Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle Handbook:
We were not one of the recipients for the grant from the National PTA...we'll keep trying. Funding the printing of the upcoming Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle Handbook is secured through the sponsors and participants we have attending the Healthy Lifestyle Family Fair.
Intake / input forms will go home EACH Thursday this month to gather the resources / recipes for the handbook from our school body. The handbook will be built over Dec/Jan and distributed in Feb/Mar. Chapters include actual food recipes, sharing shopping tips for where we find favorite nutritional foods, tips for incorporating activity into daily living, favorite books for sending healthy messages, taming the snack monster, family volunteer opportunities, a chapter that captures kids quoting coach Tate and more. Should be a resource book that our school body reads because they are helping to write it.
Healthy Lifestyle Family Fair:
Paid (not the non profits) and registered:
i9 sports (game w/ prizes), YMCA (possible jumpy), Atl. Ctr for Holistic Medicine, Children's Dentistry (giveaways, balloons, etc.), Brookhaven Dental, Adrenaline Fitness (something experiential), Natural Body Spa (chair massage, info on 'going green' w/ cosmetics), Daisy Troops (serving cider), Live Well Studio (screening, instruction), Foundation for Wellness Professionals (screenings), Chamblee Farmers Market, APA PTA will host a table to talk about volunteering / contributing in school community (opportunity to sign up).
Confirmed booths / tables via email: Curves, Operation Bootcamp (mini - bootcamp instruction), Pure Life Healthy Homes, Dr. Tucker, and the Thursday Farmers Market at Ashford Dunwoody and J. Ferry, Whole Foods (hopeful cooking demo), Rite Aid (blood pressure checks), Dekalb Co. Parks and Rec and City of Chamblee Parks and Rec., DCSS Nutrition Dept (to share what's happening w/ our school food programs)
Some of the bigger organizations simply do not 'play' at this level, and certainly do not 'pay to play'.
We've still got lots of invites out w/ interest in supporting us at some point, but for a variety of reasons unable to participate now. It's been a super relationship builder for us. Many are intrigued by our work / efforts and want to be a part of making sure we're successful in supporting the health of our children and community. Once we've completed our contact list in an excel spreadsheet, it will be forwarded onto the PTA business team for future relations (it's close, just need a few blanks filled in).
Big Peach is donating 250 bags and 2 $25 gift cards, Nuts and Berries 10 $10 gift certificates and Adrenaline Fitness a 3 month membership that we'll use as a door prizes. Visitors will be eligible for door prizes upon completing a few health and wellness related questions, answers easy to find w/ our sponsors. Kaiser is giving us pencils.
The PTA hospitality committee has agreed to help greet our visitors and our wellness committee (can you help?) will share the goals of the school's Wellness Council. A SHORT intake form will capture the emails of visiors for immediate feedback in a 5 question survey to be sent w/in a week of the fair and will help determine how many visitors we drew in from outside our school family.
Announcements of our Healthy Lifestyle Family Fair have gone to our sister schools, the Brookhaven Reporter, Brookhaven Buzz, Atlanta Parent and Dekalb Neighbor. Emails to the neighborhood associations should be out this week with hyperlinks to some of our supporters. Adrenaline Fitness said they'd be talking it up. There is hope of a few flyers going on our sponsors / supporters doors / store fronts this week.
Red Ribbon Week:
Resources for distribution to parents with the plan of activities will go home this Thursday. Buttons are numbered, ribbons cut and ready for tree decorating, red paper for the art essay portion of our week, all ready to go to teachers by the week's end. At our weekly meeting this Friday, our team will stuff the prize baggies for the winners each morning. The schedule of events (wear red day, turn your back on drugs day, etc.) has been coordinated w/ Mrs. Witeczek and Mrs.Fallon. Mrs. Witeczek will do the morning messages and prize distribution. The art / essay papers should be on display for the Healthy Lifestyle Fair.
Wellness Newsletter:
Placed in teacher boxes today. PLEASE share feedback if you have any...good or bad. Printing costs paid for the year by Dr. Philip Hurd, Atlanta Natural Health Clinic. 2 months, due to "translation issues" from one program to another, the printing has had to be repeated. The glitch has been figured out and we should be 'good to go'.
PTA Wellness Month:
In addition to Marcie Hannish offering to do dance instruction for the kids during "teacher directed PE", we have potential mini bootcamp, possible yoga and safety instruction from Think First, a foundation through CHOA (Thanks, Jessa). Details will be reviewed upon approval by Mrs. Fallon and a sign up sheet prepared for teachers to utilize these optional programs. We've secured some supportive handouts (recipe books w/ coupons, coloring books, etc.) to distribute through the month and will have theme days similar to what we did last year during our wellness week (no screen, family walks, etc - detailed in the APWC newsletter)
other updates:
Jill is coordinating the Wellness Committee's obstacle course at the Fall Festival this Sat., apples will be provided by Costco (and maybe Kroger). Any leftover apples will be given out at the Lifestyle Fair.
An Activity Cart for teacher directed PE is tabled right now, no change. Still 'on the list'.
We've secured a yoga instructor (per teacher request) that will donate her time 1 class each Monday at 3:15. At this point, we have a commitment for the remainder of the 1st semester and a few other instructors 'waiting in the wings' to share the load 2nd semester.
We always welcome your feedback, concerns, interest, help, etc.
Our best,
Lisa Engle and Kelly Combs
