LREI's Response to COVID19

A message from Lower School Psychologist Judy Lambek:

A message from Middle/Upper School Psychologist Alexis Kahan Benjoya:

Some additional thoughts from Judy:

1. Morning Mantra or Breathing.Start the day in a place of calm. Create a mantra, or phrase to start the day, or change it daily (   ) or start with three slow, deep breaths. The routine and calm start to the day reduce stress for children (and us). 
2. Calming corner. Create a calming corner in your home. Have your child choose materials or objects that might help them when they are feeling upset. Some suggestions are: fidgets, visuals, coloring materials. Practice or include different ways of taking breaths (see below). Encourage your child to use this space when they are feeling upset. Model using the space and different tools that you use to calm down when you are feeling upset. 
3. Practice mindfulness and breathing exercises. There are many apps for devices that provide guidance in using mindfulness for all ages. Follow this link for a list of different apps that might be useful https://parentingchaos.com/anxiety-apps-kids/. Breathing exercises are also helpful to remind ourselves to relax and stay calm during this stressful time. Some ways to take breaths:  Click here to download the cards as a PDF. 
4. Exercise. Make sure you and your family are engaging in regular exercise, even if it is just counting steps.
5. Take breaks. It is common that children will take movement breaks between their classes when they are in school. Remember that even though they are at home, and in order to keep things consistent, your children may require multiple breaks throughout the day. Breaks may involve moving their bodies such as walking around your home, doing jumping jacks or push-ups, or watching go noodle videos (https://www.gonoodle.com/). Other children, on the other hand, may require a quieter break that would involve going to the calming corner, listening to music or drawing. Ask your child what kinds of breaks would be helpful. Ask your child to let you know when they need a break.

• Nature. Getting outside, breathing outside air, or just noticing the light and its changes during the day have calming effects on children. Try to at least step outside once per day. If that is not possible, notice the changing light as the day progresses.

Judy Lambek, Psy.D.

Lower School Psychologist

From the Global Online Academy

click image to expand

These Guidelines are adapted and at times copied verbatim from the amazing Closure Plans developed by The American School in Japan and Brightworks.

The transition to distance learning will be challenging for families. Parents will need to think differently about how to support their children; how to create structures and routines that allow their children to be successful; and how to monitor and support their children’s learning. Some students will thrive with distance learning, while others may struggle. The ten guidelines provided below are intended to help parents think about what they can do to help their children find success in a distance learning environment.

1. Establish routines and expectations
   From the first day LREI implements its Distance Learning Plan, parents need to establish routines and expectations. LREI encourages parents to set regular hours for their children’s school work. Teachers will communicate their synchronous meet up times and the asynchronous expectations for the day and week. Your children should move regularly and take periodic breaks as they work. It is important that parents set these expectations for how their children will spend their days starting as soon as distance learning is implemented, not several days later after it becomes apparent a child is struggling with the absence of routine.
2. Define the physical space for your child’s work.
   We encourage families to establish a space/location where their children will learn most of the time. This should be a public/family space, not in a child’s bedroom (if possible). It should be a place that can be quiet at times and have a strong wireless internet signal, if possible. Above all, it should be a space where parents are present and monitoring their children’s learning.
3. Monitor communications from your children’s teachers.
   Teachers will communicate with parents through email, when and as necessary. The frequency and detail of these communications will be determined by your children’s ages, maturity, and their degree of independence. LREI wants parents to contact their children’s teachers if issues arise. However, we ask parents to remember that teachers are juggling other families as well. If you need extra support and your teacher doesn’t have the bandwidth, feel free to reach out to your child’s advisor/dean (if applicable) or divisional principal. We also encourage parents to talk with their children about and where possible have their children explain to them the Learning Management Systems (e.g. SeeSaw, Google Classroom, Google GSuite) that teachers are using.
4. Begin and end each day with a check-in
   Parents are encouraged to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. In the morning, ask what your child is learning today. What are their learning targets or goals? How will they spend their time? What resources do they require? What support do they need? This brief grounding conversation matters. It allows children to process the instructions they’ve received from their collaborators. It helps them organize themselves and set priorities. Older students may not want to have these check-ins with parents (that’s normal!), but they should nevertheless. Parents should establish these check-ins as regular parts of each day. Not all students thrive in a distance learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure. These check-in routines need to be established early, before students fall behind or begin to struggle.
5. Take an active role in helping your children process and own their learning.
   Human beings learn best when they have opportunities to process their learning with others. During the regular school day your students have dozens of opportunities to socially process what they are learning by asking questions for clarification, collaborating on group projects, and countless other moments. While some of these social interactions will be re-created on virtual platforms, others will not. Beyond the check-ins recommended at the start and end of each day, parents should regularly circle back and engage with their children about what they’re learning. However, it’s important that your child owns their work; don’t complete assignments for them, even when they are struggling.
6. Establish times for quiet and reflection
   A huge challenge for families with multiple children will be how to manage all of their children’s needs, especially when those children are different ages and have different needs. There may be times when siblings need to work in different rooms to avoid distraction. Parents may even experiment with noise-cancelling headphones (no music necessary!) to block out distractions.
7. Encourage physical activity and/or exercise Make sure your children remember to move and exercise. This is vitally important to their health, well-being, and to their learning. Teachers will recommend activities or exercises, but it is important for parents to model and encourage exercise! Think also about how your children can pitch in more around the house with chores or other responsibilities. Don’t let your children off the hook – expect them to pitch in!
8. Remain mindful of your child’s stress or worry
   It is imperative for parents to help their children manage the worry, anxiety, and range of emotions they may experience because of Coronavirus and the school closure. Difficult though it may be, do your best not to transfer your stress or worry to your children. They will be out of sorts, whether they admit it or not, and need as much normal routine as parents can provide.
9. Monitor how much time your child is spending online LREI does not want its students staring at computer screens for 7-8 hours a day. We ask that parents remember our teachers are not experts in distance learning and that it will require some trial-and-error before we find the right balance between online and offline learning experiences. LREI leadership and teachers will periodically check in with you to assess what you’re seeing at home and what we need to adjust. We thank you in advance for your patience and partnership!
10. Keep your children social, but set rules around their social media interactions
    For the first couple of days this closure may feel exciting to students, however, the initial excitement of school being closed will fade quickly when students start missing their friends, classmates, and collaborators. Help your children maintain contact with friends and see them in person when circumstances permit. Please also monitor your children’s social media use, especially during an extended school closure. Older students will rely more on social media to communicate with friends. Social media apps such as SnapChat, TikTok, and WhatsApp are not official, school-sanctioned channels of communication. LREI asks parents to monitor their children’s use of social media. Remind your children to be polite, respectful, and appropriate in their communications.