COVID-19/ Virtual Learning
Supports for Parents & Students
The resources below will connect parents and student to social emotional learning supports that can guide them during students' extended time away from school with online continuity of learning.
DISCLAIMER: The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by VBCPS, LPES, or website editor. and does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations.
Video Message to Students from
LPES School Counselor, Mrs. Hewlett
Mrs. Hewlett has uploaded some videos to Schoology for students to access. It is in their technology course in the school counseling folder. The videos consist of student check-ins and fun games / challenges they can do with her in attempt to keep their spirits high as a variety of emotions may come with being students being at home during their virtual continuity of learning. Should you have any specific concerns regarding your student, please contact her by email at jasmine.hewlett@vbschools.com
Should a student need to meet with Mrs. Hewlett while we are within the days of online learning they should fill out the for above and select a time that they are available to meet with Mrs. Hewlett. She will then correspond with them via Schoology.
Schoology Resources: Week of May 25
Student Resource:
Mrs. Hewlett welcomes parents and students to visit virtual calm down room to access resources that can be used as brain breaks, help with focus, or assist with navigating and calming emotions. It can be found on schoology or on the LPES School Counseling website.
Family Resource:
While the variety in your child's daily interactions may seem limited, their days are still filled with different activities and emotions that are worth reflecting on. Good Night Glowing Cube is a fun and interactive way to connect and reflect with your student at the end of a long day. This activity can be modified by writing each question on a slip of paper and randomly choosing a question from a cup, or assigning each question a number 1-6 and rolling a dice. Whichever way you may choose to use this tool, the hope it that it helps families to reflect on their day together.
Understanding Your Child's Stresses and Anxiety
COVID-19 is changing family life. The various circumstances around COVID-19 can cause a rise in household stresses and anxiety. Understandably so, as we are living through uncertain and unprecedented times. As caretakers, please remember to allow yourself some grace and self-compassion.
Despite best intentions, caretakers may find themselves transmitting their own stresses to their child or other people within their household. This article by Brigit Katz from Child Mind Institute provides some tips on how to avoid passing anxiety on to your kids.
Furthermore, children may be feeling similar feelings of stress and worry, but struggle to identify and articulate those feelings to a ‘grown-up.’ In turn, stresses and anxiety often times shows in kids in ways that adults do not always automatically associate with worry or stress.
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"My stomach hurts"
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You hear, “I can’t sleep” as your child in yawning
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Avoidance; “I don’t want to__”
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“I can’t”
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Anger, rage, & hostility
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Chandlering aka. ‘Flying off the handle’
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Crying; tears, tears, everywhere
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Inability to focus
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Overthinking; "What if….?"
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Negative thoughts
Take advantage of this FREE webinar presented by Renee Jain, MAPP, Founder of Go Zen, 6 Essential Skills to transform Stress and Anxiety in Teens, available Friday April 24- Saturday April 25. Here is a limited time replay that does not require registration. This webinar aims to guide families in understanding the function of emotions that students may be displaying at this time (or displayed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.) Furthermore, Renee Jain shares some essential skills for caregivers to use to help support their child and their child’s emotions. The information and tools shared within this webinar can help both you and your student feel connected, understood, and supported.
*Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement of the paid resources provided by Go Zen. At the end of the webinar she encourages parents to continue their students learning through resources provided by her company. I cannot vouch for the reliability or content of those resources.
If you feel as though your student is showing signs of stress or struggling with their emotions, please feel free to reach out to me Jasmine.hewlett@vbschools.com . Your student may also reach out to me via schoology so we can connect, come to understand what they are feeling, and discover tools that may help them navigate those uncomfortable emotions.
Sources:
7 Surprising things kids say that can mean “I’m Anxious”
8 Ways A Child’s Anxiety Shows Up as Something Else
Find additional resources and supports for you and your child toward the bottom of this page.
Tools to help students manage & navigate their emotions such as journal entries and mood trackers can be found on Schoology. They can be accessed by going to Schoology > Technology Course> School Counseling folder. Additional resources that will aid in the development of the ''whole child' can also be accessed via Schoology.
Spring Break Resources
Social distancing may cause spring break to look a little different this year than usual. You and your family may be trying to figure out activities to do while at home, that you have not already done in the past four weeks! This Spring Break Bucket List has various activity ideas that you and your family can do.
I have also provided students with a time capsule activity. The time capsule activity is one that students can do on their devices, or print to complete on paper. It could be fun for the whole family to each do one of their own! You could even take it a step further and physically create your very own time capsule for you all to reflect on 10-20 years from now! Here is how to make one: how to make a time capsule. Be sure to print these pages, or simply duplicate the information from these pages on a separate piece of paper, to include in your time capsule. I hope you all enjoy these activities and I can't wait to hear about and/ or see some of the activities that you and your student has done when we return from break!
Schoology Resources: Week of March 30 - April 3
This week Mrs. Hewlett uploaded some resources to help students practice the skill of mindfulness. Mrs. Hewlett is encouraging students and their families to build this skill during this unique time. Practicing mindfulness may help students to self-regulate and process their emotions that may come during this period of social distancing. Additionally, mindfulness may supply them with beneficial self-regulation skills to rely on once we return to our typical day to day activities.
Research supports that mindfulness has shown to improve:
Mental health and resilience
Social-emotional skills
Physical well-being
School and classroom climate
Academic Performance
PLAY
Schoology Resources: Week of March 24th
Students will find a Video of Mrs. Hewlett prompting students to recognize what zone they are in during this period of social distancing. Additionally, there is a discussion board within Schoology where students can share the various things they are doing to put or keep them in the green zone.
Students will also find a 'Kindness, Mindfulness, and Me Calendar' where they will find a different SEL exercise for every day of the week between now and the end of spring break. Students are encouraged to share some of the activites they have tried o Schoology within the 'Kindness, Mindfulness, and Me' discussion board.
Parents/Guardians,
Please use the links below to help support the social/ emotional learning of your child(ren) during this school closure:
Linkhorn Park Counseling Student Resources
Resources for Closure Due to COVID-19
Tips to help students "stay in the green zone" during school closures
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring Coronavirus
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus and Ease Their Fears
The Yucky Bug by Julia Cook
Explaining COVI-19 to a Child Coping with Anxiety or ADHD
Family and student resources provided by the Positive Behavior and Intervention Specialist of VBCPS NEW
Supporting Kids During the Coronavirus Crisis NEW
How to Avoid Passing Anxiety on to Your Kids NEW
*Great resource for families as they navigate various aspects of online learning with their student(s)
resources for students with
Resources for Mindfulness
FREE Mindfulness Class for Kids
12 Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids NEW
How Mindfulness Can Help During COVID-19 NEW
Tips for making continuity of learning work for parents and students
Some students find it helpful to keep with a schedule at home being that they have a schedule at school. Make a schedule and display it prominently. The schedule should include family routines as well. Below you will find a suggested schedule that has been shared across social media platforms. Being that no one schedule will accommodate everyone's individual family homes, here is a document that will allow you to create a schedule that is more suitable to your families lifestyle and needs.
Here is an article from CNN that provides tips as to how to make this online learning experience pleasant for both you and your student.
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