Embedded Files
Week of 15/06 Because you are the great class of 2020 - Ms. Susan Austin Farewell Message
Week of 07/06 Lesson - PEACE: What Does PEACE Feel Like?
Hello Parents and KG Friends,
This week there are two Counsellor read-aloud stories. The first is WHAT DOES PEACE FEEL LIKE? by Vladimir Radunsky and illustrated by him, too. Children around the world were asked to use their five senses to describe what peace feels, looks, sounds, smells, taste like. The meaning of the word peace is shared through simple words and pictures. Ask a child what PEACE is and they might say.... It’s like a hug from mom and dad.
The second read-aloud is I AM PEACE, A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde. Young children can find empathy by through imagination and connecting with the earth. When they can wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Give your self a moment to feel grounded and restored. Follow Susan Verde’s gentle guided meditation. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present. Remember a simple mindfulness activating exercise helps us to find peace from within when the world feels chaotic.
Family Warm-Up Activity: Bird of Peace collective family art activity. It is a simply for having family fun.
Kindest regards,
Susan Austin, School Counsello
Week of 31/5 Lesson - Accepting Differences - Trying to understand other's feelings
Dear Parents & Grade 3 Friends,
This week's lesson we learn about how accepting and appreciating people's differences is respectful. Having empathy helps you understand how important it is to find things in common with others who are your feel are different from you. The PARTLY Cloudy movie clips show just how hard it is to lean into kindness is when facing difficult situations..
Find a family member to join in on today's Think-Pair-Share lesson. Remember to pause the lesson presentation for partner activities. Play the lesson. Let's listen to "The Empathy Song." Show your partner a thumbs-up each time you hear what "empathy" means.
Think-Pair-Share Activity: Share your thoughts and ideas with your partner about how you invite new friendships.
Let's play Common Ground. Pause the lesson at the COMMON GROUND GAME slide. Listen and read the game's instructions. You and your partner stand, facing each other. You and your partner will learn ways you're alike—or similar—and ways you're different.
Continue watching the lesson more to learn about how empathy helps two very different friends Peck, a stork and Gus, a partly stormy cloud find helpful ways to work together to do the best they can in delivering adorable but prickly babies to their new families.
Watch the PARTLY CLOUDY. Get to know Gus, a lonely grey cloud, a master at creating cute but prickly babies. Crocodiles, porcupines, rams and more. They are more than his loyal delivery stork partner, Peck, to handle.
Blast Off Your Friend Ship! Activity: Grab paper and markers for you and your partner to complete the activity.
Take a mindfulness moment - Calming Down Yoga
Remember: Having empathy and showing respect help you get along with others. Accepting differences shows respect.
Stay safe and connected.
Kindest regards,
Ms. Susan Austin, School Counsellor saustin@aiswest.com
Week of 17/5 Lesson - Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? - Caring for others
Dear Grade 3 Friends,
This week's lesson and the read-aloud story focuses on random acts of kindness. Bucket filling is a motto for being loved and caring for others. Bucket filling can be any act of kindness, helpfulness, respect and caring expressed toward another person who fills your bucket too. There are many ways we can be bucket fillers.
If you want to invite a family member to share in the lesson, you will learn more and have fun.
1 Acts of kindness don't go unnoticed. Pause the video at the RIPPLE EFFECT OF KINDNESS EXPERIMENT slide. Review the experiment. Take time to get a small stone or stones and a bowl of water for doing the science investigation. Complete the experiment. What do you see? How does kindness spread?
2. What and listen to the Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? - A daily guide to happiness for kids. What did you learn about the value of bucket filling?
3. Pause the video at the WHAT IS KINDNESS? – THINK & SHARE slide. Read about what kindness looks like, sounds like and feels like to others. Take the time to share your ideas with a family member about how kindness looks and sounds and feels like you. What are the ways you can fill your bucket with happiness?
4. Practice the EASE calm breathing exercise. Practicing slow deep breath will help you to feel more calm, relaxed and focused. Now sit in easy pose, criss-cross to begin the calm breathing exercise video.
5. Daily coming practices help you to manage stress, become happier, kinder and more compassionate. Before you begin the BUCKET OF KINDNESS - guided relaxation, sit in easy pose or get a towel and lie down as if you were a sleepy starfish lying on the bottom of the ocean.
6. Be a bucket filler. Read the I AM A BUCKET FILLER – Bucket Pledge below. Will you take the pledge to fill your bucket with 30 acts of kindness. If you do, there is a Bucket Filler for you to complete. Congratulations!
5. For more fun, complete the ONLINE BUCKET FILLER PUZZLE below. The link is in the google slide.
Remember: You can't see it, but it's there. You have a bucket. Each member of your family has a bucket.
I hope to see you during my office hours. We can chat and connect with friends.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Online bucket filler puzzle.pptxBucket Filler Certificate .pptxWeek of 10/5 Lesson - Enemy Pie read aloud story - Friendship & conflict resolution
Dear Grade 3 Friends,
Friends, I think about you every day. I wonder about the new things you are learning and what you are doing for fun. Though it is challenging to transition from school to stay-at-home learning, you've learned how to balance your day. You have made it a priority to make time for connecting with friends and family, play, physical activity, fun, and relaxing to be ready for a good night's sleep. Be proud and confident in your ability to take on challenging situations to stay focused on your goals.
The read-aloud story this week is Enemy Pie by Derek Munsun & Tara King. The boy in the story learns about the difficulties and rewards of making new friends. The story delivers a ME message to readers. What is a ME message story? A ME message story encourages the reader to self-reflect on the main character's learning, actions and reactions in dealing with their life's challenges. Having a helpful mindset is important!
Invite a family member to watch the Enemy Pie lesson video. Pause the video at THE ME Message slide. Reflect on how the boy learns to make new friendships. How do you make new friends? How do you keep your friendships?
At the end of the story, you still don't know what is in Enemy Pie. But at the end of the story, you know what the boy puts in to make Friendship pie, riding a bike, hiking, and jumping on a trampoline. What is your recipe for making Friendship pie?
Home activity - What would you put in to make Friendship Pie Option 1: You can choose to make a Friendship pie recipe, write a journal entry or create a write out a friend's activity schedule to share or post.
Home activity - What would you put in to make Friendship Pie Option 2: What can you do to stay connected to friends? Write a note to one of your friends telling them what you like about them. Why you're glad that the two of you are friends, send it!
Movement Break. Choose a fun activity and get energized!
Parents explore the mindful moment calm corner toolkit on the Parent resource room or join in on a virtual world class Art gallery tour.
Remember: “You’ll never be bored when you try something new. There’s really no limit to what you can do!” – Dr. Seuss
I hope to see you during my office hours. We can chat about Counsellor read-aloud stories, share home activity responses, connecting with friends, and health & wellness topics.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Week of 03/05 Lesson - The Invisible Boy - Assertiveness & making friends
Hello Grade 3 Friends,
Friends think about the friends group you want to be apart of. Sometimes friendship groups can leave other kids out. It might not be on purpose. But at times they unfairly pick players for soccer or leave others out of conversations. Sometimes friendship groups are mean to kids they think are on the outside. How do you deal with it when a friend leaves you out?
This week In the read-aloud The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, you will learn about the many things you can do to invite friendships. It can be noticing others gifts and talents and giving them a compliment, sharing your seat at lunch, or standing up for someone. Making new friends is rewarding but it is not always easy.
Invite a parent, a brother or sister to listen to The Invisible Boy read aloud. Pause the lesson after the Invisible Boy story. Click and pause on the next three slides. Share your thoughts and ideas about the ways you can help someone feel better, and invite new friendships of all kinds.
Your activity this week is to take this to compliment someone about their gifts, talents or personal strengths each day. If you choose you can write an email or send a note of encouragement to a friend or a special someone just like Justin and Brian.
Watch Birds on a Wire video . The bird insists on fitting in but the other bird do not want him to be part of their group. This gets them into a lot of trouble. Who gets the last laugh?
Melting - Flow breathing and relaxation exercise.
"Belonging doesn't change who you are it requires you to be who you are."
Please stop by during my office hours. We can chat about Counsellor read-aloud stories, share home activity responses, connect with friends, and discuss health & wellness topics.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Lesson for Week 26/04 Empathy - What can I do?
Hello Friends,
I am excited to join you today. I know that it is challenging to shift gears to online learning, learning new technology and problem-solving skills. But, the bonus of Online learning is you have many opportunities to show off your unique learning strengths to teachers, friends and parents.
This week's Empathy lesson focuses on our abilities to see each other's viewpoints to think positively, self-manage complicated emotions, and make decisions. Your ability to empathize motivates you to get along with others, calm difficult feelings and take on challenging situations.
In the lesson, you will be asked to problem solve three "What can I do?" scenarios using the 3 Gate strategy. So, be ready to stop the video to practice the mindful speech – 3 Gate strategy. The 3 gates are, Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it kind? Ask a family member to join in the problem-solving for "What can I do?" scenarios.
Mindful Friendship meditation. Take a moment to calm and think of a close friend or a loved one.
It is your choice to take on the Act of Kindness photo challenge. if you want, it can be a family kindness activity.
Remeber there is a power in pausing before you speak.
Note to Parents: The Cincinnati Children's What is Social Distancing and the Health Canada - 7 Steps to Slow the COVID- 19 videos share helpful information about how children can keep safe.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Lesson 12/04 The OK Kid Read-Aloud & Feel Good Yoga Lesson
Hello Friends,
I am always happy when we get together. We learn new things, share our feelings and thoughts and have fun. This week we will try some feel good yoga poses and breath deeply to let go of our worry thoughts to think happier thoughts. I will also be introducing you to the OK kid who is the main character who is simple stick figure in The OK Book - Amy Krouse Rosenthal & To Lichtenheld. The OK kid reminds us to enjoy every day life. The OK Kid tries lots of new things to challenge him or herself.
We will also learn about the things you do that you are OK at. Use you creativity to imagine you are the OK Kid. You can draw the OK Kid doing the things your are good at and more. Email me a pic of your artwork for me to post (saustin@aiswest.com).
I hope to see you soon during Counsellor office hours Sunday - Thursday 11:00 am - 1:00 pm or in your Zoom Classroom. The Counsellor Zoom Meeting Link and Meeting Password are posted on your SEESAW classroom site,
Warmest wishes.
Ms. Susan Austin, School Counsellor
It Just Takes One - lesson Week of 05/04
It Just Takes One - lesson Week of 05/04
Hello Parents & Friends,
I hope you are all well and staying safe at home.
This week watch the It Just Takes One video lesson with someone at home. We will learn how to calm and relax and how we can stand up, stand by and stand up together to help each other. After the One a story book by Kathlyn Otoshi read aloud we will think of ways that others show us that we count and learn about how you help and stand by friends.
If you want you can send me an email or we can meet me on Zoom to chat about the ways you help others and count on others.
Remember It takes ONE to stand up to make a difference.
You can come and meet me virtually (Sunday- Thursday) on Zoom.
Grade 3 parent- student Chats and Health & Wellness sessions (1:30 - 2:00 pm)
Zoom Link for https://us04web.zoom.us/j/992676025
Warmest wishes,
Ms. Susan Austin
Growth Mindset lesson for week of 03/30
Growth Mindset lesson for week of 03/30
Hello friends,
I am excited to be here with you today. It is a joy to connect with you. I think about you each day. This is a most challenging time. I know that you can jump back up to keep working to do the best that you can. I believe in you as a learner becuase you are always ready to learn new things, problem solve and deal with mistakes. When we make mistakes learn ad practice new things our brain grow new pathways making you smarter. Having a growth mindset is to be self-confident in your own learning capablites whatever the challenge.
Growth Mindset Lesson for week 03/30
The truth and science about your Brain. Our brain is designed to change because it works like a muscle that struggles to grow to build on to learning skills.
Parents watch the videon on how having daily learning routines help to build on to your child's confidence as a learner.
Friends watch the Growth Mindset Dojo lesson. Learn how we can all build on to our learning skills to be smarter. That making mistakes are just steps to learning success.
The daily learning project planner will help you and your child to keep working and doing the best that you can.
Share the parent handout 10 Ways To Make A Growth Mindset Fun For Children with the whole family. Enjoy!
If you want, you and your child can check in with me in ZOOM grade meeting room to chat. Just click on counselling for the grade level times. I am always interested in learning more about the things you do staying at home that make you happy, and your child's talents, interests, passions and goals.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
My Morning Routine - Big Life Journal.pdf
Kindness Lesson for week of 03/22
Kindness Lesson for week of 03/22
Lesson for Week of 3/15
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