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Signal Hill Circular » Signal Hill Circular - April 16, 2021

Signal Hill Circular - April 16, 2021

Signal Hill Circular

for the week ended Friday April 16, 2021

We are honored to be living, working and playing on the traditional, unceded ancestral territories of the St'át'yemc Nation.

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Dear Signal Hill Families,
 
We are once again conducting the Student Learning survey. Help us plan for the future – tell us about your education experience. Students in Grades 4 and 7, their parents and all staff in B.C. public schools are invited to participate in an annual online satisfaction survey about their school experience. Parents can fill in the survey by clicking on the link here. No login information is needed, simply click the link above, scroll down to section depicted below, and provide information related to your student's learning experience at Signal Hill.
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Stay safe!
 

 

Host families
Visual Learning with our Intermediate students! w4text here.t..
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Intermediate students share learning with their families! 
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Rainbows with Ms. Marining's class 
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FApplications are now open for the 2021 Student Art Award – please read on for important changes to the program.

Changes to the award process in 2021:

  • Due to the ongoing uncertainty and public health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 award recipients will be decided by representatives from each school. There will be no showcase or portfolio viewing facilitated by Arts Whistler in 2021.
  • Applications must be submitted by each student via the online portal. This allows Arts Whistler to still collect important information from each applicant.
  • After applications have closed I will email you a complete list of applications and suggested jury criteria so you can make your decision on who the award recipient will be from your school. The winner must be picked from this list of applicants provided.

See below for a timeline of important dates for the award jury process this year. If you school is unable to meet this timeline (below) or any of the points laid out above please let me know by Friday, April 9. This may mean that unfortunately your school cannot participate in the award this year.

  • May 9 | Student applications close at 5pm
  • May 10 | Imogen emails submitted applications to each school
  • May 10 - 18 | School (or school awards committee) chooses ONE winner for the award
  • May 19 | School emails Imogen the winners name
  • May 20 - 27 | AW makes arrangements for cheques, certificates and plaque engraving (if required)
  • June 1 - 4 | Cheques and certificates are delivered to each school

All this information, award eligibility, and the online application portal can be found: artswhistler.com/artists-look-here/grants-awards-bursaries

New App Simplifies Students‘ Daily Health Check

Thanks to a new app, it's easier than ever for your students or their parents to complete their daily health check each morning.

Developed in partnership with Public Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control, and a group of students, the K-12 daily health check website and mobile app help students and families make the best decisions on whether to attend school, stay home, or take other measures. Questions and answers are easy to understand and are based on current health guidelines. All content is written with the K-12 age group in mind.

As indicated in the Provincial COVID-19 Health Safety Guidelines for K-12 Settings, parents and caregivers should assess their children daily for illness before sending them to school. Please share the information about the new K-12 Health Check App with your students and families to make this process easier.

Visit the PAC Pages here.

Dear Families,
The new hot lunch session is available to order. Forms are in teachers' mailboxes today so you can expect to receive them today or on Monday. Orders are due by end of day Thursday.

In February the menu for the Hot Lunch Fundraising Program began including an option to donate towards meals for students who haven’t been able, financially, to previously participate or, due to recent challenges, haven’t been able to continue to. It is taking some time to figure out the best system to get food to the students who need it…. So far, we have been adding hot lunch items to the fabulous fridge in the hall that is already being stocked with things like sandwiches, fruit, yogurt, cheese, bars, and milk through assistance from the food bank. Anyone in the school is welcome to the food in the fridge, and it has been seeing lots of use from folks who come either without any or without enough lunch/snacks to get them through a day of learning.

Sometimes though, you just want your child to receive a chocolate milk, slice of pizza, hot dog, burrito or sushi roll like other kids in their class when it gets delivered! For this next session, if you would like your student to be included in the program but aren’t able to cover the cost, we are going to try this: please order online as per the instructions below, or via the paper form that comes home with your student. If your paper form is returned without payment (to the PAC mailbox on the wall next to the library where all order forms go) we will know that you need it to be covered this session. If you order online and can’t pay, leave it unpaid and after a few weeks the hot lunch coordinators will take care of the account. Please make sure to include the important details of the student’s name, class, etc on the forms so that the food makes it to the right place!

The Parent Advisory Council (PAC – which each of you are automatically members of simply by having a student in the school, even if you never attend an official meeting!) is grateful for all the contributions to date and is looking forward to increasing the inclusiveness at Signal Hill.

  1. To order online:
    Go to https://signalhillpac.hotlunches.net to register (You need a new account each year.)
  2. On the home page, search for our school, create a new account, and enter the school access code which is currently SHE2020
  3. Add students by name and class
  4. Place your orders for the current session.
  5. All orders are due by Thursday of the week before the menu item is delivered. Order all at once for best efficiency. You can make changes online up to midnight the Thursday before.

Questions, concerns, suggestions? Email hotlunchsignalhill@gmail.com

Learn the calming benefits of deep belly breathing for children and teens and tips for practicing

For most of us, breathing is an automatic process that we hardly notice. However, the simple act of inhaling and exhaling can have a great impact on our mood and thoughts. Deep breathing has long been used as a relaxation technique, and it's helpful for both children and adults.

"By teaching kids breathing exercises, we're giving them a valuable tool for their toolbox," says Stephanie Richardson, LCSW, Social Work Team Leader in the Emergency Department at Children's Health℠. "Children can use deep breathing to help them throughout the day, whether they're feeling overwhelmed or anxious, need to relax or go to sleep, to calm their body after exercising, or even just to pause and reset when they are high energy."

  • How can breathing exercises help children and teens?
    • Breathing exercises can help children and teens by:
    • Relaxing the body
    • Refocusing the mind
    • Reducing stress and anxiety
    • Lowering heart rate
    • Increasing the body's oxygen levels, which can have calming effects
Taking deep, deliberate breaths can calm a person physically and mentally. Deep breathing techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system (part of the nervous system that controls reactions to stress), as well as redirect the mind to a simple task, distracting from anxious thoughts.
 
What are types of breathing exercises for kids?
 
There are many different types of breathing exercises that can encourage kids to take deep breaths. Examples of breathing exercises for kids include feather breathing, balloon breathing, bubble breathing or counting breaths.
 
Belly breathing (also called diaphragmatic breathing) is one of the easiest breathing exercises for kids because there are no supplies needed, and the technique can be used anytime and anywhere. "Children and teens can implement belly breathing anywhere that they need to without drawing attention to themselves, whether they are starting to feel anxious in school or with friends," says Richardson. "This is a quick way to calm themselves in the moment, such as before tryouts, during a competition or just when they feel nervous."
 
  • How can you teach belly breathing to your child?
    • Here are steps to teach and practice deep belly breathing with your child:
    • Ask your child to breathe normally and to notice how they're feeling at the moment.
    • Have your child place one hand on their belly (above the belly button) and one hand on their upper chest.
    • Tell your child to take a deep breath in through their nose, filling their lungs with air downwards towards the belly.
    • As their belly expands up and out, notice their bottom hand rise.
      Then tell your child to breathe out slowly through their mouth, feeling the bottom hand lower back down.
 
To encourage a slow exhale, you can ask your child to pretend to blow out candles, hold their hand over their mouth to feel their breath or even to make a noise with their exhale.
After taking several deep belly breaths, ask your child how they feel and if they notice any difference.
 
If your child's hand on their chest is the only hand moving up and down as they breathe, encourage them to focus on moving the air deeper into their belly. Shallow chest breathing is more associated with anxious breathing.
 
As your child is learning belly breathing, it may help to have them lie down on their back during the breathing exercise. Instead of hands, you can place an object such as a small stuffed animal or book on their belly and have them attempt to make the object go up and down as they breathe.
Other tips for belly breathing for kids
 
Practice when your child is calm
One of the most important things to keep in mind when teaching belly breathing is to practice when your child is calm. By practicing when a child feels good, they will be equipped to use this tool in moments of stress or anxiety. Richardson recommends practicing at night before bed and says this can turn into a nighttime routine that can help your child fall asleep, whether they are anxious or not.
 
Start young
Deep breathing is a valuable tool for children of all ages. While young children, such as toddlers, may have a hard time grasping the concept of belly breathing, parents can start by teaching them to slow down their breaths when they feel upset or angry. Elementary school-aged children will be more prepared to learn the basics of belly breathing.
 
Use counting
When your child is practicing belly breathing, encourage them to count to three when inhaling, take a slight pause and then exhale for a count of four. Depending on your child's age or breathing ability, they may be able to do longer counts. The actual length of the inhale and exhale is not as important as slowing their breathing and focusing their attention on this task.

https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/breathing-exercises-for-kids

Please have a look through the VCH inforgraphics relating to COVID-19 and schools:
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