Mrs. Howard's introduction (click to listen):

Dear Three Village Community,

Thank you for visiting the Three Village Wellness Committee Website. My name is Cynthia Howard, certified K-12 Health and Physical Education teacher.  This is my nineteenth year in TVCSD (2021-2022) and I am currently teaching Health at Ward Melville High School.  This podcast is relevant due to the vaping epidemic and all the confusion about e-cigarettes.  The following is an excerpt from the podcast...

"Not so long ago, vaping – or inhaling vapor from an electronic cigarette – was seen as a healthier alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. After all, solid research showed that smoking tobacco causes lung disease and cancer. But recent reports have linked serious lung injury – and even deaths – to vaping. UH emergency room physician Benjamin Boswell, DO, explains how e-cigarettes cause illness and why people are coming to the ER after vaping."

This information on the short and long term effects of vaping are pertinent to teach our students to fight the tobacco companies targeting our youth.  As students learn about the hazards, it will hopefully prevent them from becoming addicted to nicotine. 

Dr. Herrschaft's introduction (click to listen): 

Hello Three Village Community,

Thanks for visiting the Wellness Committee Website. My name is Dr. Alison Herrschaft, I serve as the student assistance social worker. I thought this podcast "Is marijuana bad for your brain?” is an important one to share given the recent changes in marijuana legalization in New York state. The podcast importantly notes that recreational use, specifically in people under the age of 25, can cause long term damage, complicate learning and problem solving, effect emotional regulation, memory, and communication. This is a message that we share with our students and is important to continue to share give the upcoming changes that will impact our youth. 

Ms. Rudiger's introduction (click to listen):

Thank you for visiting the Wellness Committee website for Three Village Schools.  My name is Kristina Rudiger and I serve as a K-12 Health Education Teacher for the TVCSD district. 

Digital life is not going away any time soon. Without adult guidance, many teenagers would spend much of their waking hours behind a screen.  Whether they’re texting on their smartphones, watching videos on their ipads or playing games on their consoles, electronics use can easily get out of control. Too much screen time has been linked to a variety of problems.  Excessive electronic use raises the risk of obesity, interferes with social activities and family time, and takes a toll on mental health.  However, there is some good news.  A study published in the JAMA Pediatrics found that parental monitoring of a child’s media use and setting up a family contract can have protective effects on his or her academic, social and physical outcomes.

This two part podcast entitled “Screen Time Issues” empowers parents to set up a reasonable structure around screentime and electronics in your home. 

Part one targets parents of toddlers through early middle schoolers,   Part II is more geared towards late middle school through high school parents. I hope you enjoy this most informative and helpful resource to help us all embrace the benefits of technology without sacrificing our family values.

Mrs. Cuming's introduction (click to listen):

Hello, this is Danielle Cumings, Physical Education teacher in Three Village School District and a member of the district Wellness Committee. The following is a podcast about the importance of physical activity for children of all abilities. It not only discusses the benefits of physical activity, but also some of the more common problems and hurdles faced by parents when trying to promote activity for their children, and how to overcome them.  

I hope you enjoy the podcast, and that it assists you in setting up your children to develop lifelong, healthy habits!

Dr. McCabe's introduction (click to listen):

Hi everybody! My name is Dr. Kelly McCabe, and I am a School Psychologist at Nassakeag Elementary School. I have been studying positive psychology, most specifically the effects of gratitude, for many years now, and it never ceases to amaze me how many benefits people can get from practicing gratitude regularly in their lives. It is impactful on not just on our mental health, but on our physical, social and emotional well-being as well. I love this podcast by Live Happy, because it is very quick; you can listen to it in under a half an hour, and it will teach about why there is such a benefit to gratitude, in addition to giving you simple ways to start implementing gratitude in your everyday life.

Once you start rewiring your brain for gratitude, you'll be amazed at how much of an impact it has on your day-to-day experience.  I hope you enjoy!

James Sheridan's introduction (will be included soon):