Social-Emotional Learning
Summer 2021
Summer Activities
Summertime is a great time to continue to learn and grow. Our Social-Emotional Learning Team invites you to improve your mind, body, and spirit over the next few weeks of Summer Break. We encourage you to print off our list of activities and place it in a visible location in your home for a daily reminder. Your educational journey is a series of small steps towards a destination of your choosing. We know you can achieve great things and we wish you the best during this Summer Break!
These ideas and activities are great for students and adults!
Live Out Your Passion
Box Breathing Method
Box breathing is a simple technique that a person can do anywhere, including at a work desk or in a cafe. Before starting, people should sit with their back supported in a comfortable chair and their feet on the floor.
- Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose while counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.
- Hold your breath inside while counting slowly to four. Try not to clamp your mouth or nose shut. Simply avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.
- Begin to slowly exhale for 4 seconds.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 at least three times. Ideally, repeat the three steps for 4 minutes, or until calm returns.
If someone finds the technique challenging to begin with, they can try counting to three instead of four. Once someone is used to the technique, they may choose to count to five or six.
Rate Your Day Journal
Putting a number on an intangible experience suddenly makes what was amazing or not so amazing about it a lot more clear. When you acknowledge that things didn't go perfectly, you accept the fact that there's room for improvement, and more importantly, what that improvement might look like. It is an easy way to gain clarity, and the approach shines a bright light on exactly what you can do differently next time if you scored less than a 10.
65 Mile Walk
Staying healthy and active is important for everyone’s life. To help get yourself the recommended exercise, walk or run a mile each day of Summer Break. If you walk or run a mile each day you will end the summer with 65 miles under your belt! You can do that!
Famous Person Biography
Read a biography of someone who inspires you to greatness. It could be a sports hero, a businessman or businesswoman, social activist, religious leader, actor, musician, or anyone. Then, write your own biography to inspire others to find their greatness.
Give Back to the Environment
Choose a day each week of Summer Break to help beautify the world around you by collecting trash and litter at a local park. Be sure to use safety equipment while helping Mother Nature.
Learn a New Skill
Have you ever thought about learning how to play the guitar or another musical instrument? Have you ever wanted to improve your carpentry skills? What about cooking a culinary feast? The summer provides us with a great opportunity to expand our skill set. You never know what you can learn to do in 72 days.
Volunteer Your Time
Give back to the community by volunteering your time or donating resources to a local charity.