Congratulations to our 2015 SkyWell Interns

Skyline Students Selected as Wellness in the Workplace Conference Interns

In a new partnership between SkyWell and the University of Michigan Health Management Research Center, 6 Skyline students were selected by the Health & Medicine Bio-Medical Science Magnet to represent SkyWell at the 34th Annual Wellness in the Workplace Conference. The conference was held on May 13, 2015 at the Michigan League in Ann Arbor. SkyWell interns were introduced by Dr. Michael O'Donnell, Director of HMRC and Clinical Professor in the School of Kinesiology.

Congratulations to Class of 2015 Wellness Champions Sarika Tyagi and Bridget Kennedy and
Class of 2016 Wellness Champions Collin Cannaert, Allison Schulcz, Janay Ramirez and Jonathan Gurkan. Photo courtesy of HMRC.

Live Well | Think Well | SkyWell

Get Moving in May!

SkyWell Focus on Physical Wellness

May is National Physical Fitness Month, sponsored by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.  Now that Spring is finally here, what better time to celebrate physical activity and bring awareness to how a physically active lifestyle can promote personal wellness. At Skyline High School, our SkyWell Wellness Champions have many creative ideas about the physical dimensions of wellness and how we can encourage our student body to get active.

While only 25% of our students report 60 minutes or more of activity 5 days per week, what would happen if we sponsored some new events to promote wellness –

• How about a Field Day with teams based on our SLCs?
• Why don’t we sponsor a walking/bike event between Skyline and Community High School? It’s only 3.7 miles and could be fun sharing our wellness message with another Ann Arbor school.
• Or perhaps a jump rope marathon, just like we did in elementary school, to raise funds for a wellness organization?

This year marks the five year anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Lets Move Initiative. Let’s join her by bringing together students, parents and teachers at our school to promote moving more during the school day.

Join us at SkyWell and share your ideas

A2Skywell@gmail.com

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SkyWell Meeting 5/18/15

UPDATE
Due to severe weather the SkyWell meeting has been rescheduled to Monday, May 18th.


Come to the next SkyWell meeting on Monday, May 11th  after school in Mr. Bradley's room. We will be discussing Psycho-Social wellness. The meeting will run from 2:30 to 3:15. Bring yourself and your friends! SkyWell water bottles will also be on sale.

Water Fuels your Health

Drinking water is imperative to your overall wellness and to everyday body function. By drinking 8 glasses of water daily (or more if you exercise regularly), you will feel more energized and reduce your risks of headache and muscle cramping. Water is also important for normal muscle function, and overall homeostasis in your body.

Buy a refillable SkyWell water bottle - not only can you increase your awareness about wellness, but you are also doing yourself a big favor by helping your body become healthier. SkyWell water bottles are available in the Health & Medicine magnet for $10, and soon available in the SkyStore. To purchase one either talk to Mr. Bradley or contact Jonathan Gurkan or Alli Schulcz. $2 from each sale will be applied to a new wellness project that will benefit the entire school.

Jonathan Gurkan: jonathangurkan@gmail.com
Alli Schulcz: aschulcz16@gmail.com

SkyWell Annual Meeting April 30, 2015 at 10:00am

All SkyWell Stakeholders

If you are unable to attend the SkyWell annual meeting on April 30 at 10am, 

please print out the proxy form to cast your vote.

The Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy

can be found on the Documents Tab.

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Wellness Meets Technology

All About Health: Trackers, Risk Appraisals, and Apps

Current technology lets us monitor just about anything. In the wellness industry, we can use technology to build awareness, change attitudes, and ultimately shape our health behaviors.

This year, SkyWell had the opportunity to use the Personal Responsibility Health Record (PRHR™) courtesy of myNutratek. More than 100 students registered during the SkyWell Wellness Expo, and can now access the web portal to monitor up to 17 different trackers, including activity, sleep, water, nutrition, BMI, blood pressure, glucose, and migraine headaches. According to myNutratek CEO Tim Codd, “Our portal drives education and awareness of positive behaviors by measuring and tracking observations of daily living. With the help of technology, our tool has evolved beyond the classroom.”

In the corporate setting, companies offer health risk appraisals to help employees and retirees plan and execute personal wellness plans. By analyzing a combination of health history information, biometric data, and self-reported health behaviors, health risk appraisals help companies plan wellness interventions and predict future health trends and care costs.

Today, more than 5,800 medical, health, and fitness apps are available for smartphones and mobile technology, including meal planners, diet and exercise trackers, restaurant finders, and nutrition label scanners. These apps quickly and conveniently help individuals find information and measure status and progress.

The future offers limitless opportunities for mobile health and wellness technology. Do you have a great idea for a new mobile wellness app? Come to a SkyWell Club meeting and share it.

Live Well | Think Well | SkyWell 

Contact us at A2Skywell@gmail.com

Pizza - The Good, The Bad and the Healthy!

The Truth About Pizza

When we launched SkyWell in August 2014, we made a commitment to be pro-choice, meaning we don’t ban cupcakes, pizza, chips, or Big Gulps. Our goal is to make the healthy choice the easy choice by promoting students’ awareness about the consequences of their nutritional habits and increasing the availability of healthy food options in our cafeterias, vending machines, and concession stands.

Pizza seems to be one of those staples in America’s high school diet. It’s quick, easy to get, and relatively inexpensive.  In fact, one in five American youth consumes pizza daily. At Skyline, we serve pizza in our athletic concessions and cafeteria, and order it for delivery in a pinch. Skyline loves pizza.

But let’s be honest—will pizza make you smarter? Not really. And unfortunately, it can also add unneeded calories and sodium to your diet. But according to Gina Worful, registered dietitian and owner of Team Nutrifit, “Pizza can actually be a reasonably healthy choice! Instead of the usual pepperoni pizza try lean chicken, extra veggies, and thin crust to create a fresh and fit option! If you're not a fan of the healthier pizza option, have a slice of what you like and balance it with a fresh salad."

Come and join the discussion at the SkyWell Club monthly meeting—try on something healthy for size.