Ways to be a Wac (in Lockdown)

There are many ways that you can be a Wac in Lockdown - why not try some of these out!

Please do not forget that being human stays above anything else on this list – do not hesitate to help your neighbours or elderly people who need help with shopping or household chores. Many people are extremely vulnerable in this situation and helping each other is the first priority.

Study Skills

Activity 1: Pick a language. The language can be ancient or modern, it can be your first language or a second language. Search for and make a list of 50 new words. Try to learn them and their meaning by the end of the week.

Value: Endeavour 

Activity 2: Learn a Poem. Choose a poem and try to learn each line in a different way in order to have an idea of what is the best learning style for you. You could try using highlighters, mnemonics, singing/chanting/rapping, letter codes…. There are many more methods and information about them can be found on the Arete site. Don’t give up - try to work out what works for you!

Value: Resilience

Activity 3: Learn to Speed Read a Text. This is one of the most useful skills that you can develop - but it takes practise. Try to read a textbook page a day using some of the tips from this clip https://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=1C2GGRV_enGB751GB751&sxsrf=ALeKk03zrY32jg4OivXIvvxEIvutL6kTJA%3A1586280920369&ei=2LmMXquKFtuW8gLV-aLoBQ&q=how+to+speed+read+&oq=how+to+speed+read+&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzIECCMQJzICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoECAAQR0oNCBcSCTExLTE2OWc1M0oKCBgSBjExLTFnMlDejgFY3o4BYNiRAWgAcAJ4AIABiwGIAYsBkgEDMC4xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwir1pb27NboAhVbi1wKHdW8CF0Q4dUDCAw&uact=5#kpvalbx=_77mMXrXuAZT2gAbH_IHYAQ44

Remember practise is the only way to get better at this - but it will be incredibly useful for the rest of your life if you can master it.

Value: Endeavour

Health

Reflect and Redefine

Having time for ourselves is a prerequisite to sessions of self-reflection and redefining goals. We can use the pause on all the things usually occupying our minds to reassess the direction we are going and evaluate if we are on the right track or need a drastic (or mild) change. Is our current lifestyle making us happy or are we missing something and not living up to the full potential of life and our desires?

It is also a great opportunity to reflect on our personalities and identify personal strengths and weaknesses to work with. Personal (and professional) development is a constant process – getting stuck in the loop and forgetting to realign our goals and plan of action can cost us true happiness and fulfilment.

Time to learn to cook (and maybe start a small garden)

A lot of us often turn to takeaway food due to a busy lifestyle of lack of time for cooking. Well, now the golden opportunity of learning how to cook and spoiling ourselves with a homemade dish has finally presented itself.

Having some time on our hands is also an opportunity for another step towards a healthier lifestyle – starting a small garden at home. We don’t need a whole yard to do it, a small balcony can also do the trick. Growing organic vegetables is a highly rewarding activity which also gives us tasty products for our cooking.

Activity 1: If you are lucky enough to have eggs in your house then use the ones with the shells most intact to recreate your favourite characters/people. Send an image of Harry Potter, Frida Kahlo, or Karl to…….. This is an opportunity to have and share a sense of fun.

Value: Resilience

Activity 2:

Many of us are lucky to have a lot more than we need. Time at home is an opportunity to take stock of and appreciate what you have. This lockdown period is a chance to clear out what you don’t need and do something charitable in the process. Go through your wardrobes and drawers and clear out what you don't want or need. Items that could be of use or value to someone else should be cleaned and bagged up to be donated to charity once lock-down finishes. 

Value: Integrity/Compassion 

Activity 3: Diet

Have a look at this link - https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/healthy-eating-for-teens/

Keep a food diary for 3 days - record everything that you eat and drink. Then compare your diet to the suggestions on this link. How do you compare? Do you have a healthy diet? What could you do to improve your diet? Try two improvements for the next 3 days and then keep them going. You could also do this with your family and make suggestions for what they might be able to improve.

Value: Endeavour

Activity 4 :Health

Run 5 km in your back garden - this is not that easy to do, but you will feel a real sense of achievement at the end of it. Even better if you can get other family members to be involved - try not to get too dizzy though!

Value: Endeavour

Future Self

Activity 1:Personality

Lockdown affords all of us a great opportunity to reflect on our personalities and identify personal strengths and weaknesses that we can work on. Personal development is a constantly ongoing process – setting yourself goals and making a plan of action could ultimately make you happier and feel more fulfilled. Complete the Personality Profile on Unifrog and see if you agree with the characteristics that are said to match your profile.

Value: Integrity

Activity 2: Careers

Speak to someone you know or a family member and find out about their Career path. Ask them whether they thought they would be doing what they are doing when they were younger, what they like/dislike about their role, what they would change if they had to choose their careers now and what advice they would give to pupils who are thinking about their future now. Write a short report on the findings, or even make a film.

Value: Integrity

Activity 3: Reflection

Reflect and redefine - Having time for ourselves is a prerequisite to sessions of self-reflection and redefining goals. We can use the pause on all the things usually occupying our minds to reassess the direction we are going and evaluate if we are on the right track or need a drastic (or mild) change. Is our current lifestyle making us happy or are we missing something and not living up to the full potential of life and our desires? Try to write your thoughts down, as this often will help you to focus your thoughts more.

Value: Endeavour

Relationships

Family time

Some of us are more fortunate than others and have the luck of being at home with their families. Thankfully, even if we are not physically together with them we still have the option to connect with loved ones via the Internet.

Activity 1: Think about the/one of the main care-givers in your house. Without being told to do so, fulfil a task that they would otherwise complete themselves. It might be taking out the bins or clearing the breakfast plates.

Value: Compassion.

Activity 2: Do something to help one of your neighbours who may be on their own. It doesn’t have to be something huge - maybe just asking them if there is anything that they need help with (obviously from a safe distance).

Value: Compassion

Activity 3: Call or Facetime someone from your form/teaching set that you have not been in contact with for a while - just to touch base with them and to see how they are. You will be amazed at how a quick chat can make you feel better - it’s good to talk!

Value: Compassion

Citizenship 

Activity 1: If you are missing Manchester, use the following link to view, print and colour in one of these free Manchester-themed pages are available to download, print and colour in from Visit Manchester .

There's a full Manchester colour-in map - featuring Manchester Art Gallery, the town hall and more - a Manchester Bee pattern and Manchester Bee Well Mandala.

If you are feeling even more creative why not create your own version of a special Manchester or Cheshire area and share it ….add details…..

Value: Contribution

Activity 2: Use the time on your hands to recreate Monopoly, for Manchester. Use your knowledge and research to create a board and cards that show your understanding of our amazing city. Feel free to adapt the conventional set up to show off the aspects of the city that are important to you- it is a place with an incredible story;  it remains a hive of activity as a creative and dynamic place to live and work.

Share your creations with the CHS Community

Value: Contribution 

Activity 3: Covid-19 Time Capsule

You are living through historic times at the moment. Print off this time capsule document. Then take some time to fill in this time capsule document for you to look back on in years to come - https://app.luminpdf.com/viewer/5e8c493c1b0c3a0011654b28

Value: contribution, endeavour