Resources for Educators & Families
JCISD Whole Child: May 4th
Learning Snapshot Weekly Highlight Simple Strategies to Support Staff Wellness
Staff wellness is an important topic but it is more important than ever during this unique time in history. The goal of this presentation is to narrow down some of the best resources on staff wellness to compile simple strategies that leaders can implement with staff during this work from home period.
Theme: Building Relationships: Making and Sustaining a Connection
Audience: For use by administrators to support their staff.
Presentation: Simple Strategies to Support Staff Wellness (voice-over), Simple Strategies to Support Staff Wellness (slides)
Additional materials: Discussion Questions , Staff Wellness Visual
For access to other learning snapshots, please visit the Whole Child Website.
Food Distribution Sites
Our schools and community have come together to ensure that all of our students are fed during this time of crisis. Click here for a list of school district food distribution sites.
Michigan Department of Education also released a map showing food sites across the state.
JCISD Tech Consortium Virtual PD Sessions
Week of 5/4: JCISD Tech Consortium Virtual PD Sessions
Additional:
Google Classroom Starter Kit This is a three-week online course that will teach how to use Google Classroom. (May 11-31, 6 SCECHs)
EdTech Kickoff: Sessions will be geared towards learning the best way to use technology as we enter the new school year and a future of online and blended learning. *Kickoff will run virtually if any executive order prohibits in-person attendance. (August 6, 5 SCECHs)
Distance Learning Virtual Courses - Courses offered for FREE by REMC, EduPaths and Michigan State.
**Not seeing a session that you need? Complete this survey to give us some ideas of what additional sessions to offer or email us.
How to Cope with COVID-19 from Doctors Who Study Trauma
Click HERE for the Entire Article
Providers Can Now Apply for Child Care Relief Fund Grants
What is it? The Child Care Relief Fund is a grant program that helps child care providers cover costs during the COVID-19 state of emergency. The goal of the program is to help you stay in business and make child care more affordable for Michigan families. These grants are non-competitive and you can apply for funding in right now. There will be additional funding available in May and June.
When can I apply? Apply now by visiting www.michigan.gov/childcare on your computer or mobile device. The application takes less than 10 minutes to complete!
Why are these grants available? The federal government awarded Michigan $100 million to support our child care providers during COVID-19. This grant aims to address some of the most common barriers and concerns raised by you during the pandemic. When you receive these funds, you can use them to cover the unexpected expenses you are facing due to the crisis. To help make care more affordable for families, you will also be required to use a portion of your funds to cut costs for families. See our FAQ for more details.
Where can I learn more? You can visit www.michigan.gov/childcare today to apply and learn more. We are also offering two webinars to assist you with your application! Please join us on either Friday, May 1st and Monday, May 4th to learn more.
Register for May 1st Child Care Relief Fund Grants webinar May 1, 2020 1:00 PM EDT
Register for May 4th Child Care Relief Fund Grants webinar May 4, 2020 3:30 PM EDT
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
In addition to a formal press release, you can watch for grant information at www.Michigan.gov/childcare.
PE and Sport: The Next New Normal
Much of our distance learning has been physical activity-based, with the view that we will return to ‘normal’ reasonably soon. With the ‘new normal’ looking more likely to continue, we must learn quickly. ‘“Go for the gap”’ to drive change is a phrase from Legacy by James Kerr. Now is the time to practice what we preach, to show the character and growth mindset that we expect from our students to provide a long term plan for meaningful physical education lessons.
What if physical distancing is still in place for most of the calendar year?
What is Coronavirus? An Explainer for Children
Register for Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools for FREE
View all the details and other resources at Starr Commonwealth
Resources for Distance Learning
- What It Is: Turn writing assignments into something amazing with the illustrations, animations, and sound effects available. Kids can even write their own choose-your-own-adventure story!
- What They’re Offering: Schools affected by COVID-19/coronavirus can get free access until May 2020 or the school reopens. Contact them here.
- What it is: FabuLingua teaches Spanish through interactive stories on mobile phones and tablets. Their unique method is designed to introduce the new language in a way that subconsciously develops the child’s ear, comprehension and reading skills. They offer a new charming interactive story from Latin America or Spain every month, along with associated games and a Magic Sticker Book where they get to create their own compositions.
- What They’re Offering: FabuLingua is suspending their subscription services and providing their entire platform for free to all families and schools while schools are closed. Click here from your mobile device to go straight to the app. Or download them from the App Store or Google Play.
- What It Is: First in Math is a supplemental, online math program that allows children to practice MATH!. More than 200 self-paced, grade-level math games help stimulate curiosity and foster creativity in ways that help children make sense of the numbers, patterns and shapes they see in the world around them.
- What They’re Offering: First In Math FREE–This offer is intended for School Administrators and Teachers Only. Learn more here
- What It Is: These online learning resources for younger students are easily differentiated for students of different ability levels.
- What They’re Offering: Adaptive math and ELA courses are always available for free for teachers and students. Sign up here.
- What It Is: Funexpected Math is an interactive application for kids aged 3-7 featuring a growing collection of math-related games that teach various types of thinking and improve learning skills. The app provides a fun and engaging way to introduce fundamental math ideas early and ensure kids are comfortable with math.
- What They’re Offering: Free desktop version of the Funexpected Math application.
- What It Is: A science teaching resource that brings school science standards to life through fun and educational videos paired with lesson plans, activities, quizzes, reading material, discussion questions and more.
- What They’re Offering: All of the videos can be watched for free. Teachers can create a free account that lasts for a month.
- What It Is: 3-Act tasks, math progression videos, and innovative ways to engage with students.
- What They’re Offering: Always free
- What It Is: Math and literacy content for kids in grades K-5, designed to engage kids without support from parents.
- What They’re Offering: Free daily content including streaming video lessons, taught by teachers, directed towards kids in grades K-5, for both math and literacy. Also find downloadable activities and STEM resources.
Activities from Jackson District Library
- Girls Who Code at Home: A new service of Girls Who Code, which will release activities weekly — some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty—over the course of the next few months. Each activity will include a feature of a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.
- Online Online Events and Activities for Kids at Home: Huge list of fun, Online activities and live events from Common Sense Media
- Scholastic Learn at Home: Day-by-day projects to keep kids reading, thinking, and growing
- Education Companies Offering Online Subscriptions Due To School Closings (big list!)
- Jarrett J. Krosoczka drawing webcasts: Award-winning author and illustrator will be hosting Online drawing webcasts every weekday at 2pm EST for at least the next few weeks
- Everywhere Book Festival: The Everywhere Book Festival will be held virtually May 1-2 with more than 50 participating authors and illustrators
- Cabin Fever Math: From Bedtime Math, fun, Online math activities to do at home (the Online app is great too!)
- Encantos: Online bilingual activities for kids
Yoga for Stress and Anxiety
Contact the Whole Child Team
Janelle Buchler: Whole Child Consultant (janelle.buchler@jcisd.org)
Eric Swihart: Whole Child Coordinator (eric.swihart@jcisd.org)
Caitlin Williams: Attendance and Homeless Program Coordinator (caitlin.williams@jcisd.org)
Rebecca Hurst: Behavior Health Project Coordinator (rebecca.hurst@jcisd.org)
Kelsea Jabkiewicz: Data Integration and Medicaid Cost Recovery Coordinator (kelsea.jabkiewicz@jcisd.org)
Angela Maddox: Whole Child Secretary (angela.maddox@jcisd.org)