Maya Angelo said, "Be a rainbow in someone else's cloud". Many of you may have heard this before but I somehow this just crossed my path. Many days can be pretty gray for people, how can we bring some positivity into their day? Do we carve out time to be a listener, bring them coffee, make them laugh? On the flip side, how can we be open to others being our rainbows? I know our work has so often contributed to the positive climate and culture of our schools, let's keep the momentum going by being and accepting rainbows!!
Professional Development Opportunities
September 12th
Annual Healthy Schools Workshop ~ September 12th ~ Highlands Ranch Mansion
Register through InspirED ~ Session ID: 1989-2!
Cohorts
The purpose of a cohort is to provide opportunities for discussion with colleagues, learn new ideas, use these skills in the classroom setting, and return to the cohort for reflection.
Healthy, Mindful Teacher Cohort #2192-13 (Fall) #2192-14 (Spring) 8 hours relicensure
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As a teacher, you give and give and give, often, at the expense of yourself, your friends and your family. Well, it’s time for some “me-time!” This cohort will focus completely on you, developing tools of awareness, presence, and creating healthy choices in order to build your resilience and increase your happiness. We will focus on the mindset of what we can control, not the things that we can’t. And reinforce the concepts that we cannot pour from an empty cup and that self-care is NOT selfish. Hone these new skills, and then use them in the classroom with your students.
Double-check session dates and times, and join the one that works best!
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Fall classes meet: 9/16, 10/28, 11/18, 12/16
4:30-5:30 pm
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Spring classes meet: 1/13, 2/3, 3/9, & 4/13
3:30-4:30 pm
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Mindful, Brain-Based Teaching and Learning Cohort 1.0 #2192-15 12 hours relicensure
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In this cohort, participants will focus on whole-child education, bringing together cognitive brain-based learning and mindfulness practices to classrooms and schools.
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Classes meet: 9/25, 10/30, 11/20, 1/22, 2/26, 4/1 all from 4:30-6:30pm
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Creating a Prevention Based Classroom Cohort 1.0 #2122-2 16 hours relicensure
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Let’s start the conversation about what prevention means. When we think about the full continuum of prevention we start with awareness. Participants will have access to prevention actions in their own lives, access current research-based practices within the classroom, and explore prevention topics and activities that can influence instruction and classroom management.
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Classes meets: 9/23, 9/30, 10/21, 10/28, 11/25 4:30-6 PM meet-ups
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Register through InspirED.
Any questions? Reach out to Laurie LaComb at lllacomb@dcsdk12.org
Grant Opportunities
Nominate Your School Today
Schools that enter will be evaluated on how they best demonstrate a need to use the Drive for Education Grant. Choose compelling and specific reasons which you believe best enhance and increase your school's program. With your application please provide a personalized description or essay detailing your school's need. The submitted essay should describe how the grant will impact education in the classroom, facilities of student programs.
Your application must be submitted to Groove Auto by:
February Grant Awards: Applications accepted September 1st - January 1st
September Grant Awards: Applications accepted March 1st - August 1st
September Grant Awards: Applications accepted March 1st - August 1st
Questions may be submitted to DFE@GrooveAuto.com
Mindfulness
As you know Stop, Breathe, Think is free for educators. Here are a few suggestions from the company.
To infuse more mindfulness in your day, here are a few of our favorite tracks that you can do on-the-go or any time of the day:
>> Listen to Mindful Eating (Connect with Your Body section)
It’s easy to eat so quickly that you’re not even aware of the taste of your food. Here’s an opportunity to slow down and connect with the food that sustains your incredible body.
>> Listen to Relax, Ground & Clear at School (Slay Your Stress section)
Whether you’re a student in high school or a lifelong learner, try this mindfulness practice to focus and ground.
>> Listen to Falling Asleep (Sleep Well section)
Sometimes, you need help letting go of the busyness of your day to totally relax and prepare you for sleep. This meditation will help!
Classroom idea for a poster from Stop, Breathe, Think:
1. Stop. 🛑
Stop what you’re doing. Check in with what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. This helps so that you’re able to choose how you want to respond to any life situation.
2. Breathe.
Practice mindful breathing to create space between your thoughts, emotions and reactions. This helps us to be less reactive and more aware of how we can show up with kindness.
3. Think.
Broaden your perspective, and strengthen your force field of peace with personalized meditations and activities to inspire more compassion for ourselves and others.
Headspace
Headspace has joined Calm and Stop, Breathe, Think on the Free for Educators train. Register here to get your free year-long subscription to this great mindfulness app!
Headspace for Educators
SHAPE America has created some fabulous resources that can be infused into your curriculum. These lessons focus on healthy habits and teach students to thrive physically and emotionally with health. moves. minds. All of the lessons for K-8 (9-12 coming spring of 2020) are grounded in health and physical education — and there are lots of great resources for school-wide implementation too. Lessons, posters and materials are all provided for FREE!
Here is an example of content covered 6-8th grade:
- Analyzing Influences
- Better Breathing
- Diversity
- Empowerment
- Equity
- Kind messages
- Mindful Minute
- Mindful Senses
- Mindfulness
- Muscle Relaxation
We have taken our CASEL approved, highly effective, evidence-based Kindness in the Classroom® social-emotional learning curriculum and made it better. By including a focus on equity, teacher self-care, and digital citizenship, we are excited to share a more engaging, relatable, and inclusive curriculum.
Physical Activity
Digital Wellness
Electronic Curfew- What?
Have you heard of an Electronic Curfew? This week's Tuesday Tech Talk has some great information around this ever so important topic!! Read on... Sign-up for regular emails from Screenagers and receive weekly tips along with reputable research around teen tech use. This could be a great way to bring digital citizenship and mindful use of tech into classroom discussions.
NUTRITION
Keep summer alive and make some popsicles!!
1/2 cup sugar or honey
4 pints blueberries
6 craft sticks
How to Make It
Step 1
Combine sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool completely.
Step 2
Puree berries and sugar syrup in a food processor or blender until smooth. (Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer to remove any solids, if desired.)
Step 3
Pour blueberry mixture into freezer-pop molds; freeze according to manufacturer's instructions, inserting craft sticks halfway through freezing time. Freeze completely.
Finally, if you are wondering what happens in Season 3 of Empty Nester Life, here is a picture of Kimmy's new rescue doggo, Arwen.
We are looking forward to our gathering on September 12th. If you have not signed up yet, please do so through InspirEd and use "Healthy Schools" as the reason in Aesop so your sub is covered! Thank you to everyone who has been already reaching out and writing SHIPs, some amazing health initiatives are already happening! Please leave a comment by adding your favorite summer read- Blog Reader of Month will be picked on September 13th.
With gratitude,
Laurie & Kimmy
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