Weekly Wellness Blog Wednesday July 29, 2020

Namaste everyone. It was lovely to see you all this morning. This morning was a strange morning for me as I virtually welcomed you all to the new academic school year of 2020- 2021. Here is a link to the welcome speech if you want to watch it again.  It is my hope and wishes for each and every one of you that we are all able to be back on campus as soon as possible.

Inspirational Article \ Video Of The Week

Article of the Week - Tips for teacher wellbeing

Video of the Week - Life without Teachers

Highlights From WNT ( Wellbeing Network Team)

Welcome to AISC - Introduce Yourself 

We at WNT came up with a new initiative to introduces ourselves to the New Faculty Class of the AISC community (Faculty and Staff). Please open this link and add a short introduction about yourself. It could be a fun fact about yourself that no one knows, a talent you have, etc. Looking forward to seeing you all there. It won't take long. Please do participate.

Socialization Things to Considerations:  Food for Thought #2

As socially minded, caring adults here are some ideas, food for thought for you to help you manage expectations around the developing COVID-19 new normal. Click here to read about Food for Thought #2  to have your queries answered.

If you missed out on the previous episode here it is:  Food for Thought Episode #1

Reminders & Upcoming Event Suggestions

ART

Click Here

Click Here

Click here

Dance and Music

Talk Shows

Click Here

Click Here

Gardening

Local Businesses, Restaurants and Take Away

I would like this space to be a platform where we can support local businesses. I am looking for any home chefs, bakers, Salad makers, etc you may know who is catering within the city. If you are wondering why I'm doing this? The number one perk to consider, for obvious reasons, is that supporting local means that we care about the community that we live in. You’ll be able to put money back into your community and the other people who call it home, too. It’ll give your local economy a chance to thrive, too. Local business owners don’t have the funds to go big or go home, so when you buy local you are going to be respecting that they are getting out there every day and trying their best to make an honest living even against all of the competition out there. There is a lot to be said for that. Shopping with a local business — regular shopping, that is — shows them the respect that you have for them and their attempts at doing things the right way.  Please feel free to send me contact details of people you may know who may benefit from this platform. You may email me at vpriya@aischennai.org

Here are my suggestions for local businesses you may want to explore and give a chance to invest in.  These suggestions are to kickstart this initiative. 

Shiraz Cafe

TGIHomemade

Check us out on Facebook @TGIHomemade or Instagram @thankgoditishomemade 

Call Barkha- 99404 73768 for a custom menu.

Sugar Momma

Sinful Temptations

Cardy's Catering

For Pet Lovers

Wellness Academy

We are fully aware that social connections and virtual community activities are needed to support our wellbeing in this time of uncertainty.  If you are interested in supporting us in this fill out this Google Form to apply to lead a course within the Wellness Academy for the Fall and/or Spring semester- (stipend included).

*If you have any questions about these processes, you can email me at vpriya@aischennai.org 

We hope to hear from you and would love any support you can provide as we strive to support our staff and faculty wellbeing in these times of uncertainty. Please email me if you are interested in joining the Faculty Wellness Committee (led by Priya). 

Movies/Shows to Watch

Everyone is home binge-watching movies and shows during this period. Here is a form for you to fill and give us your suggestions. I will highlight one of these every week. This week's recommendation

My Beautiful Broken Brain (2016) -  Watch the Trailer 

In 2011, Lotje Sodderland suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in her sleep and woke up not knowing who she was or how to communicate. Within days, though, she began to document her situation and her recovery, recording selfie videos that are now a devastatingly personal part of My Beautiful Broken Brain, one of the best documentaries of the year. The film, which also involves David Lynch, puts us in Sodderland's mind to the best of nonfiction cinema's capabilities. In addition to candidly sharing the struggles and insights of its subject, Brain also represents her newly enhanced sensory perception through augmented POV shots, using visual effects that could have been cheesy in a lesser work.

Birthdays and Celebrations

Ilangovan S	July 2nd
Jennifer Baker	July 2nd
Vijayalakshmi S	July 3rd
Jane Fijman	July 5th
Neeraja Devarapalli	July 7th
Ashwini Govindan	July 7th
Joelle Basnight	July 10th
Rebekah Lopata	July 15th
Vinithasri M	July 16th
Sunita R	July 17th
Sudha Meeran	July 19th
Jessica Hesprich	July 22nd
Zahida Begum	July 23rd
Rachel McCallum	July 23rd
Alankrit Arora	July 28th
Benjamin Fouchard	July 28th
Ramaswamy Solaiappan	July 29th
Rebecca Thomas	August 1st
Jennifer Cypra	August 2nd
Pepper McFarland	August 3rd

Weekly Wellness Blog 22nd February 2020

Namaste everyone. My name is Priya Venugopal. I am the Elementary Technology Integrator. I'm excited and thrilled to be the Wellness Coordinator. As we are all aware this year has been like no other year ever before. The rapid transition to an online teaching environment has impacted teachers’ physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. I want you all to know that I acknowledge the complexity and uncertainty of the current situation and understand that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, or stressed as we transition to new ways of teaching and leading. As your wellbeing coordinator, it is my aim to create a culture that embraces wellness initiatives and activities. Along with the Wellness Committee, and the WNT (Wellbeing Network Team) I would like to establish a workplace that encourages and supports a healthy lifestyle by integrating health promotion activities and resources that will enhance individual health and well-being.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the fact that teachers are social beings and enjoy the connection gained from face-to-face interactions. However, given the fact that we are restricted from interacting face to face due to COVID-19, it’s important to find practical ways to stay connected to colleagues and students in an online world. One of my goals is to bring the AISC community together and make connections with the larger Chennai community and that can only be achieved if I have your love and support. Please feel free to mail me your ideas at vpriya@aischennai.org. I would love to collaborate with you all and make our community a happy place to work in.

Inspirational Article \ Video Of The Week

This space will be used to share videos or articles that we all come across that inspire and motivates us to become a better version of ourselves. Please mail me articles or videos that you come across that you would like me to share with the larger community. These videos could be from any genre. It could be dance, music, sports, education, etc the list is endless. Here is this week's Video.

Here is this week's article: 

How To Reduce Stress? 4 Self-Care Methods To Improve Educators Well-being

Highlights From WNT ( Wellbeing Network Team)

We at the WNT (Wellbeing Network Team) have been working hard and are trying to come up with events and activities that you can all participate in. We are being mindful of your time and the different time zones we are spread out at.

Fun Fitness

Interested in getting some fun physical activity?  Here is your opportunity to take part in a music and game-based fitness class with Jack on Saturday, July 25th at 9:00 a.m.  We will send out a ZOOM link on a calendar invite.
This fitness activity will be light and welcoming for all.  We will be listening to different songs that indirectly tell us different exercises to do! No equipment is needed, but a smile is encouraged!
Jack Bissonnette is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92048958654?pwd=ZzlVaGtpeGNXbzVYc0s0bm5uL2dtUT09

Meeting ID: 920 4895 8654
Passcode: FunFitness

Welcome to AISC - Introduce Yourself 

We at WNT came up with a new initiative to introduces ourselves to the New Faculty Class of the AISC community (Faculty and Staff). Please open this link and add a short introduction about yourself. It could be a fun fact about yourself that no one knows, a talent you have, etc. Looking forward to seeing you all there. It won't take long. Please do participate.

Websites/ Centers for Online Counseling 

These are difficult times and we need to take care of ourselves. Recently we received notification from Sudha in the business office that counseling services are covered in our health insurance. Here are some places for online counseling and support as well as mindfulness/meditation contacts. We will continue to update the document as we become aware of more resources.  Click here.

Wellness Academy

We are fully aware that social connections and virtual community activities are needed to support our wellbeing in this time of uncertainty.  If you are interested in supporting us in this fill out this Google Form to apply to lead a course within the Wellness Academy for the Fall and/or Spring semester- (stipend included).

*If you have any questions about these processes, you can email me at vpriya@aischennai.org 

We hope to hear from you and would love any support you can provide as we strive to support our staff and faculty wellbeing in these times of uncertainty. Please email me if you are interested in joining the Faculty Wellness Committee (led by Priya). 

Reminders & Upcoming Event Suggestions

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

Links to online shopping

This is a guide to online shopping sites in India. It will keep getting updated as and when someone recommends a site where they bought something. Click here

Local Businesses, Restaurants and Take Away

 I would like this space to be a platform where we can support local businesses. I am looking for any home chefs, bakers, Salad makers, etc you may know who is catering within the city. If you are wondering why I'm doing this? The number one perk to consider, for obvious reasons, is that supporting local means that we care about the community that we live in. You’ll be able to put money back into your community and the other people who call it home, too. It’ll give your local economy a chance to thrive, too. Local business owners don’t have the funds to go big or go home, so when you buy local you are going to be respecting that they are getting out there every day and trying their best to make an honest living even against all of the competition out there. There is a lot to be said for that. Shopping with a local business — regular shopping, that is — shows them the respect that you have for them and their attempts at doing things the right way.  Please feel free to send me contact details of people you may know who may benefit from this platform. You may email me at vpriya@aischennai.org

Here are my suggestions for local businesses you may want to explore and give a chance to invest in.  These suggestions are to kickstart this initiative. 

TGIHomemade

Healthy and Clean Eating is not a trend but going back to basics for best health.  

We understand the modern lifestyle makes it hard and we choose between guilting or dieting but the best option is to EAT Healthy so you guilt LESSER. 

Choose TGIHOMEMADE to satiate your cravings for healthy and cheat food. We assure Zing in various ways everything we make from signature recipes to hidden nutrients best for boosting immunity and keeping you fit and fabulous.  

Check us out on Facebook @TGIHomemade or Instagram @thankgoditishomemade 

Call Barkha- 99404 73768 for a custom menu.

Sinful Temptations

Cardy's Catering

For Pet Lovers

Movies/Shows to Watch

Everyone is home binge-watching movies and shows during this period. Here is a form for you to fill and give us your suggestions. I will highlight one of these every week. This week's recommendation is Street Food.

Street Food is an American documentary that premiered on Netflix on April 26, 2019, created by David Gelb, exploring some of the best street food in the world over nine episodes. Archival footage is combined with face to face interviews and follows street food chefs and their history, which is intertwined with the big picture of how influential street food is on their native country

Birthdays and Celebrations

"We have to be able to grow up. Our wrinkles are our medals of the passage of life. They are what we have been through and who we want to be." by Lauren Hutton

Ilangovan S	July 2
Jennifer Baker	July 2
Vijayalakshmi S	July 3
Jane Fijman	July 5
Neeraja Devarapalli	July 7
Ashwini Govindan	July 7
Joelle Basnight	July 10
Rebekah Lopata	July 15
Vinithasri M	July 16
Sunita R	July 17
Sudha Meeran	July 19
Jessica Hesprich	July 22
Rajshree Sridhar	July 22
Zahida Begum	July 23
Rachel McCallum	July 23
Alankrit Arora	July 28
Benjamin Fouchard	July 28
Ramaswamy Solaiappan	July 29

Please feel free on sending me suggestions and ideas on what else you would like to see on the blog. I am here to make them happen for you.
warmly
Priya Venugopal