Friday, December 22, 2017

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

2017.12.22


Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!


“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:
Grateful for opportunities in 2017.


What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:
Relaxing, getting caught up, and enjoying the break. Coming back fresh for 2018!


Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:
A simple formula for living: take care of the little things.


This is just a quick post to say Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I am looking forward to spending time with family, reflecting on the many reasons I have to be grateful, and catching up with things that have been pushed to the back burner as “life/work happens”. We will be traveling to the Midwest (IL, WI) to visit family and then stopping in PA to visit some more family on the rebound.


Here is to being thankful for everything that 2017 brought our way and wishing everyone well in 2018!
 
Tags: #family, #grateful


Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Twitter: @DavidGusitsch
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org


Here are a few pics from our recent trip into NYC and our 2017 Gusitsch Family Christmas card:




Friday, December 15, 2017

@BeWellNCPS

2017.12.15


@BeWellNCPS


“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:
The kickoff of the NCPS Employee Wellness program is exciting and has the potential to offer a great service to all employees in the district.


What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:
Being part of team that is going to offer exciting opportunities to all employees in the NCPS.


Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:
“It's never too early or too late to work towards being the healthiest you.”
“Caring for the whole employee, while educating the whole child.”

The recently announced district-wide employee wellness program is exciting news for everyone (not just employees). Why, you ask? People who feel better, perform better. Since we are in the “kid business” the direct beneficiaries are our students. The mission of our committee states the following:


The Wellness Committee strives to educate, promote, and support the wellbeing of all NCPS employees by fostering and inspiring healthy lifestyles.


The fact that our superintendent, Dr. Luizzi, is leading the charge speaks volumes about the potentially positive return on investment across the district. There have been a few meetings to brainstorm and propose ways to roll this initiative out to everyone. It has been a terrific collaboration between professionals from central office, teachers, nurses, administrators, and our insurance representative.


Part of the rollout has been to come up with a brand that will help people recognize positive and/or wellness related messages. We are proud to have developed the below logo and banner that will be part of our ongoing communications. It was a nice team effort between committee members, NCHS art teachers, and district technology personnel. We have also reached out and collaborated with professionals from other districts/states to find out what has been successful for them. Feel free to check out progress, see messages, collaborate, and follow along on our journey at: @BeWellNCPS.  


While the details on all facets of the program are still being ironed out, it is exciting to hear about the potential of joining forces across the district and offering activities and services that may currently be confined to one location. Some of the offerings that already exist include walking programs, fitbit challenges, a.m. basketball, Zumba, yoga, fitness center, amongst others. In addition, we will consider screenings and programs that will help provide information to guide health-based decisions and hopefully foster community with, and amongst, colleagues.  


We owe it to ourselves to be wellness-minded, but that is often easier said than done. Over time, the results of not feeling well can compound resulting in you not operating at, or anywhere near, 100%. Remember, being well does not have to consist of long, arduous workouts or extended periods of cardiovascular training. It could be as simple as getting extra steps or doing short sets of exercises (even without equipment) throughout the day. The key is being consistent. Again, the end result will be great not only for individuals, but for the community and students that we serve.


Thanks to our tremendous NCPS Nursing Supervisor, Janet Reed, we have a few tips to help us “Be Well”:
From the Nurses - TEN TIPS TO STAY WELL:
1. Exercise!
2.    Eat a healthy diet to boost your immune system.
3.     Wash your hands frequently
4.     Keep your hands away from your face since germs enter through your mouth, nose and eyes.
5.     Drink plenty of water.  Hydrated cells are better able to repel viruses and bacteria.
6.     Get enough sleep.  7-8 hours for adults. 10 for children and teens.  People who sleep less than 7 hours are 3 times more likely to catch a cold.
7.     Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow rather than your hands, which can spread the germs.
8.     Stay home when you have a fever or a cough that can’t be quieted.
9.     Have a positive attitude.  A negative outlook can be harmful to your physical and mental health.
10.   Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and mindfulness.  Studies show these strategies boost your immune system and activate the calming parasympathetic nervous system.

With that being said, “Be Well” New Canaan!


Tags: @BeWellNCPS, @NCHS_CT, @NCPShealthPE, #wellness  


Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Twitter: @DavidGusitsch
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org


Here a few pictures from this past week:


The logo consists of colors representing each school in the district. The Orange represents the Positivity Training the we participated in (The Happiness Advantage, The Orange Frog).

The banner has the district “crest” and elements that are important from each domain (cognitive, affective, psychomotor, and social). The puzzle pieces represent each piece being important to benefit the whole.





Friday, December 8, 2017

A Week in the Life of...

2017.12.8

A Week in the Life of...

“Outtakes”. A snippet of thoughts to kick off this blog post:
This is a busy time of year for everyone.  

What I am looking forward to putting into practice, or continuing:
A moment for me. Remembering to take time to keep everything in balance and perspective.  

Quote(s) that resonated with me this week:
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ~ John F. Kennedy

“I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”  ~ Michael Jordan


After a week off from writing a blog post (life/work sometimes has a way of loading up the calendar!), I am back with a reflection on a “week in the life of…”. You may insert teacher, educator, student, administrator, or anything education related, in the latter part of the title and it would apply to this time of year. It is a time of excitement, activities, and business. This is by no means a critical look at the calendar, just a snapshot of the balancing act that takes place during certain times of the year. Meetings, observations, conversations with students/staff, emails, etc. are the constants, the rest of the schedule ebbs and flows

Monday was a typical day start to a week during the day, followed by the Board of Education meeting that evening. Making the best of an extended day, I was able to grab a bite to eat with a colleague from Saxe and talk shop in a different setting (Note: The Lime Restaurant in Norwalk has a great veggie burger!). It was exciting to see Melinda Meyer and Jonathan Adams present on their specific content areas, Science and Health Education, respectively. NCPS is fortunate to have smart, talented, dedicated leaders in all disciplines. Melinda focused on the transition to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) while Jonathan covered the importance of comprehensive, quality Health Education.

Tuesday included a Tri-State Assistant Principal study group, which I found engaging and professionally enriching. That evening, the NCHS Orchestra held their Annual Orchestra Festival. I was not surprised, but I was amazed at the talent that these students displayed during the concert. Mr. Ficks and company do a great job of preparing this impressively large group and keep it interesting for anyone in attendance by having their music range from Bach to Pixar to Star Wars. Tremendous.

Wednesday began with one of my favorite events of the week, the Rising Above Ceremony. This recognizes students who have helped others, put forth extraordinary effort to reach a goal or “risen above” difficult situations. Parents were invited and it was a nice celebration for these well deserving students. Later in the day, the Health and Physical Education program had an impromptu meeting with a regional representative from the US Games OPEN program to consider ways to continue to improve and provide quality, meaningful Health and Physical Education for all NCHS students. The day wrapped up with a district administrative meeting that included conversations ranging from facilities to budget to transportation to programming, and everything in between. It is always nice to get this talented group of educational leaders together and I always feel as though I grow professionally after these collaborative meetings.

Thursday began with a Wellness Walk that was put together by our amazing Nursing Coordinator, Janet Reed. This is one example of offering opportunities that benefit employees, physically, socially, and emotionally which ultimately allows staff to perform at an optimal level for their students. I will be writing more about the recently developed Employee Wellness program (@BeWellNCPS) in the near future. Thursday evening was rounded out by a community event in my hometown (Bethel) by the best-selling author of the Kinesthetic Classroom books, Mike Kuczala. It is always nice to experience an event given by someone who is the best in their respective field, in this case, the brain-body connection. Today, he will be working 130+ educators for one of their professional development days.     

Friday, looks to be another “standard” day. It began by greeting students out in front of the building as they arrived (my favorite), followed by a visit to a class doing a shark dissection (very cool) and will conclude with a conference call this afternoon with a colleague (Sam Karns) in my PLN to discuss ideas and details about the great Employee Wellness program they have in place in Spring Branch, Texas. Finally, I hope to round out the week with a nice jog in Waveny. A great opportunity to de-stress, experience nature right in our “backyard”, and build some new brain cells through some aerobic activity! Have a great weekend and thanks for taking the time to read my post this week.

Tags: @BeWellNCPS, @NCHS_CT, @NCPShealthPE, @Samuel_Karns, @kinestheticlass, #NGSS, Melinda Meyer, Janet Reed  


Please feel free to contact or follow me:
Twitter: @DavidGusitsch
Email: david.gusitsch@ncps-k12.org

Here a few pictures from this past week:

Molecular Geometry simulation in AP Chemistry





Jonathan Adams presenting to BOE


NCHS Orchestra (amazing)

Rising Above Ceremony

Mike Kuczala (Bethel)



Dogfish shark dissection in Marine Science