Just like gifts are not always handmade, my gift to you this year was not made by me. But I value you and I think you should have the best that I have to offer. In that spirit, I give you this gift and I hope you share it with your people too!
Before you open your gift, make sure to return your WATCH award registration! You only have a few days left- Deadline is December 14. Here is the link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfevmlv324GKSzB4aL_t6QlbTeQpA6lH84zFZF9Y_yCXmy4JA/viewform
Have a great Holiday ! Nomita -Wellness Geeks Consultants
Unwrapping the gift with a story
Stephanie and I get a lot of questions from our WATCH schools on what activities should be done in a school year. We always have ideas, but each school is different in their capacity or even interest. We struggled to find a way to effectively communicate all the possibilities….. until now! This BEHEMOTH of a project is due to many (late night) hours of work plus the genius of Stephanie Kellam, UnitedHealthcare’s Youth Wellness Coordinator for FBISD!
Stephanie Kellam
“My goal with this calendar was to make it as user friendly as possible so that anyone can one stop shop health observances and resources that are local and relevant. “
Let’s Begin our Tour!
As I said, the full file is huge, I thought it would be a good idea to give you a brief tour of the components and some ways you can use it. Who should use it? Campus Wellness Committees, PTAs, Middle and High School clubs, Staff wellness committees, really anyone that is interested in creating a healthier school. For this post, I am using December and January as an example. However, the calendar has content for the entire academic school year INCLUDING the summer bridging to next year!
Align your Wellness Goals with the Calendar
Oh no!
Your wellness group is meeting and you realize you didn’t plan for anything this December and the principal is looking for ways to deal with some bullying that has cropped up at the end of the year? No one has time for this! Never fear, the calendar is here to spark ideas on quick and easy awareness projects you can do with minimal effort!
Below, is a small screenshot of the first page of the Wellness Calendar. This page lists themes for each month of the year for school wellness. Looking at the months of December and January- you can see that there is a Healthy Celebrations theme in December and Goal setting in January!
What could we do easily without much planning that also fits the theme of this month? On page 2, on the December and January snapshot below, and you can see that healthy celebration theme coincides with Handwashing Week and National Influenza Week. How appropriate! In January, it is No Name Calling Week. That is great! So now what? You look at your team and say “Who wants to google that?”
WAIT! STOP!
Don’t create new programs or events, look to see what programs are already going on! You will have the benefit of available resources that are already vetted, plus, you will be in coordination with other groups, like the news, or non-profit organizations which will boost your message! Repetition, am I right?
This is where the genius shines!
No searching, no googling, no looking through previous notes, nothing! Just go to the slides marked December and January! I have put the screen shots below. As you can see, the slide not only offers more information on why to do the event (to share with administration, parents, etc) but also online resources in the form of flyers or videos to share in your newsletter, social media or just to hang in high traffic areas!
Pro tip: Follow up on awareness, with implementing hand washing time before lunch and after recess! Make it a part of the daily school routine.
Looking at January’s slide, the No Name Calling week includes a link to lesson plans and even a social media prompt. Easy! No planning, no money, just another way to engage with your school community.
Are you in love with this calendar yet? No, wait there is more!
Check out the page below! This is where we leave others behind in the dust….Regional and local contacts! No more wondering who to call or what organization is involved in the awareness campaign! No more searching and wasting time calling or emailing around! Call them, for resources, speakers and other assistance. I mean, it is genius! But wait, there’s more!
You might be asking, what else do I need? I have the answer…
At the end of the day, you are still working in a school. What does any school want to do? Meet the TEKS requirements. So here you go. TEKS organized by month and awareness program. Mic Drop.
I hope you enjoyed the tour, and we would love to hear about any comments, successes you have using this document, or things that would make the calendar even better. We will continue to update it throughout the year. And thank Stephanie if you get the chance, this really is a game changer!
Hope you like your gift and have a Healthy Holiday!
Wellness Geeks Consultants 
Amazing calendar! And amazing humorous tour. Loved it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Shelly! I appreciate it!
LikeLike