Spring Wellness Star

4/28/2021 2:23 pm

 

Spring - a new season, renewed energy, and getting our hands a little dirty. After this year of Covid and a long winter we are ready to start anew! Check out the mental health benefits of spring, surprising benefits of gardening, and how getting your hands in dirt can actually be a good thing. Plus, take a look at the book picks, Chanhassen Elementary staff spring favorites, the Star Question and more!

 

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Spring Has Sprung! 

 

 

We are already enjoying the benefits of this season. Make sure to get outside to take them in!

 

• Spring makes us feel energized ~ The feeling of the warm sun makes us feel upbeat and generally lifts our spirits. 
  
  
• Take in that Vitamin D ~ Feel the benefits of lifted moods, clearer mind, and overall improved body movement. Keep in mind, sun exposure should be in moderation. 
  
  
• More time for socializing ~ Being with friends and family seems to boost our mood and being that we don’t have to bundle up to do so or be indoors makes us able to safely socialize. 
  
  
• Spend some time with flowers, plants, and soil ~ Researchers have found that smelling roses or even pulling up weeds can decrease blood pressure, increase brain activity and produce a sense of well-being. More on that later!
  
  
• Boost for mental health ~ As soon as we get a prolonged access to daylight, fresh air outdoors and time with family and friends, we feel the benefits. Take time out to admire the greenery and colors around you and experience the instant relaxation of your stressed mind.

 

“Spring is the season of hope where we see the early signs of the labor of the winter months come to life. What a good time to notice the parallels in our own lives. Whether our New Year hopes and plans have failed or stalled, spring reminds us that there's still time to start over again". -Jackie Holder

Here Comes the Sun: Mental Health Benefits of Spring (welldoing.org)

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Let’s Hear From A Few Chanhassen Elementary Staff What They Love About Spring! 

 

 

Andrea Hawley: “I love the smell of spring rain and when the tree in my front yard blooms.”

 

Julie Leonard: “No more snow, blooming flowers, warm weather!”

 

Deb Kelly: “Stanley Cup Playoffs! Usually start in April…starting a little later this year on May 11th. Most wonderful time of the year!”

 

Jonathon Kison: "My favorite things about spring are the sights and smells. I love walking outside and smelling the flowers and leaves as they bloom. We typically start a few vegetable plants from seed in the house and that is always a fun activity to get us excited for warmer weather. The sights of seeing people out of “hibernation” and enjoying the fresh air is always a welcomed sight!"

 

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8 Surprising Health Benefits to Gardening 

 

 

Planting flowers and vegetables can reap bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening also can do wonders for your health? Here are eight surprising health benefits of gardening.

 

• Gardening can build self-esteem
  Maybe you don’t think you were born with a green thumb, but after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror: a person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth. It always feels good to accomplish new tasks, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do?
  
  
•  Gardening is good for your heart
  All that digging, planting and weeding burns calories and strengthens your heart. “There are physical benefits from doing the manual labor of gardening,” says UNC Health internal medicine physician Robert Hutchins, MD, MPH. “It’s hard work to garden, and it provides some cardiovascular benefit.”
  
  
•  Gardening reduces stress.
  Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. “Gardening gives you a chance to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and a task in mind,” Dr. Hutchins says, “which is helpful especially now with so much illness and death and talk of death, just to see things growing and things thriving.”
  
  
• Gardening can make you happy!
  Getting dirt under your nails while digging in the ground can make you pretty happy. In fact, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.
  
  
• Gardening can improve your hand strength
  All that digging, planting and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening also will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.
  
  
• Gardening is good for the whole family
  Gardening can be a solo activity or an opportunity for bonding with your family and friends. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases.
  
  
• Gardening can give you a boost of vitamin D
  A healthy dose of vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. Exposure to sunlight helps older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
  
  
• Growing your own food can help you eat healthier
  If you have a vegetable or herb or fruit garden, you’re getting fresh produce that you know hasn’t been treated with pesticides. “It’s essentially as farm-to-table as it gets,” Dr. Hutchins says, “if you’re eating what you’re growing.”

 

For more information, check out: 8 Surprising Health Benefits of Gardening | UNC Health Talk (unchealthcare.org)

 

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Did You Know... 

 

The benefits of gardening go far beyond connecting to nature and creating a beautiful yard. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gardening qualifies as exercise. In fact, getting out in the yard for just 30-45 minutes can burn up to 300 calories.

 

 

 

 

Speaking of gardening…..

 

We are in search of a few helping hands on May 15th 9am-12pm to help with spring cleaning the garden and to help throughout the summer. No green thumb or previous gardening experience needed! Come and go when you please! Equipment like shovels, wheelbarrows and other tools will be provided, but please bring your own gloves. Contact Erin (651-308-3780) for more details.

 

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More Health Benefits of Gardening  

 

Have you ever heard of a prescription for getting dirty or for gardening? There are continued studies showing what actually happens to our bodies and brains when we engage with dirt. Yes, dirt! You may have read about the myriad ways gardening supports good health, providing gentle exercise, vitamin D, and stress-busting contact with nature. It turns out that some of the most powerful health benefits of gardening may come from our contact with the soil itself:

• stronger immune system
• regulation of neurotransmitters
• increased serotonin and melatonin levels
• reduce stress
• engaged senses
• and more!

Check out these articles to read more about the benefits of dirt:

The Health Benefits of Getting Dirty | Eartheasy Guides & Articles | Eartheasy Guides & Articles

The Farm Effect: How Dirt Makes You Happy and Healthy | Christiane Northrup, M.D. (drnorthrup.com)

 

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Did you know that 4th graders can get a FREE National Parks Pass?

 

Check out the website for more information. Get outside! 

 

National Parks Pass: https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/campaigns-initiatives/every-kid-park

 

 

 

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Star Question from Jan/Feb: What lesson are you taking away from 2020?

 

 

Jodi S. - “Look for the silver lining. When it seems like so much negative is happening around us, there are still so many great and positive things out there! I've made a bigger effort to find those silver linings and still make good happen!”

 

Brielle C. (4th grade) -  “I’ve learned that creativity can make you go anywhere in the world and do anything, even if you’re stuck in your home. I’ve learned that music and writing songs is what I want to do when I grow up, and it makes me happy even when there’s not much else to do.”

 

Spencer G. (4th grade) -  "You don't always get to do what you want to do, but you have to follow the rules to keep everyone safe."

 

Lindsey G. - Dress for the weather and get outside even if you don't feel like it!

 

Neil C. (3rd grade) -  It's not so bad being stuck at home with your family” 

 

Blake B. (3rd grade) -  I'm thankful for technology that we could stay in school and still connect with friends.

 

Jessica B. - If you want to get anything done for yourself, wake up before the children.”

Thank you for all the responses to the January/February Star Question! Congratulations to Blake who is the winner of the Chanhassen Elementary hat! 

 

 

STAR QUESTION: What are you most looking forward to this summer? 

 

For your chance to win a Chanhassen Elementary hat please email your response to the Wellness Committee (wellnesschanhassenpto@gmail.com) by May 14th. Thank you! 

 

  

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 What’s New With the Chanhassen Elementary Community Garden? 

 

 

 

   

Spring Clean Up Day ~ May 15th 9am-12pm

All are welcome to join! Thank you to Westwood Community Volunteers for their time and energy for helping this year. 

 

Please bring your own gloves and wear a mask. Gardening bags and tools will be provided. 

 

Projects include: 

• Prepping garden boxes for planting
• Repairing garden boxes
• Weeding and cleaning up perennial garden
• Figuring out what to do with the apple tree
• Adding new plants to perennial garden
• “Beautifying” the space (future projects) 

Ongoing and Future Projects:

 

• Student Planting Day
• Adding picket fence on corners of perennial garden near the street side. Making it more of a “community/neighborhood” feel. 
• Making a sign (Chanhassen Elementary Community Garden). Can anyone help with this?
• Creating more learning spaces and appeal to classrooms/students by promoting all that can be done with the school garden and space. 
• Painting the small benches
• Removal of tree near the perennial garden/sidewalk
• Creating more involvement for ongoing maintenance of the grounds & utilizing space.

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Star Shout Out

 

• Jessica Annis, former Chan. El. Mom and Master Gardener
  Lead us through the layout and labor of the garden. Continues to be our knowledge reference and contribute in ways that are possible through Master Gardeners.
  
  
• Carrie Schafer, reading teacher and volunteer extraordinaire
  Stepped up to volunteer with the school garden last year and took it on beautifully! She continues to be hands-on in many ways and we appreciate her green thumb and patience.
  
  
• Kalie Goldade and Andrea Hawley
  Taking time to plan a Student Planting Day to have all students involved to have a common school experience.
  
• All those who have gotten their hands dirty to make the garden possible. Thank you for your time and energy!

 

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 Book Picks 

 

 

• Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring ~ Kenard Pak
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt ~ Kate Messner 
• The Book of Mistakes ~ Corinaa Luyken 
• The Bug Girl ~ Sophia Spencer & Margaret McNamara 
• Drawn from Nature ~ Helen Ahpornsiri
• Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth ~ Mary McKenna Siddals
• Let it Rot! The Gardener’s Guide to Composting ~ Stu Campbell 
• Worms Eat My Garbage ~ Joanne Olszewski and Mary Arlene Appelhof
• The Psychology of Gardening ~ Harriet Gross
• Gardening For Health ~ Angela Youngman 

 

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Thank you for taking the time to read the Wellness Star! We hope you are ready to get outside and feel those benefits of the season and gardening. Remember, a little dirt never hurt! Be well. 

 

~ Erin Reisdorf, Chanhassen Elementary PTO Wellness Committee

 

Questions? Comments. Celebrations! Contact the Wellness Committee: 
wellnesschanhassenpto@gmail.com