Talking About Mental Health, Environmental News, and FSL News
Talking about Mental Health – May 7-11 is Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being Week!
Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being Week is about promoting mental wellness, increasing awareness of child and youth mental health, decreasing stigma and understanding that support is available. Let’s improve everyone’s mental health and well- being!
The theme for Child and Youth Mental Health and Well-being at UGDSB is: Have a SUPER Week!
Social Connections
Understanding Emotions
Personal Health
Empathy
Resilience
Each day of the week will focus on a different aspect of Mental Health and Well Being. The schools will be provided with resources and activities related to each day’s theme.
As a parent, you can increase the Mental Health and Well-being of your children, youth and family too! Here are some suggestions:
- Monday May 7 –Social Connection – “Don`t be shy. Just say hi!“
- Say Hi to 3 people that you do not know. Perform a random act of kindness.
- Tuesday May 8 – Understanding Emotions – “Sad, glad, happy, mad – just be you”
- Right now, stop and reflect on how you are feeling. Take a couple of moments as a family to do some deep breathing. http://youth.anxietybc.com/how-do-it Now, how are you feeling?
- Wednesday May 9 – Personal Health – “Healthy Self. Heal-thy self”.
- Wear green today to support Mental Health Awareness.
- Did you know that how our bodies feel affects how good we are feeling? Three of the best things you can do to improve your mood is to exercise, sleep well and eat well. Go for a walk or play a game, get outside, turn off the devices an hour before bed and eat fresh food! The more you do to help your body feel good, the better you will feel!
- Thursday May 10 – Empathy – “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody”.
- When in doubt – be kind. Try seeing something from another person`s perspective today.
- Friday May 11 – Resilience – “If Plan A doesn`t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters!”.
- Mental Health and Well-being means coping with the ups and downs of day to day life. Building more resilient thoughts and skills can really help. Children and youth can also find support by seeking help from caring adults. Take time now to talk with child or youth about who those caring adults are in their lives.
For more information about Mental Health and Well-being and interactive activities with your children and youth:
Mind your Mind (online) www.mindyourmind.ca/Interactives
Fun, interactive options for de-stressing for youth.
Smiling Mind (Free App) smilingmind.com.au/
An app that guides you through simple, calming meditations.
GoNoodle (Free App) https://www.gonoodle.com/
Environmental News: Please read the attached.
Environmental Newsletter Insert May 2018 (2)
FSL Newsletter
“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.” — John Marshall
In education we strive to teach our students how to become effective communicators so that they are successful in their future endeavours whether in English, French or any other language. Oral communication skills in French including listening, speaking, and interacting, are not unlike oral communication skills in your first language, however, oral communication in French does require attention to a different sound system, new vocabulary and at times an understanding of contexts or cultures that may differ from those of your first language.
How do educators teach oral communication in a second language to a diverse group of students that are at different stages in their oral language development?
Teachers know that the acquisition of oral language typically follows a developmental sequence. They understand that students need to hear the language repeatedly before they will begin to speak it. When students enter immersion or core programs they typically do not have an oral foundation in French. This foundation is created through an emphasis on listening and speaking in authentic contexts to build vocabulary and learn various forms of the language so that students can understand and convey meaning. Hearing and using high frequency words and expressions, learning vocabulary in context, building phonemic awareness, creating environments rich in talk, as well as engaging students in listening activities are all strategies used by teachers to support students in becoming confident oral communicators.
Teachers also support students by modelling effective oral communication, guiding students through oral communication activities, and providing many opportunities for students to practice oral language. As students enter immersion and core French programs they are beginners in the language and diverse in the skills they bring to school. Teachers provide high structure and meet students at their developmental stage to best support and move students forward in their language learning.
How can parents support student oral communication at home when they don’t speak French?
One way to do this is to speak with and listen to your child in their first language. In the Ontario Ministry of Education document “Supporting your Child’s Success in French Immersion and Extended French – A Parent Guide” it states “Helping your child develop a broad vocabulary in English, or the language you speak at home, has added benefits. It helps develop thinking skills, teaches your child to communicate with precision and provides more opportunities to make
connections with French.”
Research also shows that oral communication skills are transferable across languages. For example, understanding how to vary volume, pace and vocabulary to suit a purpose and an audience is a skill that is transferable to French.
Another way to support and motivate your child is to help them see that French exists outside of the classroom. Watching French television, listening to French radio, borrowing French DVDs and materials from the library and travelling to French speaking regions are all ways to experience French outside of the educational context.
What happens when students are not moving forward in their oral language development or parents have concerns about student progress?
Discussing your concerns as soon as they arise by speaking with your child’s teacher and then examining appropriate courses of action and supports as a team are important first steps.
It is important to remember that a student who struggles to communicate orally in French can achieve a level of proficiency and that supports should be explored before considering more drastic measures. French as a second language programs are for all students. Promoting this belief helps to create a supportive environment where students feel more confident and can be successful.
Further Reading:
- Capacity Building Series. “Teaching and learning in the Core French Classroom”. The Ontario Ministry of Education.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/CBS_Core_French.pdf
- Capacity Building Series. “Let’s Talk about Listening”. The Ontario Ministry of Education. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/Talk_about_listening.pdf
- What Works? Research into Practice. “Supporting Early Language and Literacy. Dr. Janette Pelletier OISE, University of Toronto. The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat.
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/WW_Early_Language.pdf
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