Mission Statement
To create a culture where health consciousness is a natural aspect of everyday life that further enriches our schools, homes and community.
Calendars
| Wellness | Hiking |
Health and Wellness Education:
VEBA and Friends:
VEBA Health Coaching and Incentive Programs
| Wellness Plan Benefits | Health Plan Benefits | Veba Benefits Overview |
| Kaiser | Best Doctors | United HealthCare |
| American Specialty Health | Employee Assistance Program Member Access Code: veba |
Healthy Eating in San Ysidro:
| Healthy Dining Finder | San Diego Restaurants | Alternative Snack List |
Wellness Committee & Site Champions:
Juanita Nuñez, Teacher, SYMS, ext. 3252
Paloma Perez Bertrand, Nutrition Specialist, District Office, ext. 3011
Leonor Partida, Teacher, La Mirada, ext. 3424
Jason Romero, Assistant Superintendent Human Resources, District Office, ext. 3012
Marco Guajardo, Benefits, District Office, ext. 3008
Juana Aceves, Instructional Aide, Ocean View Hills
Maggy Portillo, Teacher, Smythe, ext. 3505
Eliud Lagarda, Teacher, Vista Del Mar, ext 3948
Wellness Committee & Site Champion Member Job Description:
Purpose: The Wellness Committee was established to enhance the acceptance and success of the wellness program activities by encouraging employee ownership of the program. The Wellness Committee Member’s role is to advise on program development, promote the program and act as a wellness program resource.
Responsibilities: Assist the committee facilitator with program planning, assist with coordinating site-specific program events
Actively promote program activities among co-workers
Communicate the program in departmental meetings
Provide feedback to the facilitator about your thoughts, ideas and suggestions, and those of your coworkers.
Wellness Program Objectives :
Principles: We recognize that health cannot just be a convenient finish point that we reach for short term gratification. Being active and health conscious needs to be a way of life. By enriching our bodies and minds we enrich our homes, our community, and our reality.
Though lifelong health is a constant reaffirming process, we gradually find lasting alternatives and integrate the correct elements that ensure lifelong vitality for our families. Along the way, we also avoid the painful chronic diseases that plague our society.
For those who already live with serious health conditions, the common prescription is nutrition and exercise. Instead of waiting for these chronic illnesses to creep up on us and affect our lives, we should make the worthwhile effort to become conscious and organize a healthy lifestyle.
The fun in going out and doing activities with your coworkers, the joy of discovering and sharing new recipes, the general satisfaction of fulfillment from personal growth and stress relief – these are all rewards that are priceless compared to the risks of not making the effort.
Obstacles: We recognize that cultural norms present a big obstacle to changing the direction of how we nourish ourselves, however, without the appropriate institutional structure to responsibly address our health and without the personal desire to drive that change, there is no foundation to start.
Food industry negligence and manipulation, pervasiveness of unhealthy options, the general environment and lack of available facilities are other significant external roadblocks we face.
Other notable internal obstacles to address are time, finances, motivation, family obligations, and other personal barriers.
These can all be overcome.
Strategies: Our strategies to resolve the obstacles reflect our Mission Statement – to create a culture of health throughout the District. With the resources available and the involvement of our staff, we will offer activities, awareness, and a healthy environment that permeates our daily lives. We will always be open to advice, suggestions, and criticisms to better improve our strategies.
Implementation: SYSD is lucky to have a solid Wellness Committee dedicated to implementing worksite activities, and we are always looking for new recruits to help us grow. With the indispensable help of our partners in California Schools VEBA (via Healthy Adventures Foundation), Kaiser, United HealthCare, our employees, our leadership, and other organizations, we will work to communicate, motivate and increase participation in our program.[divider]