Alo Gives is dedicated to bringing movement and mindfulness to kids of all ages. They have produced high-quality, free, scholastic-approved videos to introduce kids to the necessary skills to calm minds and bodies, mute negativity, and promote self-care.

Their yoga and mindfulness programs contain 5-minute videos as well as creative, thought-provoking printable worksheets. They are designed to be used in classrooms or at home. Teachers and parents can utilize the videos and practice with the kids. All the videos can be found on their website.

They created these programs because they believed in that "Giving children of any age the skills to move and breathe helps them learn to confront challenge, amplify the positive, and be present, calm and clear-headed and in the midst of challenge, fear or frustration."

Areté has the same belief, too. We are actively making positive changes in school environment by infusing Social Emotional Learning elements. We are making changes one breath at a time.

The first session of Self Care Club went perfectly. Twenty students came, and they thoroughly enjoyed making the glitter jars. The students were from different grades, so everyone was able to meet someone new through the activity. Students learned how to make glitter jars and how to use it mindfully. After the first session, many more students have expressed interest. The next session will be held on Friday, January 10, 2020, in room 223, beginning at 2:30 pm. The theme of the next session will be on how to use journaling and coloring in an effective way to help teens mentally and emotionally. Below are pictures of the first Self Care Club session. 

In the SEL & Leadership Pilot program, students journal every morning at the beginning of the session. Usually students are provided with a prompt to journal. From time to time, students will do free journaling. The free journaling is an exercise for students to fully release their thoughts and feelings, a way to express themselves.

One of our students wrote a beautiful poem during their free journaling time, fully captured her current emotions. It's such a beautiful poem and we would love to share it with you.

2 Weeks ago I confessed

my love 2 weeks ago. I am

still calm

still not moving on

still trying 2 find myself

In a world where all is lost

still loving

above all

his love hasn't come

But my love still stands strong

Because

This is my

LOVE

We do not always remember to appreciate the special people in our lives. Last week, in our SEL & Leadership Club, we invited our students to think about one special person and pay attention to the strengths they share with or have positive impacts on them.

As a group, students build a strengths garden to show their appreciation to the special people and let them how amazing they are! 

Self-Care club is about teaching high school students ways to take care of themselves and their minds. The purpose of starting the club is that students are not aware of how they can take of themselves and understand their emotions. The club will be kicked off Friday, December 13, 2019, in room 223 from 2:30 to 4:15. Students should join the club because everyone should learn how to take care of themselves mentally. In a setting where you are trying to be a successful student people forget that they are just more than a student but a human first. 

Written by Stephanie Polanco

The NYC DOE Supportive Environment Framework for Great Schools shares a common vision of fostering students’ social and emotional development to create more equitable learning environments and outcomes. Our SEL & Leadership Pilot Program is closely aligned with CASEL’s integrated framework. This blog post unpacks how the pilot program’s curriculum framework and activities respond to each competency in the CASEL’s framework. 

The CASEL framework has five competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

1. Self-awareness

Activities we used to develop this competency in students this Fall:

• Emotions Check-in/Check-out (Level 2, Level 3)
• 8 Basic Emotions 
• Emotion Vocabulary Builder (Cards for Emotional Check In Games)
• Bio Dots
• Emotional Iceberg (Facilitator Instruction, Activity Instruction, Activity Handout)
• Moon Face Box of Emotion Cards
• Emo Heads Up (Facilitator Instruction, Activity Instruction, Activity Handout)
• Emo Monster (Activity Instruction, EmoMonster Cards, Feeling Words Handout)
• Journaling
• Past, Present, Future (Draw EmotIcons to present past, present and future)
• Emotionometer (Emotionometer Activity Instruction, Emotionometer Handout, Feeling Words Handout)
• Match the Message (Activity Instruction, Activity Handout)
• The SEL Playlist
• StrengthsExplorer posters - students identify 2-3 strengths they have
• Talent Cards & Strengths
• Talent Cards, Strengths & 2 Truths, 1 Lie

2. Self-management

Activities we have used to develop this competency in students this Fall:

• Coping Skills for Kids Card Set
• Pinterest Board Arts Project
• Rhythm (4/8) Breathing (Practice log: document your practices everyday)
• TLS Protocol (10 mins)
• TLS 15 min Practice
• Short TSL Practice
• Sit in circle – Discuss triggers/ stressors/ frustrations
• Journaling
• Stress Web
• Stress Ball (Station Instruction, Stress Ball Activity Handout, Materials: Balloons, lentils/uncooked beans, scissors, sandwich baggie) 
• Body Movement
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Deep Breathing Trace
• Mindful Movement and Pose of the Week 
• Bio Dots

3. Responsible Decision-making

Activities we used to develop this competency in students this Fall:

• Circles of Belonging
• I Felt _____ When… (Facilitator Instruction, Activity Instruction, Activity Handout)
• Emotion Discovery - Feeling Face Cards
• Past, Present, Future (Draw EmotIcons to present past, present and future)
• Journaling
• Think, Feel, Act Cards
• Brain Talent Cards

4. Relationship Skills

Activities we used to develop this competency in students this Fall:

• Emotion Vocabulary Builder (Cards for Emotional Check In Games)
• Lava Flow Challenge
• Emo Heads Up (Facilitator Instruction, Activity Instruction, Activity Handout)
• Ping Pong Pipeline
• The SEL Hopscotch Game

5. Social Awareness

Activities we have used to develop this competency in students:

• Emotion Discovery - Feeling Face Cards
• Rap Session
• Brain Talent Cards
• UnMASK Arts Project

As shown, we have built in more activities in the first three competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management and Responsible Decision-Making) so far because "Know Yourself As a Leader" and "Choose Yourself To Be a Leader" are two core themes of our curriculum in this Fall. By knowing yourself better, you understand your emotional patterns and strengths. You are aware of the insights given by your emotions and strengths and you learn how to make wise choices based on them.

We will be designing more activities aligned with the last two competencies in the Spring as we dive deeper into "Choose Yourself To Be a Leader" and march into our last but not least theme - "Give Yourself As a Leader". Stay tuned for new updates from our upcoming blog posts or follow us on Instagram and Twitter!