Program Investment
The cost for a 16-week program is $140/classroom.
That’s 80 days of yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and fun activities for less than a cup of coffee a day. PLUS, a FREE mindfulness and yoga class for YOU!
Other Options
8 Weeks - $75/classroom
6 Weeks - $60/classroom
4 Weeks - $45/classroom
1 Week Trial - $20/classroom
If you need help with funding the program, we can offer some funding suggestions, as it would be very unfortunate if funding concerns were to stand in your way of purchasing this program.
Introduction
Teachers and staff who are already overworked and stressed out, may also be feeling the acute pressure to help their students cope with the challenges of an ever-changing classroom and world.
Lots of students are struggling to adjust and falling behind, whether it is emotionally, socially, or academically. They’re more anxious, frustrated, and restless. During the height of the recent pandemic, we saw record-high numbers of children experiencing both anxiety and depression (see Why to Implement section).
As a teacher, we know it’s often tough to address all the needs that children normally have in the classroom, and it has become increasingly challenging when so much has happened since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and changes continue to unfold around the world.
Wouldn’t it be great to come up with new ways to address the varied issues children are coming to school with? To find new tools and resources to support your students and families while ensuring that you are ALSO taking care of yourself.
How can you help your students with basic life skills to cope, build resilience, reduce stress, and be ready to learn, even as the environment changes around them? Wellness and mindfulness can do this! We have created a done-for-you resource to make it super easy to bring the vast social, emotional, and physical benefits of wellness and mindfulness to students to help them manage all the ups and downs in their lives.
ONE simple resource that helps:
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ensure you have a regular tool each day to help your students breathe, calm down, and self-regulate. Even when schedules are packed and you’re trying to squeeze in all the academic requirements (See Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum 2019 below).
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teach children simple self-regulation and resiliency skills that you can easily incorporate into any classroom daily. Without having to plan, think about it, or find new resources.
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children regulate their bodies and emotions, so they can manage the ups and downs of life and the academic challenges they face.
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introduce fun, dynamic movement activities into the classroom in a fun, simple, and light-hearted way to get their wiggles out, keep your students moving, even if you have limited space and help them focus on the next task at hand.
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encourage healthy interactions and connections between children through group activities.
Imagine having a simple, done-for-you resource at your fingertips that includes everything you need to bring the benefits of wellness and mindfulness easily and effortlessly to your students each day. You open it up, go to the day of the week, and—voilà—you’re confidently helping your students focus, self-regulate, and get ready to learn. All while, building self-confidence and resiliency!
What Is It?
5 days a week of specific breathing, physical wellness (mostly yoga work), mindfulness exercises and games that students can do within ten minutes. Plus, directions and helpful tips. Everything you need to get your students practicing mindfulness and movement activities.
Each day of the week has a particular focus, making it easy to engage your students. You will receive specific activities for each day based on the following themes.
Mindful Mondays: to get grounded for the week ahead through breathing and meditation techniques that teach students how to be in the present moment
Twisty Tuesdays: to become more body aware by trying new exercises and yoga poses that allow for exploration and promote positivity
Wind-Down Wednesdays: to practice calming techniques that promote self-regulation and focus, through age-appropriate mindfulness activities
Theme Thursdays: to move, stretch, and safely challenge young bodies by practicing yoga poses based on fun and engaging themes
Fun Fridays: to have fun and connect with one another through yoga games, stories, and activities
Each week you will receive 5 short (maximum 10 minute) videos introducing the theme of that day and the activity for the students to do and if appropriate the handout that goes with it. Each grade will receive its own specific program based on the age group, from JK-Grade 8.
You just need to decide when during the day you are going to implement the program; recess breaks, getting ready for home, circle time, start of the day, whenever works best for you and the students. You could even change it up as needed.
Classroom physical and mental wellness and mindfulness for just ten minutes a day can:
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help children adapt to an ever-changing classroom with an easy and fun way to connect with you and their peers, slow down, self-regulate, and connect with their bodies and breath.
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provide a new tool to build resiliency during challenging times.
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build community by doing yoga, breathing exercises and activities together.
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provide new tools to help the children self-regulate, be active, and manage their day.
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provide an engaging replacement for shortened recess time, rainy days, and circle time.
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be your go-to resource for fresh ideas to manage transition times, morning work, before packing up to head home, when tensions get high.
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build rapport with students through simple, fun ways to interact, engage, and connect.
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offer a quick-and-easy resource to help your students get their wiggles out, to be focused and ready to learn.
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get everyone engaged, connected, moving, and having fun with games and activities.
This program/resource is a super-simple way to integrate these healthy practices. And don’t forget—that’s all within just ten minutes a day! You can totally do it! And we are always here for any questions or concerns you may have.
As part of the package, we also provide you with a mindfulness and yoga practice for you and your friends or fellow teachers. This FREE class could take place during one of the PA days or at another time convenient to you.
Why Implement This Program?
To help the students and teachers manage their mental wellbeing. This program/resource will help to teach the students about breathing, poses, and activities that will help them to calm and focus. This is a helpful resource for teachers to use during the week to re-focus a class if needed.
This program also meets Ontario Health and Physical Education 2019 Curriculum guidelines. (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/health.html)
Supporting Students’ Well-Being and Ability to Learn
Promoting the healthy development of all students, as well as enabling all students to reach their full potential, is a priority for educators across Ontario. Students’ health and wellbeing contribute to their ability to learn in all disciplines, including health and physical education, and that learning in turn contributes to their overall well-being. A well-rounded educational experience prioritizes social-emotional learning, physical and mental health, and inclusion together with academic success for all students. Parents, community partners, and educators all have critical roles in achieving this. The health and physical education curriculum engages students in learning about the factors that contribute to health and well-being and in building skills to live healthy, active lives.
Vision and Goals of the Health and Physical Education Curriculum
The health and physical education curriculum is based on the vision that the knowledge and skills students acquire in the program will benefit them throughout their lives and enable them to thrive in an ever-changing world by helping them develop mental health and well-being, physical and health literacy, and the comprehension, capacity, and commitment they will need to lead healthy, active lives and promote healthy, active living.
The goals of the health and physical education program are as follows.
Students will develop:
• the social-emotional learning skills needed to foster overall health and well-being, positive mental health, and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive; …
The Role of Mental Health
What happens at school can have a significant influence on a student’s well-being. With a broader awareness of mental health, educators can plan instructional strategies that contribute to a supportive classroom climate for learning in all subject areas, build awareness of mental health, and reduce stigma associated with mental illness. Taking students’ wellbeing, including their mental health, into account when planning instructional approaches helps establish a strong foundation for learning.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic many kids have been struggling with more anxiety, either due to school, virtual school, not being able to play with their friends like they used to, being more isolated, removal of school and daily routines and activities, not understanding why things are the way they are.
Stats on Child Mental Health:
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1/2 of Ontario parents report having ever had concerns about their child’s level of anxiety
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1/3 of Ontario parents have had a child miss school due to anxiety
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1/4 of Ontario parents have missed work to care for a child with anxiety. This is significantly higher among parents who have had concerns about their child’s anxiety.
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62% of Ontario youth report ever having had concerns about their level of anxiety; only 3 in 10 (32%) have spoken to a mental health care professional about anxiety.
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As many as 1 in 5 children and youth in Ontario will experience some form of mental health problem.
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5 out of 6 of those kids will not receive the treatment they need.
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70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.
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17% of children ages 2-5 years meet diagnostic criteria for mental health problems.
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28% of students report not knowing where to turn when they wanted to talk to someone about mental health.
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Canada’s youth suicide rate is the third highest in the industrialized world.
And 59% of parents have noted changes in their child’s behaviour since the beginning of COVID-19 such as outbursts or extreme irritability to drastic changes in mood, behaviour or personality and difficulty sleeping/altered sleeping patterns as well as persistent sadness and more.
(Reference: CMHO website)
I can say as a parent that I have noticed these behavioural changes in my child, the stress and anxiety, and I’m pretty sure she is not the only one struggling. Taking care of students mental health is a great way to help them later in life as well as in the present moment. Having tools to manage their anxiety and emotions helps on a day-to-day basis as well as into their adult years.
Conclusion
Each child is different, and some may have no interest in yoga or breathing but if you can make it fun for them then the chances of them joining in is that much greater. We believe in this program/resource and the benefits it will provide for students and teachers a like and for that reason we would love to get this program/resource into as many hands as possible.
Wouldn’t it be great to have something in your toolbox to help manage the big emotions and lack of focus that can arise during the school year, while also covering Ontario Curriculum?
If you have any further questions, comments or concerns please contact me.
Thank you for your time.