Check out all that snow!

Hey Everyone!

Isn't all the snow exciting! You know what that means...time to bring in clothes to go outside for skiing & snow shoeing this week for wellness class! As long as the conditions are good and it's not too cold out, we will be outside this week. If you missed my last post on skiing & snow shoeing click here to read all about why we head outside in the winter.

Please make sure that you have:       

source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/winter/images/22231260/title/winter-snow-flakes-photo

1. a winter jacket
2. a hat
3. gloves
4. change of clothes

Enjoy the rest of you day and see you tomorrow,

Meditation becomes part of the Wellness Curriculum! Thank you Wayland Public Schools Foundation!

The Wayland Middle School Wellness Department is excited to announce that the Wayland Public School Foundation has approved the Getting Centered Guided Meditation grant.  We have the honor of having Helen Rainoff train the Wellness staff, as well as teach the students the powerful tools and benefits of meditation.  Helen was a Science and Biology teacher at Wayland High School from 1978 - 2010 so she is very familiar with the Wayland community.  She has been trained in meditation and has had a daily meditation practice for over 28 years.  While teaching at WHS, Helen integrated teaching meditation into her work with students, offered professional development programs for staff and offered meditation classes for the entire school community during High School Winter Week.

The first class will consists of talking about the benefits of meditation and discuss what experiential guided meditation is.  Students will also discuss and identify stressors, and explain how the body reacts to stress.  Students will be taught stretching exercises before meditation, and how to focus on the breath, muscle relaxation and guided visualization aspects. The second class will discuss other non related mediation relaxation tools.  Muscle relaxation, breath control, and focus meditation will be discussed and taught, as well as talking about ways to include meditation and mindfulness into every day. The third class will be taking the information and tools learned and putting them into practice during class. 

Meditation offers several benefits to children.  It will not only enhance their educational experience, but it will hopefully also inspire students to take the knowledge and tools learned and apply those valuable lessons into their everyday lives.  This creative program will add versatility and enrichment into the curriculum. 

Some of the benefits of meditation are:

•"stress-relieving practices to calm the mind and release physical tension”

•"helping kids boost awareness and control their moods”

•"help to curb kids’ impulsivity”

•"research has also shown school mindfulness programs to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents”

•"mindfulness programs can aid kids in developing good habits that will help make them happier and more compassionate”

•"greater emotional stability and improved sleep quality, heightened feelings of compassion and greater success achieving weight-loss goals”

•“meditation can improve focus”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/23/meditation-for-kids_n_3318721.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/young-brains-benefit-meditation/story?id=19217997

Middle School students deal with the stress of school, and the many aspects of life on a day to day basis.  If given the tools needed to be able to meditate, they will be able to reduce their stress levels and focus on the important, essential parts of life.  This knowledge and outlet will allow students to grow to their optimal level and potential. 

The Wellness Department thanks the WSPS for this wonderful opportunity to incorporate meditation into our curriculum. 

Skiing & snow shoeing at WMS!

Happy New Year! It's that time of year again-time to think about skiing & snow shoeing during wellness in the gymnasium!   When conditions allow, we take all students outside to experience a favorite New England winter sport. The wellness department follows the Child Care Weather Watch (http://www.idph.state.ia.us/hcci/common/pdf/weatherwatch.pdf) when deciding to take classes outside. If it is deemed unsafe for outdoor activity, class will remain indoors. Students that have wellness in the classroom this rotation can experience skiing & snow shoeing during PM Wellness.

According to webmd.com:

For building endurance, [cross-country skiing] is one of the best sports you can do," says Miami neurologist Stephen Olvey, MD.

Snowshoeing.com states:

 Snowshoeing is the best bang-for-your-buck, fat-burning workout in winter," according to Dr. Ray Browning of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado's Health Science Center and Vail Mountain Man champion. "It's an exceptional way to achieve cardiovascular fitness, expend energy and reduce your chance of heart disease; plus it's low cost, easily mastered and fun.

We are asking for your help to ensure that everyone is properly dressed for outdoor activity.

The wellness department recommends that all students wear winter coats, hats, warm pants, and gloves or mittens.  Bringing a change of clothing for after class would be ideal as pants tend to get wet during class. Students should also have clothing appropriate for indoor activities in case conditions do not warrant outdoor activity.

If it is deemed safe to go outside, but you are not prepared for outdoor activity with the proper clothing, an alternative activity will be provided indoors with a reduction in his/her participation points for the day.

Thank you ahead of time for helping us to make this winter recreational activity enjoyable for all!

Be safe, healthy, & happy,

 

7th Grade Nutrition Test

Hello to my 7th grade students!

I've decided to postpone the nutrition unit test until after Thanksgiving. I want you all to have enough time to study and ask questions this week. I've been emailed by some of you saying that you need another copy of the notes.

Click here for the notes. Don't forget that the videos we watched in class are linked under the nutrition tab on this blog.

You should be able to tell me:

• whether a food is a protein, carbohydrate, or fat
• what tier carbohydrate certain foods are
• how to read an ingredients list and nutrition facts label and decided whether or not a product is healthy.
• the importance of sleep
• why sugar is so bad for us
• whether or not a food is whole grain
• what the 4 red flag ingredients are
• how to calculate the amount of sugar in a product
• the components of a complete meal
• know the role of insulin, cortisol, melatonin, and leptin in the body

Bring any questions to class this week!

Annual Halloween candy drive to benefit Operation Gratitude set for next week!

The wellness department would like to announce our 5^th annual Operation Gratitude Halloween Candy Drive from Monday November 3, 2014 through Thursday November 6, 2014. A member of the wellness staff will be in the front lobby from 7-7:30 am to collect candy. According to their website:

Operation Gratitude annually sends 150,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment, hygiene and hand-made items, plus personal letters of appreciation, to New Recruits, Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors, Care Givers and to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed overseas.

All the candy will be dropped off at Wayland Dental located at 131 Main St.  According to Dr. Michael Putt, army veteran and owner of Wayland Dental, receiving care packages while deployed provides a connection to home and can help lift the the soldier's spirits. Dr. Putt is able to participate in Operation Gratitude due to the generosity of Mark Silverman, president of  Mark's Moving & Storage. Mark and his employees will take all the donated candy and ship it to Van Nuys, CA where it will be used to assemble care packages for our troops.

Coach A collecting candy last year.

Candy is just one of the ways we can help. Operation Gratitude welcomes donations of individually wrapped toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste. If you would rather make a financial donation you can click here to do so.

Click here to read about last year's collection in the Wayland Patch!


Thank you for your support.

Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be Happy,

The Wellness Center Make-Over: Thank you Wayland Public Schools Foundation!

I remember the day I realized that the fitness curriculum needed to be revamped. It was about 4 years ago and I was teaching the advanced fitness unit with heart rate monitor class. I asked my students to show me how to do a body weight squat. Only a few could do one properly. I was surprised; I realized I needed to teach a “back to basics” class  ASAP.  There was no way I was going to be able to teach more advanced exercises when the majority of my class did not have a sold movement foundation.  

Two years ago, I sat in the 8^th grade open area during one of our monthly faculty meetings. Representatives from the Wayland Public Schools Foundation (WPSF) were in attendance wearing their purple shirts to talk up grant writing. They started off their presentation with the question “what if you had a blank check?” Hearing that one sentence sent my mind spinning. I got so excited thinking about all the functional equipment I could buy for the wellness center that you would have thought it was my birthday. Right then and there I decided that I was going to apply for my first grant. I wanted money to give our existing wellness center a make-over. We needed new equipment desperately so we could expand our fitness curriculum.

When I found out that the WPSF accepted my grant and awarded the wellness department funds to purchase new equipment, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to tell my students how we would be getting all new equipment. Before the grant (in AM Wellness) there would be approximately 40-45 students in the gym playing soccer and basketball, and approximately 5-10 students in the wellness center climbing the rock wall or using equipment. Receiving the grant from the WPSF meant that I was able to purchase new functional equipment, such as jump ropes, kettle bells, & medicine balls, but I was able to purchase a combination monkey bar & pull-up rig. The rig has since become the most popular piece of equipment in the wellness center. Since its installation at the end of April 2014, we have seen a dramatic increase in student usage. Instead of the typical 5-10 boys using the wellness center, we now see an average of 45 boys and girls combined! We have noticed a slight decrease in the amount of students using the gym in the morning. Instead of 45-50 kids we see about 35-40. But overall the increase in AM Wellness usage has increased by approximately 30 total students or a 65% increase when compared to pre-grant statistics.

Thank you to the WPSF for giving the wellness department the funds to take our curriculum to a new level. Thank you to all who have donated to WPSF in the past. Your donation directly affects our ability as teachers to add innovative ideas to our curriculum that would otherwise not be possible.

If you would like to make a donation to the WPSF Hats off (Honor and Appreciate Teachers & Staff) program please click here. 

AM Wellness runs daily from 7-7:30 am.

 

Here are some BEFORE pictures of the Wellness Center:

Here is the AFTER picture:

A panoramic view of the updated wellness center.

Isn't it amazing?!

  Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be Happy,

"Who Cares About Fitness Assessments?"

You hear the announcement over the loudspeaker: "Fitness Assessments will begin next Monday. All students report to the gym for wellness class." and immediately groan and start to complain to your friend. "Ugh, I hate fitness testing! It's so stupid! Why do they make us do it? I think they just like to torture us!" Does this sound familiar? Maybe not personally but I am sure you have at least overheard a conversation similar to what I've described.

Physical fitness assessment is not based on athletic ability but on good health. No matter what you want to be when you grow up, I am sure being healthy is #1 on your list. Most people, kids especially, take being healthy for granted. Physical activity and physical fitness are not one in the same. Participation in regular physical activity will lead to gains in physical fitness and will improve overall health.

source:crossfit.com

Sickness, Wellness, & Fitness
It has been observed that almost every value of health can be placed on a spectrum that goes from sickness to wellness to fitness. If you look at the table above you will see 7 measurable components of health. For example, a blood pressure of 170/95 is considered too high, below 120/80 is considered healthy, and 105/55 is consistent with an athlete's blood pressure. Similar findings are observed with % body fat, bone density, triglycerides (major form of fat stored by the body), good cholesterol, muscle mass, flexibility, resting heart rate, etc. It is thought that fitness should be called "super-wellness'. (crossfit.com) It is my goal for every student to become super-well.

Benefits of Fitness Assessments

1. Establishing a baseline level of fitness-you won't know how much progress you've made if you don't know where you started. You also need a starting point for goal setting. 
2. Is your current exercise program working? How do you know? Do you have any measurable or reproducible way of knowing?
3. What do you need to work on? Maybe you have good lungs (stamina) and can run so the Pacer test is easy, but you lack flexibility so the sit and reach test and truck lift test are hard. With fitness assessments you will know your strengths and weaknesses.
4. With this knowledge (data) you know where to focus your efforts moving forward. If you need help with a plan any member of the wellness department will be more than happy to help.

There are 5 major components to physical fitness: cardiovascular endurance/stamina (Pacer test), muscular endurance (push-up & curl up test), muscular strength (push-up & curl-up test), flexibility (sit-and-reach, trunk lift, & shoulder stretch test), and body composition (estimated height & weight entry to establish BMI).  The ultimate goal is to have all five of these components in balance; meaning that there are not huge discrepancies in one versus another which can ultimate lead to injury.

Students are not graded on their fitness assessment score, but students are graded on effort and participation. All we ask is that each student give their best and compete only with themselves.

Click here for FITNESSGRAM's list of frequently asked questions.

This past spring the wellness department upgraded to a web-based FITNESSGRAM. This means that students and parents can access their account from any computer with internet access. If you go to www.fgontheweb.com/waylandma you should see a login screen that looks like this:

Once you select Massachusetts as the state, the district and school should auto-fill. All student's user names are first_last (first underscore last) and the password is WPS with the school lunch code with no spaces.  Once logged in, all returning students can access previous years test data by clicking on the test name in the upper right hand side of the screen. Tests are named either fall or spring with the year. 

After logging in, click on the large FITNESSGRAM in the center of the page.

 Next you will see previous years tests in the upper right hand side of the screen. Highlight the test and click open. You will see two tests in this example-fall 2013 and Spring 2014.

HOMEWORK: What is the one thing that you are taking away from this post? What is something new that you learned? Leave your comment with you teacher's name and the day and color of your class please.

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Let me know if you have any questions. You can comment to this post or send me an email at pamela_riddle@wayland.k12.ma.us.





 Be Safe, Be Healthy, Be Happy,