Written by Rukshana Ilahi, Kent ISD Mental Wellness Consultant

Chance for educators to win a free 30-minute massage during the month of May!

Did you know there are nearly 120,000 students throughout Kent and Barry County? They rely on thousands of educators to teach, support and help them reach their full potential. These teachers and educators work tirelessly on behalf of their students every single day. These same educators rely on Kent ISD for support, training, resources, and so much more.

We see you, educators. Not just those who are in the classroom everyday, but also the ones who make sure our attendance records are up to par, the ones who serve our lunches, the ones who swoop in and help kids with challenging feelings, and the ones who stand before school boards answering really difficult questions. We see all of you.  

As the school year starts to wind down, we know that the pressure to make up for lost time, lost learning, and lost relationships begin to boil over. We recognize that your to-do list overflows, stress builds, and that joy of teaching diminishes. But, May brings the opportunity to turn that around! We want to recognize your hard work by offering free wellness activities for ALL school staff during the month of May. Plus, we want to support you in developing habits that will revitalize your joy. We want to throw you a lifeline, because what you do, every day, matters. We want you to not just survive, but THRIVE!

Throughout the month of May Kent ISD is offering free wellness activities for ALL school staff. The events kick off on May 2nd (Educator Appreciation Week). We’re calling it THRIVE! Promoting Educator Wellness. THRIVE! will offer an array of opportunities school staff can attend for free. And, by attending these opportunities you will be entered to win a free therapeutic massage. We will wrap up the month with a 5K run/walk to celebrate YOU!

Yoga practice helps educators relax and recharge

As we contemplated THRIVE! offerings, I knew that yoga needed to be on the list. 20 years ago I started practicing yoga for lower back pain, but it quickly became a practice that I committed to do for life. Yoga not only helps me exert much needed physical energy, but it also provides me a place to be nonjudgmental with myself, my thoughts, and my practice.

My yoga teacher has always had the mantra “hold the long view” (I’m forever trying to get that hand stand accomplished!). As educators, we too must hold the long view for our students, but more importantly, we must hold the long view for ourselves. Yoga is just one way that you can do that.

Bring your yoga mat for a free Vinyasa Flow Yoga session on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s during the month of May at Kent ISD. All skill levels are welcome. Spots are limited so sign up today!

Mindfulness practice helps educators to be present and slow down

Mindfulness is a similar practice that excludes the physical component of yoga. This practice allows your body, thoughts, and actions to slow down, and be present in the moment. In the world we live in, it’s easy to either be focused on what we need to accomplish (the future) or what we should have done differently (the past).  Neither of these approaches allows us to focus on what is currently happening right in front of us.

Mindfulness can be done anywhere and anytime to help you be present. It has even been integrated into many mental and physical therapeutic approaches. In a recent article featured in NPR, they talked about the use of mindfulness with patients suffering from IBS. This is a lifelong practice that has many benefits. 

Join us for an online Mindfulness Practice every Monday from 4-5 pm during the month of May. This online series will provide examples of mindfulness practices that can be used throughout your daily life and in your school community. SCECH’s and SW-CEC’s will also be available to those that attend.

Connect and grow with Thriving Educators professional learning series

We are also offering you the opportunity to connect with one another and explore some important concepts that lead to a better you, through a four part professional learning series titled “Thriving Educators.“ We will focus on care tools that we need to embed into the cultures of our schools to ensure that the places we work are healthy, collaborative, and growth-oriented. Together we will look at the practices and tools we can embrace that will make our schools better places for all of us to work and thrive. 

You are invited to attend this four-part in-person professional learning series that focuses on how educators can create healthy, collaborative and growth-oriented schools where everyone thrives. The sessions will meet on Wednesday’s in May from 4-5pm at Kent ISD. SCECH’s and SW-CEC’s will also be available to those that participate in this learning series.

Chance for educators to win a free 30-minute massage!

Who doesn’t love a massage? Attend any Yoga, Mindfulness, or Thriving Educator session to be entered for a chance to win a free 30-minute therapeutic massage! Winners will be drawn weekly in May.

Thrive! Community 5K Walk/Run on Memorial Day

Our month will culminate in a THRIVE! 5k – walk/run where we hope to cheer each other on towards the finish lines; the end of the race and the end of the school year. You can choose to participate in this event by running, walking, or even volunteering. This 5K is open to everyone, so please share with your family and friends.

Kent ISD supports and thanks all educators for your service

We hope to see you in May! Our goal is to support you in developing practices that lead to a better you. We need you, our students need you, and most importantly you need you. YOU ARE LOVED! YOU ARE APPRECIATED! YOU MATTER!

Check out all the events on the THRIVE! website

#MentalWellnessMatters #THRIVE #KentISDpd #WeLeadLearning

This blog post was edited by Sara Sefcik, PD Hub intern and Amanda Walma, Professional Learning Coordinator for Kent ISD.