Wellness Week at PS 58 is taking place from March 12-16 this year. Wellness Week is a time for the whole school (parents, teachers, staff, kids, everyone) to relax, take a breath, and focus on taking care of ourselves.
We have many fun and educational events taking place for this year’s Wellness Week. Here’s a rundown of what’s in store:
Monday, March 12
- From 8:00-8:35 am in the gym, PS 58 parent Brogan Ganley will be running a meditation/relaxation session for 3-5 grade children. Send your child in early on Monday to help kick off Wellness Week and give your child the opportunity to learn some relaxation techniques that just might help them during the craziness of testing!
- Come to the main lobby at regular drop-off for some free giveaways! We’ll be giving away something different every day during Wellness Week (healthy snacks, toothbrushes, magazines, etc.) starting at drop-off and until we run out.
- Outside vendors (see the full list below) will be coming into the school to give lessons to your kids during their regularly scheduled gym period. Parents are invited to come to their child’s gym class to observe, participate, take pictures, etc.
Tuesday, March 13
- Come to the main lobby at regular drop-off for some free giveaways!
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
Wednesday, March 14
- Come to the main lobby at regular drop-off for some free giveaways!
- In the cafeteria from 8:45-9:30 am, PS 58 parent and food writer Jennifer Perillo, of In Jennie’s Kitchen, will share her secrets for healthy, quick and energizing breakfasts to feed your children on busy school mornings.
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- Parents Play! Parents and/or caregivers and their children are invited to the gym from 3-5 pm to get active by jumping rope, shooting hoops, doing some yoga…whatever.
Thursday, March 15
- Come to the main lobby at regular drop-off for some free giveaways!
- In the lobby from 8:00-9:15 am, representatives from local organization, Brooklyn Perinatal Network, will be on hand to help your family find affordable health insurance options. (Many PS 58 families have found affordable options through this organization during past Wellness Week’s. We encourage you to stop by).
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
Friday, March 16
- Come to the main lobby at regular drop-off for some free giveaways!
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- From 8:45-9:30 am in the cafeteria, PS 58 School Social Worker, Lori Hiller, will give her popular talk, Talking to Kids About Sexuality and Puberty.
In addition to the above schedule, the Wellness Committee will be sending you updates and links to fun wellness-related activities and educational materials throughout the week.
And finally, here is that great list of vendors who are volunteering their time to come in to work with your children during their gym periods:
And, two of our very own PS 58 parents will be teaching classes in the gym during Wellness Week as well:
Lisa Mendoza will be teaching Tai Chi and Melissa Dressel will be teaching Lotus Flow Yoga!
I hope you feel inspired during the week to be healthy, whatever that may mean to you. Happy Wellness Week!
In honor of National Nutrition Month, the March edition of HealthTeacher.com‘s Newsletter is all about food:
HealthTeacher.com‘s January 2012 Parent and Family Newsletter about how to be a good role model for your children:
News: New School Lunch Rules Aimed at Reducing Obesity
Interest: What School Lunches Look Like in 20 Countries Around the World
Article: Dental Exam Went Well? Thank Fluoride
Recipe: Israeli Couscous and Chickpea Salad
Interest: What’s for Dinner? Meal Planning Sites and Apps for NYC Families
Event: Special Needs Camp Fair
Interest: Ice Skating Rinks in NYC
Interest: Indoor Ice Skating Rinks in NYC
Event: Girls Only Basketball Clinic
Wellness Week at PS 58 is taking place from March 7-11 this year. Although the PS 58 Wellness Committee always keeps the health and well-being of the 58 community in mind, Wellness Week is a time for the whole school to get involved – to relax, take a breath, and focus on taking care of ourselves.
We have many fun and educational events taking place for this year’s Wellness Week. Here’s a rundown of what’s in store:
Monday, March 7
- Come to the main lobby at drop-off for some free giveaways! We’ll be giving away something different every day during Wellness Week (healthy snacks, toothbrushes, magazines, etc.) starting at drop-off and until we run out.
- Outside vendors (see the full list below) will be coming into the school to give lessons and do demos with your kids during their regularly scheduled gym period. Parents are invited to come to their child’s gym class to observe, participate, take pictures, etc.!
- A different musical performance will be taking place every day during the week for the kids in the cafeteria. The idea is to lighten and relax the atmosphere during lunchtime.
- A healthier lunch menu for the week! Monday’s lunch will be: Whole grain pesto pasta with chick peas; zucchini, corn & basil stew; salad bar.
- Parents Play! Come to the gym from 3-5 pm to get active with your kids by jumping rope, shooting hoops, doing some yoga…whatever you want.
Tuesday, March 8
- Come to the main lobby at drop-off for some free giveaways!
- Come to the cafeteria at 8:45 am to hear PS 58 School Social Worker Lori Hiller give her popular talk, Talking to Kids About Sexuality and Puberty.
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- Musical performance for the kids in the cafeteria.
- Tuesday’s lunch: Healthy tuna sandwich on wrap or whole wheat bread; healthy cole slaw; salad bar.
Wednesday, March 9
- Come to the main lobby at drop-off for some free giveaways!
- In the lobby from 8:00-9:15 am, representatives from local organization, Brooklyn Perinatal Network, will be on hand to help you with your health insurance needs.
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- Musical performance for the kids in the cafeteria.
- Wednesday’s lunch: Black bean and cheddar quesadillas; confetti corn salad; salad bar.
Thursday, March 10
- Come to the main lobby at drop-off for some free giveaways!
- From 8:00-8:30 am in the gym there will be a family pilates class run by Elite Fitness. All parents are welcome to come with their children. (Email Lili-Ann Jankowski in advance at matmalya1320@gmail.com if you plan to attend).
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- Musical performance for the kids in the cafeteria.
- Thursday’s lunch: Chicken Sabroso; Spanish rice; baked plantains; roasted cauliflower with roasted peppers; salad bar.
Friday, March 11
- Come to the main lobby at drop-off for some free giveaways!
- Outside vendors during your child’s gym class.
- Surprise musical performance for the kids in the cafeteria.
- Friday’s lunch: French bread pizza; salad; fresh balsamic vinaigrette; salad bar.
In addition, in honor of Wellness Week, most teachers will be doing some sort of follow-up to the amazing assembly by FoodPlay that almost the entire school (minus two pre-K classes that were on a field trip) got to see on February 14th. And the Wellness Committee will also be sending you updates and links to fun wellness-related activities and educational materials throughout the week.
Here is that great list of vendors who are volunteering their time to come in to work with your children during their gym periods. (And a special thanks to parent Judy Law for making this happen year after year!):
The Little Gym of Brooklyn Heights
Rebeca Pagan from Little Ninjas will be teaching Zumba Fitness during the week. She can be reached at rebacussion@aol.com.
And, two of our very own PS 58 parents will be teaching classes in the gym during Wellness Week as well:
Lisa Mendoza will be teaching Tai Chi and Melissa Dressel will be teaching Lotus Flow Yoga!
I hope you feel inspired during the week to be healthy, whatever that may mean to you. Happy Wellness Week!
Lice seems to hit PS 58 hard pretty much every fall/winter. The annoying little bugs are around all year long, but maybe because we’re all stuck indoors and huddled much closer together when the weather gets cold, the problem seems to run rampant. Since I know from experience (lucky me) that lice is “going around” the school right now, I thought I’d take the time to share some useful information about the little critters…
If you do a quick Google search for “head lice,” you will find no shortage of tips, tricks, “facts” and even products promising prevention and/or treatment. I’ve personally heard that wearing lots of hairspray prevents the bugs from entering the head; that tea tree oil is a natural repellent; that lice only like clean hair, so it’s best not to wash your child’s hair when there’s a known infestation in their class or school…and so on. And there are just as many tips for getting rid of the bugs once you have them. I’m not sure that any of these tricks will actually help (although they can’t hurt, right?).
Here are the things I do know:
Prevention:
- Teach your children not to share hats or combs/brushes with other children.
- Check your child’s head on a regular basis throughout the year (although this won’t actually prevent lice from entering, it will allow you to catch a problem before it gets out of control or spreads to other family members).
Treatment:
- To ensure that you are ridding a head entirely of live bugs and viable eggs, you need to pick them out, either with a good-quality lice comb or, dare I say, with your fingers. There are many different methods for helping you get rid of lice (The Pantene method, Cetaphil cleanser and a blow dryer, mayonnaise, olive oil, Vaseline, and the various medicated shampoos), but all of them recommend combing with a lice comb as an important step in the process.
If you don’t feel up to the task of picking through your child’s head every day for a week or more (and I don’t blame you), there are professional nitpickers who will do it for you. One such woman, Michelle Burwell, has come to PS 58 many times and has worked privately with many PS 58 families. Michelle’s number is 347-461-2274.
Here are a couple of articles with some really good information about head lice, including how to spot them. (The first one is my favorite.):
Head Case: The Survivor’s Guide to Lice. (We Hope You Never Need It.)
Parents, Relax. Don’t Keep Them From School. It’s Just Lice.
Also, please be aware, PS 58 does have a lice policy. It includes the rule that a child who was previously out of school due to lice, must have their head checked at the main office before they can return to their class. Students are allowed to attend school if they have nits (eggs) but not if live lice are present. Here’s the policy in full:
And finally, here’s a detailed description of the Pantene method for getting rid of head lice that includes a Nisska lice comb, baking soda (optional, in my experience) and conditioner. (This seems to be the most popular choice in our area.):
Getting Rid of Lice Using Pantene conditioner
Head lice can be considered a wellness issue due to the stress many parents feel when receiving the “diagnosis,” the loss of work time, the loss of school time and even the financial burden of the treatments and let’s face it, all that laundry! But ultimately, you need to remember that lice is not harmful to human health in any way. They’re really just a nuisance.
But please, as a personal plea from a frustrated parent who has had to deal with head lice three of the four years we’ve been at PS 58, do not send your child to school if you know they have live bugs in their head. Take the day off, put in a movie, and get combing!
Did you know that every week the use of “paper boats” on Trayless Tuesday eliminates the use of 850,000 Styrofoam trays?
Read all about the history of Trayless Tuesday and other ways to reduce waste in the lunchroom here in this article from NYC Green Schools:
No matter your thoughts on the subject, this is very funny:
San Francisco’s Happy Meal Ban from The Daily Show
A few days ago, The House of Representatives passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Although not perfect, this is one small step toward healthier school food and certainly a victory for many nationwide advocates of better quality food for American schoolchildren.
Some of the things the Act does give us are:
- Six cents more per meal. (While it doesn’t sound like much, this represents the first non-inflationary increase ever!)
- Better nutrition standards for all food served or sold in schools.
- $50 million in funding for a competitive grant program supporting Farm-to-School programs (Yay! More money for local foods!).
- Changes that will make it less complicated for low-income students to get access to free and reduced-cost lunch.
PS 58 Wellness 