Wellness Newsletter
Seabrook School District
Spring 2023
Wellness Committee Update
Our last Wellness Meeting of the year was Thursday, May 18th. Good conversations about staff and student wellness, goals, and ideas for next year were discussed. We will announce dates for next year soon so be on the lookout if you are interested in joining! Please email Jordenne at jsargent@sau21.org if you have any questions.
Thank you to all members who contributed to our committee this year! Great things still to come!
Screen-Free Week is coming to Seabrook!
What is Screen-Free Week?
Screen-Free Week is an annual event that invites all people to enjoy and explore life outside of screens! During the week of June 5 - 9, the school and community will encourage students and their families to put away their entertainment screens for a week of fun and discovery!
Be on the lookout for information about upcoming Screen-Free Week events at school and in the community!
Girls on the Run is organizing a school yard clean up. We want YOU to join us!
Please join us on Tuesday, 5/30 at 2:45pm in the courtyard. We will clean up the school grounds all together. We will provide plastic gloves if you would like them, but please bring a trash bag with you. We hope to see you there!
Reach out to Nurse Sara if you have any questions, smiller@sau21.org
A garden is a place to play, learn, and grow!
According to KidsGardening.org, school gardens help many aspects of a child's health and well being including:
- Attitude toward conservation and sustainability
- Environmental literacy and attitudes toward nature
- Social skills
- Fruit and vegetable consumption
- Community spirit
- Self-confidence
Seabrook Schools continue to be committed to providing our students with the opportunity of having a school garden by using our outdoor garden beds. SES Computer Integration Teacher, Ms. Carney enjoys teaching out students how to grow. Last season, she had great success and harvested tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers and some beautiful sunflowers. We can't wait to see what's in store for this year!
Breakfast Power: Benefits for kids!
Eating a healthful breakfast has been shown to help attention span, concentration and memory—all important for learning especially while testing!
Eating breakfast is important for everyone, but especially for children and teens. After going without food for 8 to 10 hours during sleep, breakfast gives our bodies the fuel it needs for the day. Eating breakfast helps jump start metabolism for the day. Kids who don’t eat breakfast will tend to feel an energy drain by mid-morning.
Smoothies are a great way breakfast for on the go. Smoothies are also an excellent way to get your child to try fruits and vegetables they normally wouldn’t eat. Try this recipe for a creative way to try beets!
Un-beet-able Berry Smoothie
Ingredients
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup low-fat or nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup canned sliced beets, drained
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Combine all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- For a thicker smoothie, use frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit.
- Use plain yogurt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Add a banana.
Breakfast
Our recent Taste it Tuesday was Blueberry and Banana yogurt smoothies and butter chicken with Naan Bread. Both were a hit!
equals
Brain Power!
SES 3rd and 4th grade students were treated to a pancake breakfast before the start of state testing - complete with the maple syrup they made!
SLEEP SMARTER. PERFORM BETTER.
Establish a Routine
Have a bedtime routine like taking a warm bath, brushing teeth, and reading a bedtime story.
Limit Screens
Remove electronic devices from the bedroom. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that you should stop using electronic devices at least an hour before beditme.
Stay Active
Make sure kids are active during the day so they can fall asleep at night. Physical activity promotes better sleep because it helps regulate your circadian rhythm—your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
Learn more about good sleep habits at www.cdc.gov/sleep.
Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?
From the NATIONAL INSTITUTE of MENTAL HEALTH:
Read the full article- including information on when and where to get help here:
Leading anxiety expert Lynn Lyons presented this lecture celebrating the work of Fred Rogers and how families can create more connection and more joy. Watch the lecture above.
Try these family activities to start conversations around mental health and handling emotions at home (Click the buttons below):
Step It Up: Walking!
Walking is an easy way to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle.
Walking is a great way to get the physical activity needed to obtain health benefits. It does not require a gym membership or expensive equipment. According to the CDC, a single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can improve sleep, memory, and the ability to think and learn. It also reduces anxiety symptoms.
The Wellness Committee organized a Walk to School event to celebrate Earth Day on April 21st! Special thank you to Mrs. Wilk for coordinating and to the SPD for the assistance with making sure everyone got to school safely!
April's Earth Day Recap!
SMS's Health Club promoted Earth Day facts and activities throughout the week. SMS reusable water bottles were provided to all SMS students to help encourage students to reduce their use of plastic! Thank you to Ms. Hoffman for the work on this!
Learning about our impact to the environment and ways we can reduce waste and plastic consumptions continues throughout the year. SES students have spent the month learning about whales!
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run has been off to a great start!
Twice a week, 15 girls in grades 3-5 stay after school with Coach Sara and Coach Christina for Girls on the Run! This program has fun, evidence-based lessons that inspire all girls to build their confidence, kindness and decision-making skills. These are valuable life skills that show the important connection between physical and emotional health. The season will end with all the girls participating in a 5k in Concord, NH on Saturday, June 3rd!
Check out this sunflower grown from our own Seabrook Garden
Thank you to Wellness Committee members who made this newsletter possible!
Andrea McCusker, SMS Case Manager, Cross Country Coach
Bryan Belanger, SES Principal
Forrest Carter, School Board Rep
Hayley Parsons, SMS School Counselor
Jacqueline Wilk, SMS Health Teacher
Janice Christian, SES Grade 4 Teacher
Jordenne Sargent, SMS School Nurse
Katrina Mailman SES Music Teacher
Lauren DeConstant, District Curriculum Coordinator
Lindsay Gaucher, Seabrook School District Nutrition Director
Lyndsey Hamblet, SES P.E. Teacher
Mary Toomey, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
Rebecca Carney, SES Computer Integration Teacher
Rebecca Knott, Parent
Sara Miller, SES School Nurse
Shirl Ross, Parent
Tami Hoffman, SMS Interventionist
Yi-Fu Han, SES School Counselor