To begin this lesson I introduced the concept of mindfulness as being more than an empty mind but rather focusing on the present and staying in the moment and being in the now. Shared a video on Mindfulness from GoStrengthsOnline called Teaching Mindfulness to Children At Home and In Schools. We discussed other ways we can be mindful in addition to sitting and meditating or doing deep breathing. Introduced the concept of mindful colouring – focusing on the now (What am I doing now? What color am I choosing and what part of the image will I colour with it?) I shared an image that I’ve been working on and discussed my colour choices the feelings I had while coloring it. Following their art work students used an iPad to record their colour choices and thoughts/feelings they had throughout the project.

- Make eating an event. If you feel like you want to eat, take the time to eat mindfully and with a focus on only the food you are eating. (Not watching T.V. or doing something else at the same time).
- Be mindful of how full you make your plate, by closely observing each scoop you put on.
- Once your plate is full to the desired amount take a moment to closely look at what is on your plate. Notice the colors, the textures, the shapes, and the aroma of the food.
- Next, take a moment to think about your body. Does your body feel hungry? Is your mouth salivating? Do you feel thirsty? Do you feel relaxed and ready to eat mindfully?
- While looking at your plate, take three deep slow breaths. Relax your body and prepare for eating.
- While eating, take your time in every bite. Chewing slowly, noticing the texture and taste in your mouth. Move the food around in your mouth and notice the different tastes on the different sides of your mouth.
- Chew each bite well, this aids in digestion as well as slowing eating down.
- Enjoy being in the present moment, and enjoy each bite you take. Think of peace, joy, contentment and happiness while you eat.
- Eat in silence if you are alone and think about the nourishment your food is providing.
- If with another, put on soft dining music, light candles and talk in soft tones. Talk about the food you are eating with one another. Talk about the flavor, color textures. Make everyday meals an event!
- There is no need to place your fork down between bites if it becomes a distraction. Do what feels comfortable to you. All you need to do is eat slowly, thinking about each bite and the taste.
- Eat until you feel the sensation of fulfillment and the feeling of hunger has passed.
- Notice your last few bites of food with as much intention as your first few bites.
- Upon finishing your meal, take a moment to notice that your plate may be empty or you may still have food upon it and that your hunger is satisfied either way and you have noticed this.
- Take a moment to feel gratitude that your hunger is satisfied and you have eaten a nutritious meal.
- Notice that you have been kind to yourself and feel proud of yourself for taking this opportunity to nourish your body.

"Let's take the time to pause, breathe and really take in what's all around us. This month we're encouraging you to take some time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life - like the way we eat, the things we notice or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future - so we get more out of the day-to-day. It can also help us identify what we're grateful for, which has been proven to help boost your happiness levels!"

Mindfulness is a form of brain training. It is training our brain to pay attention to where we want it to be. It is training our brain to not wander or be stuck on one thought but to be able to train our brain to go where we want it to go … and ultimately, be able to stay there for a while. The goal of Mindfulness Meditation is simply to get our brain to pay attention to the present moment, and what is happening ‘right now.’ But we must also be able to do this without judging our thoughts, ourselves, or others.
This resource includes:
- How mindfulness works
- Instructions to do it

This fall the grade K-4 teachers at our school decided to introduce mindfulness and the zones of regulation into our classrooms. We went to a workshop on the topic and were able to learn a lot. We thought that there were some specific students who would benefit from having tools to help them to cope with their day to day stresses, but also, that the student population as a whole could benefit from this.

In the first session of the Mind the Gaps series, intervention expert Mike Mattos will discuss the three essential academic outcomes of an effective multitiered system of support and four critical actions that leaders should take to embed these supports in the school’s master schedule.

Given months of remote or distance learning, this webinar will challenge participants to consider how to begin to prepare now for the critical targeted instruction that takes into consideration the impact of the recent disruption in face-to-face learning.

Assessment sits at the center of instructional decisions and multitiered systems of support that ensure student success. This webinar, featuring assessment expert Nicole Dimich, will provide guidance in how to design meaningful assessments and set up information that empowers teachers to be instructionally agile and students to be invested in their learning.

Ages: 6-7

Overarching Question: Is it normal to be anxious at school?

*Watch the video
*Complete the provided activities

Ages: 16+

Overarching Question: How do we define success and how does this definition impact our lives?

This 15 minute video explores how to leverage mini lessons to have great impact on learning for your students. Templates are provided for planning mini lessons as well. Mini lessons truly change (and set you and your students up to win) the game.

Great, short, engaging videos to explain all things about our awesome planet! There are tons of great animal videos here.
These videos can answer a lot of the "wonders" students have.

Great, short, engaging videos to explain all things physics to learners of all ages. Everything from Covid-19 to gravity to parallel universes!

PHYSICAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION, EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Mission: Maple Leaf takes you on a journey across time and space! Save the Planet Tontar by helping Ed the Robot complete a series of puzzles by taking a trip through some of Canada’s greatest scientific and technological achievements. Given Canada’s vast and varied landscape, natural resources and diverse population, what can we teach the rest of the universe… and beyond?

ABOUT THE SCIENCE
What do computerised braille, the egg carton, pacemakers, AM radio, and snowmobiles have in common? They were all invented in Canada!
Thousands of years ago, Canada’s Indigenous community overcame the challenges of how to farm in Canada's climate and how to communicate and trade without a commonly spoken language. They created ways to travel across the landscape, medicines to keep healthy and even games, like the forerunner to lacrosse. As early European settlers came to Canada, they learned from the indigenous People and built upon their ingenuity across the fields of health/medicine, transportation, communications, and agriculture. Back in the Steam Age (1830-1880), Canadians helped to automate the harvesting of crops, and even invented the lightbulb. The Electric Age from 1880-1920 saw a number of world-changing innovations coming from Canadian soil such as the creation of early sonar and radio. The snowmobile, walkie-talkie and electric wheelchair were just some of the inventions of the Automobile Age (1920-1950). The Television Age in 1950-1980 saw Canada making strides in the fields of space exploration and in medicine. During and since the PC Age (1980-2000), computer programming, nanotechnology, high-tech agriculture and virtual reality have benefited from Canada’s expertise. Canadians young and old are still having an amazing and long lasting impact on the world. What’s next?

A gamified resource that teaches students about healthy food, how to make healthy food choices, and how to interpret food labels and advertisements. Each lesson is a 'Mission' where students work in groups to create a Super-Human to defeat villains that are trying to take over the food system.

Note: Order the free kit beforehand.

This novel study was completed by embedding the principles of structured literacy with reading and writing activities for both sides of Scarborough's Reading Rope.  The ELA is a guide to personalize based upon the needs of your students. Aligning to a Saskatchewan theme, the students will also make connections to Indigenous Perspectives and the mistasiniy found in the prairies.  The driving question, "How are we all connected to the land", introduces a variety of resources connected to the story focused on all areas of education. 

Hank describes mitosis and cytokinesis - the series of processes our cells go through to divide into two identical copies.

In this project, student use oil pastels for the eyes and nose of their dog or cat, as well as a variety of paper strips layered for the background. Finally, they use paint to bring it all together!

Creators experiment with the sight and feel of different papers. Their infinite patterns, colors and textures are exciting and engaging to art students and art viewers alike.

Students experiment with creating texture a great deal with this cool turtle project!