Open the door to a journey of better well-being with the D49 Wellness Passport! Engaging in activities around physical, mental, social, or emotional wellness can boost your overall well-being by helping you build healthy habits and stay balanced in all areas of life. Small, consistent steps can lead to big improvements in how you feel and function every day.
How it works: Each month focuses on a different aspect of physical, mental, social, or emotional wellness. You'll have access to a challenge, a routine, pro tips, and a recipe, all designed for you to participate at your own ability level. Complete any or all passport activities, fill out the Wellness Passport Survey, and be entered into prize drawings. Find the month’s Wellness Passport below or in the monthly "D49 Wellness Update" email.
Goosechase - Back to School Connections Starts Aug 1st 8am!
Life’s biggest lessons, opportunities, and gifts are found in your connections with others. Join the Goosechase Experience to practice building connections and have a little back to school fun! Challenge runs Aug 1-23, 2024. Directions to get started click HERE, or search Goosechase for this experience with code QPXQJE or name Back to School Connections.
Routine
Below is a list of ways to improve your relationships.
Listen without interruption or judgment.
Practice empathy by asking questions.
Prod yourself to speak up if you tend to be quiet.
Never betray a private conversation.
Learn the names of colleagues or students.
Build connections with colleagues or students by learning more about them (family, birthday, interests, etc)
Identify an area of strength and an area of growth. Celebrate your strength! Seriously, recognize it and value that strength. Next, build a routine around the growth area and work on it for the month. [Ex of Routine: Learn names by using SUAVE: Say the name (repeat it back), Use it 3-4 times, Ask about it (spelling, how they got it, etc), Visualize their name with something (Brooklyn - the bridge), End the conversation with the name.]
Pro Tip
Why Social Connections Matter to Your Health, Tyler Prochnow (approx 5 min)
Simply watch the video and learn why social connections matter to your health. Reflect how you can increase your health by building your relationships.
Cook this recipe and share it with someone to build your relationship.
Survey
Once you complete an activity listed above, fill out the survey to be entered into a prize drawing for wellness-related items. Increase your chance to win by completing multiple activities. Surveys must be completed by the last day of the month to be eligible for that month's drawing.
Nature Bingo!
Grab a friend or family member and enjoy nature by completing 2 Bingo’s in any direction or go for Blackout on the Nature Bingo Challenge. Follow the link to print the Bingo board to help you track your progress.
Routine
Daily Dose of Nature:
Develop a routine for intentionally being in nature each day. No time requirement just be in nature and see how it impacts your mental wellness.
Ideas could include: enjoy a meal/drink outside; exercise/meditate outside; create nature themed art; etc
Pro Tip
Back to Nature for Good Mental Health, Caroline Arnold (approx 13 min)
Simply watch the video and learn the benefits nature has on your mental health. Reflect how you can increase your mental health by spending time in nature.
Once you complete an activity listed above, fill out the Wellness Passport Survey to be entered into a prize drawing for wellness-related items. Each activity category will have a prize so complete multiple activities and increase your chance to win. Surveys must be completed by the last day of the month to be eligible for that month's prize drawing.
Walktober Battle of the Districts!
We are celebrating FIVE years of Battle of the Districts during this year's Walktober Challenge. Register at battleofthedistricts.walktober.com and begin logging steps 10/1. Please log your activity daily except for unforeseen circumstances when you will be able to backlog up to 3 days of activity. Registration and team formation ends 10/9 but don't wait to register since there is only 3 days to backlog your activity.
Routine
Intentional Movement:
Develop a routine for intentionally moving more throughout your day. No time requirement just find ways to move and create a new routine that will stick.
Ideas could include: park farther away at work, take the stairs vs an elevator, walk in place while watching a show, stretch, walk at lunch/break time, move with your students, etc.
Once you complete an activity listed above, fill out the Wellness Passport Survey to be entered into a prize drawing for wellness-related items. Each activity category will have a prize so complete multiple activities and increase your chance to win. Surveys must be completed by the last day of the month to be eligible for that month's prize drawing.
Gratitude Practice:
Gratitude can shift our perspective and foster joy and fulfillment. This challenge invites you to explore gratitude through simple tasks on the 'Gratitude Practice' list, and observe how practicing gratitude impacts your life. Feel free to copy or print the document to track your progress throughout the month.
Routine
Write it down:
Create a routine to journal what you are grateful for each day this month. Start small by jotting down 1-2 words or sentences. Try connecting this practice to something you already do-like writing down your gratitude right after brushing your teeth.
Give this gratitude recipe a try, and see if you are as grateful for it as the creator was.
Survey
Once you complete an activity listed above, fill out the Wellness Passport Survey to be entered into a prize drawing for wellness-related items. Each activity category will have a prize so complete multiple activities and increase your chance to win. Surveys must be completed by the last day of the month to be eligible for that month's prize drawing.
D49 Weather Alert | District Closed Thurs. November 7
D49 Weather Alert | District Closed Thurs. November 7
Wednesday, November 6
The latest updates from the NWS and local forecasts keep our area under a winter storm warning through Friday. A combination of freezing temperatures with persistent snowfall means that travel will remain hazardous following the initial wave of this storm system. Our crews reported multiple disabled vehicles as they traveled to clear sites around the district, including plow vehicles, heavy-duty rigs and an ambulance. Going into Wednesday evening, first hand accounts from our crews confirm secondary streets and roads at higher elevations across the district remain snow packed and icy as our region braces for the arrival of the next surge of heavy snow.
Although the morning may look manageable, we anticipate travel conditions will rapidly deteriorate through Thursday afternoon, doubling down on conditions that have challenged road crews working to catch up with the initial impact. We project an additional 3-5 inches will arrive through our normal release time, which will snarl the commute and potentially lead to road closures in our area. Accordingly, District 49 will close again Thursday, November 7.
As always, our first priority is the safety of students and staff all over the district. We make our weather call decision by thoroughly evaluating forecasts and overall conditions that put district students or staff at risk.