SUMMER LEARNINGA S P E C I A L E D I T I O N N E W S L E T T E R F O R

G R A C E F A M I L I E S A S W E H E A D I N T O

S U M M E R !

J U L Y 2 0 2 0

WHAT 'S I N S IDE

All Hands On Deck ! Check out

these non-screen activities for

the summer ! (pages 1-2)

Bring Social Back to Distancing :

Learn about social-emotional skills

and how you can help your child

at home . (pages 3-4)

Build Your Own Calendar ! Use

the link and document

provided to plan summer

activities for your children

from this article ! (page 4)

ALL HANDS ON DECK !

Get your child(ren) into summer mode with

these fun , hands on , engaging , tech-free

activities !

G R A C E N O T R E D A M E O F D E P E R E S C H O O L

JULY 2020 PAGE | 01

Education, Post-Quarantine

It is no secret that the digital learning

period required a large emphasis on

technology and reliable internet access .

However , as we begin transitioning out of

quarantine , we will see a period

where "there will also be lesstechnology" as a way to take a break from

the screens we 've all come accustomed to

during this time (The Conversation , 2020).

Take advantage of these screen-free fun ,

yet educational , activities this summer !

" I t w a s y o u w h o s e t a l l t h e b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e e a r t h ;

y o u m a d e b o t h s u m m e r a n d w i n t e r . "

- P s a l m 7 4 : 1 7

G R A C E O U R L A D Y O F L O U R D E S S C H O O L

GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER

JULY 2020 PAGE | 02

The Great Outdoors

One of the best ways to get

some screen-free time is to get

outside . Not only does getting

outside promote a healthy

lifestyle , but there are great life

skills engrained in many of the

games and activities you already

normally do ! Some great

outdoor activities include :

Plant a garden and keep a journal on it 's progress .

Go geocaching near your home to tone those navigational

skills and knowledge of latitude and longitude .

Go berry or fruit picking at a local farm . Learn about the

nutritional value of the foods and maybe even make

something with them !

Keep a bird watching log and record the birds you see in

your backyard or while on a hike .

Find more ideas here !

Become an Artist

Art naturally lends itself to a

screen-free environment . With a

few simply supplies (that you

might already have around your

home), you can encourage your

child(ren) to unleash their inner

creativity ! Even take the art

room outdoors by using some

unique art supplies !

Become a photographer ! Take a walk and snap some

amazing shots . No need for fancy cameras use a phone or

an instant camera .

Set your imagination wild with a cardboard box . What can

you create? A house? An Instagram background?

Become a naturalist artist and draw what you see . Go in

your backyard , a park , or a room in your house . Take time

to notice the details of the space or item .

Find more art ideas here !

Build on those School Skills

Summer is a great time to delve

into topics and content areas

that deeply interest your

child(ren). Take this time to seek

out subject area focused

activities that will spark interest

in your child(ren) and inspire

them to learn more ! You could

also choose one subject area

and theme a whole day of

activities around it too !

Design and run a make-believe business . Design the logo ,

signs , determine what you would sell or provide as a

service , etc .

Learn about the history in your city and/or town . Many

hiking trails have historical signs and landmarks . Visit

historical buildings (even if you can 't go inside).

Produce your own cooking show for your family . Choose a

recipe and invite your family to watch you make it step by

step as your live audience . Finish it off with a taste test !

Make your own or practice a musical instrument .

Find more school skills ideas here !

G R A C E F A T H E R A L L O U E Z S C H O O L G R A C E S T . J O H N T H E B A P T I S T S C H O O L

GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER

JULY 2020 PAGE | 03

BR ING SOC IAL BACK TO D I STANC ING

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Due to this pandemic experience that led to months of digital online learning as opposed to

face-to-face classroom instruction , "well-being will no longer be dismissed as a fad" (The

Conversation , 2020). Social-emotional learning will now be an integral part of classroom

instruction to not only take care of our students ' academic needs but also their emotional

ones . Social-emotional learning will now be seen as a "essential precondition forachievement, especially among our most vulnerable children" (The Conversation , 2020).

Take a look at the information below to see how you can support social-emotional learning

over the summer to set your child up for success for the upcoming fall .

FOCUS ON RECONNECTION

Bringing connection back to day to day interactions and

tasks can make a huge difference in a child 's stress levels .

Many times children are able to pick up on parent (or

teacher) stress and then get stressed themselves . To help

minimize the focus on stressful feelings , try doing this

simple , easy tasks together with your child(ren).

Children , teachers , and families have missed the socialization that normally comes with a

traditional classroom environment . Bring some of that back this summer to promote social-

emotional learning and health with these activities and strategies .

G R A C E S T . B E R N A R D S C H O O L

Take walks together . Encourage your child to talk about

what they are feeling .

Get outside and play ! Fresh air and exercise are natural

stress reducers .

Journal together . Whether your child is old enough to

journal alongside you or you write down what your

younger child wants to say , spend some time writing .

Write things you 're grateful for , feelings you 're currently

having , things you 're looking forward to , etc .

See more ideas here !

G R A C E H O L Y C R O S S S C H O O L

GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER

JULY 2020 PAGE | 04

G R A C E H O L Y F A M I L Y S C H O O L

BU I LD YOUR OWN

SUMMER ENR ICHMENT

CALENDAR

Set your child(ren) up for a great start for the

2020-2021 school year . Encourage learning , skill

building , and more during the summer . Even

have your child(ren) help select the activities !

DEFINE A SCHEDULE

Knowing what 's coming up can provide a lot

of comfort and security in a rapidly changing

world . Sitting down and creating a schedule

with your child , especially if change is hard

for them , may ease their anxiety . When

creating your schedule , consider the

following :

Try to create and maintain a consistent

sleep cycle for your children . Getting the

rest they need can help their emotional

well being for the next day .

Plan meals together . If possible , have at

least sometimes when the family can sit

down together , talk , and eat . Encourage

children to help prepare the meal with

you if appropriate !

Go outside . Getting some fresh air

everyday can help get some of that built

up anxiety out and promote creative play !

See more ideas here !

TEACH SKILLS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Not all learning occurs in a classroom . Many

life skills including social-emotional ones are

experienced and modeled in your day to day

life . Keep this fact in mind when going

through daily routines or doing certain tasks .

It might be a great teachable moment for

your child !

Be present . Think about the task you 're

doing right now? Could your child

participate or learn a life skill from it? Take

advantage of those moments and create a

memory !

Skills you can teach at home are

everywhere ! Cooking skills , study skills ,

and even organizational skills can all be

practiced through household tasks and

chores .

Model what you do to help show your

child the process of doing things , such as

making a to-do list for the day .

See more ideas here !

FREE GRACE PLANNING CALENDAR

Use the calendar linked here to plan your

summer activities ! Try to include non-screen

and social-emotional ones listed above . Have

a great summer !

Contact Team Curriculum!Have questions about GRACE curriculum

or anything in this newsletter? Contact

either Laura Blicharz , GRACE Curriculum

Coordinator at lblicharz@gracesystem .org

or Kay Franz , Director of Teaching and

Learning at kfranz@gracesystem .org .

We look forward to seeing you in the fall!