Odyssey Elementary School Wellness

  • We had another successful year with the Odyssey Wellness Team.  Before the Pandemic, Mrs. Sutton was able to get a really good start on our school garden.  She and her team were able to build raised garden beds and were well on their way to getting them ready for their Spring Garden.  Look for the continuation of this next year.  It will be great!  
     
    Our Walking Wednesday program is still a huge success.  We had close to 30 students per week joining teachers and staff members every Wednesday morning to get a little exercise, sometimes fresh air, and enjoy some good company before the school day began.  In fact, I've had parents tell me that even in E49, the kids are reminding their parents that it is "Walking Wednesday."  
     
    Finally, we have had a lot of staff Wellness activities going on.  Several of us have attended hikes together, participated in the D4.9K, and had staff competitions throughout the year.  It has been fun and invigorating!  

Wellness Policy Overview

  • District 49's wellness policy and supporting guidelines focus on improving the health of students. Anyone interested in serving on the districtwide wellness advisory council should email wellness@d49.org for additional information.

    A sample of the Curriculum Food Request Form is available here. 

    Nutrition for classroom parties, celebrations, rewards & fundraisers:

    • All food items must be store-bought with the nutrition information showing that the product is 100 calories or less, 0 grams of trans fat.
    • No candy or sodas are allowed.
    • Birthday celebrations with treats must follow the  Wellness Policy Guidelines.
    • Fresh fruits and vegetables are excluded from calorie and sugar limits.
    • Food prepared in a private home may not be served at school to students because knowledge of ingredients, sanitation, preparation, and temperature of food in storage or transit is not available, nor can quality and sanitation standards be controlled.
    • Fundraiser guidelines may also be found in the Wellness Policy Guidelines.

    Healthy Snack Ideas Under 100 Calories

    Non-Food Celebration Ideas

    Cascadian Farm Kid-Sized Oatmeal Raisin Bar

    Smencils (smell good pencils)

    Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Goldfish 100 Calorie Pack

    Glow Sticks

    Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn 

    Stickers

    6” Banana decorated with Sharpie and/or stickers

    Books

    Stretch Island Fruit Leather

    Chapstick

    Applesauce on the Go 

    Post-its in fun shapes

    Fruit cups in 100% juice

    Playdough

    Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps

    Stress balls

    Minute Maid Kids + Minis 100% Juice Box

    Seeds for planting 

    Trader Joe’s Apple + Banana Fruit Bar

    Lead a Dance Break

     

    Our commitment to physical activity:

    • Physical education is provided in elementary, middle, and high school.
    • Strenuous physical activity is not used (e.g. running laps, pushups) as punishment.
    • Generally, students should not be required to “sit out” any part of recess as punishment unless there is a safety concern.
    • Elementary school students will have a minimum of 30-minutes daily of physical activity. Recess for 1⁄2 day Kindergarten will be determined at those individual buildings. 
      • Physical activity can include recess, physical education classes, fitness breaks, active classroom activities, exercise programs, or active field trips.

Wellness Resources

  • Hunger Free Hotline

    Call the hotline at 855-855-4626, statewide, toll-free. Help is just a phone call away for families, seniors, and other individuals who are in need of food assistance anywhere in Colorado. Hunger Free Colorado (HFC) Hotline is a statewide, bilingual toll-free number that connects Coloradans to needed food and nutrition resources. It is a free “one-stop” resource that offers geographically-based referrals to both public and private food assistance programs across the state.

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  • Wellness

    Odyssey’s Wellness Program 2022-2023

    We had a great year at Odyssey. We started the Fall off with Walking Wednesdays. We had 75 families signed up and participating. Families started their Wednesday off with some fresh air, walking, and a quick breakfast before heading to class. In the Fall staff participated in Walktober to encourage getting more steps each day. 


    The team was able to put together a table of healthy snacks once a month for staff members. This gave the staff a quick, easy, healthy snack once a month. The staff really enjoyed this! We also purchased all new recess equipment this year. Each grade was given a bag with new toys and equipment. Students enjoyed all the new games and activities they could play at recess. Odyssey also offered Landsharks running club in the Fall and Spring to encourage getting out and exercising. The staff are ending the year strong participating in Feel Like A Millionaire. This challenge focuses on whole body wellness. We can’t wait to see what we do next year! 
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