Winter has arrived, bringing the familiar challenges of sniffles, sore throats, and fevers. Now is a great time for our students, staff, and families to review our district’s signs and symptoms chart above. If still unsure, then we welcome you to contact your child's school nurse or the school health supervisor, Jackie Gray.

Keeping students and school staff healthy is a shared goal of schools and families. Many preventive strategies are simple, safe, and effective, allowing school communities and individuals to guard against a variety of illnesses.

WANTED: Your Favorite Kid-Approved School Nutrition Recipes!

Audience: All

Contact: Brittany.Nikolich@tn.gov

We're excited to announce the development of a statewide cookbook featuring the best student-approved recipes from our schools! We know that you have a treasure trove of delicious meals that not only nourish but also delight your students.

We’d love your help! Please share your most popular recipes that have been a hit in your cafeteria. Whether it’s a creative twist on a classic dish, a healthy snack, or a flavorful entrée, we want to hear from you.

What to Include:

• SFA Name
• Recipe Name
• Ingredients
• Preparation Instructions
• Crediting information
• Any tips or tricks for success
• A brief note on why it’s popular with students
• A photo of the dish (optional)

Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2025

Let’s come together to celebrate the wonderful meals being served across our state. Your contributions will help create a resource for schools everywhere to inspire and engage students in healthy eating!

A big “Thank You” to Rebecca Layman from UT Extension and Tabitha Prock Cares coordinator for teaching our healthy roots class at Rural Vale Elementary School about knife safety and the basic culinary art of cutting, dicing, and mincing. Everyone had the chance to put the newly acquired knowledge to work right away by cutting carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and radishes.

Fostering the physical, mental, and emotional health of school employees is more important than ever! The CSH office would love to hear from YOU!!! We'd love to hear your ideas, in regards to staff wellness. What type of contests/wellness activities would you like to see? If you'd submit your ideas to: lacey@monroek12.org

SHAPE America's health. moves. minds.

Audience: All
Contact: Heather.M.Piergies@tn.gov

The health. moves. minds.®, powered by Booster fundraiser, is designed to teach students critical life skills—kindness, respect, philanthropy, and advocacy—and to demonstrate the importance of daily physical activity and giving back to the community.

The educational resources are available even without the fundraising element. Materials are available for K-12 and include posters, mini-posters, complete lesson plans, exit slips, and more. Lessons can be integrated into classrooms, guidance, physical education, and anywhere else.

Plan for The Great Kindness Challenge: January 27-31

Audience: All
Contact: Heather.M.Piergies@tn.gov

Plans for the 14th annual Great Kindness Challenge are happily underway! Whether you choose to participate during the official GKC celebration week (January 27-31, 2025), implement the multi-week kindness curriculum, or perhaps do both, one thing is for certain, KINDNESS MOVES us all. Kindness moves our hearts, our minds, our bodies, and humankind!

For The Great Kindness Challenge School Edition–an immersive week of kindness–you are invited to check out the age-appropriate kindness checklists, as well as the turnkey GKC Toolkit. With an A-Z list of activities, planning for the happiest week of the year will be easy! Create a free account to download the toolkit and resources.

It's time to start comprehensive health education. We will be offering Scrubby Bear Classes to all Kindergartners. Kindergarten or guidance teachers we welcome you to sign up, for these classes, by e-mailing lacey@monroek12.org

Did you know that handwashing us your best defense against illness?

Why Is Handwashing Important?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Frequent handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases."

Microbes are everywhere. They are on surfaces in your home, in your school, at your work, as well as on your body, including your hands. While many microbes are not harmful, there are some that can make you sick. These disease-causing microbes, or germs, can cause colds, diarrhea, and serious illnesses such as hepatitis A, meningitis, and the flu. Handwashing helps rid your hands of germs, greatly decreasing the chances of you, or someone else, getting sick.

We've officially completed 1st semester BMI screenings, county wide. If you'd like to see your child's screening results, it's simple. You would simply need to make an appointment, with the CSH assistant.

The first staff member to submit their favorite Christmas movie to lacey@monroek12.org wins a prize!

The first non CSH staff member to e-mail lacey@monroek12.org with the correct 8 components will will a prize :)

Great Job Chota Community Health Center School Based Clinic at TPES! Way to go Nurse Rachel and Nurse Hannah! We know your students/staff love their new warm welcome!

The FRC embraced a generous donation, from our friends at Skyway Title. Pictured below is the food donation, that was donated to our food pantry. These food items go out, to residents in Monroe County that are in need!

A BIG Thanks to our friends/partner Tellico Village Rotary Club! We spent the day shopping together, in search of warm clothing for our clothes closet. Who gets to use the clothes closet? We allow teachers to call, with clothing needs for Monroe County School children.