Elgin School District Investing in Teacher Wellness
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, September 9th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
ELGIN, OR – Teachers are saddled with a difficult task of caring for and managing the academic development of dozens if not hundreds of students, in addition to a near constant bombardment of grading papers and drafting lesson plans. The Elgin school district, thankfully, is giving its teachers a physical and mental reprieve through a $100,000 dollar staff wellness grant.
According to Elgin School District Superintendent Dianne Grief, the schools received the grant last summer as part of a general effort to increase staff retention and better maintain their mental health. Already purchased thanks to the grant are staff wellness room along with outdoor equipment (such as kayaks and paddleboards) that staff can check out for free. The other facet of the staff health initiative is a series of group exercise and sport activities, such as a walking challenge and a self-organized golf tournament at Buffalo Peak that saw roughly 38 members of the school district staff participate.
It is hoped by the district that these efforts will help rejuvenate the physical and mental health of Elgin’s teachers, many of whom work more than 8 hours a day. As stated by Grief, “It’s about coming together to promote our wellbeing and provide that break from teacher tasks.”
