Each week, members of the Student Support Team at Lowell are here to provide you with resources that can help bring steadiness to your lives during these uncertain times. Each edition of The Calming Corner will have information for the whole family that can provide balance, social-emotional support, and entertainment into your home.

Your house has now turned into a classroom, an office, a gym, but most importantly, still remains your home. Each day may look different and routines are shifting but that is okay. We hope that the resources provided in this newsletter will give you an alternative to academic content and support learning beyond the “classroom.”

"The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy" ~Meryl Streep

We know this is a strange time for everyone. We're all learning together how to work, learn, and spend much more time at home and indoors than before. Hopefully, everyone is settling into a new normal routine, whatever that might look like for your family.

One thing that has become part of our "new normal" is that many more people are now wearing masks. Your children may be wearing masks themselves when they go outside, and they are seeing more people wearing masks out in public or on TV. Here is a social story you can show them about wearing masks.

Even though we're all practicing social distancing, it's important to keep active and do something inside or outside each day especially as the weather gets warmer! Whether it's taking a walk in your neighborhood, doing yoga, or just having a dance party!

How about a Scavenger Hunt the next time you go outside? Use sidewalk chalk to draw on rocks, numbering each from 1 to 20. Hide them throughout the yard for your kids to find, or have your kids help hide them around the neighborhood for others to find. Or use chalk to draw a picture or write a message on a neighbor's sidewalk.

On your next family walk, play "Follow the Leader". Players line up and walk behind the leader, copying whatever the leader does. You can play this inside or outside.

And don't forget to check out the PE teachers' weekly Smore for fun activities.

Practicing mindfulness can be very soothing. Some apps include Mindful Powers (available for Apple and Android devices) and SOS Method (available for Apple and Android devices). Headspace is another great app.

If you want to unplug and practice mindfulness that's a great idea too! "Body Poses" is a fun activity to do with your kids:

1. The Superman: this pose is practiced by standing with the feet just wider than the hips, fists clenched, and arms reached out to the sky, stretching the body as tall as possible.
2. The Wonder Woman: this pose is struck by standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and hands or fists placed on the hips (Karen Young, 2017).

Ask the kids how they feel after a few rounds of trying either of these poses. You may be surprised!

And for fun ways for kids to practice mindful breathing, we love the book "Alphabreaths" by Christopher Willard. This week, continue with Dolphin Breaths.

Here are some more conversation starters for your next family mealtime:

The Alphabet Game: One person choses a category (e.g., animals) and family members go around naming an animal with the assigned letter. The first person starts with A, second with B, etc. The winner chooses the next category. With younger children, they may just have to name something with that letter and not introduce the idea of categories (e.g., animals).

Make your own Calm Down Corner in your home! At school, our classrooms have Calming Corners where we can all take a break. This handy guide gives strategies to create your own!

Kelley Cochrane - School Psychologist

Brian Connors - Behavior Specialist

Melina Jacovides - Guidance Counselor

Crystal Johnson - Social Worker

Greg Roberts - Team Chair

If you have any questions and you're not sure who to ask; reach out to your guidance counselor: melina.jacovides@watertown.k12.ma.us

or school psychologist: kelley.cochrane@watertown.k12.ma.us or social worker: crystal.johnson@watertown.k12.ma.us. We're here to help:)