Embedded Files
Week of 15/06 Because you are the great class of 2020 - Ms. Susan Austin Farewell Message
Week of 31/5 Lesson Navigating Middle School Life - Making SMART Goals for academic and school life success.
Hello Parents and Grade 5 Friends,
This term, we have committed to stay-at-home school, virtual class meetings and digital learning. Soon you will move away from Grade 5 up to Grade 6 onto your Middle School years. Throughout your elementary years, you've grown more confident in your academic and athletic achievements, learning capabilities, talents and friendships. We all have a strong desire to be the best we can be. You've succeeded with the wonderful support of family, friends and teachers in your life, all of whom have committed to your academic and school success.
This week's lesson will help you identify specific goals, SMART goals that you can achieve for navigating Middle School life and beyond. When we set academic and personal goals for school success, it's you intend to meet these goals. Focusing on the plan itself takes a lot of mental effort. You have to keep reminding yourself of your goals and constantly stay on the lookout for opportunities to get closer to achieving it. It is challenging even for the most practical, SMARTest of goals. So, let's get started making SMART goals to navigate Middle School life better.
Before starting the lesson, find a parent or parents to follow the lesson along with you. Pause at each slide to complete each Think-Pair-Share and SMART Goal writing activities. At the end of the presentation, you will have written down three specific goals you'd like to accomplish in middle school. Make sure at least one goal is a long-term Middle School goal.
I've included a weekly School and Wellness Checklist that you can post to remind yourself to take every opportunity to work towards achieving your SMART goals. As well, there is a family bucket list activity for everyone to explore. The family bucket list is a list of accomplishments, experiences, or achievements. You can create a yearly bucket list for setting goals for school and life. You can also use an online daily planner to keep track of your SMART goals and each family member's goals.
Remember: It is time. We will go forth. We will be excellent!
Stay connected!
Kindest regards,
Ms. Susan Austin, School Cousellor
saustin@aiswest.com
Week of 17/5 Lesson - Welcome to Middle School - Navigating Middle School life
Dear Grade 5 Friends,
Middle School precisely that. It is in the middle of your education years. Elementary School is behind you, High School, college and university still await you. Middle School can sometimes be a bit like sitting in the middle car seat when you are on a long car ride. But, at other times, it's like being in the middle of a great movie. What will happen next? Middle School is a bit like that too. All of that can make you nervous and excited on the first day of Middle School.
Middle School will likely be more challenging. It is a new opportunity to show off your strengths, talents and skills. You will get to build onto all that you've learned in Elementary School. On top of this, you'll be learning new and different things in Middle School like modern languages, advanced computer and technology, music, art, and life skills.
So, let us talk about how to make the transition to Middle School life and not to get freaked out. In the Welcome to Middle School lesson, you will hear from the real voices of 250 students about life at Middle School. You will learn about their thoughts and feelings and real-life experiences in their own words.
Remember: You're off to great PLACES! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way!
- Dr. Seuss
I hope to see you sometime this week during Counsellor office hours to discuss moving up to Middle School.
Stay safe. Stay connected.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Week of 03/05 Lesson - Enemy Pie - Friendship skills & conflict resolution
Hello Grade 5 Friends,
Friends, it's not an easy task transiting from learning at school to stay at home learning. Though it is challenging to transition from school to stay-at-home education, you are doing the best you can. You are working hard to make it your priority to stay connected to friends and focused on academics preparing for Grade 6. So, I've included a mindful calming moment, Melting-flow breathing for taking a short break before jumping into the next assignment. As well, as you think forward to Middle School this coming year, I thought you'd enjoy watching The mindset of a champion - Carson Byblow video. I hope Carson inspires you to stay focused on striving to achieve your school and life aspirations. (See videos below).
This week's lesson is a read-aloud story, Enemy Pie by Derek Munsun & Tara King. In the story, the boy learns about the difficulties and rewards of making new friends. The reason the boy is unnamed is the story is to deliver readers a "ME message". An ME message story encourages the reader to self-reflect on the main character's learning, personal growth, actions and reactions in dealing with life's challenges.
Watch the Enemy Pie lesson video. Pause the video at The ME Message - Losing A Best Enemy slide to reflect on how the boy learns and grows to encourage new friendships and how you build on to your friendships.
What is in the Enemy pie? Well, at the end of the story, you still don't know how to make Enemy Pie. But you do know what the boy would likely put in to make Friendship pie. He would go bike riding and hiking and jump on a trampoline. How can you encourage new friendships? 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 day-long 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!
Self-reflect. How you are preparing to set goals for academic success, bettering school life (making new friends and build on to your friendships) for the upcoming school year.
"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, connecting with friends, and health & wellness topics.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Health & Wellness Planning
At Home Ease Mindful ToolKit for youth.pptxEASE At Home Movement G 4-5Week of 10/5 Lesson - Oh The Places You Will Go! - Navigating Middle School life
Week of 10/5 Lesson - Oh The Places You Will Go! - Navigating Middle School life
Dear Grade 5 Friends,
We all set different goals in our life. We study to get higher grades on a test, work to finish a project, train to try out for a sports team or audition for a role in the school play. We might not know precisely why we succeed sometimes and not others. It might not be on the top of your to-do list these days, but take time to consider setting personal, academic, and other SMART goals to shape your path for your Middle School years. Share your goals with family. Put them somewhere so you're reminded of them, a note on your phone. " *
Note: (*Adapted & taken from https://www.teensmartgoals.com)This week's lesson and read-aloud story Oh The Places We Will Go - Dr. Seuss focus on learning how to navigate Middle School life. You will learn about coping strategies that will help you to perform better and get more done each day.
View Setting SMART goals slide show. Why is the SMART goal setting methods important? Learn about setting SMART goals for sports, academics, health, nutrition, and mental wellness. Setting SMART goals can help you to accomplish everything you set your mind to achieve!
The Healthy Mind Matter Platter slide show dishes up daily routines of seven essential mind activating activities proven to optimize brain matter. It is vital that we balance our daily lives and thinking positively to be happier and more successful in life.
Take time for daily Movement Breaks you'll perform better and get more done.
Explore the Counselling Student Coping Resource room to see this week's featured chill skill, cartoon drawing.
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know, and YOU are the one who'll decide where to go." - Dr.Seuss
I hope to see you sometime this week during Counsellor office hours to chat about SMART goals, and learn more about your virtual school life.
Stay safe. Stay connected.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Lesson Week of 26/04 - Empathy - What can you 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 and build on to supportive relationships, 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, prepared to stop the video to practice the mindful speech – 3 Gate strategy. There is a power to pausing before you speak. Your thoughts, feelings and words must pass through 3 gates before you speak. The three gates are, Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it kind? If you want, you can ask a family member to join in the problem-solving for "What Can I Do?".
The LifeVest Inside – Kindness Boomerang – One Day music video is silenced for copyright reasons. It is much more inspiring to view hearing the music. The YouTube video link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGlvKeikMU8
It is your choice to take on the Act of Kindness challenge. If you want, it can be a family kindness activity. If you wish, you can email me BE KIND pics for posting.
The social distancing video shows you how you can keep safe.
Remember to stay connected. Reach out if you feel you need help.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Dance Challenge - Hand washing. Lesson Week of 12/04 - How Well Do You Know You? - Personality Trait Quiz
Hello Friends,
This week's lesson - "How well do you know you?" is about learning more your unique personality type. Once you learn your personality type, your unique gifts, talents and strengths you'll understand more about what makes you uniquely you.
The quiz will help you identify the personality traits that make you special. This can be fun and surprisingly accurate. You will be asked to write down 15 words that describe you to see if you are as assertive as a Eagle, as social as a parrot, laid-back as a Dove or smart as an Owl. If you want you can use these words to create an artwork to screenshoot send it to me so I can post it.
There is a dance challenge for you to try. A dancer in Vietnam named Quang Dang put together moves that match the lyrics of the pop song, Ghen which started a new TikTok craze to encourage people to wash their hands. The TikTok dance challenge video link is https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/51791722 (BBC Newsround). Enjoy!
Remember you can meet with Grade 5 friends and me virtually from Sunday- Thursday (11:00 am - 1:00 pm). The Grade 5 student Chat & Chill and Health & Wellness sessions. The meeting ID is 675-096-848. The Zoom Link and Meeting Password are posted on your class website.
I hope to see you soon. Stay safe & well.
Ms. Susan Austin
Imagine A Place - lesson Week of 05/04
Imagine A Place - lesson Week of 05/04
Hello Friends,
I hope you are all well and staying safe at home.
This week's lesson is Imagine A Place . Thoughout the lesson we will use our creativity to imagine a place with endless possiblities. The read aloud book is Imagine A Place Words by SARAH L. THOMSON paintings by ROB GONSALVES. Following the read aloud we will explore the artwork of Rob Gonsalves. If you want you can use our creativty to create an imagine place. It can be a black line sketch, drawing, photo or painting.
If you want you can send me an email to show me your imagine place drawing or you can meet me on Zoom. We can have a virtual chat session with other Grade 5 friends.
Remember our imagination is powerful enough to take us to whereever we want to go.
You can come and meet me virtually from Sunday- Thursday (2:00 - 2:30 pm)
Grade 5 student Chats and Health & Wellness sessions Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/854694003
Kindest regards,
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 because 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 capabilities whatever the challenge.
Lesson for week 03/30 theme is having a growth mindset.
The science and truth 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.
Friends watch the Pathway Transformation Initiative - Growth Mindset. The video shows how a state of struggle and practice enhances learning so we can reach our academic goals not only in middle school but in high school and beyond.
Ask your parents to watch the Growth Mindset - Mistakes help you grow video that is inserted next to this letter. They will learn that mistakes are just steps to success.
The daily learning project planner will help you to keep working and doing the best that you can!
If you want, you can check in with me in ZOOM grade 5 class meeting room to chat. Just click on the counselling class Zoom link. I am always interested in learning more about the things you do staying at home that make you happy, and your talents, interests, passions and goals.
Take care.
Ms. Susan Austin
My Daily Learning Projects - Big Life Journal.pdfGrowth Mindset lesson for week 03/30
Lesson for Week of 3/22
Lesson for Week of 3/22
Dear Friends,
Your health and wellbeing is very important to us. The posted SEL activities were created to show your gifts, talents and skills. The Kindness activity focuses on showing kindness to yourself and others. Acts of kindness create relationship connections that help you to thrive at school life and beyond.
Go to the The Science of Kindness – The life vest inside video link (The video link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA1qgXovaxU ). Share your thoughts and ideas about the video with friends and family.
Next read and review the Five Ways to Kindness and Wellbeing cards. How does showing kindness to yourself and others help you to connect to family, friends and others?
The Kindness Wave starts with you. Create a Random Acts of Kindness poster showing all the ways we can be kind to others. You might want to post it.
Read and follow the BE BOLD acronym. Listen to music that inspires you as you visualize yourself being BOLD. Breathe, observe, listen to your values and decide on actions you can take to make a difference.
Remember to relax and have fun.
I am inviting you to chat about SEL topics that might be of interest to you (self-confidence, self-regulation, resiliency, friendship and other social emotional smarts). My office hours are from Sunday - Thursday at 12:00 - 12:30 pm. The Zoom Link is https://zoom.us/j/854694003 .
Warmly,
Ms. Susan Austin
saustin@aiswest.com
Lesson for Week of 3/22
Lesson for Week of 3/15
Lesson for Week of 3/15
Hello Friends,
I hope everyone is doing well. This is a video that you can enjoy at home. Invite your siblings and parents to join in the fun. Invite a conversation about the helpful ways you calm when dealing with big feelings.
Remember to take a break from being on the screen to calm & relax.
I'm available to chat Sunday - Thursday at 9:40.
Kindest regards,
Ms. Susan Austin
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