School Wellness Newsletter – MARCH 2022
Welcome back to our new monthly school wellness newsletter update! We invite school leaders, parents, students, and anyone interested in school wellness here in Hawai‘i to check out our newsletter that's jam-packed with upcoming events and opportunities as well as community and school highlights.
"What's New with Schools?" will also be featured in all our statewide newsletters so make sure you're signed up to receive the latest Blue Zones Project – Hawai‘i news!
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
FOR EDUCATORS
The Project Management Institute - Honolulu, Hawaii Chapter is calling for applications for its 3rd annual Youth Project Awards. PMI encourages the study and application of project management concepts and tools by students and educators in Hawaiʻi’s public, charter, and private high schools across the state. Learn more about award categories, nomination criteria, and other details here. Submissions are due by March 25, 2022.
FOR STUDENTS
Big Island high school students interested in healthcare professions and a self-care lifestyle are invited to a Youth Wellness Summit at Waiakea High School on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Local experts and professionals will share information during multiple breakout sessions. Register here.
Students in grades 5-9 are invited to learn about water resources and current preservation efforts in theKo’olau Watershed at Seeds4Tomorrow’s Spring Break Camp March 14th, 16th and 18th 8am-3pm at the Hawai’i Agriculture Research Center (HARC) in Waipahu. Register here. Volunteer Team Leader positions are also available for students grades 10-12, and teachers! Volunteers can apply here.
Did you know? National Bike to School Day in May has been renamed “Bike and Roll to School Day”, and there are new downloadable materials to help with promoting school events, decorating your school, and getting students involved in and excited about the celebration. There are also some great ideas (scroll down) if your school doesn’t have safe walking or rolling routes. Registration opens March 8th!
Students, schools and groups are invited to take part in Pixar’s 9-week Story Experiential where they will be introduced to world-class storytellers, follow the Pixar process to create their own story-reel working alone or in teams, and livestream weekly with Pixar animators. Learn more here.
BRIGHT SPOTS
What's happening in our schools to support wellness?
Kohala Elementary received fruit trees in 2018 as part of the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation’s Fruit Tree 101, a program to provide students, families, and communities with fruit trees to improve nutrition and environmental conditions. See the Big Island Now’s article here.
The school’s Garden Resource Teacher Heather Brovsky says the orchard has had 100% survival rate, and is already producing 50lbs of fruit per tree! “Having our citrus orchard donated by the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation has given our students a real sense of connection to and responsibility for the garden. Each class adopting a tree has given them purpose and the pleasure of watching their trees thrive and begin to produce thanks to their care. That relationship - teaching students to mālama the earth and discover how it gives back - is key to cultivating young people who care about themselves, each other and the earth.
If you’re interested in applying for fruit tree donations through FTPF, learn more and apply here.
As part of their Be a Buddy Week in February, Iliahi Elementary invited students to choose someone new to play with on the playground, write a thank you note, give someone a compliment and other random acts of kindness.
Pomaika‘i Elementary celebrated “I Love Myself Week” with students posting something they love about themselves, a “Good Vibes” relay day hosted by the student council, learning to recognize their emotions, and even dressing up as someone who supports them.
3rd graders at Ala Wai Elementary were thrilled with the installation of their Farmacy boxes by Mountain View Farms. They planted 3 different kinds of lettuce and had a million questions about the function of each part of the box. Now they’ll patiently observe each plant with love and wonder.
Have a success story to share? Email Megan.Yarberry@sharecare.com and you could be featured in our next newsletter!
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