Nurturing Wellness

The Hallway Hustle Step Challenge starts today and it's not too late to join! For 14 days, staff are invited to join a fun and motivating step challenge focused on building energy and momentum heading into spring break. The goal is to reach 8,000 steps per day for 12 days during the challenge window. Steps can come from anywhere (work, home or a quick hallway lap!) Each day will include a simple "mini challenge" to keep things fresh and fun. Let's move more, feel better, and hustle into spring break strong! Click here to join the challenge.

Showcasing CPS leaders and champions who personally model healthy behaviors and truly believe in creating opportunities for school employees to take better care of themselves!

Danny Plunkett, Battle Elementary, Paraprofessional

"Danny started walking in the hallways to increase his steps during a step challenge last year. He took this a ran with it, he comes to school early to walk the halls. He walks the halls during every break and encourages others to get in their steps. It is great to see him and his grandson walking in the hallways in the morning. He sets a daily goal of 9 miles, and reaches this unless he is sick!! You should feature him as a person that took the wellness challenges and made a true lifestyle change."

If you want to nominate an employee to be spotlighted for their wellness efforts, fill out this short Google Survey.

Not trying to get all philosophical on you, but what if the secret to a good life could be drawn as a triangle? That’s the idea behind the Self-Determination Triangle, inspired by Self-Determination Theory — a science-backed take on what actually motivates humans beyond food and shelter.

At the three corners of this motivational triangle are your basic psychological needs: Autonomy (feeling like you’re the boss of your own life), Relatedness (belonging and connection), and Competence (actually feeling capable of doing stuff).

Frameworks like this are like maps: not perfect, but useful. So whenever you may feel something is wrong, this could help you figure out where exactly are the sources of dissatisfaction, understand their causes, and decide what you can do to fix them.

When you hear the word snack, exercise probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind—but exercise snacks are changing the game. These are short bursts of movement (think 30 seconds to 5 minutes) sprinkled throughout your day instead of one long workout. No gym clothes, no hour-long commitment—just quick, energizing movement breaks.

Why bother? Because these tiny movement “snacks” can deliver big health benefits. Short bouts of activity help boost energy, improve heart health, and reduce the risks linked to sitting too much. Even better, science shows that intensity matters. A recent large study by Biswas, R.K., et al. found that just 1 minute of vigorous activity (like fast stair climbing) was linked to similar reductions in health risk as 4–9 minutes of moderate activity or a whopping 53–156 minutes of light activity. In other words, a little hustle goes a long way.

The best part? Exercise snacks are easy to fit into your day:

• Stair power: Take the stairs for 1–2 minutes.
• Desk-side strength: Squats, lunges, or wall push-ups between meetings.
• Speedy walks: A brisk lap around the school or block.
• Active chores: Fast vacuuming or carrying groceries counts, too!

So next time you’re waiting for your copies to spit out or between classes, try an exercise snack. Your heart, muscles, and future self will thank you—no workout required.

Sleep chronotypes are very real! Your chronotype is a biological trait, not a habit you can simply "train away." Respecting it helps to synchronize your sleep, hormones, and daily behaviors, leading to better sleep, improved mental and physical health, and higher daily functioning. Click on the article below to read more about adjusting your routine to fit your chronotype.

In K–12 education, we spend our days supporting students’ growth, learning, and well-being. National Nutrition Month is a great reminder to also support our own.

Every day, we make food decisions, between classes, during quick lunch breaks, before bus routes, after long meetings, or on the way home from events. Those choices are shaped by more than willpower. They’re influenced by several “puzzle pieces” that fit together:

Nutrition Knowledge
Understanding basic nutrition — how to build a balanced plate, how to read a food label, and how food affects energy and focus — helps us make informed choices, even on busy days.

Food Skills
Simple habits like packing snacks, planning a few meals ahead, or preparing ingredients in advance can make healthy options more accessible during a hectic school week.

Confidence & Self-Efficacy
Believing “I can make a small healthy change” matters. Healthy habits don’t require perfection — just small, consistent steps.

Our Environment
Bell schedules, staff meetings, after-school activities, and family responsibilities all influence what and when we eat. Recognizing these factors helps us plan realistic strategies.

At the center of it all are our daily food decisions, small choices that add up over time and directly affect our energy, mood, focus, and long-term health.

This month, consider one simple action:

• Add one fruit or vegetable to your workday

• Bring a balanced snack to avoid afternoon energy crashes

• Learn one new nutrition tip

• Prep lunches for two days instead of one

• Drink water consistently throughout the day

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As educators and staff, we model lifelong habits for our students. When we prioritize our own well-being, we strengthen our ability to support theirs.

This National Nutrition Month, let’s focus on building knowledge, strengthening skills, and making informed choices, one school day at a time.

Click on the picture above to learn more!

This framework popularized by Microsoft's Chief People Officer, can be used to measure and improve employee thriving. Similar to Maslow's hierarchy, this model builds from basic needs to higher level self-actualization. Click on the pyramid above to read about the framework and each level.

If you have an event or resource you want shared, please email me at blolli@cpsk12.org!

March 2-15 Hallway Hustle Step Challenge Sign up for our last individual step challenge of the school year to be entered into a raffle for a prize! Click here to sign up.

March 5, 2026 @ 5:30pm - Garden Planning Workshop Join CCUA for a garden planning workshop! Plan each season of your garden with CCUA staff, learn about pest management before the pests arrive, get tips for soil health, and more! Join us at Columbia’s Agriculture Park inside our Schoolhouse. All are welcome, please RSVP here!

March 13, 2026 - April 24, 2026 Living a Healthy Life with Diabetes Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP) is an evidence-based 6-week class for individuals living with type 2 diabetes and their caregivers designed to help you better manage your diabetes by learning important self-management skills and techniques. Participants make weekly action plans, share experiences, and help each other solve problems they encounter in creating and carrying out their self-management plan. Click here to register

March 14, 2026 @ 12:00pm - Polar Bear Plunge Columbia This "unbearable" event is a unique opportunity to show your bravery as you support local Special Olympics Missouri athletes by walking, running or crawling into the frigid winter waters. In 2025, the Columbia Plunge had 200 plungers and raised more than $63,000! This one-of-a-kind event promises a fun atmosphere complete with music, funny costumes and lasting memories for everyone! Register here to join in on the fun!

Below are local gyms that offer educator discounts to CPS Staff. To download the PDFs, you must open this newsletter in the internet browser by clicking "view in browser" at the top.

The EAP program through Personal Assistance Services offers free and confidential life event services that help you and your dependent family members with virtually any life need. Every one of us experience demands for our time and energy, both on and off the job. While striving to be successful at work, we also want to develop as a parent, grandparent, friend, or partner; take better care of ourselves; solve legal and financial challenges, become more productive; pursue personal interests and hobbies; maintain healthy family, social and work relationships; and learn how to balance it all.

PAS provides a wide array of counseling and life coaching services to support you and your dependents through the full spectrum of life events:

• Counseling - personal, family, relationship
• Lifestyle & Wellness - weight & nutrition, nicotine cessation, life & well-being, fitness, sleep, parenting
• Legal - legal consultation, will preparation, legal document library
• Financial - identity theft, budgeting & debt, financial planning & information, financial wellness tools
• Career & Work - career, retirement, continuing education, organization & productivity
• Resource & Referral - child-care consultation & referral, education planning, elder care coordination, discount center

All services are free and confidential and there is no limit to the number of services an individual can access.

To access PAS benefits you can call 1.800.356.0845, visit the website www.mypaseap.com and use the organization code CPS, or download the myPASapp