Ridgewood Wednesday Wellness
Unit Three Parent Letter - 1st Grade
January 4, 2021
Dear Ridgewood families and caregivers,
We are continuing our unit of study about Resilience. Resilience is about getting through difficult things. It is about the ability to recover from challenging situations. Resilience helps us to thrive after difficult events. We are talking with kids about the phrase, "We can do hard things."
Throughout the remainder of this unit, students will continue to have opportunities to learn about resilience through the sharing of picture books and through class discussions.
● On January 6th, we will read the book The Breaking News, by Sarah Lynn Reul. In this story, a family has strong emotions when they hear the bad news on the television. The content of the bad news is not discussed. Instead, the author focuses on how the bad news makes the characters feel and what they do to overcome these feelings. Also, we will talk about the people who cheer us up and help us when we are going through a difficult time. Before winter break, many students focused on a pet or stuffed animal who helps them, but this week we will focus on people.
● On January 13th, your child will participate in a Seesaw lesson that involves a read aloud of the book, Mindful Monkey and Happy Panda, by Lauren Alderfer. Then, students will create their own mindful breathing poster to share on Seesaw.
● January 20th will be a regular instructional day, due to the MLK Holiday on Monday, January 18th. There will be no SEL lesson that week.
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
Rainbow Bubble Breathing
For Families
Article: HOW TO TEACH KIDS RESILIENCE THROUGHOUT COVID-19 This article shares optional activities for every day of the week that help children learn about resilience. Thursday’s activity is building a Family Coping Box.
Here are a few of the details:
Grab a shoe box and some construction paper and start building a family coping box.
Decorate the outside of the box and begin identifying items you all would like to place in the box. Here are some ideas:
A soft stuffed animal
Word searches
A pleasant-smelling lotion
A book of yoga poses
Chewing gum
Play dough
A list of songs that bring joy
Fidget toys
Stress balls
Alternately, create a calming corner in your home using the suggestions below.
Thank you for your involvement in reinforcing at home what we are learning in class. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mocalina Shearer
mocalina_shearer@beaverton.k12.or.us
alexis_mason@beaverton.k12.or.us
Zoom Office Hours: Monday and Friday, 2:30-3:15
Zoom Link Meeting Code: 925 9688 3783 PW: wellness