Oct 22 - 26

I have always been interested in  mental health / stress, how it impacts one's life and effective strategies that can be learned  for caring for our mental health.

According to a study done in 2015 by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health disorder in their life time. (1) A person's mental health not only impacts the person directly but family, friends, children and coworkers. Everyone must deal with a certain level of stress or anxiety. Having the skills and tool to deal with these emotions when they arise is one way to proactively work on your mental health hygiene.
https://www.healthyplace.com

Strategies:
1) Developing a network of meaningful relationships helps to increase self confidence and encourages positive experiences.
2) Your body needs to recharge nightly.  Not getting enough sleep effects your ability to focus, your patience level, productivity and your ability to handle stress.
Recommended sleep times
3) Exercise not only tones your muscles but it releases endorphins, the brain’s natural stress reducers. 
Practicing yoga has many mental and health benefits.  It includes mediation, visualization and breathing exercises that encourage relaxation.

4) Food is fuel for your body. Having a well balanced diet ensures you have the "gas" to get through the ups and downs of your day.
Canada Food Guide

Over the following weeks I will be exploring some of these strategies more. If you or someone you know is in need of support please access the following resources:
Canadian Mental Health Association: 403-297-1402
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Distress Centre Calgary:  403-266-HELP (4357)

References:

1. Homewood Health. “Reducing Mental Health Stigma.” Homeweb, Homewood Health, homeweb.ca/articles/590343c17222348a28cfc70a.
   

Oct 15 - 19

Another busy week here at Ranchlands School.  Last week many teachers worked with our Area 1 specialists (complex needs, speech pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist) to create new goals for all of our students who are on an individualized program plan (IPP).  These documents will be coming home this week and is your child does have an IPP, you have the opportunity to have a discussion about the document with your child's teacher.

This Friday we are excited to start "Try Something New". All teachers were asked to create an activity/ lesson around something they are passionate about and would like to share with the students at Ranchlands.  Mrs. Lytviak and myself will be running a yoga and meditation session for division I students.  We were excited to see over 40 students sign up to join us.

I started practicing yoga in my early 20's.  As someone with a busy mind I found that yoga, breath work and visualization helped me to calm what I call my monkey mind.  As part of my masters degree I worked on a research project with a fellow classmate of the benefits of meditation and we created an ran a class for adult women at the Grace Women's Centre at Foothills Hospital. I later took my yoga teacher training and received my certification from the Yoga Passage, a downtown yoga studio. I went on to teach both hatha, ashtanga and hot yoga at studios, gyms, businesses (for employees) and private residences.  Though I have not formally taught in years, yoga and mediation has remained a passion of mine.

Oct 9 - 12

As a staff we are collectively started doing a book study, Mathematical Mindsets, by Jo Boaler. The book centres on the idea that people’s approach to life, their self talk and overall mindset impact how successful someone will be. Learning at any age can be supported or hampered by what we believe about our own potential as well as what others around us say about our capabilities.

People with a fixed mindset do not believe they are able to do something.  They are more likely to give up easily, less willing to try challenging questions and less likely to go back and fix errors they have made.  Their inner critic is saying “I can’t do that” or “I’ll never be good at that.” Alternately people with a growth mindset believe in themselves, persist through difficult questions even though they may be struggling and are more likely to pay attention to and correct any errors they have made. Their inner voice is saying “I can get this” or “If I focus I will be able to figure this out.”

“Imperfection is a part of any creative process of life,

yet for some reason we live in a culture that has a paralyzing fear of failure,

which prevents action and hardens a rigid perfectionism.

It’s the single most disempowering state of mind you can have

if you’d like to be more creative, inventive, or entrepreneurial.”    

~~Peter Sims ~~

The following article is about developing a growth mindset and outlines the steps teachers or parents can take to coach students how to develop positive self talk about themselves, their work and what they are capable of.

https://betterlesson.com/strategy/155/developing-a-growth-mindset?from=instructional_strategies_browse

  

Oct 1 - 5

Technology and multiple after school activities eat up a lot of family time on week nights and weekends. Getting children to put down the ipad or turn off the television can be a struggle.  Getting them to read in their free time can be even harder. The Washington Post wrote a great article for strategies parents and teachers can use to encourage a love of reading. Simple tips like letting children select their books and modelling reading yourself can have an impact.

How-to-get-kids-to-look-away-from-their-screens-and-take-pleasure-in-books

Author James Patterson offers these tips to try and get kids reading more:
1) Find books your kids love.
2) Get a library card in their name.
3) Break their weekly reading goal into daily increments.
4) Set aside daily "no electronics" time for reading.
5) Buddy read along with your.
6) Reward progress.
7) Travel with books where ever you go.
8) Read to your child.
9) Look for a variety of reading materials.
10) Create a cozy reading nook/ space for your child.