Wellness Committee
The Beye School PTO Wellness Committee develops and executes a variety of programs that foster healthy living habits within the Beye community and our environment.
Our mission is to educate students on the many benefits of a healthy, environmentally responsible lifestyle while encouraging them to develop key behaviors that will lead to good health and well-being throughout their time at Beye and beyond.
Wellness is comprised of three subcommittees: Fitness, Nutrition, and Green Team, which include a wide breadth of activities and events. We are continually grateful for the many parent volunteers that help keep our programs up and running. If you’re interested in volunteering, whether it be for a few hours here and there or for a regular weekly post, we’d love to hear from you.
Our mission is to educate students on the many benefits of a healthy, environmentally responsible lifestyle while encouraging them to develop key behaviors that will lead to good health and well-being throughout their time at Beye and beyond.
Wellness is comprised of three subcommittees: Fitness, Nutrition, and Green Team, which include a wide breadth of activities and events. We are continually grateful for the many parent volunteers that help keep our programs up and running. If you’re interested in volunteering, whether it be for a few hours here and there or for a regular weekly post, we’d love to hear from you.
Fitness
Beye’s Fitness Subcommittee develops engaging programs and events that incorporate regular physical activity into the daily lives of students. We support and advocate opportunities to be physically active and promote healthy exercise habits to last a lifetime. Current Fitness programs include:
Kids Running Beye: a non-competitive, supportive after school run training program for students in grades 3-5. Students train to complete a youth mile or 5K race with coaches who help tailor plans to meet each child’s goal. Participants will take part in Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright race.
Trekkers is a voluntary lunchtime run/walk program for all grades. It is designed to encourage students to build endurance and cardiovascular health. Trekkers is not a racing program but rather a commitment to be and stay physically active. The emphasis centers on cumulative distance covered over time and having a blast while being active with friends. This is a great once a week volunteer opportunity for parents to get outdoors and cheer on our Trekkers while keeping them safe and on track. Trekkers takes place during lunch recess each Thursday from 11 am - 12 pm. The program starts in September and runs until the sidewalks become unsafe due to snow or ice, then resumes in spring. Please contact the Fitness Leader if you’re interested in volunteering.
International Walk to School Day is an international event held each October that encourages students to forgo busses, trains, and cars in favor of walking to school. The benefits of walking to school are many including improved cardiovascular health, keeping our walking routes well-maintained and safe, as well as decreased air pollution from street traffic. This year Walk to School Day is October 5, 2016.
The Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is a 1 mile voluntary after school fun run for 3rd-5th graders held each November. Winners bring home a Thanksgiving turkey!
The Annual Health Expo is a school wide health fair which takes place each December shortly before winter break. Members of our local healthcare community convene at Beye to engage and inform students on a variety of health-related topics running the gamut from dental hygiene to physical fitness to portion control as they move from station to station. If you’re a healthcare professional who might be interested in participating in our Health Expo, please contact Chaz Simatic at [email protected].
The Beye Bobcat Classic 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is a PTO fundraiser that offers Beye students, families, teachers, and staff the opportunity to show off their skills on the basketball court. Teams of 3rd, 4th, 5th grade boys and girls will face off in a round robin tournament. K-2nd graders will have a chance to demonstrate their prowess in a timed halftime show basket-making contest tailored just to them. Finally the adults will square off in their own 3-on-3 tournament. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in all divisions. Please contact the Fitness Leader if you’re available to help out.
Olympic Day is Beye’s much-anticipated end of year outdoor athletic extravaganza! Students compete in teams at a variety of athletic contests in a fun-filled, high energy, cooperative field day event.
If you have questions, comments, or would like to volunteer to help with any of our fitness programs, please contact the Fitness Leader under contacts.
Kids Running Beye: a non-competitive, supportive after school run training program for students in grades 3-5. Students train to complete a youth mile or 5K race with coaches who help tailor plans to meet each child’s goal. Participants will take part in Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright race.
Trekkers is a voluntary lunchtime run/walk program for all grades. It is designed to encourage students to build endurance and cardiovascular health. Trekkers is not a racing program but rather a commitment to be and stay physically active. The emphasis centers on cumulative distance covered over time and having a blast while being active with friends. This is a great once a week volunteer opportunity for parents to get outdoors and cheer on our Trekkers while keeping them safe and on track. Trekkers takes place during lunch recess each Thursday from 11 am - 12 pm. The program starts in September and runs until the sidewalks become unsafe due to snow or ice, then resumes in spring. Please contact the Fitness Leader if you’re interested in volunteering.
International Walk to School Day is an international event held each October that encourages students to forgo busses, trains, and cars in favor of walking to school. The benefits of walking to school are many including improved cardiovascular health, keeping our walking routes well-maintained and safe, as well as decreased air pollution from street traffic. This year Walk to School Day is October 5, 2016.
The Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is a 1 mile voluntary after school fun run for 3rd-5th graders held each November. Winners bring home a Thanksgiving turkey!
The Annual Health Expo is a school wide health fair which takes place each December shortly before winter break. Members of our local healthcare community convene at Beye to engage and inform students on a variety of health-related topics running the gamut from dental hygiene to physical fitness to portion control as they move from station to station. If you’re a healthcare professional who might be interested in participating in our Health Expo, please contact Chaz Simatic at [email protected].
The Beye Bobcat Classic 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is a PTO fundraiser that offers Beye students, families, teachers, and staff the opportunity to show off their skills on the basketball court. Teams of 3rd, 4th, 5th grade boys and girls will face off in a round robin tournament. K-2nd graders will have a chance to demonstrate their prowess in a timed halftime show basket-making contest tailored just to them. Finally the adults will square off in their own 3-on-3 tournament. Prizes will be awarded to the winners in all divisions. Please contact the Fitness Leader if you’re available to help out.
Olympic Day is Beye’s much-anticipated end of year outdoor athletic extravaganza! Students compete in teams at a variety of athletic contests in a fun-filled, high energy, cooperative field day event.
If you have questions, comments, or would like to volunteer to help with any of our fitness programs, please contact the Fitness Leader under contacts.
Nutrition
The Nutrition Subcommittee helps students build a knowledge base that empowers them to make healthful food choices. We promote a balanced, produce-rich diet as fun, delicious, and essential to developing strong, smart, healthy bodies. Current Nutrition programs include:
The First Grade Garden coincides with the first grade science curriculum and provides a hands-on learning experience for some of our younger students. With the help of parent volunteers, first graders plant and nurture their own community garden of fresh fruits and vegetables in the garden boxes in front of the school each spring. Families help care for the garden over the summer months and harvest the bounty in the fall. The new second graders then have the opportunity to sample the fruits of their labor at their first Second Grade Tasting in September.
Second Grade Tastings begin with the harvest of the previous year’s first grade garden in September. Tastings are led by parent volunteers who prepare and present foods from around the world to the second grade classes on a predetermined day each month. Each tasting is accompanied by a lesson relating to nutrition, geography, climate, culture, and how such factors impact the foods we eat. In addition to broadening young palates, the program fosters social skills by teaching students how to express their opinions about new foods, whether positive or negative, in a respectful manner.
March is National Nutrition Month and we celebrate all month long! Throughout March, mornings begin with a nutrition “tip of the day” along with the morning announcements. We participate in P.A.C.K. Week (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids), a fun, color-based 5-day educational program aimed at getting kids to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Students are invited to test their nutrition knowledge with trivia questions at lunchtime and earn the chance to win prizes by submitting their answers. We also feature a Fear Factor-type tasting during lunch, challenging students to try an unusual or maligned fruit or vegetable that might be new to them.
The 5th Grade Breakfast offers our upperclassmen the opportunity to experience firsthand the positive impact that a well-balanced breakfast has on energy level and ability to concentrate. Our fifth-graders look forward to this social event which often coincides with state testing.
If you have any questions, comments or would like to volunteer to assist with any of our nutrition programs, please contact our Nutrition Leader.
The First Grade Garden coincides with the first grade science curriculum and provides a hands-on learning experience for some of our younger students. With the help of parent volunteers, first graders plant and nurture their own community garden of fresh fruits and vegetables in the garden boxes in front of the school each spring. Families help care for the garden over the summer months and harvest the bounty in the fall. The new second graders then have the opportunity to sample the fruits of their labor at their first Second Grade Tasting in September.
Second Grade Tastings begin with the harvest of the previous year’s first grade garden in September. Tastings are led by parent volunteers who prepare and present foods from around the world to the second grade classes on a predetermined day each month. Each tasting is accompanied by a lesson relating to nutrition, geography, climate, culture, and how such factors impact the foods we eat. In addition to broadening young palates, the program fosters social skills by teaching students how to express their opinions about new foods, whether positive or negative, in a respectful manner.
March is National Nutrition Month and we celebrate all month long! Throughout March, mornings begin with a nutrition “tip of the day” along with the morning announcements. We participate in P.A.C.K. Week (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids), a fun, color-based 5-day educational program aimed at getting kids to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Students are invited to test their nutrition knowledge with trivia questions at lunchtime and earn the chance to win prizes by submitting their answers. We also feature a Fear Factor-type tasting during lunch, challenging students to try an unusual or maligned fruit or vegetable that might be new to them.
The 5th Grade Breakfast offers our upperclassmen the opportunity to experience firsthand the positive impact that a well-balanced breakfast has on energy level and ability to concentrate. Our fifth-graders look forward to this social event which often coincides with state testing.
If you have any questions, comments or would like to volunteer to assist with any of our nutrition programs, please contact our Nutrition Leader.
Green Team
Beye’s Green Team creates opportunities within our school to reduce waste of all kinds (solid waste, energy, water, etc). By reducing waste we strive to also reduce Beye’s operational costs and optimize ecological efficiency and environmental soundness of the school facility. We develop green programs aimed at building awareness and support throughout the Beye community including students, families, and staff.
Green Club - Green Ambassador Program: This club for eco-conscious 4th and 5th-graders is led by a Beye school teacher and parent volunteers who are passionate about the environment. Meetings take place during lunch hours and after school lead to the development and execution of various green initiatives throughout the year.
Zero Waste Lunchroom: We strive for a zero waste lunchroom all year long! A team of parent volunteers rotate shifts throughout the school year to help students sort their lunch waste each day. Lunch waste is sorted into recycling, compost, and landfill bins thus minimizing waste and ensuring that our bins remain uncontaminated. Students who bring their lunch are always encouraged to use washable, reusable containers, cloth napkins, silverware, and refillable water bottles but this practice is highlighted on monthly Waste-Free Wednesdays during which students earn a hand stamp with their waste-free lunch. For students who might not already have reusable lunchbox items, many often show up as prizes and giveaways during Earth Month events. Our lunchroom uses reusable trays and silverware and participates in Terracycle’s recycling program which collects and recycles juice pouches.
PreserveWare: Green Team procures and lends durable, washable, reusable plates, cups, and silverware for use at classroom parties and events. By eliminating the need to repeatedly purchase paper plates and cups, PreserveWare saves room parents and teachers money, while reducing waste throughout the school. If you are a room parent in need of a set of PreserveWare for use in your classroom, please contact current Green Team Leader under contacts.
April is Earth Month. The celebration includes a green themed poster contest, lunchtime recycled and eco-themed art activities, and participation in the Oak Park Village Earth Festival.
Butterfly Garden: In the summer of 2013 a team of parent volunteers, along with the support of the PTO, created a certified butterfly garden just south of the playground. Butterflies are key pollinators and their populations have been threatened in recent years by destruction of much of their natural habitat.
Green Club - Green Ambassador Program: This club for eco-conscious 4th and 5th-graders is led by a Beye school teacher and parent volunteers who are passionate about the environment. Meetings take place during lunch hours and after school lead to the development and execution of various green initiatives throughout the year.
Zero Waste Lunchroom: We strive for a zero waste lunchroom all year long! A team of parent volunteers rotate shifts throughout the school year to help students sort their lunch waste each day. Lunch waste is sorted into recycling, compost, and landfill bins thus minimizing waste and ensuring that our bins remain uncontaminated. Students who bring their lunch are always encouraged to use washable, reusable containers, cloth napkins, silverware, and refillable water bottles but this practice is highlighted on monthly Waste-Free Wednesdays during which students earn a hand stamp with their waste-free lunch. For students who might not already have reusable lunchbox items, many often show up as prizes and giveaways during Earth Month events. Our lunchroom uses reusable trays and silverware and participates in Terracycle’s recycling program which collects and recycles juice pouches.
PreserveWare: Green Team procures and lends durable, washable, reusable plates, cups, and silverware for use at classroom parties and events. By eliminating the need to repeatedly purchase paper plates and cups, PreserveWare saves room parents and teachers money, while reducing waste throughout the school. If you are a room parent in need of a set of PreserveWare for use in your classroom, please contact current Green Team Leader under contacts.
April is Earth Month. The celebration includes a green themed poster contest, lunchtime recycled and eco-themed art activities, and participation in the Oak Park Village Earth Festival.
Butterfly Garden: In the summer of 2013 a team of parent volunteers, along with the support of the PTO, created a certified butterfly garden just south of the playground. Butterflies are key pollinators and their populations have been threatened in recent years by destruction of much of their natural habitat.