KG 1

Week of 15/06 Because you are the great class of 2020 - Ms. Susan Austin Farewell Message

Bird of Peace Picasso's dove

Week of 31/5 Lesson - Courage - It takes courage to show kindness to others without recognition

Hello Parents and KG1 Friends,

Courage is being brave when facing new or difficult circumstances. When things get tough can be challenging to lean into kindness. The real test is when you respond with compassion when someone close to you is pushing your buttons. This week's read-aloud story, Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler by Margery Curyler. Mrs. Ruler knows what to do when her class gets rowdy to stay calm and friendlier and try to be kind to others. Mrs. Ruler's Kindergarten class proves that kids can make a difference when they choose to be kind even when seemingly no one notices. Mrs. Ruler reminds us to pay kindness forward.

Parents pause the video to play Happy! Excited! Energized! Surprised! Get Energized!
Enjoy watching the Kindness is Cooler, Mrs. Ruler story.
Pause again at the FUN SURPRISE HOME ACTIVITY slide. Come up with creative ways to remind others about the importance of performing acts of kindness! Share catchy sayings, draw pictures or posters showing an act of kindness, or simply giving each other ideas for what they can do to be kind.
Take a mindfulness moment - Calming Down Yoga (Pause the video at each slide).

Remember: Being kind isn't always about being kind because someone was kind to you first. It is brave to be kind and expect nothing in return – that's how you keep the kindness going by paying-it-forward!

Stay safe, healthy and well.

Kindest regards,

Susan Austin, School Counsellor saustin@aiswest.com

Week of 17/5 Lesson - Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? - Caring for others

Bucket Filler Certificate .pptx

Online bucket filler puzzle.pptx

Week of 17/5 Lesson - Have You Filled Your Bucket Today? - Caring for others

Dear Parents & Grade 2 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

Lesson week of 10/5 - The Invisible Boy - Inviting friendships

Dear AIS Parents and Grade KG1 Friends,

KG1 Friends, think about a friend group you want to join. 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. Compliment them, sharing your seat at lunch, or standing up for someone. Making new friends can be challenging, but it is gratifying.

Invite a parent, a brother or sister to watch The Invisible Boy read aloud. Pause the lesson after the 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
Home Activity Option 1: Try complimenting a special someone about their gifts, talents or personal strengths each day this week just like Justin.
Home Activity Option 2: You can choose to write and send a note of encouragement to a friend or a special someone just like Brian.
Get ready to follow the guided breathing exercise, Melting Flow. Stand in mountain pose. Velcro your feet to the floor: shoulders back and dow with a proud chest.
Parents, explore the mindful moment calm corner toolkit on the Parent resource room or the Parent Chat room to join in on a virtual worldclass 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

We'd love to see you during our office hours. We can chat about Counsellor read-aloud stories, share home activity responses, connect with friends, and discuss health & wellness topics.

Kindest regards.

Ms. Susan Austin

Movement Breaks - Young Children

Lesson week of 03/05 - Rainbow Fish - What makes us beautiful? Theme: Learning to give

Dear AIS Parents & KG1 Friends,

This week's lesson read aloud is Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister. The story encourages us to make friends of all kinds, and shows us how friendships contribute to our lives. Young children learn the rewards of frienships and the difficulties making friends. Sometimes it is a struggle for children to share things with a friend that are special. But sharing and allowing others to play their way makes us happier and builds on to healthier and supportive friendships.

Parents before watching the Rainbow Fish read aloud story make story connections. ASK: Did you ever have something that someone else wanted? How did that feel? How did you act toward that person? Were you proud? Were you uncomfortable? Did you share what you had? Why or why not? CONNECT: We are going to listen to a story about a beautiful fish that had something the other fish wanted. Let’s find out how the rainbow fish felt and acted toward the others.
After the story pause the video ask: Did rainbow fish make the best choice? Why do you think that? Does the Rainbow fish need other fish? How does Rainbows choice to give to others effect their friendships?
Shared guided Sleepy Starfish relaxation & Under The Sea Square Breath practice. Imagine you are a sleepy starfish lying at the bottom of the ocean.
Home Activity: Be creative and make your own unique Rainbow fish.
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?

"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 week of 26/04 Caring -Acts of Kindness

Dear Parents and Friends,

I am excited to join you today. Teaching young children about caring is an essential character trait in building character. It can be shown by attentive listening, modelling good manners, and helping others. Young children will find a way to tell the truth, think about others' feelings, and learn how to fix their mistakes.

In the read-aloud Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and Jen Hill, you will learn being caring is many different things. It can be showing kindness towards others, sharing with others, being polite by saying "please" and "thank-you," being sensitive to others' feelings, showing compassion, and forgiving someone who has done something wrong. You will also learn the act of kindness is not always easy.

Please pause the presentation after the Be Kind story to talk to your child about what it means to be kind. Ask questions about the characters that showed kindness traits.
Meditation Take time to calm, sitting in an easy for the guided mindfulness meditation. Encourage your child to think about a special someone to send them love and kindness.
The Act of Kindness activity can be a family kindness activity. Ask your child to think of the kind things they can do at home and play. If you want, you can email your child's drawings or photos to me to post on the KG 1 Counselling classroom.

Note to Parents: The Health Canada - How to slow the coronavirus videos explain how children can keep safe. Remind your child that they can talk to you about any worries they have.

We are here to support you and your family in any way.

Take care.

Ms. Malak & Ms. Susan Austin

saustin@aiswest.com

Lesson 12/04 The OK Kid Read Alound & 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 your creativity to imagine you are the OK Kid. You will draw the OK Kid doing the things your are good at and more. If you want 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

Hello Parents & Friends,

I hope you are all well and staying safe at home.

This week we will watch and listen to The It Just Takes One video lesson with someone at home. During our time together we will calm and relax with balloon belly breathing, listen to One a story book by Kathlyn Otoshi. We will learn how we can stand up, stand by and stand up together to help each other. Think of ways others show you that you count, you help others, and stand by friends. After the story we will use our imagine a colour and a feeling to practice balloon belly breathing. Yellow is for happy.

If you want you can send mail or you can meet me on Zoom to chat about the ways help others and count on others or chat about the things you are doing at home.

Remember It takes ONE to stand up to make a difference.

You can come and meet me virtually (Sunday- Thursday) on Zoom.

KG 1 parent - child chats (12:30 pm – 1:00 pm) Zoom Link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/800094323

Warmest wishes,

Ms. Susan Austin

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 capablites whatever the challenge.

Growth Mindset esson for week 03/30 - Morning routines planner

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.

Friends watch the Sesame Stree do Growth Mindset. Learn how we can all build on to our learning skills to be smarter. Mistakes help you to learn and grow. Mistakes are just steps to learning success.
Parents watch the video before this letter. You will learn how having daily morning routines help you to build on to your self-confidence to do the best you can in any learning situation. There is a morning daily routine schedule that might be of interest to you.
Share the parent handout 10 Ways To Make A Growth Mindset Fun For Children with the whole family.

If you want, you can check in with me in ZOOM grade meeting room to chat. Just click on counselling tab for the class Zoom link. I am always interested in learning more about the things you do staying at home that make your child happy, and your child's talents, interests, passions and goals.

Take care.

Ms. Susan Austin

My Morning Routine - Big Life Journal.pdf

Lesson for Week of 03/22

Hello Friends,

Your child's health and wellbeing is very important. The posted SEL activities were created to show your child's gifts, talents and skills. The Kindness lesson focus is on showing kindness to yourself and others. Acts of kindness create relationship connections that help you to thrive at school life and beyond.

Have your child say the KG 1 Kindness committment.
Next have your child go to the Mind Yeti - What is mindfulness? video link https://www.mindyeti.com/v2/s/dashboard-v-17(The video link that is in the screen pic below.) .
Follow the How to Talk About the Video Parent Guide: What’s one thing you noticed in the video? What do you think being mindful means?Why might you want to learn how to practice mindfulness? When are some times you might want to be kind to yourself?
I have included mindfulness parent tips and activity ideas on how to introduce mindfulness practices to your children Relax and have fun.

Remember to relax and have fun.

If you have SEL topics that might be of interest to you (self-esteem, handling big feelings, friendship and other social emotional smarts ) I'm available to chat from Sunday - Thursday at 10:30 - 11:00 am. The Zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/918551655.

Warmly,

Ms. Susan Austin

saustin@aiswest.com

Lesson for Week of 3/15

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