SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING NEWS
SEL-SERVICE LEARNING-CULTURE & CLIMATE (CYCLE II)
OUR MISSION AND VISION
Our mission is to advance educational equity and excellence through the implementation of social and emotional learning by: EMPOWERING all learners through the development of social and emotional skills, FOSTERING environments of equity and inclusion, and CULTIVATING collaborative partnerships for the holistic development and well-being of our stakeholders.
We envision that all Garland ISD students and adults will co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities with the social and emotional skills needed to become responsible decision makers and productive contributors of the 21st century global society.
Through social emotional learning, GISD schools nurture safe, supportive and equitable learning spaces where adults feel confident, empowered and responsible for helping students develop into productive and successful citizens who thrive in college, career, and life. We also support and encourage families to join us in learning ways they can support their children to help develop well-rounded individuals.
HOW TO CREATE A CALM HOME ENVIRONMENT
Take care of yourself. Pay close attention to your own feelings of stress or anxiety. Try to eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep. Take breaks throughout the day. Modeling good self-care will empower your children.
Acknowledge and support children in processing their full range of emotions and concerns, while offering calm and reassurance. See the Coping Kit below.
Provide age-appropriate information and accurate answers about the news while limiting excessive television or social media. See resources on talking to your children about COVID below.
Share with children what you’re doing to keep them safe. Help children learn about and practice proactive strategies, such as frequent handwashing, to stay healthy. In addition to promoting healthy practices, this can help them feel a greater sense of control.
Whenever possible, provide consistency in daily routines. Set expectations about getting up, getting dressed, eating breakfast and doing school work. Consistent routines can help foster a sense of safety.
Help your children think of creative ways to maintain their friendships and social connections. This may include writing emails or letters to friends, setting up a FaceTime playdate or group chats with friends.
Build time for Playtime, Downtime, and Family time. Even older children need regular "PDF" for healthy development.
For older children, cultivate compassion by encouraging them to reach out via phone or text to potentially isolated elderly family members, neighbors, or their peers. Help them feel empowered by exploring a virtual volunteer opportunity such as online tutoring or supporting a favorite cause.
Help children maintain their physical health by: 1. Picking out a fidget bracelet, button, or other small wearable item (that can be disinfected daily) to redirect the urge to touch their face. 2. Choosing part of a song they love that is at least 20 seconds long to sing while washing their hands
Children follow our lead. It is important as caring adults to model patience, flexibility, courage, and compassion. Children are new to navigating this type of stressful situation. It is our opportunity to show them positive strategies and help them gain these skills.
HOW TO CREATE A FAMILY COPING KIT?
Adapted from confidentparentsconfidentkids.org
Use "emotion emojis", "the feelings wheel" or create your own family set of emotional emojis to name and acknowledge emotions children may be experiencing. Remember, there are no “bad” emotions–it’s ok for them to feel whatever they feel
Practice calming breathing techniques and mindfulness activities to reduce stress
Try yoga or other movement and stretching activities
Do fun indoor physical activities and games
Provide a private journal or sketchbook where children can express their emotions through writing or drawing
DEALING WITH GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
“The holidays are times spent with our loved ones.” This has been imprinted on our psyche from a young age. Holidays mark the passage of time in our lives. They are part of the milestones we share with each other and they generally represent time spent with family. But since holidays are for being with those we love the most, how on earth can anyone be expected to cope with them when a loved one has died? For many people, this is the hardest part of grieving, when we miss our loved ones even more than usual. How can we celebrate togetherness when there is none?
When you lose someone special, your world lacks its celebratory qualities. Holidays magnify that loss. The sadness deepens and the loneliness can feel isolating. The need for support may be the greatest during the holidays. Pretending you don’t hurt and/or it isn’t a harder time of the year is just not the truth for you. But you can – and will – get through the holidays. Rather than avoiding the feelings of grief, lean into them. It is not the grief you want to avoid, it is the pain. No one can take that pain away, but grief is not just pain, grief is love. Please check out the video below in the newsletter if you need help navigating the holidays after the loss of a loved one.
Sending you all love and light!
GISD Guidance and Counseling Department
CHILDREN DEALING WITH GRIEF AND LOSS
Grief is a complex emotional process for anyone, regardless of their age or stage in life. But exploring the reality of death with a child or teenager can prove particularly challenging. It’s hard enough to know how to help yourself, much less determine what to say and how to comfort a child coping with grief. So where do you start?
The process of learning to live with the reality of loss looks different for every individual, so children will exhibit different reactions depending on their personality, age, and developmental stage. Because many children are new to loss, you might be surprised when they have a grief reaction to an individual with whom they weren’t particularly close. It’s important to validate this emotional process, rather than simply advising a child to “get over it.” It’s important to be as patient as possible, and to look closely for changes in behavior and mood. Remember grief and loss is not only subject to human loved ones who have passed away, it can include: death of pets, divorce, incarceration or being removed from their homes.
Your child might be having a particularly difficult time with the grieving process if you notice any of these behaviors:
· Changes in sleep or eating patterns
· Regression to younger behaviors, such as separation anxiety
· Talk about wanting to be with the deceased person
· Lack of interest in playing with friends
· Changes in grades or school behavior
· Loss of interest in activities that once excited them
Here are a few parenting tips to help your child navigate grief and loss:
1. Use Creative Expression (let them draw or act out emotions)
2. Find Opportunities to Build Relationships (explore opportunities to have them build relationships with someone they feel who understands their emotions.)
3. Tell the Truth (Model honesty and openness about loss, and your child will emerge more resilient from the experience.)
Great Activities and Books to Help Children Deal with Grief/Loss
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1u5nAKz7YikV79zrOE-E8mPL8fjDucCz6pNRz3q7kc_U/edit?usp=sharing
GISD STRIVES TO EDUCATE THE WHOLE-CHILD
MINDFULNESS CAN BE EFFECTIVE AT ANY AGE
Children of all ages can benefit from mindfulness, the simple practice of bringing a gentle, accepting attitude to the present moment. It can help parents and caregivers, too, by promoting happiness and relieving stress.
Studies have shown that mindfulness practiced used daily can directly assist with;
- improved mental health of students
- reductions in classroom disruptions
- emotional benefits for at-risk students
- early childhood development
- student engagement
- and even childhood anxiety
READING CORNER (GRADING CYCLE 3)
"GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE" (KINDER-2ND) BOOK CHOICE
"ABSOLUTELY ALMOST" (3RD-5TH) BOOK CHOICE
"THE SKIN I'M IN" (6TH-8TH) BOOK CHOICE
When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at their school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her too. But the new teacher's attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she's in. Can Maleeka learn to do the same?
"THE RUNNING DREAM" (9TH-12TH) BOOK CHOICE
"When Jessica is told she’ll never run again, she puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before."
- Practice mindfulness with these MSD / Yoga4Classroom sequences from our elementary schools. Try this simple, fun sensory break called Washing Machine from Yoga4Classrooms to promote body awareness, release tension and energize!
- MOVE THIS WORLD has a great set of free resources for families to use at home, including short mindfulness videos, writing prompts for journaling, and strategies for developing growth mindset.
- Confidentparentsconfidentkids provides ideas for as well as resources and strategies for creating consistent routines at home, incorporating brain breaks, and promoting sibling kindness
As the Corona Virus continue to affect our society daily, here are a few resources to help parents continue to talk to children about this life changing event.
For all ages:
- Talking to Your Children About Coronavirus (NASPonline.org)
- How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (PBS.org)
- Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus (childmind.org)
For elementary:
- Coronavirus Slide Presentation for Parents and Kids (mindheart.co)
- Video Explaining Coronavirus to Your Child (Brainpop.com)
For middle school:
GARLAND ISD GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING?
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https://www.garlandisd.net/content/social-and-emotional-learning
Guidance & Counseling Department Twitter: @gisdcounseling
Email: NOriji@garlandisd.net
Website: https://www.garlandisd.net/content/counseling
Location: Garland Independent School District P.O. Box 469026 Garland, TX 75046-9026
Phone: (972) 487-3195
Facebook: facebook.com/GISDSEL
Twitter: @GISDSEL