Well, it looks like we will not be able to return to school this year. This is a disappointment for many, and a hardship for some. You may have questions, and we are working on answers. For now, know that we care deeply about our students at Whittier. Our first priority, as it is with our entire school district, is that students have their basic needs met. Lunch and breakfast (to go) for students will continue to be served daily at Whittier from 11-12:30, with dinner being added Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Emergency food boxes are available at Liberty CLC (1085 S. 300 E) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9 am-noon. If there are other needs your family may have, please reach out to me, or call the Salt Lake District Foundation at (801) 301-6476.
Some families have lost jobs or been furloughed due to the quarantine, or have otherwise been impacted financially. Hopefully the federal stimulus checks will help. In the meantime, if you are looking for work, there is an online job fair with DWS tomorrow. You can find information at the bottom of this page: Information about COVID-19. As we are all dealing with the changes in our daily lives and the uncertainty of what is to come, it is common for all of us to struggle with focus, lack of motivation, and stress. This is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation! It might be hard to get done the things we need to do. Students who are trying to do their work at home might be struggling just as adults are. I also realize also that some parents are trying to work from home, or have multiple children to help with their school work. Please know that we are all doing our best, and your best is enough! Be gentle with yourselves. It's okay to withdraw a bit and take care of yourself and your family. Please stay in contact with your student's teachers, and let them know if you are struggling as a family to get things done. No one is likely to end this year on the same level and that's okay. Work with your teachers to choose what is most important for class, and focus on that, if you can. We have just under 7 weeks left of school before summer break. We can get through this together.
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We are all adjusting now to a completely different situation right now, and having kids attending school from home is a big change. Here are some tips for helping your student to continue to learn and make academic progress:
Do you ever wonder when all the craziness around us will stop? Being out of school for COVID-19 is new territory for all of us. Teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare material for students to do at home. We are all trying to maintain "social distance" from each other, while still making sure our families have enough groceries and other things we need. Some members of our community have to work, either for financial reasons and/or because of being an essential worker. Others will not be allowed to work and will worry about how to pay their bills. Whichever category you might fall into, I hope for the best for your family.
I am feeling anxious as much about my students as the virus itself, although the virus makes me more nervous than I thought I would be. The earthquake this morning didn't help either. I don't think I'm alone in my worry (based on the empty store shelves I've seen). I think an important thing for us to focus on is to stay calm and help each other in any way possible. Here are a few ideas you can try to stay sane and calm during this time: Take care of basic needs. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Drink water throughout the day. Take a walk or move around in some way. Eat healthy food. You will function better if your basic needs are met. *Remember breakfast and lunch will be provided at the school, even through spring break, on a daily basis.* Maintain a routine. Even if your whole family is home, you can set a schedule for school work, meals, exercise and play time. Use coping skills. Everyone has mental health needs. To stay mentally healthy, or to improve your mental state, try using healthy coping skills. These might include mindfulness or meditation (there are a lot of apps or free Youtube videos that can guide you through this process). Listen to music, draw, write, journal, or find another activity that helps you feel happy and calm. Stay connected. We have to maintain physical distance, and that is challenging for many people. We might not be able to hug a lot right now, but connect with others in whatever ways you can. Use social media, Facetime, or even an old fashioned phone call. We are social creatures. We all need each other to get through this challenge. (Just wash your hands!) Reach out. If you find that you or your family is struggling, reach out. I am sending home a resource packet to our families that includes information on food banks, health care and other resources, as well as mental health resources. SafeUT is available by phone or through the app, which is on both android and iphone. This service is available 24/7 for anyone in need. Finally, students and families are invited to call me to check in or if you are in need. My phone number during this time is 801-448-5690. Please let me know if you need anything. Stay safe and healthy, and we will see each other on the other side of this crisis. This week is Red Ribbon week, celebrating living "healthy, safe, and drug free." While student council has done a great job of promoting Red Ribbon week with activities and dress-up days, I am supplementing this with a daily theme based on "really excellent decisions." The themes are as follows:
Monday- substance abuse prevention Tuesday- nutrition and exercise Wednesday- mental health Thursday- personal safety Friday- healthy habits Each of these days I am sending home information on the theme for parents. It's important we view healthy, safe and drug free living every day and not just during Red Ribbon week in October. I hope you find the handouts helpful and can use them with your families. I want very much to work closely with parents because I truly believe that parents, schools and students need to work together to help the student be successful. In that spirit, I would like to add regularly to this blog to let parents and others know what the counseling department is working on throughout the year.
I met with (nearly) every student at Whittier, these first few weeks of school, for what I call "minute meetings." I asked just a few questions to get to know them better, and introduced myself. I asked them: 1) How are you? (on a scale of 1-10), 2) What do you want to be when you grow up?, 3) How is school going so far? (1-10), and 4) Do you have any questions for me?/Do you have anything you want me to know about you? This was really helpful for me to get to know students a little bit, since I'm brand new to Whittier, and also to let them know my role as a school counselor, which is "to help kids feel safe and happy at school, so they can do their best work!" My role really is to support students with anything they need to be successful, whether they need help with study skills, bullying or friendship issues, or if they are just having a bad day and need someone to talk to. I am currently asking students, staff, and parents to complete a "needs assessment" survey for me, so that I know what students at Whittier need most help with. This will help me in planning classroom lessons, whole school activities and events, and even perhaps some small groups. I look forward to seeing what you have to say! Other things I have been doing include teaching weekly Second Step lessons for fourth, fifth and sixth grade students, creating this website and other resources, and organizing my classroom. |
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April 2020
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