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be present
be present
February is often noted as the month to focus on what we love. This is the perfect time to stop and reflect and focus on the present.
This is the perfect month to focus on mindfulness: What exactly is mindfulness? Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we're sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.
What are the 5 steps of mindfulness?
LET GO OF PAST AND FUTURE THOUGHTS. If you let your mind wander into the past, you may waste your energy on regrets.
ACCEPT THE PRESENT MOMENT.
MEDITATE.
GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SENSES.
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS DURING ROUTINE ACTIVITIES.
It is a good day to have a good day! Stay present in the moment and take time to reflect on all the wonderful things you have in your life.
Happy February, WE LOVE OUR CHARTER SCHOOL and are mindful of how lucky we are to be on this education journey together!
Personalized Learning = Active You
february FAMILY BUCKET LIST
february FAMILY BUCKET LIST
Gratitude List
After you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed at night, write five to 10 specific things that you are grateful for.
Immersive Art Exhibit
Check out the Van Gogh Experience in LA.
Sparkle Sweetheart Cookies
Mandala Coloring
Everyone loves to color! Check out these free printable coloring pages.
february Family Movie:
february Family Movie:
inside out
inside out
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.
7 C's ACTIVITIES
7 C's ACTIVITIES
Be part of a CARING COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATE to build friendships, CONNECT with themselves and others, have CONFIDENCE and self-esteem, COPE with disappointment and conflict, CELEBRATE themselves and others!
ELEMENTARY
ELEMENTARY
This social emotional learning worksheet will help guide your child to focus on what is happening in the present moment by tuning into each of their five senses. Using the prompt, "Right now I...," children will draw pictures to represent what they are able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell in a given moment.
This social emotional learning worksheet will help guide your child to focus on what is happening in the present moment by tuning into each of their five senses. Using the prompt, "Right now I...," children will draw pictures to represent what they are able to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell in a given moment.
february: recommended reading
february: recommended reading
Click here for the 22 best mindful books for kids!
Primary
cassidy's present
cassidy's present
by Sue Mateer
Cassidy is a playful pup who likes the smell of flowers, the feel of the warm sun, and the taste of a snowflake on her tongue. Her human friends, Anna and Charlie, seem too distracted by the cares and concerns of their everyday life to join Cassidy as she frolics through the seasons. Follow Cassidy's friends as they slowly learn to appreciate the present moment and everything it has to offer. This is Cassidy's ultimate present to all of us.
Intermediate
mindful me: mindfulness & Meditation for kids
mindful me: mindfulness & Meditation for kids
by Whitney Stewart
Simple mindfulness practices for teens that build self-esteem, grow compassion, and reduce stress.
Secondary
be mindful & stress less
be mindful & stress less
by Gina Biegel
The demands and pressures of everyday life can really stress you out! School, work, relationships, social media, and the like can leave you pulled in so many directions it can make your head spin. When you need help fast, these simple accessible mindfulness-based practices will help bring you relief and ease right away. If you make these mindfulness and self-care practices part of your routine, you’ll discover little life-hacks to get through even the toughest days.
HAVE SOME FUN WITH WRITING
HAVE SOME FUN WITH WRITING
Try these fun journal prompts for elementary and secondary students.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: activites for mindfulness
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: activites for mindfulness
Get outside and be in the moment with some of these activities:
Gardening
Taking a walk
Blowing bubbles
Watching wildlife
Watching clouds
Mindful breathing
Drawing with sidewalk chalk
reading under a tree
STRUCTURED PLAY: outdoor treasure hunt
STRUCTURED PLAY: outdoor treasure hunt
An outdoor treasure hunt game aimed to help children notice and appreciate nature and their environment. A fun game that can be played in the garden, at the park, beach, or on a walk. Helps adults be more mindful and see their garden/park/walk through the eyes of a child.
Check out this Mindfulness Scavenger Hunt for Kids on Amazon.
FUN HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES
FUN HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ELEMENTARY
ELEMENTARY
The Mindful Jar
The Mindful Jar
This activity can teach children how strong emotions can take hold, and how to find peace when these strong emotions feel overwhelming.
First, get a clear jar (like a Mason jar) and fill it almost all the way with water. Next, add a big spoonful of glitter glue or glue and dry glitter to the jar. Put the lid back on the jar and shake it to make the glitter swirl.
Finally, use the following script or take inspiration from it to form your own mini-lesson:
“Imagine that the glitter is like your thoughts when you’re stressed, mad or upset. See how they whirl around and make it really hard to see clearly? That’s why it’s so easy to make silly decisions when you’re upset – because you’re not thinking clearly. Don’t worry this is normal and it happens in all of us (yep, grownups too).
[Now put the jar down in front of them.]
Now watch what happens when you’re still for a couple of moments. Keep watching. See how the glitter starts to settle and the water clears? Your mind works the same way. When you’re calm for a little while, your thoughts start to settle and you start to see things much clearer. Deep breaths during this calming process can help us settle when we feel a lot of emotions” (Karen Young, 2017).
This exercise not only helps children learn about how their emotions can cloud their thoughts, but it also facilitates the practice of mindfulness while focusing on the swirling glitter in the jar.
Try having the kids focus on one emotion at a time, such as anger, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter is like that emotion.
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
Mindful Emailing
Mindful Emailing
Emailing allows us to get work done quickly with people around the globe. But without the emotional signs and social cues of face-to-face or phone interaction, it’s more possible to be misunderstood—particularly if there’s trouble at hand. Also, mindless emailing overstuffs everyone’s inboxes.
Try this with 5 or 10 emails during the week. Or all of them.
COMPOSE an email.
STOP and take one long deep breath. Pay attention to the breath. You can count to five on the inhale and again on the exhale if you like.
THINK of the person to whom the email is going and how you want them to receive your message. Could they misunderstand your words and become angry or offended, or think you’re being more positive than you intend?
LOOK at the draft email again.
CHANGE it if appropriate.
SEND
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