Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
School Food Program
TST BOCES serves students breakfast each day. Students are served from 8:30-9:30 a.m. School lunch is available from 11 a.m. to noon daily. All meals are served in the Smith School Cafeteria or Regional Alternative School.
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027)(link is external) found online at: How to File a Complaint(link is external), and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov(link sends e-mail).
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
The Backpack Program
Many children are left without adequate nutrition on the weekends. The Backpack Program is a project of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier which attempts to fill this gap and reduce child hunger. The program provides children who are at risk of hunger with a bag of nutritious food every Friday throughout the school year.
TST BOCES Wellness Committee Members
Want to join a meeting or learn more? Email us at jpodolak@tstboces.org
Christine Becraft
Kelly VanRiper
Lisa Dann
Toma Stotts
Caitlin Bronk
Sean Mckean
Jeff Podolak
Free Wellness Apps
Smiling Mind
Be kind to your mind. Get over 300 free meditations.
Headspace
Lean on Headspace when you need to retreat. Headspace supports you with ten minutes of daily mindfulness practice to invoke calm, presence, and quiet.
Exhale
Exhale is the first wellness app created by and for BIPOC women. It combines meditation, inspirational talks, affirmations, guided visualizations, and breath work to create a wellspring of self-care.
Wakeout!
A compilation of 300+ exercises which can be done in 30-second chunks wherever you are, whatever you're doing. Wakeout helps us incorporate movement at times we need it the most, like during seemingly endless hours on zoom and meet.
Clue
For women who experience a monthly cycle, Clue supports you by offering a system for tracking your physical and emotional symptoms throughout the month. It illuminates how lifestyle habits and hormonal symptoms impact our health.
Deliciously Ella
With around 300 plant-based, nutritious dishes to choose from, Deliciously Ella helps you plan plant-based meals and includes a personalized wellness plan and daily tracker to monitor your diet, exercise, sleep, mindfulness, and water consumption.
Wellframe App: Support at Your Fingertips
The Wellframe app connects you to a care manager and team of registered nurses, social workers, and dieticians to help manage chronic illness and/or support general wellbeing. You have access to a rich library of health information and can tailor your experience to suit your personal goals along with support from a care manager. The Wellframe app puts personalized, 1:1 care at your fingertips.
To get started, follow these simple steps:
Download the Excellus BCBS app and register your online account.
Open your Excellus BCBS app and click the settings icon on the top right.
Click Member Apps from the dropdown menu.
Click Wellframe® and enter code “EXCELLUS” to download.
Community Resources
YMCA of Ithaca Community Employer Wellness Benefit 10% discount
Network of support if you aren't an Excellus subscriber. Visit the Ithaca Crisis Website
Excellus members can use MDLive to access behavioral health counseling with a smartphone, tablet or computer. MDLive licensed therapists may offer help through video chat for:
Sleep disorders
Anxiety & depression
Child behavior issues
Eating disorders
Obsessive compulsive disorders
Post traumatic stress disorders
Smoking addiction
The mission of the Tompkins County Mental Health Services Department is to meet the needs of the residents of Tompkins County in the areas of mental health, developmental disabilities, and chemical dependency by providing prevention and early detection, comprehensively planned care, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Click here to learn about Tompkins County Mental Health Resources