For the fourth year in a row, April was Wellness Month at Morris Grove Elementary, and the focus was on health lessons and activities for both students and staff. In the hallways, posters outlining the Road to Better Health reminded Geckos about the most important steps to building healthy bodies and minds.
One of the favorite activities was the Wellness Month Bingo that allowed students the full month of April to complete and color in each square for a successful bingo card. Squares shared tips like No screen time for an hour before bed; No fast food for a whole day; and, Take a “mindful” walk and pay attention to what you see, hear and smell. A 5th grader said, “The bingo board gave me things I could tell my family to help them stay healthy.”Morris Grove nurse Lara Statile leads a team of teachers, staff and parents that meets regularly. “The mission of the Morris Grove Wellness Team is to support the entire school community - students, staff and families - to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle by creating a culture that encourages positive relationships with health and wellness throughout the school year,” she said. “The focus on health culminates during Wellness Month in April. Our hope is that the various activities that occur during Wellness Month help to educate students and staff on the importance of maintaining good health and how they can achieve that goal in fun ways.”
Starting with the first week of April, everyone learned about Mindfulness and explored ways to practice basic mindful activities. Lucie House, the director of Minded, came to the school and led a staff workshop. Nicole Bohlen, 1st grade teacher, said, “Wellness month gave us an opportunity to bring up so many important topics within the classroom. The kids loved learning how to be mindful and practice breathing with techniques like ‘helicopter breathing’ and putting their hands on their bellies to feel their breaths! The more we surround kids with information regarding their health, the more they will apply it to their everyday lives.”
Week Two focused on Physical Activity, which perhaps came more naturally than mindfulness for some Geckos. For the staff, ESL teacher Molly Crawford taught a barre class at the school.During Week Three, attention turned to nutrition and hydration. One of the high points of that week was when the Chartwell’s team set up in the cafeteria during lunch, behind a large table of fresh North Carolina strawberries. One 1st grade student said, “I really loved the strawberries that we got to try in the cafeteria!”
The last week’s focus was, appropriately enough, sleep! A third grade student shared, “I learned that it's important for me to get 10-11 hours of sleep. I didn't know that before, and now, I try to get that much.” The Wellness team composed a list of sleep tips to share with staff, under the heading, Why all this fuss about sleep? “Many of us have forgotten what it feels like to be truly rested,” was an observation that probably resonated with the entire staff at this time of year.
Adaptive Curriculum teacher assistant, Alexa Payne, said, “I really liked all of the practical tips each day on the MGE morning news.”And another 1st grader said, “Wellness Month helped teach people how to stay healthy.” Well-expressed, Geckos! And a big shout out to Lara Statile and the Wellness Team who created such a comprehensive exploration of pathways to better health.
