Northwest School Division

Staying Mentally Well during Covid 19! The counsellors are here to support you and the students of Northwest School Division. Did you know that if your student or child is struggling we still have counselling services available through phone or internet!?... Counselling referrals should include: Student name School Grade A brief description of the concern Referrals should be emailed to: [email protected]. Someone will be in contact with you shortly to arrange a consultation with one of our counsellors.

Another resource by COVID-19 Indigenous to help as we transition back to school. Check out their website to find other great resources.

Are you facing some uncertainty and dealing with different feelings as we prepare to go back to school next week? This Back-to-school Checklist by the Kids Help Phone may help you manage your feelings, organize your thoughts and cope with change. We cant wait to see everyone next week! https://40zf3x2a45us1qbee83qm619-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com//

Check out all the great resources on Prevention Institutes website https://skprevention.ca/resource-catalogue/

Day 16: Breathe Sixteen days ago we started these daily posts to help children, families, and educators prepare for their return to school during this uncertain... year. We know people are anxious. We anticipate that the transition back to school is going to be stressful. We also know that there are gifted educators across this province that care deeply for our children and that they are working diligently to keep them safe. So on this last day of new contentour advice is simplewe simply want to encourage everyone to breathe. It is actually interesting to note that when you take a deep breath in, you heart actually quickens slightly. Then, when you exhale, your heart rate slows. The magic is in the exhale. Repeated deep breaths naturally bring your heart rate in sync with your breath. This, in turn leads your brain to release endorphinswhich are the chemicals that calm you. Andour guess is that we can all use a few more of those endorphins right now. The following post provides 12 of our favourite ways to breathe. We sincerely hope that you take a moment and enjoy a few magical deep breaths before you start your day. As always, we would also like to invite you to share your favourite ways to take a deep breath. Please do not hesitate to share in the comments section below.

Day 15: Creating Your Own Calming Kit When we see a child in distress, our natural inclination is to promptly reassure the child and remove the stressors. Howev...er, this can actually do more harm than good. One of the best things we can do for our children and youth when they are worried is to help them learn to talk about their feelings, help them learn to understand their anxiety, and most importantly, help them learn how to manage it. Using this approach, typically a childs worries will decrease over time and they will develop increased self-competence. While there are many strategies to help children manage their anxieties, one of the most concrete approaches is to create a calming kit with them. Individualized calming kits provide children with readily accessible tools that they can use to address the acute nature of a stress response. As I often say to children, calming kits help you change the channel in your brain. The natural next question is often what do we include in a calming kit. While there are some general principles, the best approach is get to know the child, understand their sensory preferences, and build the kit around their unique interests and needs. Have you created a calming kit for your child or classroom? If so, what were some of your favourite tools to include? Please share in the comments section below.

Day 14: Addressing Childrens Fear of Going Back to School Over the past few weeks, you have been speaking to your children about the upcoming school year and w...hat it might look like. Yet, there are still many unknowns and, just like adults, these unknowns are making your children fearful. Anxious feelings are normal and expected in children and teens returning to school during a typical year - let alone during a pandemic. The following 8 tips are designed to help you ease childs fears as they prepare to return to school this fall.

Day 13: Smooth Transitions While we have been out of school for months, it still feels as though summer holidays are coming to an end far too quickly. Before we... know it, school busses will be zooming through our neighbourhoods and children with backpacks will be bouncing into our neighbourhood schools. In a typical year, the back to school season can be stressful for many children. Enter COVID-19, and anxiety levels are through the roof. While we wont reduce all of our worries, taking a few concrete steps to familiarize your child to his or her new situation can be extraordinarily helpful. Below are 15 steps that strive to make this 2020 transition to school as smooth as possible. If you have additional tips that you think would be helpful for families, please share in the comments section below. The more ideas that we can use to help our children and families, the better.

Here are some mental health supports to help students, parents, families, teachers, community members, etc. through this difficult time. Also, as we plan to Return to School, please feel free to reach out to your Wellness Coordinator and/or School Counsellor for additional resources. We are all in this together- we are Better Together! https://www.saskatchewan.ca//2/mental-health-and-covid-19

Day 6: How to Help Children Develop Healthy Back to School Habits Habits are critically important to our well-being as they truly make our lives easier! They ar...e essential to mental health as they impact how we think, act, feel and behave. When habits are disrupted (COVID-19), it can take a toll on us and lead to: Mental fatigue Frustration Reduced functioning As we recover and develop new norms, its important to pay attention and work towards developing healthy habits and routines. For our children, remembering to wash hands more frequently, wear a mask when required, and transition between home and school for learning if they are asked to do so, will be especially difficult this year. They will spend extra time and energy trying to remember where to go, what to do, and what not to do, even more than a typical start to the school year! The following information will help you better understand habit formation and ways you can help your child.

As we move towards the start of a new school year, there is so much anxiety over how this year will look. Be mindful of your mental health and your inner dialogue. Credit: Journey to Wellness

Beautiful skills to teach your children

How to build emotional resilience

Lets take a minute to talk about how much you can do for your child just by being there for them! Attention Parents: You guys are AMAZING! Keep it up! Your kids need you!

Understanding our body and emotions #mentalhealth #mentalwellness

This is a great explanation of the emotional cup. Kids with FASD may have different items or situations that fill or empty their cups but if they are escalating their cup may be empty.

For many clients, anxiety can be crippling. It can stifle their personal growth and hurt their ability to form relationships. So how can we help clients disrupt... the exhausting cycle of anxious thoughts and feelings? Below, we created a free tool for practitioners to share with their clients. It breaks down four key strategies to manage anxiety and reduce residual stress. Heres the link if youd like to print out this infographic to use in a session: https://www.nicabm.com/four-core-strategies-for-managing-s/

Understanding #anxiety Please LIKE post before SHARING from YMHC

From Whole Hearted School Counseling Looking for clues for what you need

One of the most liberating realities comes with understanding we get to choose our thoughts! Negative or unhelpful thoughts can seem automatic, but we can chal...lenge them and re-shape them into more helpful and calming thoughts. Overtime, this re-wiring process becomes more natural in our thought life. #transformationtuesday #livingwell See more

Our amazing crew of Wellness Coordinators are here to support our school communities. If your family is in need of food support, please reach out! Were working with local partners and community groups to make sure our families have what they need.

If you are struggling right now, be gentle with yourself. Its not just you.

LOVE THIS!!! The Three Rs via Dr Bruce Perry

To get through this marathon, youll need to have faith in your preparation, remember to focus, pace yourself, breathe, and recover. Read this clinicians guide to managing #COVID19 stress and anxiety https://bit.ly/2YDIzeB

Happy Friday everyone! Dont forget to breathe. Here are some tips from Shelley Moore that may be helpful. Take care!

The majority of my posts target preschool and elementary school-aged children, but from time to time I will also post resources for middle and high-aged children as well! Here are some calming strategies for older kids <3