Counsellor Connections - January Blog
SPOILER ALERT: THERE WILL BE A PRIZE DRAW FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION THIS MONTH!!!
I would like to welcome everyone back as we enter this new year! I hope your family spent time during the holidays together, cherishing special moments, making memories, and taking time to acknowledge all the things (big and small) for which you are grateful.
January has been deemed self-care month by Northern Lights Public Schools, and the staff has been hard at work gathering great resources to promote and support student mental health. January can be a tough month for many; the weather can be dreadful, and people are exhausted from the holidays. Take this month to focus on yourself and/or your family’s well-being. There are so many benefits of self-care, including improved physical health and mental health. It can boost self-esteem and promote positive relationships with those around you.
In an attempt to promote self-care at Learning Together Anywhere, we will continue with our weekly wellness presentations. Students will be asked to participate in class discussions and activities that focus on the different areas of self-care, the activities they can do to ensure self-care, as well as the importance of taking time for such activities. Below are some of the resources that may be shared during these presentations, along with a few additional activities to help reinforce the discussion around self-care at home.
The book “ABC Mindful Me” is a great read for younger students. It is filled with wonderful and easy ideas for self-care. Take a look at the read-aloud version here, and maybe you will find some new self-care activities to try:
ABC Mindful Me Read Aloud - Mindfulness Book by Christiane Engel
You may find the following video helpful in explaining to your children what self-care is:
Below is a short article that describes simple self-care habits that I hope you can implement as part of your daily routine
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/simple-self-care-habits-for-kids
Check out this poster with 31 simple ideas for self-care. Print it off and stick it somewhere visible that you and your family can easily refer to when feeling overwhelmed.
FAMILY SELF-CARE BINGO CHALLENGE!!! Complete all (or as many) self-care activities as possible by the end of January, and your name will be put in a draw for a Family Self-Care Basket!!! Please send photographic proof of your family completing these activities to stephanie.rychlo@nlsd.ab.ca or bring the pictures to our next in-person event.
For more resources, check out the Self-Care page of the NLPS website.
If you would like me to connect with your child or family, you can contact me at the school at (825) 723-0208 or by email at stephanie.rychlo@nlsd.ab.ca