Wellbeing Journal P-Year 2 Teacher Guide by learning_curve

P-YEAR 2 journal – teacher guide The purpose of the journal is to provide both you and parents with a weekly menu of fun evidencebased activities which will enable students to discover their best possible selves. Learning about themselves is the main goal of this journal. There are no shortcuts to achieving this, but rather frequent opportunities for students and yourself to experience positive emotions through doing the activities. Each week there are eleven activities to choose from to suit your class’s and school’s context to cultivate your students’ self-control and self-awareness. You are not expected to do them all, so don’t feel any pressure. The weekly activities are: •

Wellbeing Tips – little tips for them to learn how to live a healthy life.

•

Resilience – activities to develop their social-emotional resilience to build respectful relationships.

•

Mindfulness – opportunities to connect with themselves and their own thoughts.

•

Literacy – learning pathways for literacy as an everyday activity.

•

Happy ways to look – thinking about what they would act like, sound like and look like.

•

Numeracy – activities to see Maths at work all around them in their lives.

•

Coloring in for fun – enjoying concentrating on the present moment and themselves.

•

What did you achieve this week? – encouraging them to be aware and proud of what they achieved.

•

Reading – learning pathway to develop a love of reading.

•

Talk about it with your family – encouraging family discussions about values for life.

•

About this week – encouraging them reflect on what went well this week.

RESILIENCE BUILDERdifferent

WELLBEING TIP

have Different things make us er about some feelings. Let’s think togeth as happy, feelings that we have such we would look excited and sad. Act how

Saying sorry shows that you know right from wrong and believe other people matter.

for each of them.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITYyour

LITERACY

with scribble Learning to write begins important and drawings. This is an encouraged. first step and should be

Close Sit quietly breathing slowly. sounds you eyes and think about what smells your nose hear and what different

PARENT/TEACHER READING COMMUNICATION

WHAT DID YOU ACHIEVE THIS WEEK? Circle the pictures.

/ ____ / ____ WEEK BEGINNING ____ MONDAY Book Title

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

TUESDAY Book Title

smells.

NUMERACY

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

WEDNESDAY

with toys With your child play shop written on and label them with prices sticky notes.

Book Title

No. of pages

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Time (mins.)

THURSDAY

when you are alert. would act and look like Show your class what you

Book Title

yourself! COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

WHAT EMOTIONS DID YOU FEEL?

FRIDAY Book Title

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOUR FAMILY Value for Life – PRIDE

Parent/Carer Sign Off:

USS ABOUT THIS WEEK ... DISC other people this week?

do for What kind things did you What went well this week? ................................... ............................................ ............................................ ................................... ............................................ ............................................ 15 51

FRONT pages OF the JOURNAL

Introducing what social-emotional learning and positive education is all about. PAGE 1 – finding what you are looking for

K–GRADE 2 MY WELLBEING JOURNAL

discovering MY BEST POSSIBLE SELF

» Explain to your students that together we are all going to learn about ourselves. » Mark on your class calendar when the Strengths for Relationships occur – usually around week 5 of each term. Using the strength to do good to feel good to build your and others wellbeing.

PERSONAL DETAILS Name: ............................................................................................... Class: .................................. My Teacher’s name is: ...................................................................................................................

INDEX Helpful Messages for Parents and Teachers ................................................................................. 2 & 3 Introducing Me .................................................................................................................................... 4 Happy and Healthy Helpers ................................................................................................................ 5 What Are Good Ways to Act? ..................................................................................................... 6 & 7 Feelings and Emotions ......................................................................................................................... 8 How Do You Feel? ............................................................................................................................... 9 Dolphin or Alligator Thinking? .......................................................................................................... 10 I Can and I Will Self-talk................................................................................................................... 11 Happy Ways to Look......................................................................................................................... 12 Exploring Happy Ways to Look......................................................................................................... 13 Notes ........................................................................................................30-31, 50-51, 70-71, 90-91 Respectful Relationships Understandings ..............................................................118, 119, 120, 121 Being Kind ....................................................................................................................................... 122 Who Do You Think Is Very Special?................................................................................................ 123 Personal Safety .................................................................................................................... 124 & 125 Books You Have Read ..................................................................................................................... 126 Hundred Chart and Alphabet Chart................................................................................................ 127 Quarter One Reflections .................................................................................................................. 128 Quarter Two Reflections .................................................................................................................. 129 Quarter Three Reflections ................................................................................................................ 130 Quarter Four Reflections.................................................................................................................. 131 Daily Wellbeing Boosters For All Of Us .......................................................................................... 132

HELPFUL MESSAGES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Term 1: Gratitude – spending the week focusing on things they are grateful for, no matter how small. Term 2: Teamwork – spending the week cooperating together as a class to do fun things. Term 3: Kindness – spending the week doing little acts of kindness for each other. Term 4: Leadership – spending the week organizing events for the class to build their wellbeing.

An important part of students discovering their sense of self is realising that they are able to make their own choices with our support. You need to be prepared to allow them to make not so good choices and experience a range of emotions. These events are catalysts to their self-control and self-awareness development. Students who are prevented from learning from poor choices will not experience this personal growth.

and identify themselves. Light and bright research-based activities are provided for you to do with students both at home and at school for them to embark of their learning journey of self. You don’t have to do all of the activities to make a positive difference for students, but once they begin learning about themselves, their appetite for knowledge grows.

Self-control, which involves students learning about their minds, the connection between their breathing and feelings and controlling their impulses. Self-awareness, which involves students learning about the connections between their minds, hearts and bodies, gratitude and what they are trying to achieve. A question frequently asked of parents and teachers is, “what do you want for your children and students?” Their responses are usually very much the same and include: “We want them to be...”: happy and positive in themselves active and healthy curious and love learning new things friendly, caring and able to build relationships understand how they feel prepared to make mistakes learn from their mistakes and try again respectful of themselves and others able to control their emotions and impulses creative and explore their interests able to learn and think for themselves. When students possess most of these attributes their state of wellbeing is healthy and they are thriving. Together, we can assist them to experience positive feelings by doing some or all the activities below every week. Research has shown that building wellbeing relies on the frequency of positive emotions, not their intensity. This is particularly so when sharing with others.

Acknowledgement: Tal Ben Shahar, Martin Seligman, Momentus Institute

Each of the following weekly activities encourages students to discover themselves to build their self-control and self-awareness: Wellbeing Tips – little tips for them to learn how to live a healthy life.

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

LITERACY

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Different things make us have different feelings. Let’s think together about some feelings that we have such as happy, look excited and sad. Act how we would for each of them.

Saying sorry shows that you know right from wrong and believe other people matter.

Resilience Builder – activities to develop their social-emotional resilience to build respectful relationships. Mindfulness Activity – opportunities to connect with themselves and their own thoughts.

Learning to write begins with scribble and drawings. This is an important first step and should be encouraged.

Literacy – learning pathways for literacy as an everyday activity. Numeracy – activities to see Maths at work all around them in their lives.

Sit quietly breathing slowly. Close your eyes and think about what sounds you nose hear and what different smells your

WHAT DID YOU ACHIEVE THIS WEEK? Circle the pictures.

WEEK BEGINNING ____ / ____ / ____ MONDAY Book Title

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

TUESDAY Book Title

No. of pages

With your child play shop with toys and label them with prices written on sticky notes.

Time (mins.)

WEDNESDAY Book Title

No. of pages

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Reading – learning pathway to develop a love of reading.

and look like when you are alert. Show your class what you would act

What did you achieve this week? – encouraging them to be aware and proud of what they achieve.

Time (mins.)

THURSDAY Book Title

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

No. of pages

Talk about it with your family – encouraging family discussions about values for life.

Time (mins.)

WHAT EMOTIONS DID YOU FEEL?

FRIDAY Book Title

About this week – encouraging them reflect on what went well this week.

No. of pages

Time (mins.)

wellbeing will benefit from these activities as well.

TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOUR FAMILY Value for Life – PRIDE

Parent/Carer Sign Off:

Your students will thrive when they see you valuing and participating in these activities. Your own state of

ABOUT THIS WEEK ... DISCUSS

that you were proud of? What good things did your friends do What went well this week?

Acknowledgement: Martin Seligman, Chris Peterson, Karen Rievich, Andrew Shatte, Barbara Fredrickson

.........

..................................................................................................................

» Ideas for parent and teacher approaches and activities are explained, particularly, encouraging students to make choices on their own, which may be good or not so good. This sows seeds, that mistakes are learning stepping stones along the road to discovering their best possible selves, so welcome them and then fix them.

PAGE 4 – introducing me

INTRODUCING ME Encourage students to have fun exploring who they are and drawing pictures in the boxes below. It’s all about them raising their self-awareness to discover more about their best possible self.

.........

..................................................................................................................

When is your birthday?

» Ask students to have fun drawing in the boxes to introduce themselves.

How old will you be next birthday?

Draw a picture of yourself doing something you love.

Draw a picture of your family and pets. What are their names?

Draw a picture of your home.

Draw a picture of your favourite food.

Draw a picture of something special for you.

Draw a picture of you doing your favourite exercise.

» As a getting to know each other activity, ask students in groups of four to share what they have drawn about themselves.

Listening well

Being curious

Being brave

Keeping trying hard

Telling the truth

Being full of energy

Being kind

Caring about you

Working together

Getting things done

Bringing out others’ best

Forgiving others

Acting safely

Enjoying laughing

Doing something well

Being generous

Understanding body language

Being grateful

Being humble

Showing manners

Being calm

Being happy

Enjoying learning

Being patient Being fair

Draw a picture of two types of fresh and healthy vegetables you like.

Draw a picture of two types of fresh fruit you really like.

Draw pictures of food which is not really good for you, like sugar and some takeaway foods.

Draw a picture of yourself doing jobs at home to help.

Draw a picture of yourself doing something good to help someone else.

» A sk students to think about and have fun drawing their ideas about each box. » This is an opportunity for students to makes choices about what they feel they could draw. 5

» An interesting extension activity is to discuss as a class what is the opposite way to act for each behavior.

From the above table, ask students to select three for each of the following situations. The scope for you to extend this activity is almost boundless. The main thing is to get the idea of strengths circulating in students’ heads. What are good ways to act?

Draw a picture of yourself running, swimming or riding a bike, skateboarding or another exercise.

» Read the different behaviors with the class, having fun role modeling them and asking students for times they have used them.

Helping other people

Being creative

Being in control of you

PAGE 5 – happy and healthy helpers

happy and healthy helpers For students to develop happy attitudes to life and healthy active lifestyles, it is important that we provide them with numerous opportunities to do good for others to feel good about themselves and learn about healthy eating and exercise. This not only builds their own physical and social-emotional wellbeing, but it also brings the best out in other students around them.

PAGE 6 – what are good ways to act?

what are good ways to act? Everyone has their own “what are good ways to act?” to make a positive difference in their own and other people’s lives. You may wish to introduce to students from the beginning that these ways are called strengths, or leave it till further down the track. Playing a game with students and then asking them which of the ways to act they used or found difficult to use, is a great way to introduce the idea that they use their strengths in their every thought, word and action.

Situation

PARENT/TEACHER READING COMMUNICATION

smells.

NUMERACY

Happy ways to look – thinking about what they would act like, sound like and look like. Colouring in for fun – enjoying concentrating on the present moment.

Taking advice

» An overview of the first two stages in the development of students’ social-emotional intelligence, those being, self-control and self-awareness.

The weekly activities provide opportunities for them to make choices. When they are faced with a choice, ask questions such as, “what do you think you could try first?”, “how did you think that way worked?”, “why do you think it worked?”, “why don’t you think it worked?” “what can you try next?” Avoid trying control their choices to prevent them from making mistakes; research has proven this doesn’t work. In all of the activities, make it fun by talking together about what they are doing and why. Video them doing things and then show it back to them to reinforce their self-awareness of their body language. Join in role playing with them to create an understanding of what they should act like, look like, sound like, know and can do for the different activities. Then extend these activities by asking them to draw what they noticed other classmates acting like, looking like and sounding like. Ask plenty of questions for them to think about to draw out their self. Some could include, “What does your heart feel like?” “What does your tummy feel like?” “What do your shoulders feel and look like?” “What do your arms, legs and feet feel like and do?” “What does your whole face look like, including your eyes, your nose and your mouth?” “What do you stand like, straight and tall or a little hunched over?” Acknowledgement: Momentus Institiute Create a Gratitude and Feelings wall in the classroom and at home with pictures, little stories and drawings of students being grateful for what went well and showing different feelings. Encourage them to add to the wall when they have something they wish to share. Assist them to make a “What are good ways to act?” hand (see page 7) of the things from the table that best describe them and put them on the wall. Once again, they are being asked to make choices. Every day encourage students to draw good things that happened. As a family, at the evening meal, each of you share the good things you are grateful for that happened and also the things that could be better to learn from. At the beginning of every day at breakfast, encourage students to think about and say what they are most looking forward to today. Self-assessing is a difficult concept for them to master, but encouraging and supporting them to reflect on their efforts at the end of each quarter will see them develop this capability.

Your parenting and teaching strategies are supported to develop the first two stages of students’ socialemotional intelligence, those being:

Caring for other people

PAGES 2 & 3 – helpful messages for parents and teachers

HELPFUL MESSAGES FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

The key focus in the early years of Primary school and of this wellbeing journal, is for students to discover

Draw your ideas

What you need to have fun with friends in the playground?

» You may wish to introduce the concept that these ways to act are called your strengths.

What your parents’ main ones are?

What you need when you have problems with other students?

What your class needs to work well?

What your teacher’s main ones are?

PAGE 7 – creating a visual of good ways to act in their hand

what are good ways to act? Ask students to look at the table on the previous page and think about which are their top five good ways to act. Then ask them to select one for each finger and the thumb on the hand below. For each one, in the boxes ask them to draw themselves using it.

» Ask students to draw an arrow from a behavior they use on page 6 across to each of the fingers and thumb. » Suggest that they know they have their own good ways to act in their own hands.

FRONT pages OF the JOURNAL

Introducing what social-emotional learning and positive education is all about. PAGE 8 – feelings and emotions

feelings and emotions To develop students’ understanding of the facial expressions they show for different feelings and emotions, role playing with mirrors is simple, effective and fun. Ask students to choose a feeling and show how they would look for it. Then, they look in a mirror and draw what their face looks like in the circle below for each feeling.

» This activity is to develop their self-awareness of how they look for different feelings.

You may wish to extend the activity by asking students a time when they felt like each of the feelings below. This gives them an idea of how they looked when the event was happening and also, what type of events may trigger different emotions in them. I'm feeling afraid

I'm feeling brave

I'm feeling upset

I'm feeling confident

I'm feeling calm

I'm feeling embarrassed

I'm feeling anxious

I'm feeling determined

I'm feeling happy

I'm feeling interested

I'm feeling enthusiastic

I'm feeling friendly

I'm feeling jealous

I'm feeling funny

I'm feeling grumpy

I'm feeling glad

I'm feeling disappointed

I'm feeling worried

I'm feeling safe

I'm feeling sad

I'm feeling excited

I'm feeling frustrated

I'm feeling angry

I'm feeling left out

I'm feeling kind

I'm feeling fantastic

I'm feeling mad

I'm feeling lonely

I'm feeling teased

I'm feeling tired

» A sk students to have fun role modeling in front of the class and a mirror, of what their faces could look like, and then draw in the faces. » Y ou may wish to begin introducing accurate language around feelings and emotions to begin developing their emotional literacy.

PAGE 9 – how do they feel for different things which could happen?

how do you feel? Learning to recognize certain emotions that they may feel when they see others feeling emotions, not only builds their self-awareness, but also develops their understanding of others. Understanding where they feel different emotions in their bodies, comes through us asking questions such as, how does your tummy feel? How do your hands feel? Students can draw how they feel and how different parts of their bodies feel.

» This activity is developing their self-awareness of how they could feel in different parts of their bodies for different situations.

For each of the following situations, either ask students to say how they feel or draw what the feeling makes them look like.

How do you feel when ..... you see other students really sad or angry? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

you see other students really happy? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

you hear groups of students laughing and having fun? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

you hear other students crying in the playground? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

you see your friends do really well? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

you see other students left out of a game? How does your tummy feel, your shoulders feel and your face feel?

» This is another aspect of developing their emotional literacy.

PAGE 10 – dolphin and crocodile thinking are introduced

dolphin thinking or alligator thinking?

» The purpose of these simple analogies, dolphin for rational thinking, and crocodile for emotional thinking, is to getting them being self-aware of how they are thinking.

Being able to recognize whether they are thinking sensibly with their rational mind, which we will call Dolphin Thinking (calm), or thinking with their emotional mind, which we will call Alligator Thinking (snappy), is a valuable self-awareness skill to cultivate in students. Asking them often at home and in class, “are you thinking like a Dolphin or are you thinking like a Alligator?”, will raise their self-awareness and self-control. Dolphin Thinking – Draw what I look and act like when I am thinking like a dolphin. My drawing of Dolphin Thinking:

Alligator Thinking – Draw what I look and act like when I am thinking like a alligator.

» In time, this will assist them to develop their self-control.

My drawing of Alligator Thinking:

» Ask students to draw how they think they would look for dolphin and crocodile ways of thinking.

PAGE 11 – introducing the coping strategy of positive self-talk

i can and i will self-talk Teaching students how to feel confident to use positive I can and I will self-talk, that they say over and over to themselves in their heads, provides them with a powerful coping strategy when things don’t go their way. With the class, make up ten examples of positive I can and I will self-talk they could use to lift their efforts. For example, if they were scared, they could say, I can be brave and I will be brave to not be scared.

Trying –

I can and I will

Do what I set out to do

Try new ways to do things

Keep pushing through, even when it’s hard

Organize what I have to do

Never give up, never, never, never

Do kind things for other people

Help at home

Try to have happy emotions

Ask when I don’t understand something

Think of three good things that I’m happy about every night

Enjoy doing hard things

Being Brave –

Learn how to use my strengths

I can and I will

Ask for help when I am upset

Love my family

Be happy with being me

Be in charge of my feelings

Smile and look for what is good

Smile at the person I see in the mirror every morning

Breathe slowly to relax myself when upset

Doing my best to feel happy emotions

Come to school every day

Feeling great by helping others

Do what I know is the right thing to do

Not be wild with unfriendly people

Learn the best ways to stay safe

Being Friendly –

Compare myself with me, no one else

Sharing –

I can and I will

Listen to others carefully

Enjoy learning about others’ needs and interests Try different ways to solve problems with others Share my feelings with adults when I feel tense or unhappy Learn which adults I will share my thoughts with Let adults know when I feel unsafe Practise asking for help when I need it Have fun and enjoy happy emotions with friends

Say hello to every morning with a smile Keep my promises to others Ask others on their own to play with me Say happy and nice things about others Say sorry when I do something wrong Help others do well and be happy

happy ways to look Building their understanding of the body language they could show for a number of the following Happy Ways to Look will develop their self-awareness of the messages they are sending to others. appreciated appreciative approachable attractive aware

Ask students to select several Happy Ways to Look to role model for the class. The other students have to guess which ones each student is acting out. Doing this as a class will contribute to students developing an understanding of others.

» This list is to grow students’ vocabulary to describe themselves when they are feeling happy and positive.

Ask students to draw what they would look like for four Happy Ways to Look below. Also, ask them to name two emotions they could feel and a good way to act for each one.

Happy Way to Look..........

Emotions you could feel ......................................

.............................................................................

A good way to act ..............................................

.............................................................................

Happy Way to Look..........

Emotions you could feel ......................................

.............................................................................

beautiful bold brave bright bubbly calm carefree careful caring cheerful clever comfortable competitive cool-headed courteous creative curious daring delightful determined eager easy-going encouraging energetic enthusiastic

PAGE 13 – exploring happy ways to look

fair faithful fabulous fantastic forgiving free fresh friendly fulfilled fun-loving funny generous gentle glowing

good gorgeous grateful

happy hard-working helpful hopeful honest humble intelligent interesting interested joyful jolly keen kind level-headed likeable lively lovable loved loving loyal merry

» Have fun as a class role modeling how they could look for a number of these happy ways to look. » Choose a happy way to look, and ask your students to draw how they could look, an emotion they could feel and a good way they could act for it.

neat nice nurturing open-minded organized original out-going patient peaceful playful pleasant pleasing polite positive quick quiet refreshing relaxed reliable respectful responsible safe satisfied secure sensible settled sharp sincere sociable stable steady strong sure terrific thoughtful thrilling tidy trusting trustworthy understanding valued warm-hearted well-behaved well-mannered willing wonderful zany Sourced from Philosophy 101: Critical Thinking and Reachout

PAGE 12 – a list of happy ways to look

exploring happy ways to look

Encouraging students to look on the light and bright side of life and show they are happy in themselves are great messages to send them. While it is important for them to understand that it is perfectly normal to feel flat at times, it also will benefit students’ wellbeing to learn how to bounce back and display happy smiling faces.

alert amazing amusing

» Have six groups with a section each, and in turn ask them to stand up together and say “I can and I will” before each statement.

Being Happy –

I can and I will

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z

» Introduce the structure of self-talk, which is “I can and I will” statements.

Look for what is right in what I look at

Learn from things that go wrong

» Explain that talking to themselves in their heads is called self-talk.

Learning –

I can and I will

12 12

A good way to act ..............................................

.............................................................................

3311

body pages OF the JOURNAL Each week five questions will be provided for you about several of the eleven activities to assist students to learn more about discovering their best possible selves.

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Saying sorry shows that you know right from wrong and believe other people matter.

Different things make us have different feelings. Let’s think together about some feelings that we have such as happy, excited and sad. Act how we would look for each of them.

LITERACY Learning to write begins with scribble and drawings. This is an important first step and should be encouraged.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Sit quietly breathing slowly. Close your eyes and think about what sounds you hear and what different smells your nose smells.

NUMERACY

PAGE 14 Question 1: who are two people you said sorry to this week and two people who said sorry to you? Question 2: what are things about your family that makes you feel proud?

With your child play shop with toys and label them with prices written on sticky notes.

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK Show your class what you would act and look like when you are alert.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 3: what are three kind things you did for other people this week? Question 4: what colors did you use when coloring in the happy bears? Question 5: what are two new things you learned this week?

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Working as a team shows that you are willing to do your best in sharing with others.

Different things that happen around us, to us and by us make you feel many different emotions. Let’s describe what could happen to make us feel proud, loved, upset, sad and excited.

LITERACY Encourage regular reading habits and reading for pleasure (e.g. five nights a week.)

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Lie on your back and put your favourite toy on your tummy. Breathe slowly in and out and watch your toy lift and fall on your tummy.

NUMERACY

Acknowledgement: Fredrickson 51

PAGE 16 Question 1: what are things that could happen to make you feel excited, and then make you feel sad? Question 2: what is something you did to help at home this week?

Collect grocery items and with your child label them with prices cut out of shopping catalogues.

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK Show your class what you would act and look like when you are happy.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 3: what does your face look like when you are happy? Question 4: when have you been in a team before and what did you do? Question 5: who are three friends you play with every day at lunchtime?

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Laughing and having fun are things you should enjoy every day.

Things that happen to make us feel different emotions are called feeling’s triggers. Let’s think about what could happen to make us feel angry, scared, happy, funny and shy. Act how you would look for each of them.

LITERACY Support and encourage your child to read their writing aloud.

NUMERACY

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Breathing slowly and sitting quietly, think about all your toys that have a triangle shape in them or are shaped like a triangle.

Talk with your child about how we pay for items using notes and coins.

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK Show your class what you would act and look like when you are relaxed.

Acknowledgement: Seligman 71

PAGE 18 Question 1: what are three feelings that you could have when with family and friends? Question 2: breathing slowing, what are three things in the classroom that are shaped like a triangle? Question 3: who is someone you know who is really caring and how?

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 4: what things do you do to relax? Question 5: what is a funny joke that you can tell your class to make them all laugh? 18

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Listening to advice on how to improve what you do takes effort to tune in.

What emotions would we feel if we were talking to someone and they weren’t listening to us. Then, what would we feel if we were showing our pet to the class and other students wanted to know all about it.

LITERACY Aim to read different types of books every month.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Look around your home for toys that you love to play with and think why you feel they are very special to you.

NUMERACY

Acknowledgement: Diener

PAGE 20 Question 1: what is a charity and what does it do? Question 2: what pets do you have and what is special about them?

When driving ask your child to count the number of white cars, lamp posts, gas stations, etc.

Question 3: what book are you reading this week?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: when did you last go on a bus and was it fun?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are playful.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what things make you feel loved? Acknowledgement: Frankl

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Exercising daily outside for an hour every day will help your body to be at its best.

If we saw other students feeling afraid, grumpy, kind, teased and friendly, what emotions could we feel for each of them.

LITERACY Create a space to store and display your child’s writing.

PAGE 22 Question 1: what things do you do for exercise every day and for how long?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: what are your yummiest foods?

Close your eyes and think of yummy foods you love and feel the taste of them in your mouth and their smells in your nose.

NUMERACY Look around your home and ask your child to name things which look like a circle, rectangle or triangle.

Question 3: how would you feel if you saw your friends sad?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what colors are your favorite fish?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are thoughtful.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: when is a time you showed courage? Acknowledgement: Rath

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Saying thank you to others shows that you are grateful for their efforts to help you.

Let’s think of a time we saw a friend upset and we were kind by helping them to feel better. What emotions did we feel when helping them.

LITERACY Encourage the reading of favourite books in bed before the lights go out as a routine.

PAGE 24 Question 1: who are other people you know who are polite?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: when have you helped a friend who was unhappy?

Breathe slowly and picture yourself playing the games you enjoy most with your friends and feel happy.

NUMERACY Every month measure the heights of your family members on a wall measuring chart.

Question 3: who are three people you have said thank you to this week?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: who are five people you love?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are polite.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what games do you love playing with friends? Acknowledgement: Bandura

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Give it a go and if you fail to make it work, you’ve learned something; then try doing it again another way. Never give up, never, never, never.

We all have been unhappy and upset about some things that have happened to us. Let’s share these and describe what other people did to make us feel better.

LITERACY Based on your child’s experiences create links between talking, writing and reading.

PAGE 26 Question 1: what are you really looking forward to this week?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: when is a time you tried something and couldn’t do it?

With your eyes closed think of the TV and movie characters you enjoy most to feel happy.

NUMERACY Play number games online with your child. Try this website: http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/

Question 3: how did you try to do it a different way?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what is a musical instrument you have played?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are kind.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: who are three of your favorite movie characters? Acknowledgement: Rotter

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Sleeping well is one of the main things to building your best possible you.

Let’s read a story together in which the different characters feel different emotions about what is happening in the story. Describe how we felt for each character.

LITERACY Encourage your child to predict what the story might be about ... ask them to tell you what clues they used to help them.

PAGE 28 Question 1: who should you thank for helping you?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: what things do you do to help you sleep well?

Sit down quietly and think about the best times you have enjoyed with your family.

NUMERACY When cooking encourage your child to help you measure out the ingredients.

Question 3: what is a great time you had with your family?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what are two feelings you had this week?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are interested.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what is a meal you love helping to cook? Acknowledgement: Duhigg

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Greet other people with a bright, smiling face and asking “how are you?”

Doing little acts of kindness for other people fills us full of happy feelings such as, being trusted, valued, pleased, giving and joyful. Let’s think together to come up with ten acts of kindness we could do to make others’ lives better.

LITERACY Ask your child to share an experience or something that interests them; rehearing a story verbally helps them build up the vocabulary they need to construct the written version.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Put a small piece of fruit on your tongue and think about the tastes and how it makes you feel.

NUMERACY

PAGE 32 Question 1: how do you greet people every morning? Question 2: what are two kind things you have done for others this week? Question 3: what is a hobby of yours?

Ask your child to look at a pattern on a table cloth or rug and describe it to you in their own words.

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK Show your class what you would act and look like when you are energetic.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 4: what times do you go to bed and get up? Question 5: what do you do to show you are energetic? Acknowledgement: Lyubomirsky

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Being respectful means that you show in your thoughts, words and actions that other people matter.

Let’s look at the Feeling and Emotions page and pick five emotions. Show what we would act like and look like for each of them.

LITERACY Praise your child for their effort when they have an ‘independent’ go at words.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Close your eyes, breathe slowly and sing the words to a happy song you like three times.

NUMERACY

PAGE 34 Question 1: what do you do to show you are interested when listening? Question 2: what is something you really tried hard with?

Combine exercise and math by counting the numbers of fence posts while walking laps of an oval.

Question 3: when are two times you have been fair?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: how do you show others matter?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are helpful.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what two songs you love to sing? Acknowledgement: Gable

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Eating healthy is about enjoying fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meat and not having fast takeaway food more than once per week.

When we see and do acts of kindness for other people we feel happy. Let’s think of the kind things our family and friends do for us.

LITERACY Use the pictures as clues to help your child work out what is happening in the story.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Sit down and think about the best story you have ever heard and how it made you feel.

NUMERACY

PAGE 36 Question 1: what are three kind things your friends do for you? Question 2: what vegetables do you love eating?

With your child put food items in order by height (tallest to the shortest) or by cost (least expensive to most expensive).

Question 3: what are your three favorite fruits?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what is a special story you have listened to?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are joyful.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: when is a time you were brave? Acknowledgement: McQuaid

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Be happy with who you are and what you look like because you matter just like others.

Teamwork, kindness and curiosity are special things which help us do the things we need to do. Let’s think together of five more of these things.

LITERACY As your child is talking write down their ideas. Use your child’s language.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY Lie down, breathe slowly, look at the clouds and think about all the shapes you can see.

NUMERACY

PAGE 38 Question 1: who are three people you really trust? Question 2: what things about you are you proud of?

For three of your child’s favourite toys, ask them to make a building block tower to measure each toy’s height in blocks.

Question 3: what are two things that made you happy this week?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what is something you are curious to learn more about?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are brave.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what funny name does your family call you? Acknowledgement: Biswas-Diener

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

A great way to live your life is to do good to feel good by making a positive difference to other peoples’ lives.

We are going to help each other make colourful posters of things we are thankful for and put them up around our classroom to make it a bright and happy place. Let’s think of ten things.

LITERACY Talk about the story before, during and after you read it.

PAGE 40 Question 1: when is a time you were determined when things went wrong?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: who is someone who has helped you to grow up?

Sit quietly and think of times you felt great, fabulous and fantastic because you have done good things.

NUMERACY Encourage your child to measure the time it takes to have dinner, travel to school, etc.

Question 3: when are two times you were honest?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what are enjoyable walks you have done with your family?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are honest.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: when is a time you controlled your feelings? Acknowledgement: Rievich

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Forgiving other people when they have done the wrong thing by you shows strength of character.

When making friends, what are things about them we would like them to have so that they would be good friends to play with in the playground?

LITERACY Ask your child to read back their writing to you or explain what their drawings mean.

NUMERACY

PAGE 42 Question 1: when are two times you have forgiven others who upset you?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: what are three things you look for when making friends?

Go outside, sit down quitely and listen to the sounds you hear and think what or who makes them.

With your child cut up 2, 6 and 12 inch pieces of string and ask them to measure items around the home adding the lengths together.

Question 3: what is a drawing you are proud of?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: who are three people you would like to meet?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are organized.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: what does wise mean? Acknowledgement: James

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

Exercising your brain every day by doing puzzles or using building blocks will keep your mind fit.

Let’s describe times we have been caring for the needs and feelings of others. What are three happy emotions we felt?

LITERACY Read books written by the same author and discuss similarities and differences.

PAGE 44 Question 1: when are times your feelings changed because of how others felt.

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY If you could be any animal you chose to be, what would it be and why?

NUMERACY NUMERACY With your child look at and say the

Question 2: what are two good things that happened this week?

numbers on car number plates, signs, calendars, newspapers, shopping catalogues, speed signs, house numbers.

Question 3: which of your family has a birthday soon?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK Show your class what you would act and look like when you are positive.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 4: what board games do you like? Question 5: how do you show you are positive? Acknowledgement: Iacoboni

WELLBEING TIP

RESILIENCE BUILDER

When classmates do something well, congratulate them on their good efforts.

Knowing when we are acting in a good way, will help us to build happy friendships. Show how we would act if we were happy, kind and friendly.

LITERACY Encourage your child to draw a picture or create something to match or explain their writing.

PAGE 46 Question 1: when are two times you have said well done to others?

MINDFULNESS ACTIVITY

Question 2: who is someone who you think is loyal?

Go through some books you have been reading with your family and pick out two pictures you love.

NUMERACY Encourage your child to draw, create and describe their own patterns. Use them for borders or greeting cards.

Question 3: how do you feel when with happy people?

HAPPY WAYS TO LOOK

Question 4: what does humble mean?

Show your class what you would act and look like when you are humble.

COLOURING IN FUN ... enjoy yourself!

Question 5: when did you last travel on a train? Acknowledgement: Achor