a chance to win a jump rope!

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

Thursday, February 25: Be Yourself, Be Comfy with Who You Are!

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.

Wednesday, February 24th: STAY HYDRATED

Wednesday, during Wellness Week, we focus 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....

Kids, 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.

Tuesday, February 23rd: 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. 

So kids....be sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies with each meal so your plate has all the colors of the rainbow!

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!

Complete this Wellness Week Challenge every day this week for a chance to win a free jump rope! See post entitled "Instructions for Jump Rope Raffle Entry!"

Plan 10 hours of sleep or more every night this week!

o   

S

Eat 5 or more colorful foods each day this week!

                                           

                                             

                

o   Drink 5 glasses or more of water each day this week!

         

                                                 

o  

o   Recite this pledge every morning this week....

"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!"

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

o   

   

    

Monday February 22: Importance of Sleep

Kids frequently come to the nurse's office in the morning with the complaint of being tired.

Our kids need 10-11 hours of sleep a night.  Bedtime problems can start for a variety of reasons.  Homework, sports and after-school activities, computers, TVs, mobile devices, and hectic family schedules all can contribute to kids not getting the sleep they need.

When kids don't get enough sleep they can become hyper or irritable, and may have a hard time paying attention in school.

Therefore,  it is important to have a consistent bedtime, especially on school nights.  Leave enough technology-free time before bed to allow your child to unwind before lights-out.  A good rule of thumb is switching off the electronics at least one hour before bed and keep TVs, computers, and mobile devices out of kids'  bedrooms.

Sooo, kids, if you wake up at 7am for school, your bedtime should be between 8-9pm. 

If you have trouble falling asleep, be sure to turn off TV and devices by 7pm!

Wellness Week Theme Days

Jefferson Township Public Schools' Wellness Week is scheduled for February 22^th -26^th.  

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Theme: Rest	Theme: Eat Healthy	Theme: Drink	Theme: BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE!	Theme: Exercise
School-age kids need 10-11 hrs of sleep per night.	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. .	Stay Hydrated! Water is one of the best things to drink!	You are special. Be Yourself.  Be Confident. Be  comfortable   with who you are!	When you exercise, you make your body stronger. Be active every day.  Your body will thank you
PJ DAY!	Wear Rainbow Colors!	Water Day! Try to drink finish drinking 5 glasses of water before the end of the day	Dress in Your most Comfy Clothes or sweats!	Wear Your Favorite Sports Team Jersey or School Spirit Wear!

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 2021 February 22-26

Hello Cozy Lake & Milton Families!

I hope you are all staying sane and safe during this crazy weather and pandemic.

Wellness Week crept up on us quickly with all the snow days last week.  As we did last year, we will be offering Theme Days and a Wellness Week Challenge for you and your children to participate in.  

Each day, I will post information here on my blog to coincide with the Theme Days.  So check back daily  and be sure to share the info with your kids each night.       

Participation is, of course, optional, but please consider joining in on the fun. 

To start, click the links below to see our Theme Days for the week and to start the Challenge.  

We kick off our week on Monday with 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 or  jluisi@jefftwp.org 

 Wellness Week Theme Days!

Wellness Week Challenge!