Calendar of Topics

November: Adoption Awareness Month

Books:

• Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwiTKn6AFOU)

• It's Okay To Be Different: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl5U2Z0oQok)

• I Love You Like Crazy Cakes: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wytxlh9q2RU)

• Over The Moon: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6prwFm3NBVI)

Movies:

• Annie (2014)

• Tarzan

• Tigger Movie

• Kung Fu Panda 2

• Despicable Me 2

Articles:

• https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/fall-2003/out-of-the-shadows

• https://adoptionsupport.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/09-Adoption-at-School.pdf

• https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/parent-school-age.pdf

• https://adoption-beyond.org/talking-about-adoption-at-school/

**Please reach out to our team if you would like to speak further about any of these topics**

December: Gratitude

Activities

• Make a Thankful Jar: Use a box or a jar or anything you have at home that can hold small strips of paper. With your family, write and/or draw something that everyone is grateful and thankful for. After some time, reread what everyone wrote.

• Gratitude Journal: Spend some time together writing and/or drawing things that they are grateful for. Put a date on the pages. Reflect back on previous work from time to time.

• Write and share thank you cards for people that your family is grateful for.

Books

• Those Shoes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjUFJEduguk)

• Harold Loves His Woolly Hat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2XFBdYfBX8)

• Pass it On (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug65KvZ0ypw)

• Thank you body thank you heart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmqmn_Em0Us

• Bear Says Thanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUspp8k2Lh0

• Don’t Say a Word Mama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZINdrHEo68

January: Mentoring

Resources for finding a mentor through a program:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts: https://emassbigs.org

• Jewish Big Brother Big Sister: https://www.jbbbs.org

• Youth.gov: https://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/benefits-mentoring-young-people

• Big Sister Association: https://www.bigsister.org/

Movies about Mentoring:

***Watch the movie and talk about who the mentor is and how they support their mentee***

• Mary Poppins

• Up

• Akeelah and the Bee

• March of the Penguins

• Hercules

• Halloweentown

• The Incredibles

• The Princess Diaries

• The Mighty Ducks

• Cars

Book on Mentoring:

• Mentor: The Kid & The CEO by Tom Pace and Walker Jenkins (parents)

February: Random Acts of Kindness

Activities do at a home

• Donate items clothes, books, toys

• Make a bird feeder and put it outside

• Plant trees and flowers

• Pick up trash

• Write thank you cards for teachers, nurses, parents, babysitters, and others who help you and your community

Books

• Have you filled a bucket today (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q9-98pRoqM)

• Kindness starts with you (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEQM0L0I3Ns)

• The life of Ty (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0142423173/ref=bseries_primary_1_0142423173 and https://www.amazon.com/dp/014242319X/ref=bseries_primary_1_014242319X)

• The Big Umbrella (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8g0363DaEU)

• Most People (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0-izOz_yzM)

• The Lion and The Mouse (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F2dNzIf4jo)

• I Walk with Vanessa (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF1FhV_Bw3w)

• A Hat for Mrs. Goldman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1L002L_jro)

March: Gender Equality

Books:

• The Paperbag Princess

• Ada Twist Scientist

• Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights

• No Difference Between Us

Resources for Grownups on Gender Equality

• https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/gender-equality/

• https://blog.planbook.com/teaching-gender-equality/

• https://believe.earth/en/how-to-educate-children-for-gender-equality/

• https://www.momtastic.com/parenting/551771-teach-kids-gender-equality/

April: Community Service

Books:

• Hey Wall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMw_ZBNs468

• Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k965-YGcL4I

• The Giving Tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hmTc9rm8-o

• The Can Man: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi73vuLDG0I

• Last stop on Market Street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6CWvW_5-s

• A Chair For My Mother: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEoEEWEnooI

• 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7ykNJ1drhY

Resources for Grownups:

• https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/5-ways-to-teach-kids-about-community-involvement/

• https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/v-volunteer-community-service-projects-kids1712.html

• https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/volunteer.html

May: Mental Health Awareness

Valuable sites with books for children and adolescents on mental health:

• https://childmind.org/article/best-childrens-books-about-mental-health/

• https://namimainlinepa.org/mental-health-books-for-children-and-teens-and-their-parents/

Resources for Grownups:

• https://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/educators

• https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/student-mental-health-resources/

• https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/resources/ultimate-guide-to-mental-health-and-education-resources/