Now there is a reason I am telling you all of this. This month’s column is dedicated to destressing your holiday season. At the end of the column I will also include my “Tip from your Trainer”.

I was stressed over our move but didn’t get sick, knock on wood while I am throwing salt over my left shoulder. I took care of my family and myself. NOTE: I took care of myself. As caregivers the first thing that tends to go is the “Taking care of myself” part of that statement. Just like the stewards and stewardesses tell us on airplanes, “Put the mask over your mouth first, then any dependents traveling with you.”

As we travel through the busy holiday season we tend to forget what is best for ourselves. We are making sure our kids, our spouses or our extended families are happy and THEN we take into consideration our needs. We know what we would like to do but more often than not we do what we feel we should do.

Well, if the main caregiver in the family is happy, everyone tends to be happy. So I am here to remind you to DESTRESS this holiday season. Say no more often. Do the things that are important to you. Eat well, drink your water and during the course of your week, do one thing for yourself. Whether it’s getting your nails done, playing 18 holes of golf instead of 9 this week, volunteering at your kid’s school or a soup kitchen, or taking ten minutes to have a cup of tea and flip through a magazine, do something that will make you feel good.

Every holiday I try to make sure I stay on track while cramming all of the extra things into my schedule. As my kids are getting older, I am more conscious of time ticking away. I try to slow down and really enjoy my kids and my time with them.
Believe it or not, I also find that if I do something for others, I feel darn good. So as your wellness advisor, I am here to give you a gentle reminder to be good to yourself this holiday season, while you are being good to others!

Trainer Tip:

Remember to stretch even if you are doing the most mundane things like gardening or cleaning your house. Here is a simple one to add to your repertoire. Gently and slowly bend over and let your arms dangle in front of you while you exhale through your mouth. Make sure you have a slight bend at the knees and don’t worry if you don’t touch the ground. Just go as far as you can. Keep breathing in and out nice and slowly. Slowly stand up straight and imagine your spine unfolding little by little. Stand near a chair or wall just in case you get dizzy. Not only are you stretching out your spine, hamstrings and arm muscles but also you are breathing deeply. You are giving your body much needed oxygen.

Always be gentle with your body while you are exercising or stretching and remember to check with your doctor before starting any rigorous exercise routine.

We all have the best intentions of exercising and eating right. Don’t overload yourself during this busy holiday season. I will challenge you to do two things for yourself this season. Drink your water and if you can’t exercise, watch your caloric intake and do the simple stretch outlined above at least twice a day. Losing weight and staying healthy is really a simple calculation of calories in vs. energy out. Try not to take more calories in than you can expend in a single day.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to enjoy yourself, your friends and your family.

LeeAnne Matusek, Wellness Committee

Help Stevenson Students Sock it To Drugs!  Wednesday October 21st.

Since I am going to be talking to you about wellness this year I thought I’d tell you a little bit about myself and what my qualifications might be to dispense pearls of wellness wisdom.

I am a mother of three boys, Hank 6 ½ in first grade with Ms. Diamond and Jake and Luke 2 year old fraternal twins. I, like you, am also a bit of a juggler. I juggle being a mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend, volunteer and entrepreneur.

Before I had my boys I had my own personal training business called Mat’s Muscles. I truly enjoyed helping people get healthy. My motto was and is, “Fitness is more than muscles, it’s a state of mind.” I am currently breathing life into my training business again. I’ll keep you posted on how all this juggling is going as the year progresses.

I appreciate my motto more than ever now since my muscles seem to have gone into hiding and I’m trying to shift my state of mind from “survival mode” to really focusing on what is best for my family and me.

What I hope to accomplish with this column is to share information with you so you can live a healthy and balanced life.

As a trainer I will share exercise tips with you and as a mom juggling kids and a career, tips on how to fit it all in.

This month’s tip is, hydration! If you are experiencing a bit of a headache, drink a glass of water. It’s also the best way to start your day. The old saying of 8 of 8 a day (eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day) is no longer a requirement and hey, who could do that anyway. But if you are feeling a bit parched, you are already headed for dehydration. The same is true for your kids. Make sure they have a healthy drink in their lunch and remind them to drink up.

Trainer Tip: I literally start my day with an 8 ounce glass of H2O. It’s the best way to wake up. As I drink that first glass of water of the day I can almost feel it seeping into my pores and rehydrating my body from my state of slumber.

If you have any tips for the wellness column or want to volunteer for FOOTBALL ON THURSDAYS program, please call or email me 213-247-5893 or leeannematusek@sbcglobal.net.

LeeAnne Mutasek

The Wellness committee is getting ready to launch our lunchtime football program. We need a small crew of parent volunteers on hand to coach what will be a very large group of senior students. Our goal over the past two years has been to get more kids active during the lunch hour. We would love to have some new coaches so that we can give each child the attention that he or she deserves and keep the games running smoothly.

If you would like to help out and are free Thursdays at lunch, you can pick up a volunteer sign-up kit at the office. It usually takes about two weeks for parent volunteers to be cleared so please file the paperwork as soon as possible. You do not need to be a sports expert to come and help out. The only prerequisite is patience, a sense of humor and a love of children. Everything else can be learned on the job!

It is especially important that we get new parents involved now with the Wellness Program so that it will continue to run smoothly next year when a number of our committee members will be leaving the Stevenson community. While we have traditionally run touch football and softball as our main sports, new ideas are always welcome and probably necessary at this point.

If you have any questions, you can contact  LeeAnne Matusek : (213) 247-5893

What?
Influenza season is fast approaching, and receiving an annual vaccination is the best defense in preventing this serious and potentially deadly disease. Our PTA is working with Flu Busters, a leading provider of on-site vaccinations, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, and Novartis Vaccines to help children, their families and members of the community get vaccinated against influenza.

Why?
Many people underestimate the seriousness of this contagious illness. Families should consider receiving an annual vaccination because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend that all children from six months to 18 years of age should be vaccinated against influenza.

Where?
Stevenson Elementary, 3333 Oak St, Burbank 91505

When?
October 10th, 9.00 am.

How Much?
For the 2009-2010 flu vaccination season, the cost of injectable vaccine for those who pre-register is $25 each, and a “walk-in” will pay $27. For pre-registered nasal spray vaccine, the cost is $30. Anyone wishing to receive the nasal spray MUST pre-register.

Wendy and Colleen

It’s hard to believe that we are at the end of another school year and have concluded our lunchtime sports program at Stevenson for the 2008/09 season. We played a lot of football and softball and had a lot of fun while we embraced the spirit of friendship and sportsmanship. Thanks to the parent volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to come out and play with the kids while teaching some valuable sport skills along the way. I am particularly indebted to Jena Van Loo and Jason Burks who were there on a weekly basis and shared their exceptional athletic talents with the kids. Jena and Jason are both excellent coaches in the Burbank Parks & Rec system and our Stevenson kids were truly fortunate to have had access to their talents over the entire year. I would also like to thank Stevenson Dads Earl Brown and Mike Malone for coming out to help when their schedules allowed and for being such positive role models on the field. Special thanks to Wendy Pennings for keeping the dugout running smoothly and for jumping in for catching duty from time to time!

Coach Mike

While it will be sad to leave the Wellness Committee at the end of the school year, I have every confidence that new parents will step in and keep this program running smoothly for years to come. I strongly encourage any returning parents interested in health and fitness to attend PTA meetings in the fall when a new chairman will be selected. At a time when shoestring budgets are stripping away programs that keep our kids physically active, it is more important than ever for parents to step in and fill the gaps. The health and happiness of our kids depends upon it. You just might make yourself a little healthier too! Have a wonderful summer break.

Be Well.

Paul Bond           (The Wellness Committee…..since 2006)

Special thanks to our newest coach, Wendy Pennings, for keeping the dugout running smoothly and to ace pitcher Jena Van Loo for relieving Miss Ginnetti and going the distance until the final bell. Coach Jason rested this game but came back and pitched solidly in game 2. We are always grateful to have two such talented pitchers on our roster! While you all know that I am more than capable of writing a thousand words, I thought it best to let these pictures tell the story of this great day!

Paul Bond
Chairman
Wellness Committee…. since 2006

As I drove along Oxnard Street recently, I saw something that really warmed my heart. In a vacant, triangular shaped piece of property between two apartment buildings, a man was pitching balls to a number of young children who were patiently waiting in line for their turn. No bells, no whistles, just a simple bat and a few balls and I guarantee that these kids were having more fun than they would have on the Wii or Play Station. While the current recession might make it challenging to equip our kids with all of the latest video gaming updates, nothing prevents most of us from throwing on a pair of sneakers and playing whiffle ball with our kids in the back yard or hitting fly balls to them in a local park. When I last checked, a whiffle ball and bat cost about five bucks compared to the thirty or forty dollars that might be spent on the video game, “Backyard Baseball.” Even Oprah concurs that what our kids really want is to spend time with their parents, not all of the latest toys or gadgets.

In one of the latest All State commercials, spokesman Dennis Haysbert reminds us that one positive aspect about a recession is that it leads people back to life’s simple pleasures. Out of economic necessity, we are often forced to stop keeping up with the Joneses and required to start appreciating the things we already have. So if the cost of Little League is keeping your kids out of the game this season, why not take them down to any one of our wonderful Burbank Parks and organize a game with family and friends? If the cost of a Dodgers game is too much for your monthly budget right now, why not take in an exciting Varsity baseball game at Burroughs for free? The Indians play a number of home games this year and would be delighted to have extra fans to cheer them on. Check out burroughsbaseball.org for their 2009 home schedule starting immediately.

Right now, the Wellness Committee is actively recruiting new parents to get involved with our lunch hour softball program every Thursday at 12 noon. Please contact me ASAP at 818-331-8945. It’s time to step up to the plate!

Paul Bond  (The Wellness Committee)

For any of you who have read my newsletter articles in the past, you know that I am committed to keeping kids interested in our national pastime. Research continues to suggest that interest is waning in youth baseball due to the slower pace of the game when compared to other recreational activities. Many kids would rather play a simulated baseball game on Play Station or the Wii than don their cleats and head down to their local Sandlot. At a time when technology is rapidly speeding up every aspect of our lives, I feel it is especially important to preserve the tradition of wiling away a few hours at the ballpark, either as a player or spectator.

As a youngster, I spent many summers at my uncle’s farm during the haying season. As busy as it got, we never failed to play an hour of softball on the back lawn after lunch before returning to the tractors and hay wagons. It is with this spirit that we invite the students to take a brief respite from their studies and join us on the back field every Thursday after lunch for a spirited game of work-ups. If you join us on the right day, you just might catch Principal Ginnetti on the mound or stepping up to the plate! On that note, we encourage all teachers and staff members to jump into the rotation as well.

Paul Bond
Chairman