San Leandro Unified
Employee Wellness
Newsletter
Embrace New Ways November!
This month, we're encouraging you to try something new!  Learning something new or getting involved in an activity that really absorbs and interests us is great for our wellbeing. Keeping our brains active is not only good for us physically but it can help you feel you are flourishing as you see yourself making progress with a new skill, or just make you smile as you make a mess and decide to start again. :)  Being playful and trying new things is important, as is remembering that it's OK not to get it right the first time - change "I can't do it", into "I can't do it...yet!" This month's calendar is full of ideas to help you decide what to try next.

Spotlight on Site: Bancroft Middle School
See how the Broncos are backing each other!
Thank you to BMS educators Bianca Contreras and Deanna Slaton for sharing just one of the ways that the Bancroft staff is keeping each other strong and resilient during this demanding time.

The BMS SEL Committee meets 1-2 times a month and consists of Bianca Contreras, Melissa Moss, and Nercy Arias. Their mission is to create an environment of Social-Emotional well-being for their community. With this newsletter, they foster a habitual practice of the SEL competencies as well as offer skills, resources, and most importantly, self-care strategies to implement both at home and in the classroom. With a social justice foundation, they strive to develop a sense of community throughout campus. 

The SEL committee is one of seven committees at Bancroft that aim to provide intentional planning time for staff members to improve the climate and culture at Bancroft. The other committees are:

  • Sunshine Club
  • Student Activities
  • Technology
  • School Culture
  • School-wide Routines Procedures/Safety 
  • High school, College & Career Readiness


Click on the image to download a copy.

If you have wellness work happening in your special space at SLUSD, please share with communications@slusd.us.
Ten Ways to Make Your Time Matter


Accepting our mortality helps us let go of busyness and focus on what’s most important for a happier, more meaningful life.


The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly finite. If you’re lucky and you live to 80, you will have lived about four thousand weeks. This truth, which most of us ignore most of the time, is something to wrestle with if we want to spend our limited time on this earth well.
Two Ways to Get COVID Tested
SLUSD staff and students have special opportunities

All SLUSD students, staff, and families can access free COVID testing at the following two locations:

San Leandro Adult School
1448 Williams Street
Monday -Friday 8:30 – 3:30

Barbara Lee Center
2251 Bancroft Ave. 
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
 9-1 pm & 2-4 pm
Children 12 years and under need a parent present.

Science of Happiness Podcasts

Episode 91: Finding Strength Through Gratitude

A doctor who serves communities in dire need shares how gratitude helps him find light in the darkness.
Mental Health Support through SLUSD's Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Claremont EAP provides multiple mental health solutions to you and your family members to address a range of issues such as marital/relationship issues, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and grief.
Counseling?
Learn more about the confidential, short-term counseling services that are fully paid for by your employer.
Who is Tess?
Learn more about Tess, the AI Chatbot, that provides 24/7 emotional support and check-ins to boost resilience.
Peer Support?
Interested in learning coping strategies in a caring environment with peers? See our support groups.
National Diabetes Month
Small Steps, Big Difference

November is National Diabetes Month, a time when communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes. This year’s focus is on prediabetes and preventing diabetes.

Prediabetes is a serious health condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults have prediabetes—that’s 88 million people—but the majority of people don’t know they have it.
The good news is that by making small healthy lifestyle changes, it is possible to prevent type 2 diabetes and even reverse your prediabetes.

See the video below and read more here.
Local Turkey Trots 2021
Take advantage of these cherished local traditions and get the whole family involved!

Going out and getting active is a great way to prep for the big meal by working off a few calories in the community. Here are links to local opportunities to run or walk your way into the holiday season!
Questions about COVID-19 Booster Shots?
As educational employees, everyone in SLUSD is eligible. People 65 years and older or 50–64 years with an underlying medical condition should receive a booster shot. See the CDC information page for more information, including ways to make appointments here.
NOVEMBER IS LUNG CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

Anyone can get lung cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer deaths. Learn how to lower your risk below.
Three Sisters Stew
Indigenous peoples have grown and cooked with the "Three Sisters" of corn, squash, and beans for centuries. Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month with this easy fall recipe!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups onions, diced
6 cups water
2 cans diced tomatoes, no salt added (14.5-oz. can)
6 cups red-skinned potatoes, cubed
1 can tomato sauce, no salt added (15-oz. can)
1 cup corn, frozen
1 cup yellow squash, diced
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (15.5-oz. can)
1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed (15.5-oz. can)
½ can quick-cooking barley
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large stockpot, add all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Serve immediately.
Khajur Ladu
(Date, Pistachio, and Almond Morsels)

These date balls (wonderful additions to your Diwali celebrations) are nutty and fudgy—without any chocolate! 

INGREDIENTS
(Makes about 12 morsels)

  • 2 cups whole milk (non-dairy is great too!)
  • 3 cups rinsed and deseeded dates, coarsely chopped
  • 1–1½ cups raw pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
  • Heat the milk in a large nonstick saucepan. As the milk comes to a boil, add the chopped dates and stir well. The dates will begin to disintegrate and thicken the milk. Cook and stir this mixture continuously over the next 10 to 15 minutes on medium-low, or until the mix begins to leave the sides of the pot. 

  • Stir in half of the crushed pistachio and all the crushed almonds. Mix well until the nuts are evenly distributed. Cool until ready to handle.
San Leandro Unified School District | communications@slusd.us | www.slusd.us