How to Help a Friend or Family Member
Must-dos at your school site:
Make readings/videos available to students and staff.
Parent Letter and/or Newsletter to be posted/distributed to parents.
Post/distribute hand-outs.
Recommended reading:
PreK-3rd Grade
- Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen (PreK-1) (Caring)
- Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan (YouTube) (PreK-3rd) (How our actions can make imprints on the hearts of others)
- The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat (PreK-2) (Celebration of Friendship)
- A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka (PreK-2) (Dealing with Loss)
- Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright (PreK-3rd) (How we can all build each other up)
- Have you Filled Your Bucket? by Carol McCloud (PreK-4th) (How positive behaviors can make you and others feel better)
- Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler (YouTube)(PreK-5th) (Kindness and Good Deeds)
- Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts (K-3) (Being a Good Friend)
- Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson (K-3) (Kindness & Empathy)
- A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams (K-6th) (Resiliency)
- Oliver and Patch by Claire Freedman (1st-3rd) (Loneliness & Find a Friend
- Ordinary Mary's Extraordinary Deed by Emily Pearson (2-6) (Good Deeds)
- Project UROK (This site provides a plethora of user-friendly resources to get immediate help)
4th-6th Grade
- Have you Filled Your Bucket? by Carol McCloud (PreK-4th) (How positive behaviors can make you and others feel better)
- Kindness is Cooler Mrs. Ruler by Margery Cuyler (YouTube)(PreK-5th) (Kindness and Good Deeds)
- A Chair for my Mother by Vera B. Williams (K-6th) (Resiliency)
- Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson (4th-6th) (Upstander)
- It’s Your World! Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! By Chelsea Clinton (5th - 12th) (Making a Difference)
- Project UROK (This site provides a plethora of user-friendly resources to get immediate help)
Middle/High School
Disclosure: Some middle/high school readings contain language and/or sensitive topics that need previewing by school before given to youth.
- It’s Your World! Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! By Chelsea Clinton (5th - 12th)
- Project UROK (This site provides a plethora of user-friendly resources to get immediate help)
- Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (Friendship)
- How to Build a House by Dana Reinhardt (Helping Others)
- Weeping Under the Same Moon by Jana Laiz (Friendship)
- Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope by Olivia Gardner, Emily Buder and Sarah Buder (Messages of Hope to victims of bullying)
Videos:
Tortoise Friends (All students)
Work Together as a Team (PreK-3rd)
True Friends Always Help Each Other (PreK-3rd)
Helping Others (PreK-3rd)
Who is your Trusted Adult? (for PreK - 4th grade)
Engineering Students Help Another Student (Middle and High School)
High School Students Pay it Forward (Middle and High School)
How to Help a Friend Who is Suicidal (Middle and High School)
The Power of Empathy (Staff and Parents)
Hand-outs:
A Trusted Adult (All students)
Signs of Depression (All students)
Possible Warning Signs for Suicide (All students)
A-C-T (for all students)
I Could Help By... (PreK - 6th grade)
40 Developmental Assets (All students)
Activities:
Helping Chain: Near the front of the classroom place a basket with strips of paper and a pencil. Each time students help another student or staff member or do a good deed, they write it on a strip of paper and tape the ends together to form the link of a chain. Display the chain in the classroom first, and then in the hallway as it grows through the year.
Tree of Trusted Adults: Each student writes the name of a trusted adult at school on a leaf. Create a tree out of the leaves to display in the hallway.