Garden City School Library: Welcome to School and SEL

• Introduction: Welcome the students with the "Choose Love" language for being ready to learn: 
  
  “Before we begin, let’s get ready to learn. Let’s bring our hearts, minds, and bodies into the same room. Sit up nice and straight but not stiff. Put one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Let’s take a nice deep breath in together, and let it out slowly (breathe). Let’s do another breath in and out (breathe).  And, one more (breathe).” 
  
  “Everyone focus your attention on me.”
  
  “Repeat after me, Eyes watching.” (Pointing to your eyes)
  
  “Ears listening.” (Cupping hands around your ears)
  
  “Voices quiet.” (Finger in front of lips)
  
  “Bodies still.” (Fold hands in your lap)
  
  “Hearts and minds open.” (Make your hands in the shape of a heart in front of your chest, then point to your head and open your arms.)
  
  Start learning names.
  
  
• Readaloud and discussion: Point out kids who were Rude Cakes and kids who were Giant Cyclopses while you were doing attendance. Then read Rude Cakes by Rowboat Watkins. Ask the kids to recount examples of the Rude Cake / Giant Cyclops behavoirs, and how to be Cyclopses at school.
  
   
• Activity: Cut and paste jaunty little hats onto a cyclops outline you trace from the book. In the past I have tried Matthew Winner's headband craft, but that was in pre-COVID times. 

• Review: How did the past week go? Does anyone have an example of Giant Cyclops behavior they experienced? 
   
• Readaloud 1: Before reading No Fits, Nilson!, by Zachariah OHora, ask the students what it means to throw a fit, and how you can calm yourself down to avoid one. Then read the book, noting the strategies that the characters are using.
  
  You can have the kids practice doing "brave breaths" for when they feel themselves getting worked up. You can use this visual from the Choose Love site.

• Readaloud 2 if time and student wiggliness allows: Explain that sometimes it's really hard to be in a good mood, and it's ok to be a little grumpy sometimes so long as you don't take it out on others. Read Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang. 

• Activity: Practice walking from the story area to the projection screen area. K will only sit on the floor this year - tables will be used for stations.
  
  Then play the Mood Walk from Go Noodle, followed by the Kiboomers Emotions Freeze Dance: 
  

• Stations: Kids can choose an activity from the following. Depending on how time is going, they can rotate or just wander from table to table or barely get anything done. 
   
  • Color Nilson "READ" poster (since it's in color, I traced it and made copies) 
     
  • Read books in the FEELings basket
     
  • Cut and match the face to the emotion
    

Goes with Gratitude of Choose Love Curriculum. 

A Little Thankful Spot readaloud

What are we thankful for? Diane Alber's web site has a free download with a list of categories.