What's Happening in Wellness??
Upcoming Wellness Events:
Professional Learning sessions with the SEMH team:
Next session will be Wednesday, May 24th at 3:30!
OEBB insurance partner MODA Health 2023 Wellness webinar calendar
Art Wellness Events:
We hope to bring back art Wellness events next school year! Thank you to all who participated :) See below for an example of what was covered:
Wed, April 5th: Immersive Liquid Watercolor Exploration
Wed, Apr 12th, Make a personalized button
Wed, April 19: Gelli Plate Printmaking
Wed, April 26: Beading
Wed, May 3rd: Liquid Watercolor Experience
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Don't miss out-- sync the Wellness google calendar to your own calendar so you stay up to date on all the Wellness events happening this year!
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?cid=c_ndo28mmo9i270rc5un30hqp4qs@group.calendar.google.com
*this link is the only way to access the Wellness g-calendar (it will not come up by searching "Wellness" from your google calendar), and will only work in a browser you are signed into your ESD google account on
To add events to your own Google calendar, click on an event, click on the "options" icon, and then choose to "copy" the event to your own Google Calendar. Be sure to check the "description" area of calendar events where you may find video links, registration links, and more. If a video conferencing link is included in the event, it will be copied to the calendar event on your personal calendar.
Professional Learning sessions with the SEMH team:
Next session will be Wednesday, May 24th at 3:30!
- The first one was August 24th and focused on Starting the school year with Wellness in mind
- On November 28th we discussed Staying Well through the holidays
- The SEMH Team's Mental Health Summit was Jan 31st
OEBB insurance partner MODA Health 2023 Wellness webinar calendar
Art Wellness Events:
We hope to bring back art Wellness events next school year! Thank you to all who participated :) See below for an example of what was covered:
Wed, April 5th: Immersive Liquid Watercolor Exploration
Wed, Apr 12th, Make a personalized button
Wed, April 19: Gelli Plate Printmaking
Wed, April 26: Beading
Wed, May 3rd: Liquid Watercolor Experience
---
Don't miss out-- sync the Wellness google calendar to your own calendar so you stay up to date on all the Wellness events happening this year!
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/render?cid=c_ndo28mmo9i270rc5un30hqp4qs@group.calendar.google.com
*this link is the only way to access the Wellness g-calendar (it will not come up by searching "Wellness" from your google calendar), and will only work in a browser you are signed into your ESD google account on
To add events to your own Google calendar, click on an event, click on the "options" icon, and then choose to "copy" the event to your own Google Calendar. Be sure to check the "description" area of calendar events where you may find video links, registration links, and more. If a video conferencing link is included in the event, it will be copied to the calendar event on your personal calendar.
Monthly Wellness Challenges
Coming back in 2023: Wellness Challenge PRIZES! Winners will be randomly selected from each months' participants to receive a Wellness prize!
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Every month this school year we'll bring you a new monthly challenge!
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Pictured below: NWRESD Community gratitude word cloud
The larger the word, the more responses it received
The larger the word, the more responses it received
Thank You!
Thank you to all who have provided feedback on our Wellness program, we are always open to receiving ideas and input on the topics and events we host. This program is for YOU, so we love hearing from YOU!
THANK YOU for participating in our "Temperature Check Polls". These take ~1 minute to provide your input and help us understand our progress on our OEA SEW Grant Objectives for the year!
If you have feedback on or suggestions for the Wellness program, please email: wellness@nwresd.k12.or.us
Are you interested in helping plan the fun? Fill in this interest form to take part on the Wellness Council! It's not too late to sign up! You can learn more about the responsibilities of being a council member in the form description.
Thank you to all who have provided feedback on our Wellness program, we are always open to receiving ideas and input on the topics and events we host. This program is for YOU, so we love hearing from YOU!
THANK YOU for participating in our "Temperature Check Polls". These take ~1 minute to provide your input and help us understand our progress on our OEA SEW Grant Objectives for the year!
If you have feedback on or suggestions for the Wellness program, please email: wellness@nwresd.k12.or.us
Are you interested in helping plan the fun? Fill in this interest form to take part on the Wellness Council! It's not too late to sign up! You can learn more about the responsibilities of being a council member in the form description.
Mental Health Support
We are all better at managing stress when we stay connected with our friends and people we love. While we remain at-a-distance, stay connected on the phone or internet, host zoom happy hour and play jack box (a virtual game that can be played at a distance), or if the weather's nice, wear your masks and sit 6 ft. apart on the lawn. Take care of your health by eating well, exercising and doing activities that you take pleasure in. Stay informed, but take breaks from the news and media.
Additional resources include:
Additional resources include:
- The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free and confidential counseling and referral services to all benefits eligible NWRESD employees and their dependents. This benefit includes 3 sessions.
- Both Kaiser and Moda insurance plans are offering mental-health support. Click the link for your respective plan to learn more.
- 211info connects people with health and social service organizations, including child care and other services that might be helpful
- The CDC also has advice to help manage stress, as well as great collection of crisis lines should you feel the need to call
- See these tips for maintaining your mental health while working remotely (from the American Psychiatric Association Foundation's Center for Workplace Mental Health)
- Try the Intellect App-- it's a wellness coaching experience and unbelievably free!
- The Headspace App is also free for educators and offers mindfulness and mediations
- Checkout this self-help book reading list, and feel free to add your own!
- Browse the growth mindset presentation in the shared resources google folder to learn about this way of thinking, build resilience, and boost self-confidence!
- Follow @NWRESDWellness on Pinterest to see inspiring quotes and wellness challenge ideas, as well as nutrition and movement ideas
- Write. Write your thoughts, write to a friend, write a thank you note, write about a problem. Put it on paper and get it out of your system
- Practice some gratitude. Yes, the world can feel overwhelming and terrible, but there are always good things too. What are some good things? If you're feeling grateful for a coworker, fill in the NWRESD Staff Kudos form to make them feel good! :) You can read past submissions here.
Connect in the Community!
Ways to connect with others
NWRESD Wellness invites you to complete your FREE Walker Tracker account registration!
Visit https://nwresd.walkertracker.com/ and create your account in just two minutes! You can find more instructions and help videos here.
After you've created your account, check out the "teams" tab to join your site's team (our 10 most populous sites), or the "NWRESD General" team!
(Although it’s called “Walker Tracker,” this site tracks a whole lot more than just walking. Walker Tracker will convert just about any physical activity into steps. So get your movement on, register today and participate in challenges with your colleagues!)
Visit https://nwresd.walkertracker.com/ and create your account in just two minutes! You can find more instructions and help videos here.
After you've created your account, check out the "teams" tab to join your site's team (our 10 most populous sites), or the "NWRESD General" team!
(Although it’s called “Walker Tracker,” this site tracks a whole lot more than just walking. Walker Tracker will convert just about any physical activity into steps. So get your movement on, register today and participate in challenges with your colleagues!)
Need a 15-minute Wellness break? Try out some of these short & sweet ideas!
- Get some fresh air! Go for a short walk in your neighborhood or office site, or simply sit outside or near an open window. How many birds can you see and hear in this time? Do you notice any changes in the weather or natural scene? Make an exact guess on the temperature right now, then see if you were right when you come inside!
- Ever tried "Chair Yoga"? See what you think with these Youtube videos. (2 separate links)
- Check out Window Swap and see through someone else's window somewhere else in the world
- Try some Meditation! This article highlights 5 completely free Meditation Apps; and of course Youtube is full of options.
- Write a letter
- Learn a language with Duolingo
- Get the blood pumping: Do 30 jumping jacks, 15 push ups, 20 squats, 15 lunges on each leg, and 35 sit ups. Do it once or repeat the circuit however many times you can squeeze in! Want a harder workout? Check out Chloe Ting, a Youtube trainer with a huge variety of videos that will really challenge you (many are under 15 minutes)! Additionally, check out Jana Swedo's (a school psychologist for the NWRESD) Movement Activity and try it yourself!
- Drink up a delicious and nutritious smoothie snack
- Laugh! No links provided here 'cause everyone has their own sense of humor--you know what makes you laugh, go get a good giggle :)
- Ever tried "Chair Yoga"? See what you think with these Youtube videos. (2 separate links)
- Check out Window Swap and see through someone else's window somewhere else in the world
- Try some Meditation! This article highlights 5 completely free Meditation Apps; and of course Youtube is full of options.
- Write a letter
- Learn a language with Duolingo
- Get the blood pumping: Do 30 jumping jacks, 15 push ups, 20 squats, 15 lunges on each leg, and 35 sit ups. Do it once or repeat the circuit however many times you can squeeze in! Want a harder workout? Check out Chloe Ting, a Youtube trainer with a huge variety of videos that will really challenge you (many are under 15 minutes)! Additionally, check out Jana Swedo's (a school psychologist for the NWRESD) Movement Activity and try it yourself!
- Drink up a delicious and nutritious smoothie snack
- Laugh! No links provided here 'cause everyone has their own sense of humor--you know what makes you laugh, go get a good giggle :)
Do you enjoy keeping track of your Wellness journey and want to see others' progress as well? We have a community spreadsheet in the Wellness folder of the "Staff Resources" G drive where you can input your progress on any Wellness-related activity. This sheet will be continuously ongoing and is purely for motivation! No winners and no pressure, simply a place to see your progress. Check it out!
Wellness Tidbits!
This section highlights various Wellness-related reading or listening from around the web.
The Power 9:
Check out "Blue Zone's" Power 9-- nine habits of the world's healthiest, happiest, and oldest-living populations. Pick up your free Power 9 fridge magnet in the HR office at the Washington Service Center.
This section highlights various Wellness-related reading or listening from around the web.
The Power 9:
Check out "Blue Zone's" Power 9-- nine habits of the world's healthiest, happiest, and oldest-living populations. Pick up your free Power 9 fridge magnet in the HR office at the Washington Service Center.
The Happiness Calendar:
"Greater Good Magazine: science-based insights for a meaningful life" puts together a monthly Happiness Calendar with daily challenges and reflection questions to kick-start some dopamine in your brain and bring about more meaning in your life! Check out the monthly calendars here and subscribe to get their new happiness calendar every month!
"Greater Good Magazine: science-based insights for a meaningful life" puts together a monthly Happiness Calendar with daily challenges and reflection questions to kick-start some dopamine in your brain and bring about more meaning in your life! Check out the monthly calendars here and subscribe to get their new happiness calendar every month!
OEA Grow Podcast:
The Oregon Education Association is launching OEA Grow, a new podcast for and by educators. The podcast is designed to share tools, ideas, and strategies to improve your professional and personal life.
The first season is Wellness and Resilience Strategies. Listen in to hear from a variety of educators on their favorite wellness strategies you can use to reduce your stress and improve the work you do every day. They’ll cover topics such as compassion fatigue and burnout, an introduction to mindfulness, work/life balance, and connecting with nature.
Episodes will be posted every Wednesday, with most lasting about 15 minutes. Subscribe and listen HERE.
The Oregon Education Association is launching OEA Grow, a new podcast for and by educators. The podcast is designed to share tools, ideas, and strategies to improve your professional and personal life.
The first season is Wellness and Resilience Strategies. Listen in to hear from a variety of educators on their favorite wellness strategies you can use to reduce your stress and improve the work you do every day. They’ll cover topics such as compassion fatigue and burnout, an introduction to mindfulness, work/life balance, and connecting with nature.
Episodes will be posted every Wednesday, with most lasting about 15 minutes. Subscribe and listen HERE.
Anti-Racist News & Resources: with help from Bianca Valvezan (a leader of the NWRESD Affinity Group)
- ***White Supremacy Culture Characteristics-- this is from the dismantling racism website and the most valuable resource of the list, read this one more than once
- White Supremacy Culture Characteristics within Remote Work-- an expansion of the characteristics through the lens of working from home
- Avoiding Racial Equity Detours-- this explains the true work of integrating Equity within educational organizations
- Speaking Up Without Tearing Down-- an article discussing how to properly address harmful micro/meso/macro aggressions
- Justice in June-- a monthly challenge FULL of equity resources (it doesn't have to be June to utilize this great resource!)
- Prioritizing Empathy & Anti-racism in Schools: Excerpt from the article: "The best part of this work is that it’s not “seasonal,” but rather all-encompassing. Specifically, the teaching of Black history must not start and end in the month of February and should not be limited to the topics of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement, just as Asian, Latinx, or LGBTQ history is not linked to an isolated month of the year or to one notable individual within that specific culture. Further, the best education around these cultures highlights the historical obstacles, but more importantly, the joys and triumphs too. Similarly, it doesn’t have to exist apart from your academics as a separate entity -- it can be intentionally woven into your academic lessons to both supplement and enrich them."
- A Portland farm seeks to restore Black people to the land
- "What is Systemic Racism?" an 8-part video series that shows how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society; covering: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality
Interested in joining Weight Watchers for free?
OEBB members join at NO COST - if you have insurance through OEBB, membership is absolutely FREE!! In the Staff Resources Shared G Drive, you will find details on joining as well as the monthly Weight Watchers Newsletter.
If you feel motivated, or simply curious, go to OEBB.WW.com to join, all you need is your insurance information.
*Due to the shutdown, WSC has been unable to offer in-person WW At Work meetings, but has continued to offer the program virtually, including virtual weekly meetings and WW Online for current and future members. WW has been a vital component of wellness for both NWRESD and HSD staff with OEBB benefits, and is still offering the same NO COST benefit to any OEBB member.
OEBB members join at NO COST - if you have insurance through OEBB, membership is absolutely FREE!! In the Staff Resources Shared G Drive, you will find details on joining as well as the monthly Weight Watchers Newsletter.
If you feel motivated, or simply curious, go to OEBB.WW.com to join, all you need is your insurance information.
*Due to the shutdown, WSC has been unable to offer in-person WW At Work meetings, but has continued to offer the program virtually, including virtual weekly meetings and WW Online for current and future members. WW has been a vital component of wellness for both NWRESD and HSD staff with OEBB benefits, and is still offering the same NO COST benefit to any OEBB member.
Wellness Council members
Please fill in the interest form to join the council.
Please fill in the interest form to join the council.
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Wellness Council Members
Bailey Kose Melissa Buchanan Cathy Jensen Lisa Bates Loretta Akins Amie Brown Ann Hargraves Bianca Valvezan Katie Hendrix Luis Hernandez Vanessa Hernandez Zeyda Mueller |
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Need equipment for your staff wellness activity? Apply for a Wellness grant.
Emily Creel using a grant funded anti-fatigue mat.
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The Wellness Council offers wellness grants for individuals up to $50, and for teams or departments up to $150, who have a wellness-related project. Examples of past projects include yoga equipment, quiet zone and mediation area supplies, anti-racist workbooks, and exercise bands. Please note, because of ethical considerations, memberships or subscriptions might not be approved.
The 2023 Wellness grant application window is now closed; recipients will be notified soon. Look for announcements in the Monday Memo for our Fall application window at the start of next school year. Check back and apply for yourself or your team! :) Please complete the wellness grant application>>> (link only live during submission windows) Some questions on the application include: “Describe your project.” “What other sources of funding could the group access?” “What is your budget?” “Have you trialed this activity? If so, describe” Please be sure to include a link to the item(s) you're looking to purchase! |
All counties
SAIF Resources
SAIF is the not-for-profit provider of our organization's worker's comp. Their webpage has a plethora of resources for worker wellness, including information on ergonomics, nutrition, managing workplace stress, and more.
Healthy commuting encouraged
Staff are encouraged to bike, walk, run, take the bus (see the entry below about pretax TriMet passes), etc. to work when possible. Bike racks are available at most NWRESD sites. All sites have bike racks except Columbia, Cascade and Pacific Academies, Levi Anderson and Clatsop and Columbia service centers. Please speak with your supervisor if you work at one of these locations and want to bike to work. It's possible you will be able to find an inside location to store it.
For staff who are looking for ways to stay safe while driving, please see the healthy commuting resource list >>
Pretax TriMet passes available to all NWRESD staff members
All NWRESD staff members are eligible to purchase pretax TriMet passes to commute to work. TriMet includes MAX light rail trains, WES commuter rail trains, Portland streetcars and C-TRAN services, including C-TRAN Express. Please email Payroll Manager Pam Voss for more information. Learn more about this benefit >>
Financial wellness
Financial wellness is an important part of overall wellness. We want all staff to feel supported as they save for the future, including retirement. We offer financial wellness workshops throughout the year at sites around the region. Check the county listings above for current opportunities. There are also several online resources. The Oregon Growth Savings Plan offers a variety of resources to meet your needs. See Oregon Growth Savings Plan offerings >>
School Employee Wellness Conference
Typically, the Oregon Education Association Choice Trust sponsors a School Employee Wellness Conference in March during Spring Break. The conference is free, and staff are eligible to use conference funds to cover mileage, meals and lodging. Please talk with your supervisor if you are interested. Learn more about the conference >> The conference will not be hosted this school year (22-23).
Walking meetings encouraged
All staff are encouraged to hold walking meetings when possible.
Wellness programs through insurance
Moda Health and Kaiser Permanente offer several programs for issues such as chronic diseases management, depression and stress, diabetes prevention and management, diet and exercise, health assessments, sleep management, tobacco cessation and weight management. Learn more about these programs >>
SAIF Resources
SAIF is the not-for-profit provider of our organization's worker's comp. Their webpage has a plethora of resources for worker wellness, including information on ergonomics, nutrition, managing workplace stress, and more.
Healthy commuting encouraged
Staff are encouraged to bike, walk, run, take the bus (see the entry below about pretax TriMet passes), etc. to work when possible. Bike racks are available at most NWRESD sites. All sites have bike racks except Columbia, Cascade and Pacific Academies, Levi Anderson and Clatsop and Columbia service centers. Please speak with your supervisor if you work at one of these locations and want to bike to work. It's possible you will be able to find an inside location to store it.
For staff who are looking for ways to stay safe while driving, please see the healthy commuting resource list >>
Pretax TriMet passes available to all NWRESD staff members
All NWRESD staff members are eligible to purchase pretax TriMet passes to commute to work. TriMet includes MAX light rail trains, WES commuter rail trains, Portland streetcars and C-TRAN services, including C-TRAN Express. Please email Payroll Manager Pam Voss for more information. Learn more about this benefit >>
Financial wellness
Financial wellness is an important part of overall wellness. We want all staff to feel supported as they save for the future, including retirement. We offer financial wellness workshops throughout the year at sites around the region. Check the county listings above for current opportunities. There are also several online resources. The Oregon Growth Savings Plan offers a variety of resources to meet your needs. See Oregon Growth Savings Plan offerings >>
School Employee Wellness Conference
Typically, the Oregon Education Association Choice Trust sponsors a School Employee Wellness Conference in March during Spring Break. The conference is free, and staff are eligible to use conference funds to cover mileage, meals and lodging. Please talk with your supervisor if you are interested. Learn more about the conference >> The conference will not be hosted this school year (22-23).
Walking meetings encouraged
All staff are encouraged to hold walking meetings when possible.
Wellness programs through insurance
Moda Health and Kaiser Permanente offer several programs for issues such as chronic diseases management, depression and stress, diabetes prevention and management, diet and exercise, health assessments, sleep management, tobacco cessation and weight management. Learn more about these programs >>
