April to June in TAG
Dates
May 25 PowWow
May 27 District Track Meet
May 30 Gr. 9s to Norkam
June 9 Pep Rally 1:30 (into B block)
June 8, 17 Healthy FridaysJune 23 last day of classes
Gang Awareness Chats
Constable Winkles will visit and chat with your TAG class. Her schedule is on the table in the copy room - sign up if you are interested.
Mental Health lessons
The feedback from the survey done by the school nurse revealed that mental health is a concern for students at Brock.
The following links and resources have been provided so that you can share with your tag classes and perhaps have some discussion with the students about their mental health and bring awareness to them.
“Stop Wondering, Start Knowing A Mental Health Resource for Schools” can also be downloaded here: http://mindcheck.ca/schools. There are 5 short videos included (18 minutes total) and it is designed for use with grades 8-10 student; it would be fine for the grade 7 students as well. This will give the students an introduction to mental health with an emphasis to take action early! The videos are true stories and the youth in the videos share their stories about how they dealt with serious mental health challenges including body image and anxiety, stress, depression and substance use, etc.
It is important to note that you do not need to have any background knowledge or expertise in mental health to follow this teaching plan.
The following links and resources have been provided so that you can share with your tag classes and perhaps have some discussion with the students about their mental health and bring awareness to them.
“Stop Wondering, Start Knowing A Mental Health Resource for Schools” can also be downloaded here: http://mindcheck.ca/schools. There are 5 short videos included (18 minutes total) and it is designed for use with grades 8-10 student; it would be fine for the grade 7 students as well. This will give the students an introduction to mental health with an emphasis to take action early! The videos are true stories and the youth in the videos share their stories about how they dealt with serious mental health challenges including body image and anxiety, stress, depression and substance use, etc.
It is important to note that you do not need to have any background knowledge or expertise in mental health to follow this teaching plan.
Lesson: one of two things with your tag students over the next week:
1. You can read the whole booklet over and follow along the easy lesson plans.
2. Here is some quick steps if you don’t have time to read the whole booklet:
a. Print page 10-11 onto one page double sided, print one for each student – this is a handout to give to students that has discussion questions. Hand it out to them before watching the videos and ask them to thing about the discussion questions as they watch each video, to be discussed with the class at the end of each video.
b. Print page 21-25 – this is the answer guide to the questions, for the teacher.
c. Page 13 click on video #1 and watch it, pause it right after, and do the discussion question. The video will keep playing onto the next 4 videos, so you need to pause it in between each one for the discussion.
i. If for some reason the video does not play onto the next one or you need to restart the next video for the next tag class, go to page 14 for video#2, page15 for video#3, page 15 for video #4, page 18 for video #5.
d. Turn to page 16, review with the students the signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
e. Turn to page 17, review with the students the tips for good mental health.
Optional:
Optional:
i. page 19 - activity to do with class
ii. page 20 – homework to check out the mindcheck.ca website, complete one of the quizzes etc.
iii. There is an excellent app recommended by Kamloops Child and Youth Mental Health called “mindshift”, it has a blue lightbulb icon and it can be downloaded from the app store. Here is two links to this app and some others for anxiety and depression: http://mindcheck.ca/mood-anxiety/anxiety/anxiety-self-care-resources http://mindcheck.ca/mood-stress/self-care-resources
For more information, you can scroll down to “printable resource handouts”, or “resource links” here: http://mindcheck.ca/schools.
You can contact Brock’s Public Health Nurses April or Christine at 250-851-7300.
If you have a student who needs more support, please refer them to their school counsellor and/or please remind them about Healthy Fridays at Brock!
The next dates are June 3 and June 17 at lunch hour in the AI room.
TEACHABLE MOMENTS IN TAG
1. Litter Pick-up
Keep out school and pitch it. You can get gloves and bags from the custodian.
2. Resume Writing and Job interviews
It's that time of year when some of our students are looking for summer jobs. Help prepare themby discussing what is appropriate dress for interviews and help them hone their resume.
You can book the computer labs during TAG if you would like to help your students create a great resume.
suggested resume template: Basic student resume template
*This template was found on Google templates, search: resume. If student just make a copy of this, it will automatically safe in the GEDU account so they can edit with their own information.
Other links:
Writing a resume tips
Preparing for a job interview (host mock interviews in TAG)
4. Found on Facebook (Mrs. McRae's did this with her class)
I did this with my class this morning, and it had a huge impact on the kids. Really shocking what the kids are going through.
Kristen McCulloch
If you walk into our classroom now, you'll see a bag hanging by our door. This bag contains everything our class carries to school that we consider problems or bad things in our lives. The things that distract us, sadden us, or make us angry.
Something I have found in common with every student conversation about something upsetting them is that the student believes he/ she is the only one who has a problem, hard life, family problem, whatever it may be.
So today, we all anonymously wrote down on paper what was heavy on our hearts, crumpled them up, and threw them. I mixed them all up and students had to pick one up and we all ready them out loud. I could not believe some of the things they have to deal with at home, and neither could their peers. It resulted in a lot of tears, a lot of hugs, a lot of "I had no idea so many people had hard things to deal with too."
The message of the project, as I discussed with them, is that you never know the weight that people are carrying. It is so important to remember that when we interact with others. I wanted them to see that they were not alone and that they had a whole class of people who could relate and support them.
Our stories now hang by our door as a reminder to remember the "bag" others may carry with them
Issues 21 (click on link to learn more about these resources)
These resources are “magazine like books” with a low reading level and high interest topics. ALL appropriate for TAG. You can find them in the library.
Grade 7
Threats to Health (Smoking, Cell phones)
Food
Grade 8
Children’s Rights
Grade 9
Oppression of Women
Poverty
The library has a Breakout box with all the necessary locks needed to set up a game for your class. Please sign it out from the library.
Team Building Breakouts http://www.breakoutedu.com/games/
Password: showyourwork
Some of the games that would be appropriate for TAG are Candy Caper, The Swamp and M&M Mastermind, but if you visit the site there are more games you can download.
How the Attawapiskat Crisis Unfolded
(teachers should pre-read this article to educate themselves)
Denise and Donna are willing to come talk and support this conversation in you TAG if you make arrangements with them.
