Student Resources

Mindfulness during uncertain times

We are into difficult times but to deal with the worries and fears, we need to be able to stay present with our thoughts and emotions. There are certain activities that can help you do that. Go to this link for the activities.

Mindfulness is about training your attention to be able to rest in the present moment. Thoughts about the past and future are acknowledged without necessarily being focused on. In this way, you can avoid being caught up in dwelling on the past or worrying about the future and can instead truly experience life as it happens. The word mindfulness can be used to refer to both the state of being mindful as described above and the daily practices (e.g. meditation) that help to bring it about.

https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/mindfulness-in-the-classroom

Life skills during lockdown

Who thought that suddenly we will not be going out to meet friends, attend social gatherings or even order food online? But that is the reality and adapting to change is one of the most inevitable skill for us human beings to sustain and survive.

There will be a lot of mobile recharging, DTH or Netflix streamings these days. Those seem easy options to kill boredom,but you can actually utilize this time effectively and make the most use of it. Here are some skills that you can enhance at home to keep yourself physically, emotionally and mentally balanced. Read more

# Skill 1- Time management

It would seem that suddenly there is a lot of time . But actually we have the same 24 hours that we used to have before and if you want to achieve more, then the answer to it is good time management even during this time (which feels like a break).

How to do it? - Why do you think we have a time table in school? So that we have a schedule. Similarly you can make a time table and paste it at a place where it is visible to you. Remember to put first things first in your schedule.

Another way is to block your time. You can use google calendar to block your time. Extra benefit- it will give you a reminder

Here is a tutorial for using google calendar, just in case you want to try your hands on it-

https://healthyadhd.com/google-calendar-block-schedule/

# Skill 2- Self awareness

Let us accept we do not have the time for being aware about our own selves because of our busy schedules. But trust me one hour for your own self will help you evaluate yourself and align your behavior with your values.

How to do it?- Practice mindfulness. Spend an hour (may be in the morning after you wake up) to exercise/do yoga. You can refer to the link given to practice mindfulness and relax your body-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X462QPGZQt4

While you are exercising or practicing mindfulness, allow your thoughts (Positive or Negative) to flow. Also encourage your family to follow suit. Good opportunity to bond with them right?

# Skill 3- Team work

Maybe we never think about it but Family is also a team. In this time of lock down, when we do not have the maids or cooks coming, sharing and performing the household chores will help the family accomplish the tasks sooner and in an easier manner. It will also help you to develop/increase your social skills by communicating effectively and increase your self confidence. One must try to develop this skill and utilize at least one to one and a half hours for the same.

How to do it? Maybe when one of the family members is doing the dishes, the other can help in arranging them. Cooking is one more thing that you can try. Cooking together fosters cooperation, it will help develop fine motor skills and after all it will give you a chance to be praised and encouraged for delicious food that you make.

# Skill 4 Effective communication

All of us feel overwhelmed sometimes because of the suddent changes. which might lead to increased stress, agression, frustration etc. It is always advisable to communicate your feelings effectively

How to do it?

Use assertive statements and put your point forward clearly. An “I-statement,” forces us to take responsibility for what we are thinking and feeling and prevents us from blaming others When using “I-statements,” we can still be assertive, but find a less hostile, more compassionate way to communicate.

Structure of I statement:

“I feel __________ when you _________ and I would like __________”

Example of an I statement

"I feel frustrated when you constantly ask me to help you out. I would like you to consider my schedule as well"

#Skill 5 Coping with stress and emotions

All of us are stressed and are feeling helpless because of the situation. Emotional breakdowns are normal but how we handle them is very important. Finding ways to cope with stress and emotions contributes to our wellbeing

How to do it?

Reach out- Speak to your close friend or family member about it.

Speak to your school counselor

Do things that makes you feel relaxed for example- Painting, dancing, listening to music etc

Practise mindfullness

"Learning how to learn is one the most important skills in life"- Norma Fauziyah

Make your Bucket list

If you have never heard of the term “bucket list”, it is a list of all the goals you want to achieve, dreams you want to fulfill, and life experiences you wish to experience before you die.

How to make it? Read more

Take out your pen and paper or open up a text document. Start writing down what comes to mind as you read these questions:

What if you were to die tomorrow? What would you wish you could do before you die?
What would you do if you had unlimited time, money and resources?
What have you always wanted to do but have not done yet?
Any countries, places or locations you want to visit?
What are your biggest goals and dreams?
What do you want to see in person?
What achievements do you want to have?
What experiences do you want to have/feel?
Any special moments you want to witness?
What activities or skills do you want to learn or try out?
What are the most important things you can ever do?
What would you like to say/do together with other people? People you love? Family? Friends?
Any specific individuals (celebrities, famous people, world leaders) you want to meet in person?
What do you want to achieve in the different areas of your life: Social, Love, Family, Career, Finance, Health (your weight, fitness level), Spiritual?
What do you need to do to live a life of greatest meaning as defined by you?

Create your lock down plan

Everyone is posting photos on social media of family cooking and game night. What is your plan? Read more

The lock down has definitely given you a chance to do things that you have been longing for. It could be anything learn how to cook, painting, reading etc

Use this worksheet to prepare your own plan

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wsi1qYXfLgJlScOVpu4kJkRi29ScO8powgRESnDwDVg/edit#

Bring out the Picasso in you

“All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.” Bob Ross

Let's get started! Read more

It is a wonderful activity to take up, whether it is drawing or painting. This will help you calm your mind and allow you to explore the picasso in you.

Why learn to create?

Whether you are creative as a person or not. It is always a good idea to at least begin with learning how to draw or paint.

Painting relaxes you, soothes your mind and allows you to follow in your thoughts without any distraction. During times like these where our emotions are at peak, we definitely recommend you to learn how to draw or paint.

Art for beginners- how to get started?

Before you begin, ‘It is all about what works for you and your situation’. These are a few steps on how you can learn. If you don't have all the supplies, if one doesn’t work for you and you have the flexibility, then don’t stress about it; simply switch to an alternative and try another one.

You will need:

A plain paper/canvas/ drawing book
Brushes
Cake colors/oil colors/Soft pastels/ watercolors/sketch pens/crayons/pens

And if you don’t have any, and require one contact us. We can help you to reach out for art supplies.

Get inspiration from something/site or you can observe something in your house. Even though you might have all the supplies it might be a daunting task if you don’t know what to create.Inspiration can be taken from everywhere. Look around your house, or we would suggest looking at something nice and colorful.

Scroll in your phone gallery or pinterest image or even looking at your paint brush /pencil can be fun too.

‘Creating an art at home is great ‘

Be flexible and adapt to what you have around you at home already. If you don’t have paints, then you can always stick to sketching for the time being.We suggest take a pencil and begin to draw on a page out of the back of a notebook. It’s a place to start and you can always go back and add paint to your drawings.

Want to express yourself?

Write your blogs/poetry

April is known to be the National Poetry Month so let's celebrate it by letting our creativity flow in beautiful ways ! Read more

Birds chirping in the morning or the view of the sunset, the beauty of the nature or the trapped emotions !! Expression could be just a one liner or a poem or a paragraph !!

Feeling unheard or caged in these times of lockdown ? Writing brings out the best in each one of us. Poetry is a form of literature that would help to portray emotions, fears, anxieties, hopes, wishes, creativity. When selecting a topic, think about themes that you are interested in. Express the why behind that topic. It brings out the best ways to write.

Decorating your room with a poetry wall is a great task to take up and build the skill of creativity in these times.

https://thinkwritten.com/poetry-prompts/ - Use this website to design your own poetry.

Reading fan?

The love of reading is one of the greatest gifts an adult . Pragmatically, reading proficiently helps with school work. But it also widens your horizons. Read more

It can help readers to understand their own world better, and to explore other worlds. Reading routines are important at home. This could take the form of “bedtime story”, reading prayers or verses from a sacred book, or regular weekend reading.

We all love stories, especially when images are involved . Stories – whether told through picture books, dance, images, math equations, songs or oral retelling – are one of the most fundamental ways in which we communicate. Stories help s us develop empathy and cultivate imaginative and divergent thinking – that is, thinking that generates a range of possible ideas and/or solutions around story events, rather than looking for single or literal responses.

We refer you to visit www.freechildrenstories.com/ where you can pick stories for every age and pick your theme!

Movies/series to watch

Lockdown is a drag. We understand that you are either running wild, or complaining that you've nothing to do. You might say that you have watched everything, but we know better. It looks like we will all be spending a lot more time at home over the next few months, which is tricky if you’re trying to keep yourself entertained. If you’re concerned about resorting to screens, remember that psychologists agree that it’s not screen-time that’s harmful, but the quality of what you watch. It’s also a bonding experience to watch as a family .

In many ways isolation is bringing households closer together and there's no better way to chill out together than with a good family film.

To help you out during this time of need, here's our list : Read more

Miles From Tomorrowland

What it's about: Join Miles and his intergalactic family as they venture out into outer space. Your wildest imagination is just the beginning in Tomorrowland.

Concepts it teaches: Astronomy concepts and vocabulary words, pre reading skills
Ages it's best suited for: 4 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

Puffin Rock

What it's about: Life is sweet on beautiful Puffin Rock, where puffling Oona, her baby brother Baba, and their pals learn about nature, friendship, and family.

Concepts it teaches: Nature, social-emotional skills
Ages it's best suited for: all ages
Where to watch: Netflix

Handy Manny

What it's about: Handy Manny and his box of friendly, silly tools are the go-to guys in their neighborhood whenever a problem occurs. The series follows the humorous adventures of this warm-hearted fix-it man and his eclectic group of talking tools, while providing young viewers with model conflict resolutions and problem solving skills.

Concepts it teaches: Problem solving
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

Clifford the Big Red Dog

What it's about: Based on the best-selling Scholastic book series by Norman Bridwell featuring the larger-than-life dog, and his best friend Emily Elizabeth, the re imagined animated series teaches, as it entertains with Clifford-sized humor.

Concepts it teaches: Social-emotional skills, early literacy, imaginative play
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Ask the StoryBots

What it's about: Five curious little creatures track down the answers to kids' biggest questions, like how night happens or why we need to brush our teeth.

Concepts it teaches: Curiosity, letters, and colors
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: Netflix

Muppet Babies

What it's about: The Muppet Babies are here to make dreams come true. Join Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo and Summer as they use their imagination for all kinds of playroom adventures.

Concepts it teaches: Imaginative play
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

The Ruff Ruffman Show

What it's about: The Ruff Ruffman Show is designed to help kids aged four-eight learn core science concepts through videos, game-play and hands-on activities. The series stars canine host extraordinaire Ruff Ruffman, who, along with his assistants Blossom and Chet, answers questions from real kids, takes on challenges, and learns the value of perseverance.

Concepts it teaches: Science and inquiry skills
Ages it's best suited for: 4-8
Where to watch: YouTube

Llama Llama

What it's about: Beloved children's book character Llama Llama springs to life in this heartwarming series about family, friendship, and learning new things.

Concepts it teaches: Social-emotional skills, problem solving
Ages it's best suited for: all ages
Where to watch: Netflix

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

What it's about: Mickey entertains kids by inviting them to join him and his friends for a date at the Clubhouse. Using early math learning and problem solving skills, he leads kids on an interactive adventure of learning and fun.

Concepts it teaches: Problem solving, critical thinking, math
Ages it's best suited for: all ages
Where to watch: YouTube

Little Einsteins

What it's about: This innovative series provides kids with new ways to hear and see music and art. In every episode, four young Einsteins meet at their backyard clubhouse and, before long, embark on a mission with a specific goal to reach.

Concepts it teaches: Classical music and art, social-emotional skills, problem solving
Ages it's best suited for: 4 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

Super Monsters

What it's about: Toddlers whose parents are the world's most famous monsters try to master their special powers while preparing for kindergarten.

Concepts it teaches: Positive behavior, social-emotional skills
Ages it's best suited for: all ages
Where to watch: Netflix

The Magic School Bus Rides Again

What it's about: Miss Frizzle's kid sister Fiona takes the wheel at Walkerville Elementary, leading the class on wild adventures packed with science-fueled fun.

Concepts it teaches: Science and nature
Ages it's best suited for: 5 and up
Where to watch: Netflix

Treehouse Detectives

What it's about: When their animal friends need help, brother and sister, Toby and Teri use the clues and follow the facts to solve mysteries in their own backyard.

Concepts it teaches: Science, nature, problem solving
Ages it's best suited for: all ages
Where to watch: Netflix

Dinosaur Train

What it's about: Dinosaur Train encourages kids aged three-six to apply scientific thinking as they discover new types of dinosaur species, and to embrace the living sciences of paleontology and natural science.

Concepts it teaches: Life science, natural history, and scientific thinking skills
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

Odd Squad

What it's about: The show focuses on the Odd Squad, a kid-run agency whose mission is to save the day whenever something unusual happens. A math concept is embedded in each of their cases, as the agents work together to problem-solve and set things right in each episode.

Concepts it teaches: Math, problem solving skills
Ages it's best suited for: 5-8
Where to watch: YouTube

Curious George

What it's about: Curious George is designed to inspire kids to explore science, math and engineering in the world around them in a fun and entertaining way. The series encourages inquiry and curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration.

Concepts it teaches: Inquiry and curiosity, hands-on exploration, and it shows parents and caregivers how to support children's science - and math-related play.
Ages it's best suited for: 3 and up
Where to watch: YouTube

Nature Cat

What it's about: Grounded in a natural science curriculum, Nature Cat is designed to encourage children aged three-eight to go outside and explore the outdoors, while learning about a variety of scientific topics along the way. Nature Cat follows Fred, a house cat who dreams of exploring the great outdoors.

Concepts it teaches: Nature investigation, science
Ages it's best suited for: 3-8
Where to watch: YouTube

Virtual Hangout/Parties

When things feel uncertain or when we don’t generally feel safe, it’s normal to feel stressed. This very reaction, while there to protect us, can cause all sorts of havoc when there is a sense of uncertainty and conflicting information around us. To be away from constantly listening to Covid news, below link has the list of stress busters either to do it individually or with family.

https://www.gonoodle.com/good-energy-at-home-kids-games-and-videos/

https://consciousdiscipline.com/free-resources/type/printable-tools-and-activities/

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