Hello from the Farm! I am so excited to start this school year as the Interim Farm Coordinator for the TUSD Farm. There are so many opportunities waiting to happen, and it will be exciting when students can get back in action. In the meantime, I have created a google site to bring the farm opportunities to you and your virtual classrooms. (Bookmark it! I will keep it updated with new videos and links.) Please share the Farm happenings with your students. Enjoy the videos, and use the curriculum, virtual field trips, and activity links in the site to help supplement your virtual instruction. If you are interested in virtual lessons from the farm, please contact me! We can formulate lessons to include STEM ideas and address ELA or other areas as well.

Currently at the farm, the fruit trees are nearing the end of harvest! We just sent our first load of fruit to the Child Nutrition Department so that students can enjoy the produce in their school lunches. Hopefully this partnership will continue to be a successful part of Farm to Fork within our district. The almonds have been shaken and swept and are awaiting pickup processing. Exciting times lie ahead at the Farm!

N-Nutrition: Are you eating regularly? Are the foods you’re eating nutritious? 

Ideas: Try out a meal plan/service like Home Chef or Hello Fresh and cook as a family. (Many offer big discounts for trials) It’s a great way to avoid the store and engage teens in something productive. No time? Freshly and other companies offer healthy, prepared meals that are microwave ready. Trying to avoid the store? Try out Instacart or other delivery service. You can put favorites on a subscription service through Amazon so items (like flavored water, if you’re someone who doesn’t drink enough, or vitamins) just show up! Pack snacks for the classroom / office so you aren’t going long stretches. It is common to not be able to eat big meals when stressed, so small snacks throughout the day will get you through.

E-Exercise: We have all seen weight changes, and had fluctuating energy levels these last few months. Now that we are in front of our screens for much of the day, where can you build in some time to move your body?

Ideas: Make little changes, like parking farther away, or starting class with a GoNoodle warmup (and participate!) Go for walks or bike rides in the cooler evenings as a family. Try to make phone calls standing up or walking around the room to get some steps in. Track exercise through apps like MyFitness Pal, or a Fitbit/Apple watch if you have one, and set small goals for yourself.  

S-Sleep: Are you getting enough rest? If you can say yes, stop reading. You are doing amazing and you should be the one writing these articles. For the rest of us, sleep has been extra challenging… Though it is common for us to have sleep problems right now, we shouldn’t just accept that as part of our “new normal.”

Ideas: Go back to the beginning- how did we get our newborns to learn to sleep? Consistent routines. Dim lighting. No screens our loud noises. Blackout curtains. White noise. Humidifier or diffuser. Soft, comfy pajamas. With babies, we problem solve sleep like FBI detectives cracking a case, yet as adults sometimes we just accept that we won’t. Start to problem solve this again, and talk to your doctor if you need some expert support. You are worth it.

T-Time for yourself: Hahaha! Are you laughing at this one? I know. I am too. But seriously, devote at least 5 minutes every day to just sit with yourself, and breathe. Don’t jump on your phone to scroll social media, or click on the tv. Resist the urge to stay busy. Pull over down the street before you get to your house if you have to. You give almost all your waking hours to other people- take just a little chunk for yourself.  

Ideas: Try out a new app for breathing or mindfulness. (Calm, Smiling Mind, Insight Timer?) Connect with a friend for a few minutes a day. (Facetime! It’s amazing what seeing a smile does for us these days) Journal. (Try a gratitude journal specifically!) Listen to a podcast. (Unlocking Us- Brene Brown’s is great!) Start reading for fun again. Just reconnect with what feels nourishing and allow yourself to recharge a moment.  

When you find yourself overwhelmed… check in on your NEST. Where do you need to improve? 

TUSD is rolling out Remind district-wide! If you’re not already familiar with Remind, it’s a classroom messaging tool that helps you engage students and parents every day.

As part of this rollout, official accounts will be created for all the teachers. This week, you’ll receive an email from Remind. (If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder.)

Follow the steps in the email to set up your account on Remind. If you already have an account, you’ll be prompted to merge it so you can keep all of your information in one place.

As a reminder, here are some of the perks to the district plan:

Thank you for your patience as we worked out all the kinks! 

Although this is a trial by fire to be certain, I think it is safe to say that everyone is a first year teacher this year, and there are benefits to that. First, we all have to give ourselves some grace, like we do with our truly new teachers. The learning curve is steep! Another positive is that it provides a fantastic opportunity for all of us, new teachers and veterans alike, to set goals for our own improvement and to discover how our distance teaching is impacting our students. Finally, it reminds everyone that we are in this together, and we must help one another in order to best serve our students. We’ve got this!

How long have you worked in TUSD? This is my 33rd year.

What is your job title? P.E. and coaching Cross Country & Track

Where did you work prior to TUSD? Hotel maid, coach, dishwasher, babysitter, and yard work. I was always hustling for money.

Any info you would like to share about your job? Average day? I have the absolute best job in the world. On an average day, I get to be outside working out or playing. I get to see growth and strength development right in front of my own eyes. After all these years, I still am amazed by our incredible students. They are often funny, wise beyond their years, and surprise me with how open they are to new ideas or taking a leap. We teach people how to swim, how to hit a ball, how to run. Nothing compares to that look you get when they 'got it'. Do not believe any sentence that begins with, 'Kids these days....".

Things you are most proud of? I am most proud of when my P.E. kids crush the State testing and complete our P.E. marathon, things that they were certain they could NOT do.  For my athletes...our team culture on my Cross Country team. Mike Brown and I built that program, and now Josh Ebersole, or Master E, and he is also known, keeps it new and exciting and fresh.  These kids love, support, encourage, stand with, stand by each other! We are part of these young people finding new strength and reaching new heights, and often in the process find my own. Personally, I am proud that I have worked for everything I have. There is great strength in that.

Challenges? Today? Technology. Fortunately, Jenn Culum is our guru and helps us out.

Favorite memory/story? In terms of school? Seems like every year I say, "Oh, this is my favorite or my best" so I excuse myself from this one.

What are you reading? Besides finishing Harry Potter for the 46^th time (I know...don't even say it), I just finished Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra by Jordan Fisher Smith...a little about geology, cop work, politics, and the history of the American River Canyon.

Fave movies? Harry Potter of course and then, Sound of Music, and any Gene Kelly movie...I love old movies.

Anything surprising we may not know about you? I have 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I am from Quakertown, PA. In 1963 it was a small farm town of 3,000 people. Moving to California when I was in high school was like moving to another planet.

Anything about your personal life you’d like to share? I am a grandma now, so I thoroughly enjoy every part of that.  Coaching 2 sports doesn't leave much time outside of work, but summers are spent in oceans, rivers, and lakes. I must have been a fish in my former life.