News of the coronavirus COVID-19 is everywhere, from the front page of all the papers to the playground at school. Many parents are wondering how to bring up the epidemic in a way that will be reassuring and not make kids more worried than they already may be. Here is some advice from the experts at the Child Mind Institute.

Many parents and teachers are wondering what to say to kids during these extraordinary times. We don’t want to scare kids, but we must be truthful and find ways to talk to them honestly and hopefully about COVID-19.

Dr Phil McRae of the Alberta Teachers’ Association invited his friend and colleague, Dr Michael Rich—Pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health—to discuss how parents and teachers can get through this together with our kids.

The resulting interactive PDF and online resource provide suggestions on what might be said to children and youth during the pandemic, what can be done to support our public health care system, and how we will get through this together.

This New York Times article details advice from experts on how parents can help teens be prepared and have the right information about the coronavirus.

Maintaining and communicating predictable routines is very important. Doing so helps students to maintain a sense of psychological safety—a sense that they can manage stress or connect with someone who can help them manage stress.

This Coronavirus Sanity Guide supports parents navigate children's anxiety about the coronavirus through practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. The meditations, podcasts, blog posts, and talks on this website will help build resilience and find some calm amidst the chaos.

UNICEF parenting page offers resources for parents about health, wellness, nutrition, and early stimulation for children

Sometimes life can be overwhelming and it can be hard to work through difficult times. This Virtual Calming Room was designed to assist in identifying different strategies for managing emotions.

Resource Links:
-Sounds and Music
-Visual Relaxation
-Guided Practice
-Colouring & Create
-Live Cameras
-Smart Phone Apps

WE Schools @home offers free online tools and resources to complement and support at-home learning. Developed for Grades K through 12, this weekly lesson package includes interactive and experiential curriculum-based resources, materials and lesson plans with an emphasis on well-being, social and emotional learning, service-learning and fostering resiliency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schools across the nation and contributed to a general sense of uncertainty and anxiety. Join Ricky Robertson as he discusses ways to care for our well-being and support others through this challenging time.

The Well-Being & Well-Becoming in Schools in Canada Research Initiative brings to you a collection of readings and resources that can help educators promote teacher and student mental health and well-being during the pandemic. In this page, you can also find helpful links to organizations and institutions which have also put similar initiatives in place, and the contacts of scholars who are willing to provide talks for professional development in the area of teacher and student well-being.

This amazing resource from http://www.ehwc.ca/ Elsipogtog Health & Wellness Centre examines staying well as it connects to the medicine wheel with a FNMI perspective.

This video series from The Sun West DLC examines several simple tips and tricks that students, parents, and teachers can use to assist with their emotional, physical, intellectual, spirtual and social wellness.  Each video is approximately five minutes in length. 

As a society, we have been on a trajectory that is simply not sustainable. Perpetual economic growth is impossible and GDP is a poor measure of a country’s wellness. Mother nature has been crying out for help to no avail. Our school systems are outdated. Our values are out of whack. We worship the wrong heroes. We are overly materialistic and have forgotten the simple pleasures, the things which matter most. We are connected but more disconnected than ever. What if the Coronavirus is the ultimate pause and reset button?

Looking for fun things to do in winter that students will love? Discover activities to help reflect, recharge, and get moving!
Winter Fun activities for all ages - preschool, k-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Includes challenges, videos, games and all kinds of engaging activities.

A Year of Wellness for Middle Years was created by Sun West School Division teachers involved in the Mental Wellness PLC to support integrating all areas of wellness into the daily lives of our students and enhance their wellbeing. This resource includes monthly activities connected to the Middle Years leaning outcomes for each domain of wellness: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual, and Social. Students can work on this project independently, with their family, or as a class!

A collection of short 5 to 33 minute videos for yoga for anxiety relief.
You've got this!

This website includes various information on the following:
-Multiple illnesses (addiction, bulimia, personality disorders and many more)
-Wellness (positivity, self care, skill building and transitions)
-Tools
-Blogs
-Interviews and more

Life can be stressful. Over two thirds of people report that their day-to-day stress is unmanageable. But the good news? Stress itself isn't always a negative thing! We can actually use stress to motivate us when tackling our daily challenges. But because it's hard to think clearly about managing stress when life gets tough, thinkFull exists. By providing tools and techniques, thinkFull helps you understand your stress and work towards a healthier life through personalized tips and suggestions. thinkFull will help you take control of how you deal with the stress in your life.

How we became thinkFull
TELUS, a Canadian Telecom provider, is committed to giving back to the community. A year ago it launched its first ever Social Enterprise competition to encourage entrepreneurial and community spirit amongst its team members. We were chosen to be part in this initiative and our passion is to drive change in the area of mental wellbeing.

Each of us at thinkFull has a personal story to share about difficult circumstances, life transitions, and the stress that accompanies it. As our reliance on smartphones grows, we believe that we can harness their utility to help others manage stress more effectively. In collaboration with a number of volunteers and supporters like Dr. Stan Kutcher, CMHA BC, Here to Help BC, mindyourmind, MJB Technologies and Kelty Resource Centre, we have been able to make this app available to you.