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Don't forget to get your flu shot!

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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Roll Up Your Sleeve for Your Annual Flu Vaccine

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COVID-themed alphabet book created by two students living in Palo Alto

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Check out Menlo Park's compilation of health and wellness resources including fitness classes, seed library program and gardening tips, and mental health services.
https://www.menlopark.org/1675/Health-and-wellness

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Proper hand washing is critical to reducing the spread of disease. Prior to school closure, students practiced proper hand washing techniques  with  Nurse Kelly and Wellness Coordinator Nell.

Watch Nurse Kelly's video to review!

To learn the science behind soap and how it kills COVID-19 germs, watch this Brain Pop video

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On this website you will find helpful strategies and tools to manage emotions.

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The Virtual Calming Room was designed to assist students in locating different strategies and tools for managing their emotions. Hopefully these tools will provide helpful outlets and practices for when life is overwhelming.

Thank you to the Wayzata High School Counseling Department, and to the Osseo Area Learning Center for inspiring the Morris Area Elementary School Counselor to create a virtual calming room.

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MAES School Counselor - Virtual Calming Room

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The Virtual Calming Room was designed to assist students in locating different strategies and tools for managing their emotions. Hopefully these tools will provide helpful outlets and practices for when life is overwhelming. Thank you to the Wayzata High School Counseling Department, and to the Osseo Area Learning Center for inspiring the Morris Area Elementary School Counselor to create a virtual calming room.

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Cook with Us - Watch our Video!

To complement  distance-learning nutrition-focused PE and music lessons, students will review the 5 food groups and the importance of eating balanced meals that include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein, and dairy.

Agenda

Students complete PE 5 Food Group Detective activities designed by Linda and Kelly, and the Music Food Group Clap activity designed by Martha.

Nell and Kelly join virtual class session to discuss students' participation in the other specialists' activities and demonstrate a recipe

Resources:
Nutrition Guide for K-1 ,2-3, Recipe Information and Video

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Importance of just connecting with students

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Importance of just connecting with students

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One teacher in Venice, CA describes the positive impact of just connecting with her students

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Coronavirus creates need, opportunity for teachers to focus on social-emotional support.

Meghann Seril

Meghann Seril

Many teachers, including me, have been asked to assign work to ensure students continue to learn during the coronavirus crisis. We also must take the time, however, to support students' social and emotional learning as well.

Our students need to be reminded that their teachers care and are thinking about them.

The last days before the school closures in Los Angeles Unified where I teach were filled with anxiety and unanswered questions. When I sent off my few remaining 3rd-grade students at the last bell on March 13, I felt an emptiness. Now what?

I quickly realized, as we adjust to this new situation, we teachers have an opportunity to refocus our priorities and re-center our work on what is truly important - our relationships with our students.

Teaching and learning start with building those relationships.

Today, despite our isolation, we must continue to connect with students and maintain those relationships. We have a responsibility to keep things together - for our students, their families, our communities.

So, I began. I spent most of Day One in front of my computer, putting together files and updating our class website. I reviewed district policies and watched for updates from my principal. On a whim, I decided to post a quick one-minute video for my students with a brain-teaser question, something I would normally do as a warmup in the classroom.

On that first day, I heard nothing: total radio silence. I wasn't sure that parents and students had seen my video and, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed.

By Day Two, I started to get email responses from my students. The best included a note from a parent sharing that her daughter's face lit up when she saw the videos online. For the first time in weeks, I started to feel relief. My students and I could still be connected, despite our physical distance.

Less than a week after schools were closed, my teaching partner and I successfully have held our first webchat with our students. It was wonderful to just see each other and to share how the first few days felt. You could see the excitement in the children's faces across the screen.

Fortunately, all of our students were in good spirits. A few mentioned that they are bored and can't wait to get back to school, which should remind all of us of the important role schools play in our communities.

One student said, "Sometimes I cry because I don't have a pet to keep me company."

Other students replied immediately: "It's OK. We're here. We miss you, too."

Since those early connections, we have continued to grow our communication, and students are getting accustomed to our routine of meeting three times a week. When we had to cancel a recent meet up because of district-mandated professional development for the teachers, one student immediately asked if we could reschedule for another day because she didn't want to miss a chance to see her classmates.

I am encouraged and emotionally uplifted by the empathy our students demonstrate and the community we continue to share through our screens.

Just to keep it fun, we have themed meetups, like crazy hat day and stuffed animal day.

We're also encouraging our students to be "teacher for a day" and create videos or take pictures to share their expertise. One girl, for example, created a short workout video to encourage others to stay active while at home.

I've often wished I had the time and resources to have a project like this in our regular curriculum, and now I have.

I'm loving my students' ingenuity. I'm planning to take advantage of every opportunity to encourage them to come together, showcase their strengths and talents, and give them opportunities to celebrate each other.

Some of my students do not have all of the technology hardware or internet access and I am checking in with them via phone calls. On these calls, we talk about what they have been doing at home, how they are feeling; I offer some ideas to keep them thinking.

I want my students to know, despite the distance, their teachers are still here for them. I'm doing everything in my power to make sure we see each other, hear each other and connect with each other as much as possible.

***
Meghann Seril is a third-grade teacher in the Mandarin dual-language program at Broadway Elementary in Venice, a Los Angeles Unified public school. She is a 2019-20 policy fellow with Teach Plus California, a nonprofit organization that trains teacher leaders to shape educational policy.
The opinions expressed in this commentary represent those of the author. EdSource is interested in hearing from teachers about how they are adapting to distance learning and rising to the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review our guidelines and contact us.

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COMMENTARY: I'm here for my students, despite the distance

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Meghann Seril Meghann Seril Many teachers, including me, have been asked to assign work to ensure students continue to learn during the coronavirus crisis. We also must take the time, however, to support students' social and emotional learning as well. Our students need to be reminded that their teachers care and are thinking about them.

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Watch Ms. Nell - she's sun safe and ready to run outside!

As the days grow longer and summer approaches (especially with school out of session and potentially increased time spent outdoors), students will review sun safety.

Agenda

Discussion: How is the sun helpful? And harmful? How do we protect ourselves from sun damage?

Activity: 1) Sunny Says (like Simon Says) activity to practice sun safe habits. 2) Animal trivia - how do animals protect themselves from the sun?

Students can wear their favorite hat and/or sunglasses during class - Nell and Kelly will!

Additional Resources
Tips from the CDC
Remember to Reapply!
George the Sunsafe Superstar Animated Book
Sunwise UV booklet

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As a result of shelter-in-place orders, our neighborhoods are  quieter with fewer cars on the road and less construction and gardening-related noises, though with distance learning and increased free time students may be more attached to their headphones and electronic devices.  This is therefore an appropriate time to consider the overlooked topic of noise pollution and hearing loss - what causes damage to our ear drums and how can we protect them?

Class Session
-brief overview of hearing loss
-impact of regular headphone use on hearing damage
-sound meter activity that highlights

Listen Up Protect Your Hearing - information and noise meter activity

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Chart describing COVID-specific situations students may not be able to control and the attitudes and behaviors they can control and focus on in response

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Chart to share with students to help them identify and accept how they are feeling throughout each day.

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Video guided relaxation exercise with Ms. Brody

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Video guided breathing exercise with Ms. Brody

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Earth Day and Diversity Message from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (2-3 grade)

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Earth Day and Diversity Message from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (2-3 grade)

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A Message From the Future With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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In celebration of Earth Day Kelly and Nell will visit class to discuss  the importance and interconnectedness of protecting the environment and promoting personal health.

Agenda

History of Earth Day

How are Earth Day and health related?

A (virtual) visit to Nell's garden and chicken coop

A (virtual) bike ride with Kelly

Student discussion

Additional Resource
Reusing materials and keeping our animal friends healthy is important too!  Video tutorial for making bird feeders from recycled materials!

Note: this session can be adapted to complement the Recycling Assemblies, if your class is participating.

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Nell and Kelly look forward to joining any portion of your existing virtual class sessions or offering additional virtual classes to discuss health and wellness with your students.  We are creating timely talks and activities with optional resources, or you can request specific topics (to which we will develop talks/activities/resources).

To schedule:
Sign up directly
Email us
kmuenzen@llesd.org ncurran@llesd.org

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Ms. Brody will provide SEL and mindfulness resources you can opt to share with or assign to your students each week.

Visit the Distance Learning Counseling Corner for additional information and resources.

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Safe Routes to School Activities for all Students

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Safe Routes to School Activities for all Students

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Walking, scootering, and biking remain important for our mental and physical health, and the health of the environment. Find suggested Safe-Routes-to-School activities for students, including encouraging them to walk their neighborhoods Wednesdays (and share their experiences), scavenger hunts, and storytimes.

Additional Resource:
San Mateo County Safe Routes to School Shelter in Place Site

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Face Covering Information and How-to Instructions

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Face Covering Information and How-to Instructions

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The County Public Health Department requires face coverings to be worn in public to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  See details of the public health order, how-to video and instructions for making your own covering, and our Nurses and Wellness Coordinators wearing their face coverings!!