HEALTHY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE (HSI) FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER
MESSAGE FROM SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT Dear Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) community, The Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine has recently been authorized for use in children, ages 5 to 11. This is an essential step in combatting this pandemic. Not only will the vaccine help prevent children from getting Covid-19, but it will help prevent or reduce the spread of the virus, which in turn protects our entire community. Please watch for announcements about vaccination of your child from San Mateo County Health, San Mateo County Office of Education, and your health care provider. This issue of the HSI newsletter includes updates from your school district about supports and programs to help during the reopening of schools. Thank you to parents, teachers, and staff who take part in the daily task of ensuring that students stepping onto our campuses are healthy and ready to learn. I want to especially thank our dedicated school nurses, who work tirelessly to keep all children safe in our eight Healthy Schools Initiative partner school districts. We encourage you to learn more about our Healthy Schools Initiative by visiting: seqhd.org/hsi.
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
PRESENTATIONS
SCHOOL DISTRICTS WE SERVE
ACHD Conference
Parent Green Folder
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
NOTE FROM OUR COUNSELOR Hello, My name is Mena Lam, I am the School Counselor at Woodside Elementary School District. This is my 4th year working at WESD, and it has truly been such a joy and privilege to continue working here as I have seen students grow over the years. As the School Counselor, I am part of some school wide initiatives and programming. Woodside Elementary has a Social Emotional Learning Committee that helps steer school wide efforts. As we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, there is a desire to have SEL as the forefront in our classrooms, playground, and ultimately embedded in our school culture. SEL committee continues to provide resources for teachers in the classroom as we collaborate. Our Lower School Music Teacher, Kara D’Ambrosio developed a theme for each month and songs that students perform at the monthly school assembly. Advisory is our social emotional learning class for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders taught by Beth Hoss, Upper School Music Teacher and myself. We meet students every other week to discuss a variety of topics. Most recently, students delved into a lesson about self-perception as it relates to our relationship to ourselves, to school, and to the world. Advisory lessons are based on the needs of the students and there is not a strict curriculum as each grade, each year faces different challenges that we try to address in real time. As a school, we are more than supportive of creating a warm, welcoming environment for students to feel safe to be themselves, take risks in the classroom, and to grow from their experiences at school. Sincerely, Mena Lam
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WESD FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
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FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
FALL SCHOOL UPDATE We welcomed students back to school on August 19. Safety measures remain our top priority as we start this year along with a focus on reconnecting relationships with our students, families and staff. Our safety plan was updated utilizing the San Mateo County pandemic framework. This year the physical distancing requirements were lifted. Our students and staff continue to wear masks indoors as well as outdoors while practicing good hand hygiene. In August, our middle schoolers became eligible for vaccination. This was the biggest indication that life can return to something more normal for our tweens. Student and staff testing was implemented through the worksite program. In addition, a weekly school site community clinic was established through Virus Geeks.
BEE-AUTIFUL BEES Mr. Brown, better known as Henry’s dad, shared his incredible knowledge of these with our students. He brought a “frame” of bees to the garden classroom. A frame, is a section of the hive, that holds the honeycomb within the hive box. Over 5000 bees live in a frame. The students learned about where bees live, what flowers and plants they prefer and how they build a hive. They also learned about the roles of the queen, female and male bee and why bees are so important for agriculture and the environment. Students also learned honey can have health benefits. Honey can help wounds heal, provide an energy boost and help with cold symptoms. The students watched Mrs. Griffith scrape the honey off the comb while Mr. Myrtetus filtered the honey through cheesecloth. Of course, the best part of the day was tasting the delicious honey. Each student brought home a small jar to share with their family.
WESD FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
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FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PARENT EDUCATION
MYTHBUSTERS: The Truth About the California Public Higher Education System Cuca Acosta (UC); Bernie Day (CCC); April Grommo, EdD (CSU); and Heather Lattimer, EdD (CSU)
Tuesday, November 9, 2021, 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) In this webinar, representatives of the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems will counter some of the most common myths about each system and the systems’ relationships to one another. Register here.
Parent Forum #10 (English) – Helping Your Child Build Good Habits Eran Magen, PhD, founder, Parenting for Humans
Friday, November 12, 2021, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT, Online Event (Meeting)) Join us for a new Parent Forum (English) with Eran Magen, PhD, a parent-child communication expert. Register here.
Friends, Frenemies, and Friendlier Friends: Navigating School Social Dynamics Ana Homayoun, author, educator & Phyllis Fagell, clinical counselor, author of Middle School Matters
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 1:00pm – 2:00pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) Join Ana Homayoun, author, educator, and founder of Green Ivy Educational Consulting, and Phyllis Fagell, licensed clinical counselor and author of Middle School Matters, for a conversation about “friends, frenemies, and friendlier friends” in the time of Covid. Register here.
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
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FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
PARENT EDUCATION Grief and Loss in Children and Teens: What It Looks Like and How to Help Jaymie Byron, MFT, Director of Community Outreach & Education, Kara
Tuesday, November 30, 2021,
5:30pm – 6:30pm PT, Online Event (Webinar) Jaymie Byron, MFT, Director of Community Outreach Education, Kara, will share what grief and mourning can look like for children of all ages. Kids react differently to loss, based on where they are developmentally. Jaymie will also provide practical ways to support a child through the grief process. Register here.
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence Anna Lembke, MD, Psychiatrist, Stanford School of Medicine, New York Times Bestselling author
Wednesday, December 1, 2021, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT,
Online Event (Webinar) In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and bestselling author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain…and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. Register here.
FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
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FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
EDUCACIÓN PARA PADRES
CAZADORES DE MITOS: La verdad sobre el sistema de educación superior pública de California Cuca Acosta (UC); Bernie Day (CCC); April Grommo, EdD (CSU); Heather Lattimer, EdD (CSU)
Martes, 9 de noviembre de 2021, 5:30pm - 6:30pm PT, Evento en vivo (seminario web) En este seminario, representantes de la Universidad de California, la Universidad Estatal dey la California comunidad de California Los universitarios sistemas contrarrestarán algunos de los mitos más comunes sobre cada sistema y las relaciones de los sistemas entre sí. Enlace de zoom aquí.
Foro de padres #15 (Español) Las Drogas, mi Hijos, y Yo Edwin Fernandez, LCSW, One Life Counseling Center
Miércoles, 17 de noviembre de 2021, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, Evento en vivo (seminario web) Únase a nosotros durante esta conversación en la que no solo escuchará algunas de las respuestas a estas preguntas, sino que también aprenderá formas proactivas en las que los padres podemos ayudar a nuestros hijos a decir no a las drogas. Enlace de zoom aquí.
Amigos, amigos enemigos y amigos más amigables: navegando por la dinámica social de la escuela Ana Homayoun, autora, educadora y Phyllis Fagell, consejera clínica, autora de Middle School Matters
Jueves, 18 de noviembre de 2021, 1:00pm - 2:00pm PT, Evento en línea (seminario web) Únase a Ana Homayoun, autora, educadora y fundadora de Green Ivy Educational Consulting, ya Phyllis Fagell, consejera clínica licenciada y autora de Middle School Matters, para una conversación sobre “amigos, enemigos y amigos más amigables” en la época de Covid. Enlace de zoom aquí. FALL 2021 HSI NEWSLETTER
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INICIATIVA ESCUELAS SALUDABLES (IES) BOLETÍN DE OTOÑO DE 2021
MENSAJE DEL DISTRITO DE SALUD DE SEQUOIA Querida comunidad de Iniciativa Escuelas Saludables (IES), La vacuna de Pfizer contra el Covid-19 a sido autorizada para uso en niños de 5 a 11 años. Este es un paso esencial en la lucha contra esta pandemia. La vacuna no solo ayudará a evitar que los niños contraen Covid-19, sino que también ayudará a prevenir o reducir la propagación del virus, lo que a su vez protege a toda nuestra comunidad. Esté atento a los anuncios sobre la vacunación de su hijo de San Mateo County Health, la Oficina de Educación del Condado de San Mateo y su proveedor de atención médica. Este número del boletín de IES incluye actualizaciones de su distrito escolar sobre apoyos y programas para ayudar durante la reapertura de las escuelas. Gracias a los padres, maestros y personal que participan en la tarea diaria de garantizar que los estudiantes que pisan nuestros campus estén sanos y listos para aprender. Quiero agradecer especialmente a nuestras dedicadas enfermeras escolares, que trabajan incansablemente para mantener a todos los niños seguros en nuestros ocho distritos escolares asociados a la Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables. Lo alentamos a que aprenda más sobre nuestra Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables visitando: seqhd.org/hsi.
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
PRESENTACIONES
DISTRITOS ESCOLARES
Conferencia de ACHD
Carpeta Verde para Padres