Safety & Person-Centered Focus
Monday, August 24, 2020
Check-In with everyone
Hello all! How are you feeling today?
Special Processing Time--Instead of Show & Share just for today
We are having some difficult times in California right now. The fires are making things difficult for many of us, even in our own Hope community.
While we focus on Safety on Mondays, there is more to safety than just physically preparing for unsafe or difficult situations. There is also emotional and mental safety.
We can do some processing skills practice to increase our sense of emotional and mental safety.
What is PROCESSING?
A process is a series of actions you do to something to make it more useful or desirable. When we process our feelings, we think and talk about them so that the negative effects of them are less. It can help us find meaning in them, accept them more fully, and let them move through us instead of getting stuck and feeling bad longer than we need to.
In your group discuss whether or not you want to do some casual processing. If some do and others don't discuss whether or not to skip the activity or have the people who don't want to, take a break. The activity should be done with consensus of the group.
The following is practice for casual processing we can do with friends and family. There is deeper processing you can do with a mental health professional. If you feel very bad or very stuck you can ask for counseling.
Using the steps below you can share if you want to. Each person can take 1-3 minutes to respond to the prompts they want to. We should not interrupt each other but just give affirmation.
- Name the feelings you are having - there are many names for feelings. Try to identify the main 1 or 2 that are really strong inside you
- Say "Even though I have these strong feelings of ____________, I love and accept myself as I am in this moment." -- other participants can affirm your feelings and let you know that it is OK to have any feeling you are having
- Check for incorrect self-talk. What is your brain telling you about the fires? Correct your brain if it's going down one of these mistaken paths.
- Either/Or thinking: "It's ALL terrible. There's nothing good." -- almost everything we experience is a mixture of good and bad--EXAMPLE: Evacuations are scary but we have firefighters and helpers getting people to safety zones.
- Fortune telling: "People were evacuated so the area will burn." No one knows the future and predicting tragedy doesn't make us more prepared, but it does make us feel worse. Remember we don't know the future and it will probably have some very good things in with any bad.
- Saying one thing is the same for everything: "One building couldn't be saved so none can be." This is not logical but our brains can think this way when we are stressed. Noticing illogical thoughts can help us get a grip.
- Ignoring everything but the bad news: "The whole state of California is on fire!" It isn't. Most of the state is NOT burning. The fires are an emergency but most of the state is safe.
- Emotions as facts: "I feel scared and nervous so the world must be falling apart." Feelings are information about US, not the world outside of us. A situation can stimulate emotions, but emotions are the weather inside of us, not the situation we are in. And weather, and feelings, always change eventually.
<Body Break>
Drink some water. Emotional processing can be dehydrating.
Tomorrow’s Show and Share:
How are your personal goals helping you contribute to your community?
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PRESENTERS: an * (asterisk) will mean that link goes to a file that people should also have had delivered in their packets. Different programs and districts may make different decisions about what to send. You can lead the group through the online objects and have them follow along on paper at home as appropriate.
High Priority Vocabulary
*Month Search Cross Word Puzzle*
Using the cross-word puzzle provided, fill in the boxes with the with correct letters that correspond with the Across List and Down List below the cross-word puzzle.
Hint: Remember the word rule card from last week's packet? Use this as a tool to help you complete the activity.
<Body Break>
Taking Breaks often is good for the soul!
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**A copy of the story was sent home**
In this story, a young man is upset to hear his doctor prescribe exercise. The young man secretly begins exercising so that his family doesn’t know what the doctor said.
Read the full story today or read half and finish up tomorrow. Make sure to review the questions at the end of the story.
PRESENTERS: Read aloud with your group, or have some readers help. When reading aloud exaggerate tone and emotion somewhat to increase engagement.
Stop reading a few times to prompt participants to VISUALIZE what the words describe. This is an important part of learning to read well which is often challenging.
Button at the bottom comes back to this page.
<Body Break>
Move that body, get up stretch and drink water!
Thematic Connection
Looking good and feeling our very best is important! Our morning routines may include applying some cologne, perfume or body spray, which might make us feel like super models! We can’t forget deodorant!
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Activity: Together as a group review the procedure cards for Applying Deodorant. You can take turns describing each step and stop to help answer any questions.
**Applying Deodorant Procedure Card**
Note: The Procedure Card may have been missplaced in the take home packet under tomorrow's Date. Please use it for today's lesson, as tomorrow it is not mentioned.
After you have reviewed the card as a group, focus on the image in box #10 and prompt the questions below. (Presenters you can zoom in to enlarge this image, make sure to describe what's in the image to help others feel included in this lesson.)
1. What types of deodorant are shown in this image?
2. What other types of deodorant are missing from this image?
Bonus: How It's Made Video
Watch the deodorant making process if you're interested.
<Body Break>
Taking Breaks often is good for the soul!
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Further the Discussion
Did you know that many deodorants contain hidden chemicals?
Here is a list of some common chemicals found in deodorants and antiperspirants:
- Parabens
- Triclosan
- Phthalates
- Propylene Glycol
- Aluminum
Have you checked out back of your deodorant? Go grab it and let us know if you see one or more of the above on your deodorant label. Staff feel encouraged to do this too!
Discussion: Do you prefer certain deodorants because of how easy it is to use?
Survey Time: Let's take a poll! Use the raise hand option answer the questions you want to answer.
- Does everyone use deoderant every day?
- Do you?
- Raise hand if you use a spray
- Raise hand if you use a stick
- Raise hand if you use a roll-on
- Raise hand if you use none
Critical Thinking: If for some reason you were unable to apply deodorant independently, who would you ask for help?
- Would you ask your pet?
- Would you ask a friend?
- A relative?
- Who would you ask?
What Did We Learn Today?
Community & Civic Education
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Check-In
Good morning! What have you been thinking about?
High Priority Vocabulary
Objective: Identify which months go with which seasons.
Look at *Learning about Seasons. You should have received a printed copy of this.
Presenters: Open the document and share your screen. Read over the different seasons and the months that comprise each season. Talk about the different types of weather (and holidays) you can expect for each season. Ask participants to read the seasons and months.
Fill out your worksheet. Try to complete it first on your own, and then go over your answers with your group.
Show & Share
What is something that you have contributed to your community? Or, what is something that you can contribute to your community in the future?
For tomorrow's Show & Share be ready to tell us about someone you know, or have learned about, who contributes to your community in a way you appreciate.
Body Break
You know what to do!
Life Skills Story: Todd’s Secret
Objective: Understand the life skills story for the week. (Reading comprehension)
Presenters: If you didn’t read the whole story on Monday, finish reading it today. If you did finish it, prompt participants to recap the story’s main ideas before you do the quiz. Here are some questions that you may want to ask: Why did Todd go to the doctor? What did the doctor tell Todd? What was Todd’s secret?
Take the *Story Quiz for this week’s story. You should have received a printed copy of the quiz.
After you finish the quiz, check your answers. The quiz answers are listed at the bottom of this page.
Body Break
Stretch it out!
Thematic Connection: Dressing for the Seasons
Objective: Identify articles of clothing that are appropriate for different seasons.
Here is a little game we can play: Clothing: Hot and Cold Days.
Presenters: Open the link and then click the "PRESENT" button on the top right of the slide in order for the animations to work. Then share your screen. Ask participants if they should wear each item on hot days or cold days. Go in the numbered order. Click the screen after everyone chooses. The gray square will disappear and reveal the answer.
After you’ve finished that game, we have another game to play:
Round 1: Everyone, grab an article of clothing that would be appropriate to wear on a hot day. Then share what you grabbed and why it would be a good thing to wear on a hot day.
Round 2: Grab something that you would wear on a cold day and share why you picked it.
“Hot” and “cold” are words to describe temperature. Temperature often affects how we dress.
Precipitation also affects how we dress. Precipitation refers to rain, snow, and hail. When it’s raining, we usually need to wear special clothing. Conversely, if there is no precipitation and it’s really bright and sunny, many people will put on sunscreen, wear sunglasses, or use parasols (sun umbrellas).
Round 3: Grab something that you would wear on a rainy day and share why you picked it.
Round 4: Grab something that you would wear on a snow day and share why you picked it.
What did we learn today?
Story Quiz Answers
- B: Because of new insurance.
- C: He was embarrassed about the doctor saying he was becoming fat.
- A: It started out as work, but now it is fun.
- B: planner
- A: temperature
- C: Please excuse Jess Whintry from school on Friday, March 8th. She was home sick.
- A: 15 — Love
- C: pool in friend’s backyard
- A: Alice needs help because she learns differently.
Well Being & Social Connection
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Check-In with everyone
Good morning! Let's see who is an early riser and who prefers a later start.
High Priority Vocabulary
Take a look at our *Calendar Words today. Sorting the months into their correct seasons! You can do the sheet you got in your packet along with the
group.
Level UP Challenge: Sort the months again, but this time for the Southern Hemisphere. The seasons are on an opposite schedule in the Southern half of the globe. Use this link to learn about the seasons in both hemispheres
PRESENTERS: Zoom in by clicking the magnifier icon or CTRL and the + key.
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Show & Share
You have told us about your contributions to community. AWESOME. One more contribution we make is to appreciate the contributions of others. Can you tell the group about a person you either know, or have learned about, who contributes to your community? What makes you notice their work?
Tomorrow's Show & Share is about how we can learn about and get involved in a new community when we move or have other life changes.
______________________________________
<Body Break>
Life Skills Discussion Prompts
Choose 1 or more life skill to discuss or take action on from these.
PRESENTERS: Annotation is helpful. Participants have these prompts on the Wednesday page in the home packet.
Making a Regular Exercise Plan
Using this copy of a calendar page for this month, show exercise you have completed and/or plan to do.
Using a Planner
Make a list of activities that would make sense to write in a planner. Include activities from all parts of your life, such as personal, work, and school.
PRESENTERS: White board could work if you choose this one.
Scheduling Errands
Create a one-week calendar page. Working around your program requirements to include these tasks.
- schedule a hair cut
- a trip to a store to return a pair of shoes
- a stop at the grocery store to get brownie mix
- and a run over to a friend’s house to say hi.
Recognizing and Accepting Authority
In this story, which people are authority figures for Todd?
Being Honest
By not telling his mother about his exercise activities, do you think Todd was being
secretive? Is being secretive the same as dishonest?
Using Community Resources
List the community resources involved in this story.
Respecting People with Physical/Mental Challenges
Todd said, “I can’t let Kyle sit in a wheel chair and play better than me!” Does he mean that he respects Kyle’s playing ability and he will have to try hard to win? Or does he think the wheelchair automatically means he will beat Kyle?
<Body Break> Move around!
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Thematic Connection: Assessing Produce
Speed Round Word Search
How many of the hidden words can you find *in this word search in 4 minutes or fewer?
**TIP** Assign each person just one word to find and divide the work. You can use your home packet printout or help annotate the screen.
PRESENTERS: Share the screen to allow annotation then watch the clock. See how far they get without help. Then compare to the answers in this link.
Drawing OR Describing
For typically sighted people: Use the *printed sheet in your packet or a blank sheet of paper and draw a picture of your favorite vegetable (or fruit).
For low vision people: Use a vegetable or fruit you have at home and hold it, then describe to the group how you recognize it.
For everyone: What details do you notice about vegetables or fruit? What details tell you if produce is fresh or old? What might you see if produce is going bad? What senses besides vision are necessary to choose fresh produce?
PRESENTERS: Get across the idea that touch, smell and weight and even sound (melons, cucumbers) can be important ways we judge produce. Our eyes don't tell us everything.
Casually a Fruit
First identify all the fruit *in this sheet. You can do it in a time limit to make it harder.
LEVEL UP CHALLENGE--Officially a Fruit:
There are all kinds of food that we think of as vegetables that are actually a fruit. Can you guess which items in the worksheet you just did are usually CONSIDERED vegetables, but scientists call them fruit? Compare your guesses to this list.
______________________________
<Body Break> Move it friends.
What Did We Learn Today?
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Self-Advocacy, Rights & Responsibilities
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Check-In with everyone
Hello! Do we all feel well- rested?
High Priority Vocabulary
Today we are figuring out what months our important dates fall on. Click the link to the worksheet here : What Month?
PRESENTERS: Open the document and share your screen. Read over the questions and talk about what math skills you might use to figure out these important dates.
Game Break!
Time to test our calendar reading skills with a MATHSFRAME game!
PRESENTERS: Make sure to select the correct settings in the beginning of the game (mm/dd/yy)
Show & Share
How do we get to know our new community when we move or have other life changes that take us away from our old community?
Tomorrow's Show & Share is:
Remembering your old communities. Where have you lived before? What do you remember about those communities? Bring any pictures.
<Body Break>
Important Dates
What are some important dates that you keep track of?
Presenters: Ask participants to recall what month their Annual meetings fall on. Is it always that month? Why might it change?
Here is a list of 50 ways to use a planner.
Life Skills Story Questions/Quiz
Presenters: Review the story from Monday or finish reading it today. Prompt participants to recap the story’s main ideas before you review the questions.
(ANSWERS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE)
As a group, read, discuss, and answer the Life Skills questions from Story 6 (Set1)
<Body Break>
Thematic Conncection
A deeper dive into ADA Tile I — what it is, what’s a reasonable accommodation, how it applies can apply to clients, filing complaints
Remember : ADA Title I: This section prohibits employment discrimination. That means a company cannot refuse to hire you just because you have a disability.
Here is some more information about ADA Tile I
and "Reasonable Accomodation."
What are some examples of "Reasonable Accomodations?"
Has anyone experienced getting an accomodation in the workplace?
Who might we ask to get a workplace accomodation?
What Did We Learn Today?
Quiz Answers:
1) A
2) D
3) A
4) C
5) D
6) A
Knowledge & Fun With Friends
Friday, August 28, 2020
Check-In with everyone
Hello! Today we are going to take it to a positive place.
"When we can't change anything else, we can change our minds."
How about a song about that topic.
High Priority Vocabulary
Take a look at *this worksheet together. Fill out on paper at home, or work together on a shared screen, or mix and match.
Show & Share
When we are little we have a different idea of our community. We think our neighborhood is just our block, or our neighbors are the only people in town. Share what you remember about the communities of your childhood. If you have any pictures, share them if you like.
Next week Show & Share will focus on: PAID WORK!! Monday we want to know all about your FIRST job.
<Body Break>
Life Skills Story *Activity Sheet
Use the calendar to make a 1-month plan for exercising. Do the link as a group to show a sample.
**The people who got the sheet at home can make it a personal plan to really use.
These tips help make it achievable.
- Plan 2-3 days a week. Don't overcommit
- Start small, slow and easy - if you haven't been exercising regularly, start with simple things like walking and shorter times like 10 mintes.
- Break up movement over the day — 10 minutes a few times on an exercise day instead of an hour all at once.
- Choose activities you really like. If it's not fun you won't do it.
- Make it social, like comparing your exercise with a friends later to see who did the most, or walking past a friend's house to wave at them through the window.
- Plan a reward for the end of the week if you fulfill your plan.
<Body Break>
Thematic Connection
Well being includes social connection. Did you know that people with strong social ties:
- live longer,
- are healthier,
- are happier with their lives,
- and sleep better?
We can support friendship by learning how to focus on positive aspects of life. Friends are there for us when we struggle, but friendship is also about sharing joy and having a good time.
This page is full of inspiration for joy.
Look at the beautiful art work and positive messages together. See if you have some favorites.
PRESENTERS: Open the page in a shared view and as a group, choose different posters to click on. Discuss the messages you find.
This is an alphabet book by the same artist and author about how to take care of ourselves, now and at other times. PRESENTERS: Scroll down to see the pages in the pdf.
Or you can choose a coloring page together and color it in with the annotation tools. PRESENTERS: Scroll down to see the pages in the pdf.
PRESENTERS: you can paste this link in the chat for anyone who wants to download and print coloring pages. https://positivelypresent.typepad.com/files/illustrated-inspiration-coloring-book.pdf
<Body Break>
Better Searches Online
Learning better ways to do searches can
- Give you better results and options
- Exclude things you don't want
- Help you stay focused when you're online
- Keep you safe online
First, we're going to search for:
- Swimming Monkeys (look in Videos)
- Pet wigs (look in Images)
For EXACT results you need QUOTATION MARKS "these things"
To EXCLUDE something you need the minus sign -
PRESENTERS: Share a screen so everyone can see a web browser with a search field. You can type or copy-paste the searches below.
Point out how the results change with the special searches.
Plain Search: swimming monkeys
You'll get results that have monkeys and/OR swimming--you may have to scroll down a bit to see it
Exact Search: "swimming monkeys"
You'll get results that have BOTH swimming and monkeys together in that order
Excluding Search: "swimming monkeys" -baby
You'll see that any videos before that had a baby monkey are no longer coming up.
Plain Search: pet wigs
Exact Search: "pet wigs" THEN "wigs for pets"
Excluding Search: "pet wigs" -Amazon
- What might we want to exclude from a search?
- When might we want an exact search? (names of people, product numbers for instructions...)
Do some of your own silly searches if you have some extra time.
Have a wonderful weekend.
What Did We Learn Today?
