In this live, online community circle, students will practice social-emotional skills and explore a variety of virtues such as patience, kindness, and perseverance through story time, meditation, and crafts. This is an ongoing course that occurs weekly. Students can enroll and unenroll at any time.
Each week, community circle will begin with a check-in giving everybody time to share and connect. The teacher will read a story and ask students reflection questions about the reading to provoke thought and encourage community sharing. We will practice a meditation related to the virtue learned in the story and finish with a fun craft that ties together our learning.
The story, meditation, and craft will rotate each week. The teacher will list an outline for 4 weeks of classes at a time so parents will know well in advance of craft materials their child will need for class. Parents are welcome to buy the books read in class but it is not required.
2 Sections are being offered so be sure to check the schedule for your section. Teacher will be on vacation Sept 28-October 2. There will be no classes this week and subscribers will not be charged.
Weekly Schedule
The Very Impatient Caterpillar
This week we will read a story about a caterpillar who has difficulty remaining patient while he transforms into a butterfly. We will talk about the virtue of patience and discuss ways we can be patient in our day-to-day lives. We’ll practice some meditation exercises that promote patience and make a butterfly craft.
Materials needed: Pipe cleaners, pom-poms, googly eyes, popsicle stick, and glue.
Moody Cow Meditates
This week we will read a story about a moody cow who has a bad day and struggles to control his anger. His grandfather comes over to help and teaches him how to calm himself down using a mind jar. We will make our own mind jars in class and practice deep breaths while we watch the sparkles float to the bottom of our jars. We will share our feelings, discuss the virtue of temperance, and talk about managing our anger in healthy ways.
Materials needed:
- Jar with lid (You may consider plastic over glass for small children)
- Glitter (The more colors the better.
- Smaller sparkles work well)
- Water to fill up the jar
- 4 drops of clear liquid dish or hand soap
- Bottle of glycerin
The Little Engine that Could
This week we will read a story about a little engine that worked hard, had a positive attitude, and refused to give up. We’ll discuss the virtues of optimism and perseverance, practice meditation with positive affirmations, and we’ll make our own “I think I can. I know I can” train.
Materials needed:
- Poster board (your child can choose the size)
- Construction paper (the more colors the better!)
- Markers
- Child scissors
- Glue
The Giving Tree
This week we will read a story about a tree that loves a little boy so much that she will give everything she has to make him happy. We will discuss the virtues of generosity and service and share about ways that we have helped others or others have helped us. We will practice a gratitude meditation and make a giving tree craft.
Materials needed:
- Green, red and brown construction paper
- Markers
- Child scissors
- Glue
