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.

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