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San Leandro Unified
Employee Wellness
Newsletter
Sailing Through Self Care September!
Self-care isn't selfish, it's essential. But so often we compare our insides to other people's outsides. This month we're encouraging everyone to be kinder to themselves (as well as others), especially when things go wrong. Self-care increases our resilience and helps us get more out of life. It also helps us accept others as they are too. 

September 20, 2021, through October 15, 2021

During this time, you can enroll in or change health plans, add eligible dependents, delete dependents, or cancel coverage. Take a moment to examine your rates and decide if you need to make changes to your medical, dental, or vision coverage.

CHANGES
Any increase/decrease in your premium amounts will be reflected on your December pay warrant. All new health enrollments or changes in coverage made during open enrollment will be effective on January 1, 2022.

For 2022 Benefit Forms & Plan Information, click the link below:

 
If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact Veronica Sanchez at (510) 667-0537 or vsanchez@slusd.us
Stumbling Into the Next Stage of Your Pandemic Life

A therapist explores the psychology of coming back from the big pandemic pause.
Financial Planning Support
Are you prepared?

It is never too early or too late to plan for retirement or for the unexpected. We have a list of authorized providers that can assist you with your financial needs and benefits. We have professionals with expertise ranging from pre-taxing your medical, helping you enroll in life insurance, disability insurance, cancer/accident plan, to helping you decide on which retirement plan is best for you, a 403 (b), 457(b), or Roth 403 (b).

Our district has had a long relationship with two representatives from financial firms that do work with a number of SLUSD staff members. While we do not promote or endorse any representative or company, these two contacts frequently make presentations at our new employee orientations. Below is their contact information. You can also choose from the list of authorized investment providers from the link below.

Jim Adgar, PlanMember Services

Allen Perry, American Fidelity



Electronic Employee Educational Materials

For any additional questions please contact, Veronica Sanchez at
510-667-0537 or at vsanchez@slusd.us
Are you a friend to yourself—or a harsh critic? Take the Self-Compassion Quiz to see!

Research suggests that we are usually harder on ourselves than we are on others, believing that self-criticism motivates us to succeed. However, beating ourselves up often makes an unpleasant situation or setback even more stressful
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about SLUSD's Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
What is EAP?
Employee Assistance Programs can help you and your family with practically any personal challenge or concern. You can receive confidential counseling at no cost. The EAP also provides access to no-cost legal, financial, and work/life resources.

Who provides the EAP?
Claremont EAP is a company of experienced professionals who can help you with life’s challenges. You will be referred to a conveniently located counselor or resource with expertise in your area of concern.

What's the first step?
Call 800-834-3773 to discuss your question or issue with an experienced counselor who will refer you to the resources most appropriate for your needs. You can also contact us through our online form and we will reply within one business day.

Click here for more details or watch the helpful intro video below.
SLUSD Pet of the Month
Izzy Manriquez

Meet a very new member of our SLUSD family, Miss Izzy, who shares love and belly rubs with our new principal at Washington Elementary, Monica Manriquez, and her children Natalia (SLHS Pirate) and Ruben (John Muir Falcon).

Izzy is a hiker and loves to be off-leash as much as possible...who doesn't??

We want to see your pets and hear their stories! Send your photos to communications@slusd.us and get our tails wagging!
Get Outside & Get Moving!

Even with less than ideal air quality, Autumn is a gorgeous time in the Bay area to be out in nature. And it's good for our health!

Here is the East Bay Regional Parks Guide for September/October 2021. Find a trail, park, or program today and get outside!

Down Dog Wellness App is Free for all K-12 Employees through Jan 2022

Thank you to SLUSD's own Lydia Oey for sharing this special free offer from the Down Dog wellness app. Find yoga, HIIT, meditation, barre, and prenatal yoga exercises that will help keep you healthy for our new school year!
Staff Spotlight: SLUSD Food Services

Our Back to School BBQ takes a ton of planning and prep to pull together in a way that works for everyone, and for that, we need to shout out our district food services team, under the leadership of Director Clell Hoffman and his crew. This year, they heard your requests all the way back from two years ago, when you asked for more dietary options. Thank you to the team for pulling it all together so nicely and see the recipes below for some easy, tasty ways to relive the #SLUSDunited start to the year!

Also, if you didn't pick up your district swag for the year, contact the fabulous Michelle Mayfield at mmayfield@slusd.us to get yourself geared up for 2021-2022!

If you have wellness work happening at your site or in your departments, make sure to share with communications@slusd.us to get us all inspired!
Best Broccoli Salad
This recipe was a huge hit at our SLUSD Back to School BBQ, with pumpkin and sunflower seeds in place of almonds. Thank you Chef Clell for letting us all in on your secrets!


Ingredients
  • 1 pound broccoli crowns
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons mayo (vegan may recipe below)
  • 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • ⅓ cup diced red onions
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Smoky tamari almonds
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup pepitas
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • ½ teaspoon maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, more to taste


Instructions
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Chop the broccoli florets into ½-inch pieces and any remaining stems into ¼-inch dice. Peel any woody or course parts from the stem first.
  • In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mayo, apple cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, and salt. Add the broccoli, onions, and cranberries and toss to coat.
  • Place the almonds and pepitas on the baking sheet, toss with the tamari, maple syrup, and smoked paprika, and spread into a thin layer. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes (they’ll get crispier as they sit).
  • Toss the almonds and pepitas into the salad, reserving a few to sprinkle on top. Season to taste and serve.
Vegan Mayo (Thick and Velvety!)

If you can’t live without mayonnaise, you don’t have to if you want to eat vegan. Here’s Chef Clell's fave vegan mayo recipe! It only takes 5 minutes, tastes incredible, and uses easy ingredients!

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (125mL)
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lime juice or white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 cup oil I recommend any neutral oil (don't use coconut oil) (250mL)

Instructions
  • Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. If your milk is cold, you can microwave it for about 20 seconds.
  • Add the unsweetened soy milk, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt and mustard in the immersion blender beaker/jar and stir together.
  • Pour the oil over the soy milk mixture. Let it sit for about a minute.
  • Place your immersion blender into the bottom of the jar. Blend and keep it firmly pressed against the bottom for about 15 seconds while the mixture emulsifies. Slowly move the blender up and down to properly blend and incorporate all the ingredients until thick and fully combined.
  • Taste and add/adjust any ingredients if needed. Place in a sealed jar in the fridge. It thickens up in the fridge even more. Enjoy!
San Leandro Unified School District | communications@slusd.us | www.slusd.us