Welcome to another Wellness Wednesday with Northern Lights Public Schools! This week’s theme is Hope and we hope that everyone has had a chance to enjoy the sunshine and some outdoor activities. Staying active and spending time outside are both great ways to support your mental health.
Here are this week’s Mental Health learning opportunities for parents and families:
Parent Presentations
This week’s presentation is part one of a two-part series on Hope. Successful Families, Successful Kids Wellness Coach Melanie Fersovitch discusses the importance of hope, the different types of hope, the characteristics of hope, and how hope affects our brain. This video will be available for viewing until Wednesday, July 1. Hope - Part 1
In case you missed last week’s presentation on Self-Care, here is the link. It will be available for viewing until Wednesday, June 24. Self-Care
quaranTEAM Connect
This week’s quaranTEAM Connect was created by Wellness Coach Melanie Fersovitch. Click HERE to watch with your family! This video will be available for viewing until Wednesday, July 1.
Each week one of our Wellness Coaches will create a new quaranTEAM Connect video for families to watch together. Each video includes fun activities that promote mental wellness and connection.
If you missed last week’s video you can watch it HERE. This video will be available for viewing until Wednesday, June 24.
Wellness Chat
This week’s Wellness Chat will focus on self-care strategies and hope. Please join us on Google Meet tonight (Wednesday, June 17) from 6:30-7 p.m.!
Here is the link to join this week’s chat: meet.google.com/ern-ordi-iqd
Mindful Minutes
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @nlpsab to see a Mindful Minute each Wednesday presented by one of our SFSK Wellness Coaches. Each Mindful Minute focuses on a different mindfulness technique to share with your families!
We will be sharing the videos from previous weeks on our website. Check out our Mindful Minutes page to see the Favourite Place Visualization video from last week!
Mental Health Links and Resources
Each week we will be sharing links to resources. Some will align with the week’s Parent Presentation or QuaranTEAM Connects videos. Others may focus on a different Mental Health topic. We will also be sharing printable resources created by our Mental Health team.
Here are this week’s links and resources:
- Hopeful Minds
Hopeful Minds provides lessons to help you learn about hope or teach others about hope and how to develop this important skill. We especially love Lesson #1: What is Hope? and creating the Hope Sunflower. - iFred.org
Provides resources for understanding depression as well as hope. - Help in Tough Times
Alberta Health Services website with links and information on the support that is available to people who need help, including COVID-19 online resources.
You can also text COVID19HOPE to 393939 to subscribe and receive daily wellness text messages. - Gratitude Pick Up Sticks Game
A fun twist on Pick Up Sticks to help get children focused on gratitude from Teach Beside Me. - Greater Good in Action
A variety of practices to bring more meaning and understanding to your life. - Family Connection Conversation Starters - Week Six
Use these questions to connect at meals, after activities, and at any available window of opportunity. You can even cut them out and place them into a family connect jar!
- Hope Symbols
When you think of hope, what image comes to mind? Use this card to identify what hope means to you. - Colour Scavenger Hunt
Use these two Scavenger Hunts to go around your home or the outdoors and find items that match each colour. See how many things you can find! - Bubble Breathing
Remember our Bubble Breathing resource? In addition to how to do Bubble Breathing, and how to make your own bubbles, we’ve now added how to make DIY Bubble Wands!
Don’t forget to check out the resources in the Mental Health section of our website. We are adding new links and resources on a weekly basis.
- COVID-19 Resources
- Successful Families, Successful Kids Resources for Families
- Mindful Minutes
- NLPS Mental Health Resources
Feedback
We would love to get some feedback on the programming we have been offering. If you have watched one of our videos or taken part in a Wellness Chat we would appreciate it if you would fill out this short SURVEY to let us know what you think, what else you would like us to offer, and how we can improve.