What Are Wellness Classes? Each week I teach wellness focusing on themes related to social and emotional well-being. It is my goal to teach these important topics through literature, games, music, breathing exercises, and cooperative experiences. You can find out what your child is learning by checking out this web page for monthly updates! Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades
We started the school year focusing on what it means to be a bucket filler. Did you know that we all have an invisible bucket we carry? Here’s how it works…. when we do or say kind things to others it makes others feel happy filling their bucket. In turn we fill our own buckets too! A bucket dipper is when someone says or does mean things that make others feel bad. In addition to Bucket Filling, we explored unique attributes that make us a special, learned about feelings using Dr. Seuss’ book, “My Many Colored Days”, and we have been practicing “Whole Body Listening”. In case you are wondering, a Whole Body Listener is someone who can use their mind to focus on what the speaker is saying using eye contact and a still body. We also learned about being an active listener and appropriate times when we can yell and scream versus times when a quiet voice is more appropriate.
It is always our goal to incorporate kindness and respect in our community. However, this month a special emphasis was placed on the importance of sharing, using the story Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister, and treating others with kindness with a food coloring activity using Kathryn Otoshi’s award winning book One.   Grades K, 1 and 2 November and December Lessons focused on:
* Gratitude * Self-Control We kicked off November with a detailed discussion about mindfulness using the book, What Does It Mean To Be A Present? by Rana DiOrio. Our students practiced a guided imagery exercise and processed afterwards. Many students identified that it made them feel calm and relaxed, while others found it was challenging to stay focused in the moment. During the Thanksgiving holiday we discussed what it means to feel grateful and practice gratitude. Students traced their hand, wrote one thing they feel grateful for, and hung it on a class "Gratitude Tree." In December we learned about what it means to have self-control and how this skill leads to positive choices and outcomes. We practiced through games and had a lot of fun with it! We played classic games such as "Red Light, Green Light," "Simon Says" and "Freeze Dance." We also experimented with other non-traditional games....what fun! January, February, & March lessons focused on:
Third and Fourth Grades
* Mindfulness * Gratitude * Self Control  During the month of November students engaged in some mindfulness audio exercises using "Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents)". The students worked together to create a book illustrating their own individualized pages on what mindfulness means to them.  In December, the focus of lessons were on gratitude and giving. In the spirit of giving we discussed how LCS can make an impact by coming together and collecting hats, scarves and gloves to donate to those in need after the holiday break. Students decorated a class box in anticipation of this collection. Please join us in this important cause! Details to follow soon.... Fifth and Sixth Grades In September and October lessons focused on:
“Moving Forward” into a new school year we began wellness classes discussing goals and the multiple reasons it benefits us. Students spent some time thinking about short-term and long-term goals they wanted to work on to improve personally or academically. Students spent time exploring what makes them “one of a kind” celebrating our unique differences. The past several weeks we learned about Internet Safety and Bullying. Students learned that while the internet can be a wealth of information, there are important rules to follow to remain safe. Students learned the basics of YAPPY: Y = your full name A = address P = phone number P = passwords Y = your plans In addition, we spent several weeks identifying the different types of bullying, including cyberbullying. Students worked in teams identifying ways that we can help victims to stand up for themselves, encourage bystanders to become upstanders, and help people who bully to get help for themselves. We discussed what it means to be empathetic and practiced listening skills throughout the lessons. In November and December lessons focused on: * Team Building * Mindfulness * Self Control * Self Esteem  The past several weeks we have had a lot of fun in Wellness with Emmy Harvey and Jo Koch joining in to lead some sessions for the boys focusing on team building. Exercises entailed having students work together practicing self-control with an emphasis on what it means to make a contribution as part of a group. One of the sessions included a mindfulness exercise using chocolate to practice what it means to be in the moment. During these same weeks, I facilitated a self-esteem program "Beautiful Me" with the girls; a curriculum provided through the Hance's Family Foundation. www.hancefamilyfoundation.org Beautiful Me is a "self-esteem program designed to educate females by promoting appreciation for their genuine qualities, accurate self awareness, and the satisfaction of helping others." Lessons focused on unique attributes that make us beautiful (both inside and out), appreciating individual differences in others, conflict resolution and acceptance of others as we are. The group culminated with each student receiving a special heart necklace as a reminder of the individual unique qualities each one of us possess.  January, February & March lessons focused on: Grades 3/4 and 5/6
The past several weeks have been very busy for us! We have continued to focus on integrating teamwork in our lessons and discussing the importance of individual contributions. Students learned about anger management and explored positive coping mechanisms using a video and resources from Brain Pop. We spent a few weeks learning about stress management, identifying what causes stress specifically for this age group, and discussed how it manifests for every individual in a different way. Students explored techniques and were asked to rate their experience if it reduced their stress level. A few examples of activities included drawing an image of something peaceful or calming, having fun exercising to zumba, and engaging in progressive muscle relaxation. The students loved zumba; overall responses were quite varied! Students learned about the power of others influence, specifically peers, through an exercise using marshmallows in a jar. Students were asked to make an independant guess on how many marshmallows were in a jar. They were then grouped in pairs, than groups of four, groups of eight and ultimately made a whole class guess. The lesson concluded with students making an individual guess again. The discussion focused on reasons the numbers varied and changed for some. We explored how this translates to peer pressure and daily real life situations.
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