March 2019

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Embracing

Wellness Motivate. Activate. Celebrate.

F E AT U R E

Embracing Wellness

Index: Feature..................................................2 Editorial Calendar...............................3 Poetry....................................................4 Fiction...................................................6 Activities...............................................7 Exercise.................................................8 Nature.................................................11 Sports..................................................12 Mindset...............................................15 Reflection............................................18 Educators ...........................................20 MSU.....................................................22 Parent’s Corner..................................23 Volunteer opportunity is available for students and adults.

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Dear Readers,

J

ust like any new trend, the term “wellness,” or “well-being,” is very popular nowadays.

However, it has become so broad that it often lacks any tangible meaning. Just a few decades ago, being well was viewed simply as ‘being not ill.’ In the modern world, asking the question “are you well?” will most likely result in many answers. What does it really mean to be well?

The World Health Organisation offers that a state of wellbeing is achieved when “every individual realises his/her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his/ her community.” Being well here encompases a variety of dimensions that, together, create a feeling of personal well-being: physical/medical, emotional, social, professional, and even spiritual.

Stanford Prevention Research Center’s initiative, the Wellness Living Laboratory, conducted a study of more than 30,000 people over many years to identify what factors help people maintain health and wellness. “The 10 domains of well-being most frequently mentioned were: social connectedness, lifestyle behaviors, stress and resilience, emotional health, physical health, meaning and purpose, sense of self, finances,

Arina Bokas

Kids’ Standard Editor & Author of Building Powerful Learning Environments: From Schools to Communities

spirituality or religiosity, and exploration and creativity.” (“What Does it Mean to Be Well?”)

Well-being often starts with being physically and medically well, but it doesn’t end there. There are generational, cultural, and personal differences that shape one’s perception of what it means to be well.

"What does being well mean to you?" is the question that we asked our young writers. Their reflections and stories created our March issue Embracing Wellness.

Works Cited: “Mental Health: a State of Well-being.”

World Health Organization. 2014. Web. “What Does It Mean To Be Well?”

Scope. Stanford Medicine. June 19, 2017.

Web.

College Admission Essay and SAT Coaching • • • • •

College Common Application Essay Supplemental College Essay Scholarship Application Essay SAT Essay Preparation SAT Reading and Writing Preparation

Writing Coaching • Resume and Cover Letter • General Writing Tutoring

Arina Bokas, Ph.D. Ø Author, college writing instructor, editor Ø Frequent contributor to national publications and instructional blogs – ASCD, International Literacy Association, NCTE, Harvard University’s Good Project and Out of Eden.

For more information or scheduling: arinabokas@aol.com

Phone: 248-330-2408

E DFIETAT O RUI R AE L CALENDAR

Motivate. Activate. Celebrate April 2019

Creative Expressions This issue invites you to creatively express yourself. Do you like photography? Take a photo of something that catches your attention, add special effects, create collages, and share how this image captures your thoughts and emotions. Do you like art? Paint or draw a picture and write how this artwork expresses your ideas and feelings. Do you like to build and create using clay, wood, Lego, glass, or any other media?

Create your piece of art and capture on paper what it represents. You can write a creative story or share with us what other creative outlet (music, filmmaking, dance, acting, writing, etc) allows you to best express yourself and why.

2018-2019 Editorial Calendar

May 2019

This issue is dedicated to Michigan Youth Project 1st annual Project for Youth: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE. Through the 2019 academic year students from public schools will be mentored by information specialists, designers, engineers, teachers, and university students to understand their city, County or State rich history, complex contemporary as well as create the vision of their successful future. Participating students will first learn how to research historical information and summarize their findings. Then, they will learn from their community and peers, through guided conversation, about their city or county, even State as it stands today.

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And lastly, student teams will work to envision the future—supported by all their prior work—and create an output to represent their ideas (e.g. video, models, drawings, creative writing, the actual prototype, etc.).

June 2019

How Kids’ Standard Helped Me Grow Video Contest Each Kids’ Standard club is invited to work as a team to create a video of team members’ experiences with Kids’ Standard. Students will write a script, assume various roles in video preparation, and put together a short 4-5 minute video. Creators of the best-voted video will receive cash prizes.

POETRY You really like to come out and reveal yourself when I have to speak publicly or go out somewhere with a guy.

You really pick the wrong times.

Why do you have to come around when it’s really not that big of a deal.

Like when I had to talk in front of my class, you put the shakes in my voice and legs.

That’s how I know your really there.

When you slightly show yourself when I am out at a restaurant trying to eat and you cut off my appetite even though I might have not ate all day.

Dear Anxiety

You always seem to be with me but you only show up

By: Michaelann Haislip,

when you really want to be seen. You make my Stomach twist into knots

Sincerely,

that intertwine with each other.

A girl, who is sick of anxiety problems

12th grade, Clarkston High School

England By: Ashley Dunlap, 12th grade, Clarkston High School

You know, I am very ill with wanderlust And a desire to run away on A sunny summer day To a destination far unknown The airplane bursts into the clouds And descends 4,000 miles later at London Heathrow Airport, The busiest in the world by far.

I can’t believe I escaped the Exodus at the gate.

My passport spread out and Stamped itself with the flag of England.

Next, after a brief taxi ride, My map revealed to me that I Was standing in front of Big Ben.

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Anxiety, me and you don’t go good together.

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I think we should breakup.

Little did I know The big day was cut short.

While I was walking downtown London

Lonely By: Tiara Kemp,

The sunny summer day didn’t last long.

11th grade, Clarkston High School

The sky started crying

Lonely are the days

Soaking the tourists everywhere.

You now know that adventures Don’t always go the way you plan.

Because that day, Mother Nature set its own way.

Lonely is the heart Lonely is the soul Lonely am I, in so many ways, Lonely is my humble abode Where only I come and go, Where only I sit and think alone.

Though it may be rainy and sometimes full of mist,

My smothering thoughts surround me like loud silence

London has always been on my bucket list.

Screaming for attention

Daydreaming about the potential adventure Has become a hobby of mine.

I’ll always dream about London, And someday I’ll find a cure

The voices come and go You will never know what it’s like to be alone.

Credit to Jim Foulk

For my wanderlust. www.KidsStandard.org

POETRY

Family By: Niklas Brassat, 12th grade, Clarkston High School

Family are the ones who see you at your best.

Family are the ones who see you at your worst.

Through the thick and thin, The arguments and the laughter, Family never leaves each other.

Family can go weeks, even months without talking, But Family is always there for you when you need them.

They are your shoulder to lean on, Your rock.

Family takes care of you when you’re sick and feel like you can’t move, When you’re upset with tears in your eyes, Having a bad day wishing it would just end.

But deep inside they do, and they wish they could express it, their body ready to explode wanting to show their kids love,

Family is also there to join in on your uncontrolling laughter,

You can hate your family,

Share happiness, smiling so hard it starts aching.

But if they come calling,

You can see Family everyday for weeks straight and not feel annoyed.

Answering is the only option going through your head.

Family argues,

Some families show their love to their kids with hugs and checking up on them,

Real Family is there for you no matter what,

Others don’t know how, and it may seem like they don’t love them,

When you achieve your life long goal.

They have disagreements about various types of stuff, But Family never leaves.

What Makes Me Go Crazy!

By: Addie Rayment, 2nd grade, Andersonville Elementary, Davisburg

Seeing cats makes me go crazy.

I smile when I see a cat. It makes me healthy.

MARCH 2019

They can hate you, Or you call them,

Seeing cats make me go crazy.

Whenever I see one, it makes me craaaazzzzyyyyy Cats make me go crazy Because they are so cute and so furry.

The cat that makes me go the craziest is the Scottish Fold.

Their ears fold and it’s so cute!

Real Family only loves.

Real Family supports you no matter what,

Real Family will be there,

The cutest cats are Scottish Fold, Ocicats, Maine Coons, Calacos, and American Shorthairs.

When I see a cat, I run in circles and then I run in an eight shape and then in a straight line!

Cats are important Because they keep me happy and help me be myself!

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FICTION

Anna By: Audrey Esbrook, 2nd grade, Springfield Plains Elementary, Clarkston

O

nce upon a time there was a girl named Anna. She was a good student, but was teased for her smartness. She was a very pretty girl with strawberry blond hair

and pretty blue eyes. She always loved when school let out because that was when she got to see her only friend, Hannah.

Hannah was the most popular student in the grade. Hannah went to a different class than Anna. Anna was heartbroken, when she couldn't go to Hannah's house, because Hannah had a doctor's visit. She had chicken pox.

Anna went to her neighbor’s house, instead, for some good advice for her

bully problem. Her neighbor’s name was Emily. She was an adult that always had good advice for kids. Emily told Anna, ”Don’t let people bully you because you’re different. You have to learn to like yourself and be proud of who you are!”

Anna was a good student, but her teachers never said that. Anna had to let it go, too. The next day, she waited on the playground for bullies to come over so she could tell them that she was proud of who she was.

by a giant!

“Sam, what did I tell you about

leaving your weight on the stairs?” said mom “I’ll do it in a … ow … mom, Kenny is throwing fruit at me again,” said Sam. “But Kenny is taking a nap, young man,” said mom.

“But I just got hit hard, IN THE FACE!" cried Sam. “No buts, young man," said mom.

Sam dropped Ms. Banana and walked away. Coconut’s power faded away, and in the bowl he lives to this day.

The mortal of the story is, if you lift weights, you will get healthy and muscular and be able to save bananas!

The Fit Coconut By: Dominic J. Mauti 4th grade, Stadium Drive Elementary, Lake Orion

O

nce upon a time, there was a coconut. A not-so-fit Coconut.

This Coconut lived in a bowl with Mr. Grapes and Ms. Banana. Mr. Coconut was getting bored and decided to venture beyond the bowl. He grabbed his bag and went out the door.

Two weeks later, Coconut has made it down the very, very, very tall fireman pole, though the Lego forest, over the Hot Wheels race track, and halfway up the Stairs of Doom. And he had made an amazing discovery: an object, bigger than life with the number 25 on it, was like two metal wheels stuck together by a metal stick.

Coconut tries to talk to it. Nothing! He tries smacking it. Nothing! He also tries kicking, smelling, tasting, and jumping on it. Nothing! Than he tries picking it up, and he becomes muscular. He also has a mask and a cape. He decides to go home and show his friends. Than he starts climbing down the Stairs of Doom.

Mr. Coconut comes home to find a big surprise! Ms. Banana is being attacked

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AC T I V I T I E S

By: Alyssa Johnson 4th grade, Paint Creek Elementary, Lake Orion

T

here are many ways to wellness.

When I think of wellness, I think of dancing. Dancing is healthy; you can get strong muscles and improve your moods.

When I dance, I feel happy. What I like about it is that there are many types of dances. There is jazz, hip-hop, pom,

tap, ballia, and lyrical. My favorite one is jazz. My mood always gets better when I dance.

Dance can get you healthy. By doing it every day of the week, you could be physically active for a 1-hour or 2 hours. You can get a lot of exercise just by walking around trying to find the right shoe or getting a drink of water; you probably can get many extra steps.

You need to have strong muscles to

Girls on the Run By: Kate Smith, 4th grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

I

think that Girls on the Run is a great after school activity.

Running makes you physically fit. Girls on the Run helps your body and your heart; when you run, your body gets stronger and your heart gets healthier.

Another reason I think that Girls on

MARCH 2019

the Run is a great activity is because it encourages you to make new friends.

We need friends to stay emotionally healthy. There are a lot of things you do that include a partner; plus, there are a lot of other girls that are looking for friends, so there’s a pretty good chance you will find a good friend.

Being part of something bigger than just yourself is also very

do lots of dancing moves, like to stand on your feet or on your toes for a long time or to jump. Ballerinas’ need to build lots of muscles in their arms and in their legs.

I think dancing is a great way to stay well because you can get healthy, happy, and get lots of exercise. I want to do dance for a long time so I can be in musicals, Broadway shows, and some other great performances.

important for your well-being. Girls on the Run teaches you to work as a team. For example, in Girls on the Run, we say stuff like ‘there’s no I in a team’. Learning how to be a team is healthy for your brain. Think about it, if you don’t learn how to work as a team, nobody will choose you to be on their team.

I think Girls on the Run is a great after school activity. It teaches you to be healthy with your body, with your emotions, and in your relationships with others.

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EXERCISE

Gym Class By: Gabe Shaw, 5th grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

T

here are many ways to exercise: playing sports, dancing, running, stretching, and doing pushups. But my favorite way to exercise is in the gym of my school.

My teacher, Mr. Daniels, does not push me and my classmates too much or make the games we play, like soccer, flag football, basketball and baseball, too competitive. Instead, he pushes us and makes the games competitive just enough for us to go to P. E., excited for the new things that we will learn.

Something else that I like about going to my gym class is that I’m challenged by the sports we play. This is because a lot of times at home, when I want to play sports like soccer, volleyball or basketball, I

usually have to play with my brother, who isn’t always the best at playing sports, and I almost always win games with the score about 15 to 2, so I don’t get much exercising at home. On the contrary, in the gym class, I get to play against people of my own age, who are very good at various sports. And even though I sometimes lose, I get to have fun and get my exercise.

If you play a sport like soccer on a team, then you’re only developing the muscles

you need to play that sport. On the other hand, in a gym class, you get a chance to play many sports, and in the long run, you will end up using more muscles than you would if you just played one sport.

In conclusion, I believe that while other ways of exercising are important, a gym class is the best because it is challenging, competitive, and, in the end, you exercise more muscles in a gym class than you would by just playing a single sport.

Discover with a Naturalist Oakland County Parks and Recreation Nature Centers Red Oaks Nature Center Madison Heights 248-585-0100

Lewis E. Wint Nature Center Clarkston 248-625-6473

• Public Nature Programs • Scout Badge Days • “Wild” Birthday Parties • Starlab (portable planetarium) • Field Trips for all ages - including pre-school

Visit the nature centers or let us bring the programs to you.

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EXERCISE

Planks By: Langston Spearman, 3rd grade, Sheiko Elementary, West Bloomfield

P

lanks are my way staying healthy. Planks are a type of exercise that stretches your back. Also, it’s a very good movement for making your core strong.

Planks are very easy to do.

First, you need to get on your toes and your elbows; second make sure your butt is not in the air; third don’t put your

Healthy Hobbies By: Lexi Dear, 2nd grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

D

o you know that one of your hobbies can also be a form of exercising? For example, dance or soccer are also good for your muscles.

My favorite sport is soccer. I play it every weekend.

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Now, you might have a different hobby, like playing video games, but this hobby is not the same as playing sports; it doesn’t help you be fit. If you’re playing video games, you are not exercising!

Exercising can make you smart and strong!

Exercising while playing soccer has

stomach on the floor so your core is strong. Make sure your elbows and your toes are on the floor and you are staying horizontal to the ground for 30 second at a time.

Doing planks helps your back, your core, and your neck. You should do them the first thing in the morning and before bed. You should hold it for 15 to 20 seconds.

helped me become the fastest runner in my class! I’m so fast that while other kids in my class are on their first lap, I’m on already on my third one.

That’s exercising! The gym teacher Mr. Daniels said, “ You’re fast!” I love running and soccer .

There are many healthy hobbies that help you exercise. My top five are soccer, baseball, dance, basketball, and swimming. Jump roping is good, too! So think about what you like and get yourself a healthy hobby!

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Annual Pontiac Youth Project

Annual Pontiac Youth Project

www.pontiacyouthsproject.org

www.pontiacyouthsproject.org

INSPIRE

Pontiac

INSPIRE

Michigan Pontiac Michigan

EXERCISE

Ways to Stay Healthy

ENGAGE

ENGAGE

PROJECTS PROJECTS

ASPIRE

ASPIRE

Join us in inspiring and engaging youth to aspire them to design their future!

Join us in inspiring and engaging youth to aspire them to design their future!

Join us at the Crofoot on Wednesday, April 17th at 5:30

Join us at the Crofoot on Wednesday, Feb 13th at 5:30 Empowering critical thinking, Empoweringyouth youthto touse use21st 21stcentury centuryskills skills(creativity, (creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, learning, writing, collaboration,and andcommunication) communication)ininreading, reading,researching, researching, learning, writing, and their communities. and presenting presentingto toimpact impacttheir theirown ownlives livesand andlives livesofof their communities.

Mission: Mission:

Pontiac Pontiac Public PublicSchools SchoolsStudents StudentsPresent: Present: PAST PAST

PRESENT PRESENT

FUTURE FUTURE

By: Jacqueline Ng, 4th grade, Deerfield Elementary School, Rochester Hills

T

here are many ways to keep healthy and get some exercising. Some ways of exercising are jumping rope, playing soccer, basketball, or football, and playing playground games. Even a gym class is a time when you exercise! In gym, you stretch, jog, and then pick some games to play and vote on the games. My favorite way to keep healthy is by jumping rope.

Jumping rope can get your heart beat really fast, giving it a good workout. This is good for your heart. Jumping rope is not hard, but there are some things to remember: • NEVER start off jumping with your feet on the rope.

• Try to control the speed of the rope.

• Remember the beat of the rope Sometimes you play games just for fun, not even knowing that you are exercising! For example, playing tag on the playground is a fun game that makes you run around to play, but it is also one way to exercise. Sports can be a fun way to exercise, too. I don’t know about everyone, but sports are a lot of fun for me. No matter how you exercise, it is great for your body!

Healthy Eating By: Justin Guo, 2nd grade, Doherty

PRESENTERS PRESENTERS

Elementary, West Bloomfield

Y In the process, students will form lasting relationships with their mentors/

In the process, students will form lasting relationships with their mentors/influencers, influencers, acting as their role models, and develop interests that they want to acting as their role models, and develop interests that they want to pursue in the pursue Students in the future.

Students will meetbuild localrelationships, officials, build relationships, and future. will meet local officials, and make a positive make a positive difference in their communities. difference in their communities.

“Youth are the future, they can rise to the occasions if they are shown!” Maggie Razdar

“Youth are our future; they can rise to any challenge if they are shown how!”

- Maggie Razdar

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ou need to eat a lot of different kinds of foods to be healthy. Dairy, such as milk, cheese, low fat butter, and yogurt help your bones stay strong.

Also you should eat fruits and vegetables, which contain fiber that helps you get rid of waste in your body.

Meat, eggs, and tuna fish have protein, which helps you grow.

You also need to eat starchy foods like rice and pasta. Starch gives you

energy. You need energy to jump or physical activity.

You need to eat some fat to stay warm and help your brain work well, but too much fat is bad for your heart. Fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and nuts have low fat. This is is what you need eat to be healthy. www.KidsStandard.org

N AT U R E

The Natural Healer By: Andrea Luther, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School, Clarkston

S

ome moments in your life will always stay with you. The feelings you experience, the things you see are unforgettable. These times are so unique that it often seems like they happen in slow motion. I can recite the exact memory play-by-play. The things I felt still remain within me.

Waking up in Maine at 4:30 that morning, I had no idea how special the day would be. It was the crack of dawn; I was tired and looked like I had not slept in years with how low my eyelids were hanging. While getting ready, my body was jittery and my eyes were hazey.

What’s wrong with me? I silently wondered. I shouldn’t have felt like this. It’s not like we’re doing anything dangerous.

Nonetheless, I couldn’t shake the uneasy sensation channeling through my veins.

"This is just another sunrise. We’ll drive up there, see the pretty painted sky and then come back and go to bed again."

I repeatedly told myself in attempt to calm my nerves. This, however, was not just another sunrise.

The four of us - my brother, sister, mom and I - all jumped in the car and headed for Acadia National Park, where in just a few hours, we were going to be the first to see the sunrise in the United States. Driving up the long windy roads of Cadillac Mountain was complete torture. The weird feeling was sitting flat in my stomach, and I was still drowsy.

Looking out the window at what was below us, I thought I was in a dream.

“How long until we get to the top?” I asked my mom queasily, while resting my head on the car door.

“Not too long,” she responded with an automatic answer.

MARCH 2019

About a half an hour later, we rounded the corner of the final turn. Now at the top, we found a place to park and hopped out into the brisk morning, pulling even tighter on the sweatshirts wrapped around us.

It was almost time. The sky had begun to illuminate hinting that the great fiery ball of light was about to make its grand entrance. We walked to the edge of the lot full of cars and started to descend the slope to find a spot to sit. Looking around, I saw more people than I had expected. This must be something spectacular, if it attracts this many people, I thought surprised. It was then that I gazed out across the water hundreds of feet below and let a gasp escape without warning.

“Woah,” my sister and I said in sync as we turned toward each other with wide eyes.

The sight before me seemed to be something out of a fantasy. Looking up in complete awe, I saw the sky with every color imaginable in it. The sun had just barely started to peak out from behind the continuous line of ocean, creating even more of an orange and yellow glow. Down by the bay, a delicate twinkle was present from the shops of Bar Harbor. As I shifted my eyes, my attention was grabbed by the thick but

fluffy layer of fog, gently laid on top of the dark blue sea.

Instantly, I had a feeling of peace swarm over me. As the sun began to rise even farther out of the depths of the Earth, many thoughts ran through my head, but at the same time, I wasn’t worried about anything at all. I felt centered in the world. Like mother nature was directly feeding my soul and making me feel everything I needed.

I felt a slight smile creep on my face as the Earth started to wake and light continued to float up even farther into the open sky.

I felt something shifted in me that day.

I’d always loved nature and thought that the National Parks we visited were cool, but what this sunrise showed me was how much you can feel from merely taking some time to look at the world around you. Exploring the park that day, I had a new appreciation for all things and felt like my soul had been entirely rejuvenated.

Never will I forget this moment and the things I learned in it. Just about an hour was what it took for me to feel completely refreshed. Nature is powerful, transformative, stunning, and all we have to do to see that is to open our eyes just a little bit wider and soak it all in.

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S P O RT S

Baseball By: Ben Mowat, 3rd grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

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here are many ways to stay active. One way I stay active is by playing baseball. I play baseball at least two times a week. It is healthy for me.

One way baseball is good for me is because it helps me make new friends.

My friends and I can have fun and be healthy at the same time. I usually play right field or left field. In practices I have to run a lot. Since I began playing baseball, it has been helping me get better at my gym class.

Finally, baseball helps me stay active by making my muscles stronger.

These are all of the reasons why baseball is good for you.

By: Peter Blakeley, 3rd grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

Cheerleading By: Zoey Davis, 3rd grade, Stadium Drive Elementary, Lake Orion

I

got introduced to cheerleading by my friend Ava, who said that cheer was the best.

Once I heard her say that, I knew I wanted to try it.

Once I got to the gym for my first practice, I fell in love with cheer. Cheer taught me how to do back walkovers, bow and arrows, and many more things. One of my favorite things about cheer is being a flyer, which I do most of the time. Some people say cheer looks hard, but trust me, if you try it, you will fall in love with it, like me.

Some cheer teams, like mine, might go to competitions. At your very first competition, it’s okay to

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O

kindergarten because it is interesting.

My friend, Ben, and I have played on the same team. My dad sometimes coaches.

I like bating because I hit well. Batting is my strongest part in baseball. I get a lot of exercise. Baseball is really the best sport for me!

ne reason baseball is my favorite sport is because it is super fun. I have been playing it for a long time, and I think I am good at it.

I really like bating, and I run the bases very fast!

I started playing baseball in

be nervous. I’ve been doing cheer for a while now, and I still get nervous at competitions. But as my coaches say, nerves help you.

When you’re done competing, the judges will tell you what you need to fix so you’re ready for the next competition. So never get scared at competitions. One of my favorite routines is the one that we performed at Cheer Sport because it was my first competition, so it was a fun first experience.

When the season is over, I’ll be a little sad, but I’ll also be proud of myself for doing awesome and making new friends.

Cheerleading helps you get good exercise and stay healthy.

When you feel healthy, you can do a lot of things. You can run around a lot, eat a lot of food, and sleep really well. You also must get good sleep, so you have a bunch of energy.

Gymnastics By: Alexa Davis, 5th grade, Stadium Drive Elementary,

W

Lake Orion

hen you look through the door, you see flips, tucks, hand- springs, and walkovers. ‘’How do they do that?’’ ‘’It’s like a back tuck, then a backbend!’’ Then you think, ‘’What is that: a front walkover and a front handspring?’’ You will find yourself asking this a lot.

Later, you take a step into the gym for the first time, and you feel the soft mat and the wind-blowing fans. Suddenly you love it!

Gymnastics is one way to wellness. Also, it will help you have healthy bones, and a healthy strong lifestyle.

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S P O RT S

By: Michael Jang, 3rd grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

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kiing has impacted my life a lot. It gives me a lot of good feelings and physical activity.

First reason, I love the feeling. Skiing is fun because you can jump. When I jump, I feel like I am flying. Sometimes, I go on a high slope, where the air pressure is strong; it’s cool when I go really high. I always feel happy and energised after I ski.

Skiing helps me stay in shape. It makes me active or gets my muscle

Football By: Traveon Nelson 5th grade, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

F

ootball gets me up and moving because I dream about it and it wakes me up every time I am asleep. I like to play football because one day I want to be in the NFL. I would like to see my favorite NFL player, Odell Beckham Jr. He is my favorite because MARCH 2019

hen I think of wellness, I think of skiing. Skiing keeps me healthy because I get a lot of exercise by making big S turns down the slopes. Making big S turns requires turning legs left and right; that

gives legs exercise, tires them out, and makes leg muscles stronger. That makes me feel healthy. Good skiers get ski poles, which makes arm muscles stronger, too If you go to Colorado, you might find a patch of moguls. A mogul is a round bump made in the slope; it can be sometimes icy. To go through moguls, you make small S turns all the way down the slopes. You also might find paths in the woods. They have things to jump on, but be careful not to forget to jump. Jumping builds great muscles and makes your heart exercise.

he can one-hand catch over players.

Football makes my heart feel good every time I make a touchdown or a full return. My teammates have my back. If I’m scared or if I don’t like to get the ball and to run or catch the ball, they will always be there for me.

Football is my physical activity, because one day I can be in the NFL. I like to watch my favorite football player play. Once I had a dream that I was in the NFL, and I was the most popular.

Everyone asked to be my friend, and I

would say ‘yes’ and we would eat lunch together.

Football is important to me because all my friends play football. One day they might get drafted into the NFL and make a lot of money. Perhaps they will form their own team. One day they might ask me to play for their team. I will gladly consider it.

Football makes me feel good because I get the benefits of physical activity and doing something I enjoy with people I like.

stronger. It gets me out of the house in winter.

After I ski, there is nothing better than to get hot cocoa and some good food!

By: Brandon French, 3rd grade, Paint Creek Elementary,

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Lake Orion

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S P O RT S

Tennis

Swimming By: Kelley Kavouras, 5th grade, Andersonville Elementary, Davisburg

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wimming is not only fun, but it is also an exercise. When you are swimming, you are constantly moving, because if you don’t, you’ll drown.

Swimming has many health benefits. For example, swimming is very good for your heart. It also increases your flexibility.

Swimming is a sport that many people love and enjoy. In fact, there are even medals that swimmers can win. Michael Phelps holds the all time record for gold medals won at various competitions, including the Olympic Games.

Swimming is a great way to exercise!

By: Sihyeon Jun, 3rd grade, Woodland Elementary, Troy

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ennis is one of my favorite sports. These are some of the reasons why I like tennis.

First, tennis makes me feel very happy.

I enjoy it a lot.

Tennis helps me stay active in summer. It is better than just staying home and watching TV or playing games. This helps me stay physically fit in the summer. It helps my body and mind stay healthy, so I don’t get sick or don’t get bored.

Finally, I can spend time playing tennis with my friends or family. This way I can spend more time with them and also have fun with them.

This is how tennis is good for my mind and body.

Soccer By: Joey Rickard, 2nd Grade, Andersonville Elementary, Davisburg

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occer is my favorite sport because it helps me move around. I do it every night. I meet new friends, and I get snacks. It tires me out.

It helps my heart and my body.

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MINDSET

“A Million to One”

By: Grant Mathews, 12th grade, Clarkston High School, Clarkston

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est day. The day every student fears. The final product is yet to come out of the hours crammed packed with studying from the night before, along with the hundreds of flash cards that had been turned over, time and time again. Each student walks into the room and takes a seat. The bell rings.

The teacher stands up, “Everyone, take out your pencils; the test is starting.”

Time ticks by as the students study their test carefully. None of them is missing a single word. The questions flow smoothly through their heads as they chew their pencils with satisfaction.

They relax their inelastic muscles as they feel that the studying has paid off.

Students, one after the next begin to get up from their seats to set their test in the ‘turn in’ tray. Each of them strutters back to his or her seat with pride.

Except one. One, who has studied more than all of the others. One, who has spent countless nights studying past his curfew, burning the candle at both ends, and attending study hall after school.

His anxiety was getting to him. It was something that he just couldn’t keep out of his head.

A glance around the room amplifies the worried look in his eyes. His plastic pencil flicks between his fingers, shaking MARCH 2019

up the broken thoughts that have yet to come out. He keeps his head tucked down, while his eyes look up, trying to keep his panic as discreet as possible.

He frantically searches for relief with the sight of a single soul, who is still writing away, but everyone has finished. His leg bounces up and down, as a way to vent the pressurized stress that is built up inside him.

Shining red numbers on the clock stare back at him with disappointment. The numbers change, and change again. He fears for why time is passing so quickly.

Every flick of the red bulb, makes his mind race faster. He can’t concentrate; every simple word seems like a code to a safe with nothing in it.

He places his feet flat on the floor and sits up straight, hoping his terrible posture has been his issue all along. Nothing changes. His brain feels like a pile of tangled cords that would need an army just to unravel. This simple test turns into an equation that seems too damn far from being possible to solve. What can he do?

He has studied for hours, but there feels like there is not a single helpful thing in his mind. Millions of thoughts have sealed his brain in a tight box, only to come out when it feels safe. He pushes his intertwined fingers away from him, anticipating that the satisfying pop will bring him back to his senses. He is strangling himself in his mind, praying to

snap out of the powerful trance he has accidentally cast over himself. His eyes follow the jumbled words across the page, as easily as taking a deep breath in a tank of water. The words fly through his mind, lost, seeming to pour out his ears and nose like a running faucet.

The reminder of ticking time is back to knock on his skull louder than an avalanche. In his head he feels hope, like an idea or memory trying desperately to get out. A measly voice digs its way through the angry mob of thoughts, just to scream, “THINK!” The false feeling of progression kills his sense of aspiration to finish this test. Panic increases more by the second; every blink of an eye feels like a wasted eternity. Class time is running out, and his pencil is slipping away from his clammy hands.

The feeling of other students eyes staring at him takes over his brain. “Why do they keep looking at me?” “What are they whispering about?” His insecurity grows, unable to explain the disadvantage he has under them. Each minute a new issue grabs his focus. Thousands of thoughts race in and out, like ants carrying food to their queen.

He pulls his fingers together firmly around his pencil, breaking free from the straightjacket of stress he is locked in. He closes his eyes and thinks deeply.

Not about the test or any events around him, but instead, imagines himself in his room, sitting quietly with a pile of flash cards in front of him. He knows the answer deep down inside of him.

He read it more times than you could count. His anxiety fades. The tight walls around him seem to collapse, releasing thousands of worthless thoughts into the shining light.

He opens his eyes wide, reads his paper, slowly and clearly. He sits for a moment, a moment that feels slower than ever before. His mind feels free of the screaming anxiety that possessed him not long ago. He knows the question; he must have studied it a million times.

He fills in the dark grey bubble with confidence. The only thing blocking him the whole time was himself. Millions of thoughts broke loose when he was only looking for... one.

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MINDSET

Letting Go By: Grecia Marquez, 6th grade, Avondale Middle School, Auburn Hills

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k, fine!” I hissed at my mom as the cold wind hit my face. “ It’s just that I will miss you so much,” my mom sighed.

We quickly got at the airport. I could tell my mom was trying not to sobb as I walked away in regret. ‘’I will be fine, mom, and I will try not being rude to him.”

I can’t believe my mom is sending me to my Dad’s house for Christmas! Streams of water came running out my eyes as soon as I stepped on the plane. I was so hungry. I closed my eyes dreaming of food. THUD! I heard my water drop on the floor. As I picked it up, I realized that about a hour had passed.

Swish! The cold air hit my face as I got off the airplane. I saw my dad coming out a shiny grey car; you could see the sun bouncing off it. My dad didn’t look the same: he was skinny, he got tanner, he acted differently. I hope he is different and not worse.

“Sweetheart, “ my dad sobbed as he was walking towards me.

“Oh, hey dad…” I scolded. Still, a part of me missed him. “So, um dad, hey can we go swimming some time?’’

‘No, honey. I don’t think so, but we can go to the river, the one right by to your grandma’s house.”

“Which grandma? The one with the pretty brown fence and beautiful flowers or your mom’s house? Because I’d rather not, dad. Oh, I heard about the fair going on. Maybe we can go there?’’

“Let’s talk about this when we get home,”’ my dad squealed.

I really want to go; I heard it was cool, but knowing my dad, we are not going...I really miss my mom. I just need some sleep; today was a hard day. I’m as lost as a needle in a haystack.

The next day my dad woke me up with the sweet smell of pancakes. I got ready and went down the hall by the pretty pictures my grandma hangs on the wall. As I stepped into the kitchen, I was surprised to find my cousin eating and ready to go.

“Hey, ready for the fair?”

I was as still as a stone.

“Oh, sure, I guess...” I replied in confusion as I put my shoes on.

After a 20 minute ride, we were at the fair. It was like a game heaven;

everything was so cool and pretty!

“This was your idea, right, Ingrid?”

“Nope, it was your dad’s, actually,” she smiled.

“Oh, well, thank you, dad; you are the best!’’ I squealed.

As we went by, we could hear the laughter of kids and smell the cotton candy and a lot of other goods. After good two hours at the fair, we got home and I felt bad for being rude to my dad, but I just couldn’t forgive him; it was like he was not my dad. I felt a mixture of anger, sadness, and guilt. I was lost. It affected me a lot even in school. I don’t want to feel this way anymore; it hurts me.

“Dad, want to talk?” I softly said, as I looked into his light brown eyes and tan face with a beard and hair shifted to the side.

“I had no choice, and they took me because I did something wrong!” he cried out loud.

I forgave him for leaving me and my mom, but not fully. I still didn’t know why he chose that path….Still, he was not a stranger anymore; he was my dad, my best friend. Things changed after that...I changed as a person. I was nicer.

I was a new person, and I was not mad at him for what he did in the past.

I chose to let it go.

state; the majority of them were two or three years older than me. It seemed that

in that moment all the talk and build-up to this meet were coming down on me.

For My Team By: Elise Wilhelm, 9th grade, Clarkston Junior High School, Clarkston

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lifted my leg up as my coach continued to tape on my left spike. We were at the State meet - the biggest meet of the season. Up to this point, I hadn’t fully realized the stress and anxiety that came with being at a meet as large as this. At first, I was excited.

I was proud of myself and my whole team for making it this far. Yet, the more I thought about it the more I began to grasp what this meant. I was going to compete against the best runners in the

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MINDSET The whole season, all of the miles, all of the workouts were meant to prepare us for this day.

Sitting on the bench, biting my always jagged and short fingernails, I watched my coach finish wrapping the tape around my foot as I thought about what the next thirty minutes would hold. My face started to heat up, redness spreading across my cheeks, and my normally bright blue eyes dulled, outlined in red.

I started to question if I would really be able to do this. I was not ready to run with the fastest girls in the state at a meet as important as this. What if I go too slowly and lose this for my team? What would happen? I could keep my team from winning a state championship. All of the hard work they had put in to get here, and I could ruin it for them. Fidgeting with my hands, I continued to worry about my run.

Suddenly, while I was looking out at the strawberry red and bright yellow stands in the distance, something inside me, a little voice, gently whispered to me that I was working myself up for nothing. I had set a mental barrier of

self-doubt in my mind, making myself believe that I couldn’t do it. A smile twitched on my mouth, and my face seemed to brighten from its previously dull state. I would be okay. I’m going to run as fast as I can and help win this for my team. For my team. This had been the saying my teammates and I had been using for the past couple of weeks. Whenever one of us thought that we couldn’t do it, that a workout was too hard, or a split was too fast, we kept reminding each other to do it for the team: push and work harder for each other. So as my constantly rigid shoulders loosened and I sat more casually on the bench, I thought to myself, I’m going to push myself as hard as I possibly can. I will do it for my team.

Looking up at the sky from the bench, I saw that the sun seemed to have come out from behind the the clouds and the air seemed a little bit warmer. Sitting up straighter, my breath slowed down, I thought about the good that would come out of this race. I had done as much as I could to prepare for this, and now I couldn’t control what would happen.

I knew that as long as I gave my hardest and left everything I had out on the course, the outcome would be okay. I would be able to push myself for my teammates and run harder for them.

They would be the ones to carry me to the finish line.

“Hey, are you ready to head out to the line?” I heard one of my teammates holler over to me. It seemed that at that moment my new confidence became more real.

I heard myself say loudly, “Yes, let’s go!” with the assurance of someone who had run this race a thousand times.

Looking back on that day, it’s easy to see the impact confidence can have on a person. I was so worried about all of the things that could go wrong in the race that I forgot that I wasn’t just doing this for myself. By finding assurance in my training and my team, I was able to get a better outlook on the day. I realized that I wasn’t running only for myself, but I was running for everyone who had come to support my school in the race and, most importantly, I was running for my team.

N AT U R E

Go Outside!

By: Kamy Shushtari, 3rd grade, Springfield Plains Elementary

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f you put a computer on your chest for too long, you might get cancer. When you play outside, you won’t have the risk of anything like that! So sad that boys of my age play on their phones and computers on sunny days. They do not talk to anyone. What if they all played football instead and became friends on the field?

People play and breathe fresh air. When you play on the phone, you won’t get the same experience. You don’t move when you are playing video games. You move when you’re playing outside!

With video games, you just move your hands. When you play outside, your whole body moves. Your legs move a lot if you’re walking or running. You do not have real friends when you play on the phone. You won’t talk to your best friend or have fun in life.

Life is so much better when we all play outside!

MARCH 2019

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REFLECTION

Embracing Wellness

Wellness is Important By: Kendarius Coleman 5th grade, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

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ellness is important to me because I care about my health.

My health is important to me because it keeps me strong. To be healthy, you can start by eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, drinking water, riding a bike, jogging, and walking.

I like doing physical activities, such as dancing and jumping jacks. The thing that gets me up and going is mostly music because sometimes my sisters would play my favorite songs on my phone; then I would get it and put on my headphone and start dancing and get ready to go to school.

I feel healthy and strong. Embracing wellness is important to me and important in my life.

By: Vanessa Veloz- Jimenez, 5th grade, Herrington Elementary, Pontiac

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he things that get me up and moving are stretching my legs early in the morning, eating fruits, and cleaning my house to help my mom with chores.

I also like getting my baby brother ready so he can go to his babysitter’s house. Every day I exercise at my house and school by running, jumping, or walking. Being active is so much fun if you realize the benefits of it.

My favorite physical activity is dancing. I like dancing because it makes me comfortable with my body. Being comfortable with my body makes me overcome my fears.

Being comfortable with my body helps with a lot of other things, like school. I always wish I could be like everybody else, with the attitude of not caring what people think of them.

Even if it were true, people need to love themselves. Dancing can be a stress reliever; if you had a bad day,

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it can help you. That’s why I love to dance.

Embracing wellness is important to me because it helps me embrace the things I have. My mom helps me with everything, but she doesn’t help me when she is at work, so my sisters sometimes help me. My friends help me deal with my problems and are there for me when I’m in my sad times.

Embracing wellness makes me feel happy and sad at the same time.

Sometimes I like to express myself by saying what I feel inside. My friends make me smile, laugh , and feel good about myself. People like to have a popular name, but I’m the only Vanessa in my whole entire school.

People always think I’m supposed to be all nice inside, but they don’t know how I really feel inside.

In conclusion, I think this essay is going to be very special in some kind of way. I like writing and I think I will always like it. I like to express myself in every kind of way I can find.

Wellness By: Trevor Donnelly,

1stgrade, Paint Creek Elementary, Lake Orion

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hen I think of wellness, I think of sports. Sports can make you stronger, healthier, and faster. You can get muscles in your legs and you will get healthier. You can also get athletic and get more competitive. You get smarter by getting yourself stronger and faster and getting better by exercising. Everyone should play sports because people could get even better.

Eating vegetables and fruit is a good way to get healthier.

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E D U C AT O R S

Teens and Well-Being

By: Lisa Nardone, Counselor, Clarkston Junior High School,

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Clarkston

orking in a Junior High School setting as a counselor, I hold a front row seat to adolescent stress on a daily basis. Adolescent stress functions as an almost perfect storm, encompassed by a myriad of physical, social, and emotional changes taking place during these years. Compound the inevitable rite of passage into adulthood with the changing times in our society and the impact of social media, and this storm is elevated even more. The stress this generation of young adults faces feels far more overwhelming, or at the very least, far different than the stress experienced by past generations.

Stress in Young People Today Today’s adolescents are often dealing with a balancing act. These young adults attempt to be the very best at everything they do: athletic participation, leadership roles related to school and community service, performing arts, and their overall academia achievements. At the high school level, athletic participation alone has become increasingly competitive. Students are often professionally coached and trained in order to make the 20

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team. At the same time, adolescents are attempting to be academically competitive off the field with the push for college acceptance.

Students shared with me what their day entailed from getting up early and attending school to going to training/ practice after school and getting home with only time to eat and get homework ready for the next day. The following day, they would start this rigorous routine over again. Too often, their routines between work and self-care do not feel well-balanced to me.

At no time in the school year are stress and pressure more evident than the pinnacle moment when the stars align and students are faced with the end of a semester. Taking final exams along with all of their other daily commitments can feel like the weight of the world is on them. For some students, it’s the last minute attempt to save a course from failure and the need for credit recovery.

For other students, it’s the opposite end of that spectrum. These students experience final exams as fear of jeopardizing their all-meaningful Grade Point Average (GPA). High achieving students fear losing their “A” status in a course and ultimately affecting their GPA and College Admissions. The latter student may struggle with intrinsic perfectionism or may be dealing with external pressures inadvertently coming from parents. I have been guilty of this myself as a parent, merely wanting the best future possible for my children in a highly competitive society.

While stress is a normal everyday response between our body and the brain’s reaction to handling a challenge, the chronic stress adolescents face today lends itself to increased feelings of being overwhelmed, anxiety, and potential depression. As a counselor, I am personally working with a higher rate of students dealing with anxieties, mental health issues, and school avoidance than I handled in my career ten years ago.

The growing pressures placed on our

children both internally and externally appear to be the leading cause.

How Parents and Educators Can Help As a counselor, I find that the very support, communication, and understanding we give to children as educators and parents are the most helpful key ingredients in their social and emotional well-being. The good news, I believe, are that we can work together between the home and school in identifying stress in our children by noticing any changes in their daily behavior. While parents cannot, and shouldn’t for that matter, help their children avoid all stress in their lives, they do need to monitor daily expectations and tasks that may become overwhelming. Removing all stress creates an unrealistic utopia that does not mirror or prepare adolescents for the real world. However, taking on too much and pushing for perfection will eventually lead to burnout that can be both physically and mentally detrimental.

Parents and educators can and must increase teens’ capacity to rebuild and grow from the borage of adversity and societal stressors they are facing in today’s world.

Teaching our children resilience through open dialogue and adult modeling goes further than we can imagine. In my role as a school counselor, I have often stated to parents, “Kids stop talking to us, adults, because they do not want to deal with our parental responses. We tend to respond to them out of an emotional bias.”

As parents, we tend to bombard teenagers with lecturing and one-sided adult perspectives, which are aimed at getting them to act and perform the way we hope they will act and perform.

My advice is to talk “with” your emerging young adult as much as you can, but listen more than you actually talk. If parents and educators give adolescents a safe place, where they feel truly heard and not judged, we might be surprised by their honesty and

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E D U C AT O R S

willingness to let us into their young adult world. This is not to say that educators and parents should attempt to be friends with our children/students. I believe these young adults can see right through that fence. Our children don’t want us to be their friends; rather, they want us to be their safety net. We are their safe place to land, even when they

MARCH 2019

make a mistake or fall short of the goal line. As adults, we need to teach them to get back up, brush off their knees, and try again.

Setting parental boundaries with consistency and fairness is critical to the overall well-being of this generation. It is important to balance being strict with parenting through grace

and understanding. Having raised three young men myself, I admit, it is not an easy balance to juggle! There is never a ‘one size fits all’ remedy. In the end, being a good listener has always been the key ingredient with my own children as well as with the emerging young adults that I am blessed to work on a daily basis.

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MSU

4 Financial Lessons and How I Learned Them By: Ian Duncanson Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor

1. The Value of Money When I was in elementary school, I had weekly chores that I had to complete in exchange for a small allowance. This accomplished two goals. First, the house was cleaner as a result of my work. Second, I had some spending money to buy stuff or do things with my friends. Outside of birthdays, holidays, or special occasions, I was responsible for coming up with the money for the things I wanted. I began to appreciate the stuff I bought more because of how much I’d had to work to earn the money needed to pay for it.

2. Emergency Savings I started my first job as a bagger at Kroger when I was 14.

Eventually, I combined money I’d saved with a little support from my grandparents to purchase a reliable used car. After the initial excitement had subsided, my dad told me that I should plan to keep money in a savings account in case my car needed repairs, so I set a goal of $500. Only six months into car ownership, one of my tires went flat and I had to replace two tires that had worn 22

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out. Although it felt painful and unfair to have to spend money unexpectedly, I also had pride that I was able to handle the cost myself. I have kept an emergency savings account since that time.

3. Repaying Debt I ran into some additional car issues that cost more to repair than I had in emergency savings. My dad agreed to help me pay for the repairs, but it was a loan and not a gift. We had a small whiteboard on our fridge where he wrote the debt by my name. I agreed to pay him back with a little cash from each paycheck until it was fully repaid. He told me he trusted me to make sure this amount was paid before I spent money elsewhere. If I couldn’t afford to pay him one week, he would ask what else I’d spent money on and why I hadn’t prioritized repaying him. This taught me that I should make sure I pay as agreed if I borrow money.

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4. Building Credit When I was 18 years old, I applied for my first credit card. My dad made sure I knew this was not ‘free money,’ but that anything I charged would have to be paid back. Additionally, I learned that if I didn’t pay back the full amount, I would have to pay the credit union extra money (interest). I set a goal to only spend what I could afford to pay back by the due date. I used the card to put gas in my tank and for an occasional meal out, but I checked my balance often to keep track of what I owed. This helped me to build positive credit history by always paying on time, keeping my balance low, and building a length of history without having to pay interest.

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Embracing wellness

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Maggie Razdar Publisher/Founder

hen I asked young kids in one of our after-school clubs about wellness, they all had some great ideas about what makes people well. Almost all knew that it had to do with healthy eating and good exercise.

As you know there are more to wellness than just eating healthy and exercising. There are some components of healthful living, over which we have control. Unfortunately, we cannot control our genetic composition, nor can we re-do internal effects of our former living habits. Since cancer runs in my family, I have always made a conscious decision to keep a healthy life style. The components for healthy living are eating well, clean environment, regular exercise, and our ability to cope with stress.

Healthy Eating: A diet made up of a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, whole grains, and legumes provides, in abundance, all of the necessary nutrients known to boost our health.

However, one factor that has often been overlooked is what are we drinking.

Water is the best drink that we can give to our bodies; it detoxifies our internal system.

Environment: It is tempting to ignore the influence of environmental factors on our health because they often seem beyond our personal control. But there are environmental factors, which we can and must control. A healthy environment includes clean air, pure water, appropriate sunlight, and esthetics. We should avoid such environmental stressors as excessive noise and toxic substances. We have quite a bit of control over each of these aspects.

Air pollution is pervasive, especially in large cities. Individually, we have several options for dealing with air

MARCH 2019

pollution. Air purifier for our home and perhaps for our place of employment is a good choice. We can avoid smoky places. We can avoid using toxic chemicals, commonly known as household cleaners, in our homes.

Physical Health: Our physical health relies on exercise, rest, and sleep. There is much confusion about the role that exercise and sleep play in health. Like diet, activity is one area where each person is in control. Vigorous physical activity puts demand on all body systems to work harder. The body responds to these demands by becoming stronger and more efficient. The health benefits of exercise include improved metabolism, increased muscle and bone strength, more efficient cardiovascular function, larger lung capacity, tension reduction, and improved sleep.

Psychological health: High self-esteem is usually formed by our engagement in any productive activity and developing effective interpersonal skills. Productive activity that makes us feel worthwhile can affect our wellbeing. Positive feedback, resulting in from successfully performing tasks, increases our feelings of wellbeing and promotes self-esteem. This process begins in childhood with simple activities and increases in complexity as skills are mastered.

Gratification and pleasure from successfully performing meaningful tasks sometimes get lost as people grow older and find themselves going through pointless routines with the least possible effort. A lack of meaning and effort are damaging to our psychological health.

Most of the time, if we feel that we are at our optimum health, we can achieve anything in life!

Cheers to your wellness!

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