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Hello Stratton Families and Welcome to the Social Work Page!
Hello Stratton Families and Welcome to the Social Work Page!
I miss you all so very much!!! It makes me feel so sad that I will not have the chance to go into any of your classroom or give you all a proper goodbye this school year. I know I will see you all again at some point soon, and hopefully you have not forgotten the rules I have taught you (remember k-3, there are 8 never-nevers... and 4th and 5th, make safe choices with your big beautiful brains!)
My name is Ms. Gatses (or as the kids call me, Ms. G) and I provide social emotional support to our Stratton students. Most students know me from the classroom lessons I do on bullying or staying safe. Other students know me from groups and individual sessions. If you are in need of any community or social-emotional resources, please reach out to me at gatsesal@u4sd.org at any time!
Over the course of our remote learning days, I will be continuously posting resources for my social work students, as well as any families and students that would like to continue their social-emotional learning journey. Please check in every week to see new activities or lessons that are available!
ZONES of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation can be used with students in any grade. Older grades can go through the power point with their families and complete the activities with minimal assistance. Younger grades can go through the power point with families and complete the activities with parents. There is also a "Book Nook" or reading list for families to practice using zones through books at home or online. If you have kindergartners or first graders learning ZONES for the first time or that have forgotten most of the material, social stories about each zone are also by the Book Nook.
Mindfulness
"Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us." (Mindful.org)
Being mindful is a practice that benefits all people and it can be a powerful tool for students to use as they grow older. Mindfulness is not something you are born with, but a skill that you can develop and grow throughout your entire life. When mindfulness is introduced to students in school, research has shown that it can greatly improve attention, emotional regulation, increased compassion and lower stress and anxiety (Mindfulschools.org). This does not mean constant meditation or yoga throughout your day. Mindfulness can be learning how to take deep breaths when you start to feel anxious or using a grounding technique to stay focused. It can be fun and beneficial for all kids to practice, and below I have listed some videos and activities you can use at home with your family. Remember, mindfulness is for everyone, so feel free to try these techniques and practice with your kids!
The ZONES of Regulation
The ZONES of Regulation
Below are some resources for you to implement this great introversion with your children.
The Zones of Regulation.pptxThe ZONES of Regulation Curriculum for Home
The ZONES of Regulation Curriculum for Home
This is a power point presentation about the basics of the Zones curriculum. The purpose of this curriculum is to help students understand and communicate emotions. It can be used with all students! Below are printable activities and materials you can use at home.
Zones Chart.pdftools sheet for each zone.pdfCopy of Reproducible B.pdfZones checkin.pdfzones expected emotions sheet.pdfCopy of Reproducible CC.pdfZONES Materials
ZONES Materials
These are materials from the power point presentation that can be printed and used at home.
This Includes:
-The Zones of Regulation Chart
-Zones Glossary
-What Zone Should I Be In? Expected vs. Unexpected situations for different emotions worksheet
-Tools for Your Zones worksheet
-Zones Check-in worksheet
-When to Use My Tools worksheet
Book Nook &
Book Nook &
Social Stories
Social Stories
The ZONES of Regulation created a google doc with books you can read at home that connect to the curriculum.
You can also use the Zones chart or check-in and apply it to various characters in TV shows and other books you already have at home! Asking questions such as "how is the character feeling?" and "What zone might that character be in?" are great ways to reinforce these concepts and show how they can be applied to everyday life.
Social Stories are short and to the point describing a situation or concept. The social stories to the left have a short story about each zone and what it feels like to be in that zone. It is a great tool for kids just starting to learn or refresh their memory about the Zones of Regulation.
Copy of Reproducible E- French.pdfCopy of Reproducible B- French.pdfFrench
French
Matériel pour les familles francophones
Copy of Reproducible E- Spanish.pdfCopy of Reproducible B- Spanish.pdfSpanish
Spanish
Materiales para familias de habla hispana
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Below are some resources divided by grade level and some tips for parents
K-2
K-2
Basics of mindfulness and practicing being present for younger students
K-2
K-2
This video will help kids to ground themselves in a fun way and practice listening. It touches upon using imagination and engaging the 5 senses to be present in the moment.
K-2
K-2
There are many techniques practiced in this video. It may feel silly to do as an adult with your child, but modeling the importance of using them and the willingness to try is the most important part!
Mindful (3-5)
Mindful (3-5)
How do we get our older kids to connect with and understand mindfulness?
Even as adults, we see this as silly sometimes or put our mental well-being aside. Her are some videos that will hopefully be more relevant to your older students.
Introduce them to JusTme
JusTme creates songs that teach mindfulness for young adults. He has even come to our very own district and performed at Garden Hills.
JusTme has a webpage called "yo mind" with one of his videos and some techniques you can practice with your kids.
Show them famous people who use it.
Ask any fifth grader who Kobe Bryant or Jay Z is, and that will tell you instantly. This video shows why the pros use mindfulness.
Being a parent is hard.
Being a parent is hard.
Especially right now! You have to work with kids at home, school activities to worry about and bills to pay...and now the social worker is suggesting you "practice mindfulness." I know, it is a lot. However, I promise you that trying these techniques will not only help your children, but you as well. Parents need a break and deserve to experience calmness throughout the day, too. Here are some tips and resources for you and your family to try together.
Here is a link to a parenting post of many different apps you can use on your phone or your kid's phone/tablet..
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