​As parents across the nation find themselves adjusting to the new reality of extended school closures due to COVID-19, new questions and challenges arise every day. Below are some ideas and resources that we hope will help answer some of those questions and provide creative solutions to some of the common challenges facing parents of school-aged children. Please feel free to comment below with additional resources and ideas!

Without information, kids worry more. Below are resources that you might find helpful that talk about sharing information with your kids about COVID-19.

• Check out FAQs from trustworthy sources: (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korea, Tagalog, Arabic, Farsi, Cambodian, Russian, Japanese) 
• Prepare before talking to your kids about COVID 19: Talking to Your Kids About the Coronavirus;  (English and Spanish) and Talking to Children about COVID-19 (English and Spanish)
• Use age-appropriate language: Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
• Provide information via a children’s comic: Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus (available at this link in Chinese, Spanish, Braille, Finnish, Bahasa Indonesia, and Italian), or watch a video together: Answering Kids’ Questions about Coronavirus

During this period of social distancing, feelings of concern or worry are completely normal. Below are resources that you might find helpful when managing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Practice de-stress techniques that will benefit you and your kids: How You and Your Kids  Can De-Stress During Coronavirus
• Take proactive measures to address stress, such as limiting access to news about COVID-19 for yourself and for your child: Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19
• Consult a trusted guide for more specific concerns: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information and Resources, or keep this list of tips on the fridge: Parenting During COVID-19
• Seek additional support via text: Crisis Text Line
• If you are sheltering in place with someone who abuses you, remember that there is help: Staying Safe During COVID-19 (or: call 1-800-799-7233 or text LOVEIS to 22522 for English or Spanish).
• Read about more ways to stay calm or calm down: 50 Calm-Down Ideas to Try with Kids of All Ages, and parenting young children while practicing self-care: Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care
• Taking care of others can be a great way to stay connected and relieve stress. Some ideas include making art for older adults in your life, writing letters to neighbors or teachers, and learning about helpers in history, (some examples are Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, Winona Laduke, and Kam Wah Chung). 

Educators and child psychologists strongly suggest determining a schedule and sticking to it, to provide structure, normalcy and safety for time together at home. Wake up and eat meals at the same time every day. Here are some resources and ideas from Seneca educators, social workers and parents that you might find helpful when structuring time at home:

•  Create and maintain a schedule: Sample Schedules For Kids Home From School During Coronavirus Outbreak | HuffPost Canada Parents
• Clarify what rules apply: house rules or school rules. If there are additional expectations, make those clear as well, (example: Please don’t interrupt me while I'm on the phone, but you can interrupt me while I'm typing emails.)
• Remember that during the Shelter-in-Place Order, (available in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese), walking, hiking and running while practicing social distancing are allowed!
• Contact your students’ teachers or district to access school-specific online learning programs and educational materials, and remember, teachers are still working during this time.

Extended time at home is a great opportunity to support your students’ education while encouraging engagement in their specific interests.

• Look into free K-12 Learning Materials from Scholastic: Scholastic Learn at Home (English and Spanish)
• Check out a documentary together: 10 Documentaries to Watch with Kids this Summer
• Play a developmentally-appropriate math game: We Are Teachers - Math Card Games
• Attend a virtual story-time with a public library: Brooklyn Public Library Calendar
• Explore science: Mystery Science
• Check out Bay Area-specific, learning-at-home resources from KQED: Learn-at-Home Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Utilize Public Broadcasting Service’s large free library of videos and interactive lessons, organized by subject area and grade level: PBS Learning Media
• Use this document of shared resources for virtual learning in emergency school closure that was co-authored by educators from around the world, and organizes most of its resources according to age categories.
• Assign an age appropriate writing prompt: 50 Writing Prompts for Elementary School Children
• Get inspired by this homeschool curriculum for 2-7 year-olds with Other Goose, or consider ways to help middle and high school kids stay engaged: Home-Schooling Tweens and Teens During Coronavirus Closings

Art projects and activities can break up the day, encourage creativity, and engage different learning styles.​​

• Complete a drawing tutorial on YouTube with Art for Kids Hub, or art projects organized by grade level with Free Art Projects
• There are also hands-on teacher created activities: Best Hands-On Activities for Families (Teacher Approved!)
• Go on a virtual field trip: Virtual Field Trip List; Visit the zoo: San Diego Zoo for Kids or the aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium Live Cams
• Plug into a kid-friendly podcast: Podcasts for Kids
• Bake easy things: 20 Easy Baking Recipes for Kids to Start With!
• Make playdough: How to Make Playdough Recipe
• Interview a grandparent or family member via facetime and write what they learned; make a family tree; or, write a letter to a cousin, religious leader, or teacher!
• Find activities for toddlers: Busy Toddler

Physical movement is important for kids and adults, and can help manage stress, work out extra energy, and promote general wellness.

• GoNoodle offers a wide range of activities that appeal to kids of differing ages, interests, and abilities: GoNoodle
• Just Dance!: Just Dance on YouTube
• Stretch with some yoga: Cosmic Dance
• And don’t underestimate the power of some time outside: Top 5 Benefits of Children Playing Outside. Build in time to take a walk or visit a park during the structure of your day!

A lot of the resources listed here require access to the internet and a computer, laptop, iPad or smartphone at home. Comcast has announced new free access to WiFi networks nationwide to help families stay connected during this time.
 
Remember that these are extraordinary times and there is no “right” way through this situation. We encourage you to do what feels best for your family, whatever makes sense for your children and their unique selves, and to make space for the things that support your family’s mental and emotional health. 

​As we settle into a time of slower pace and create innovative ways to provide services to kids and families, our SOAPS program is also considering how we are spending this time to support ourselves and connect with one another. Our first week of remote work included various food drop-offs to families, academic support via FaceTime, tele-therapy sessions, and ensuring that families had supplies such as diapers, formula, and more for their little ones. This time has also included moments for teams to connect and reflect in meaningful ways.
​
​SOAPS’ individual school teams met multiple times last week to be in community with one another outside of the often-chaotic classrooms and milieus that they typically support. Teams spent this time checking in with each another, gauging the current needs of their students and families, and deepening their equity lens by choosing accessible resources to discuss.

School teams collectively decided on different documentaries, articles, and book sections to engage with, then had a discussion based on what they read or watched. Teams grappled with the different ways that the pieces were difficult to consume, various points of resonance, and connections between their chosen resource and the work that we do. 
​
Documentaries that teams watched included 13th, The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson, The Mask We Live In, and the Trial of Gabriel Fernandez, most of which can be found on Netflix. Through these meetings, teams discussed the many ways that it is important to advocate for their students and keep them safe in a system that does not center their needs.

In addition to building community with and deepening our equity lens, team- and individual- supervision meetings also centered around self-care. How do we not just care for others, but care for ourselves in a time that can feel overwhelming? Mental health counselor of Prescott Elementary, Ronni Pelley, began compiling a list of activities to support folks in doing just that:

MUSICAL HEALING
There are many artists holding virtual concerts/musical healing through outlets such as Instagram and YouTube. Check out the up and coming artist Lizzo, and how she responded to the overwhelming occurrence of fear in our society here. Try creating a shared playlist with friends! This is a way to be in community while hearing what your friends have been listening to.

ANIMALS 
For those animal lovers out there, try checking out EXPLORE.ORG to watch live streams of whatever cute fuzzy creature you would like to see!

APPS
There are several great Apps you can access through your phone that provide different techniques for mindfulness, musical meditation, self-care, and provide news updates:

• Calm App: *This App does have a cost; however, you can access some things on it for free:
  • Guided Meditation 
  • Sleep Aides
  • Mental Fitness (one of my favorites is the Lebron James series)
  • Breathing Exercises 
    • Scenery Sounds
  • Classes (regarding pain, trauma, confidence, etc.)
  • Music
  • Calm Body (exercises and stretching routines)
• Spotify: This is a good way to find different perspectives on mental health and find amazing music! One playlist recommendation is by RZA called Guided Explorations. Search it and give it a try!
• Podcast: This podcast kid-friendly, has regular updates from local and international reliable news sources, and has some great audio series! One example is The Punies, A Children's Guided Story with Emphasis on Life Skills, created by Kobe Bryant.

I researched mental health services through the CDC website, and here is what they say:
Take the following steps to cope with a disaster:

• Take care of your body – Try to eat healthy well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Learn more about wellness strategies for mental health.
• Connect with others – Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member. Maintain healthy relationships and build a strong support system.
• Take breaks – Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try taking in deep breaths and consider doing activities you usually enjoy.
• Stay informed – When you feel that you are missing information, you may become more stressed or nervous. Watch, listen to, or read the news for updates from officials. Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media. Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information, like your local government authorities.
• Avoid too much exposure to news – Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to repeatedly hear about the crisis and see images. Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible, and check for updates between breaks.
• Seek help when needed – If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor, or contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

There are also video resources offered at: https://tools.cdc.gov/medialibrary/index.aspx#/media/id/302245

​These are just a few ways you can support yourself in these times as we support our students and families as well. Have other great ways that you have been getting by while socially distancing? Send them my way to Mackenzie_boyle@senecacenter.org.
 
Take care of yourselves, and each other!

Another brisk cool morning in Oakland, I stood next to my student, bending my knees to look into their eyes. My knees had not grown weary of the numerous times I have lowered my body to converse with a student eye to eye. This morning, at Lazear Charter Academy, began with a series of exploratory questions of my student's physical & emotional well-being. However, today this student, amid the brisk air and cold metal rail that spied on this interaction, would say something different. The student said something I did not expect. The student told me…

In his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, Professor Mark Brackett, Director of Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, discusses the importance of creating holistic education that does not just focus on academics, but addresses the emotional needs of children. In 2019, Greater Good Magazine interviewed Dr. Brackett, which mentioned how he “led the development of
an emotional skills building program called R.U.L.E.R.”
 
Children’s Television Host and Advocate Fred Rogers once said, “feelings are mentionable and manageable.” Allowing others to talk about feelings with trusted people creates a positive difference in the school environment and culture.
Below is an excerpt from the book Permission to Feel by Professor Brackett that briefly outlines the 5 emotional skills as part of the R.U.L.E.R program:

1. Recognize – “Recognize our own emotions and those of others, not just in the things we think, feel, and say but facial expressions, body language, vocal tones, and other non-verbal signals.”
2. Understand – “Understand those feelings and determine feelings and determine their source - what experience actually caused them - and then see how they’ve influenced our behaviors.
3. Label – “Label emotions with a nuanced vocabulary.”
4. Express – “Express our feelings in accordance with cultural norms and social contexts in a way that tries to inform and invites empathy from the listener.”
5. Regulate – “Regulate emotions, rather than let them regulate us, by finding practical strategies for dealing with what we and others feel.”

In the GGM interview, “Brackett says we need to encourage more emotional expression - not less - and that we should teach emotional skills to people starting from a young age”, which is needed in our schools and society today.

… with a sudden pause, looking at me with curiosity. The student inquired,

​What may seem as a simple question is actually a great opportunity for deeper intrinsic connection between two people. The way I respond can make all the difference in role modeling the importance of earnestness when it comes to our feelings. We know children “don’t do what we say but do as we do.” A question like, “how is your day?” from others, usually constitutes a “fine,” “good,” or “alright” answer, but what does that tell our children about our value to feelings?

​Our age-appropriate responses to one another can make all the difference in creating generational social-emotional awareness and demonstrating to our children that emotions are signs of our humanity, rather than our weakness.

In the spring of 2019, the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Department invited interested representatives from Santa Clara County school districts to visit our Unconditional Education (UE) partnership at Verde Elementary in Richmond.  Fremont Union High School District was among those districts who attended the tour and applied for a UE partnership.  Beginning in the fall of 2019, All-In has been proud to be in partnership with Fremont High School in Sunnyvale.  
 
Fremont High has an enrollment of approximately 2,100 students who reflect the diversity of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara County.  61% of their students speak a language other than English at home, with over 60 languages represented.  While FHS has a team of talented mental health providers on campus, the school identified a clear need to provide more support for students in need, particularly students in the general education program.  In September 2019, our Seneca team, composed of Clinical Intervention Specialist Kayla Antes and Bilingual Student Support Assistant Abraham Munoz Godino, began working to serve the school community.  In supporting the students on their caseload, Kayla and Abraham work closely with families and teachers, to create as much consistency and cohesion as possible in the treatment teams. 
 
One of our missions in providing mental and behavioral health to students on campus as opposed to an outside clinic is accessibility and flexibility.  There is a great benefit to students having consistent scheduled weekly sessions at school to practice tools of communication, reflection, and self-regulation.  In addition to the scheduled weekly sessions, our students at FHS know that the Seneca Center hub on campus is a place where they can go if they’re experiencing stress or challenge on a given day and could use some support.  If neither of our staff are available at that moment of need, students can leave a note for our team and/or send a text message to our staff requesting support at the staff’s next opportunity.  In this way, our team can be responsive to the needs of our student caseload and provide a Wellness Center-type space for them, which is something our team and the school would like to expand upon as we move into the 2020-21 school year. 

​Extending the secondary benefit of the services we provide is a key priority area. In addition to support provided in our Seneca Center hub, Kayla and Abraham provide push-in support in the classroom as needed, which is a great support for our focal student and also for the teacher and classroom as a whole.

We are excited to continue our partnership with Fremont High into the 2020-21 school year and to expand our support to more students in need.  A significant number of newcomers have joined the school community this year after their journeys of immigration, and we want to partner with the school in broadening and deepening the range of supports those students and their families can access.  We are also looking at ways we can provide capacity building and support for more teachers and staff.  We’re grateful for the partnership with FHS and Santa Clara Behavioral Health and are excited for what the future holds in this collaboration.

​Name: Kayla Antes
Position: Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I found this position on LinkedIn while I was finishing up my MSW and thought why not get ahead and apply! Little did I know I was about to start my next professional journey. I have always enjoyed being involved in school-based supports and thought Seneca would be a good fit and new challenge for myself. After reading more about the agency's values and desire to unconditionally serve their clients, I immediately felt connected. Professional development, specifically working towards my LCSW, has always been important to me and I appreciate Seneca's desire to support their employees in their growth. It is important to be the best clinician I can be for my clients and am thankful to work with a team of professionals that have that same passion and drive.
Fun Fact/Quote: "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think" -Christopher Robin
What does your average day look like? In the morning, with coffee in hand, I take a lap around campus as students are going to class and take the opportunity to greet my clients and whoever else with a smile. I pull sessions periodically throughout the day, pop into classrooms to support teachers, and steal minutes when I can for documentation. My favorite parts of the day are those spent with my clients.
Why do you do this work? I am passionate about positive youth development and giving a voice to those who feel as though they can't speak for themselves. I find so much joy in empowering others to see they are capable of being their own biggest advocate. Part of the reason I love school-based services stems from my belief that education is one of the most powerful tools individuals can use to change their situation.

​Name: Beverley Saechin
Position: Student Support Assistant
What led you to your current position? I have been working with children, adolescents and college students for multiple years now. I have a passion for working with kiddos and students in the education world and wanted to make a bigger impact in children's lives. I have worked with many kiddos dealing with emotional, social, and behavioral concerns and was always curious about how to effectively work with them to help them push through these concerns. So I found Seneca - which is all about mental health and unconditional education and wanted to explore what it was like and how to specifically impact these kiddos lives in the educational system and help them succeed in school.
Fun Fact/Quote: I studied "Adolescence in Europe" and "Child Development and Diversity: Children in a Multicultural Context" in Copenhagen, Denmark where I had opportunities to travel around Europe during my study tours and learn about different school systems, different populations in the schools, and the many lifestyles of the children in different countries.
What does your average day look like? I pick up my kiddo from the bus and bring him to the cafeteria to grab breakfast as a way to start his day healthy and happy. During this time, we have check-ins and create small goals as a way to help client understand his expectations and what he needs to work on for the day. I work mainly with first graders and have one specific kiddo that I'm usually with throughout the day in the classroom, but would go around and help with other kiddos if needed. I support my kiddo with learning how to demonstrate emotional regulation and to replace his risk behaviors with different interventions. Once the kiddos are dismissed from school, I'm in the office or outdoors (if it's a beautiful day) typing up mental health notes, sending daily emails, and inputting data into Apricot as a way to end my day.
Why do you do this work? I have always believed that education is the key to living the dream. Education is one of the most powerful tools anyone can have and no one in the world can take that away from them. I do this work so I can beat the education system that are failing these kiddos for dealing with trauma in a different way!

​Name: Matthew Kang
Position: Student Support Assistant
What led you to your current position? I was led to do the work that I do after I had graduated college and had worked multiple corporate jobs. I had a realization that I really had no passion or drive to do the same mundane work that I felt wasn’t making much difference in my life. In college, I had been passionate about community advocacy work and providing support in lower socioeconomic communities. I had yet to find an opportunity in the Bay Area that had aligned with the work that I had done in New York while in college. I was recommended an opportunity at Seneca by a close friend of mine that I had worked with in the past. After hearing her passion for her work and what her day to day looked like, I became instantly excited to explore more about the opportunity. I really connected with the message that Seneca modeled around with Unconditional Education and the work that they do in the community throughout the years.
Fun Fact/Quote: I love to participate in food eating challenges when the opportunity presents itself.
What does your average day look like? My day comprises of barely being awake in the morning while moving at the speed of a panda to get ready and having coffee to jumpstart my day. My commute to work allows me to catch up on a podcast called The Daily which lets me stay in touch with the current events. I get to work and start the workday with preparing behavior trackers and check ins with the clients. I find time to get in documentation and take self-care breaks/naps spruced in between the day. I often either am on my feet when called for client support or pushing in the classroom during scheduled times. I will try to finish out the workday with documentation, getting ready for meetings or binge eating snacks/candy. After the work shift, I travel to the San Mateo area where I do instructional work for kiddos that play baseball. I’ll often work for another 2-3 hours doing that and get back home around 8pm or 9pm. I eat like a sumo wrestler for dinner and pass out on my bed to start the wonderful journey all over again.
Why do you do this work? I feel as though this work has helped find a purpose in my life and I really do look forward to coming to work every day. I have an amazing team over at Rosemary Elementary and it has been a blessing how amazing my coworkers are. I love that I can continue to provide compassionate and quality support for the clients that I work with every day. Seneca has also motivated me to push more towards advancing my professional development. I’m also thankful to be a part of the USC Embedded Program in the hopes of becoming a clinician for Seneca. I want to continue this passion for my work for many more years to come.