Dear Families, This school year, we’re trying a new tool called Mind Yeti to learn about and practice mindfulness in our classroom. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts, feelings and sensations in the present moment, without judgement. Research shows that children and adults who practice mindfulness experience a number of benefits, including improved well-being, increased emotional intelligence and empathy. Mind Yeti makes it easy to create a mindfulness practice in just a few minutes a day. Why are we practicing mindfulness in our classroom? With all the social, emotional and academic demands of school, getting a young mind ready for learning can be challenging. We’re using Mind Yeti to learn how to practice mindfulness in the hope that it will help us throughout the school year to calm down, stay focused and create a kinder, friendlier classroom environment. Through this work, we will be supporting your child’s social-emotional learning, a crucially important skill for all young people.
Mind Yeti is: A research-based tool for calming, focusing and connecting with others. An optional activity offered to your child during the school day.
Mind Yeti is not: A research-based tool for calming, focusing and connecting with others. Affiliated with any religious organization or group.
An optional activity offered to your child during the school day. A requirement or a part of your child’s grade. Please note that your child can opt out of Mind Yeti activities any time.
How can you support mindfulness at home? You can help reinforce our classroom practice by trying Mind Yeti at home. You can also try it together with your child!
Once you create an account, you’ll have access to the same audio sessions we’ll be using in class. Have a chat with your child about which sessions are best for his or her unique needs, and try a couple. If you like it, you can download a quick start cheat sheet with ideas to help you create a longer-term mindfulness routine at home. We hope you find mindfulness a useful tool for a more calm, focused, and, connected school year! Sincerely, Aguilar Staff
You can help reinforce our classroom practice by trying Mind Yeti at home. You can also try it together with your child!
Once you create an account, you’ll have access to the same audio sessions we’ll be using in class. Have a chat with your child about which sessions are best for his or her unique needs, and try a couple. If you like it, you can download a quick start cheat sheet with ideas to help you create a longer-term mindfulness routine at home. We hope you find mindfulness a useful tool for a more calm, focused, and, connected school year!
Dear Family, We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success in school is not just about reading and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others. We will be using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical skills. The Second Step program teaches skills in the following four areas: 1. Skills for Learning: Students gain skills to help themselves learn, including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, use self-talk to stay on task, and be assertive when asking for help with schoolwork. 2. Empathy: Students learn to identify and understand their own and others’ feelings. Students also learn how to take another’s perspective and how to show compassion. 3. Emotion Management: Students learn specific skills for calming down when experiencing strong feelings, such as anxiety or anger. 4. Problem Solving: Students learn a process for solving problems with others in a positive way. Your child will be learning a lot this year—and he or she will need your help! Throughout the year, your child will be bringing home Home Links that go with several of the Second Step lessons. Home Links are simple, fun activities for you and your child to complete together. They are a great way for you to understand what your child is learning and for your child to show you what he or she knows. If you have any questions about the Second Step program, please do not hesitate to contact me for more information. Thank you for supporting your child in learning the skills that lead to success in school and in life. Sincerely, Aguilar Staff P.S. Make sure to join www.secondstep.org with the activation key SSPK FAMI LY70 to watch videos about the Second Step program and get information about what your student is learning.