Photos from KC's amazing photography elective. We love seeing what our students choose to shoot around their homes.
We're starting an SBMS weekly photo contest! Check out the theme and directions for submission below under Friday Activities!
|
|
It's the SCOOP for April 16, 2020
Your weekly news from Santa Barbara Middle School
|
|
|
Today we kicked off our first virtual Cups and Questions for parents (
video recording here
) and were able to receive valuable feedback about how things are going. We will continue to host Cups and Questions on Thursdays at 9am for parents to ask questions and offer feedback. We look forward to seeing more parents at the next one!
As we move into May, we will be expanding and evolving our Distance Learning Program to a 2.1 version. We'll be looking into more
asynchronous
lessons to avoid Zoom burnout
and expanding our electives to include cooking classes, Pilates and more hands-on activities. Please see IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS for updates, improvements and added features of SBMS's DLP 2.1!
We are working closely with our COVID-19 Task Force, which consists of
Mark Richmond
, MD, Emergency Medicine;
Sunita Beall
, MD, Internal Medicine and UCSB Student Health Physician;
Lynn Fitzgibbons
, MD, Infectious Disease specialist, Department of Public Health and member of Direct Relief Medical Advisory Council;
Michael Bernstein
, MD, Internal Medicine;
Erik Nielsen
, Director of AAPLE Academy and member of the SBMS Board's Risk Management Committee; and others to determine a realistic timeline and shape our plans for the coming months. We hope that there will be a chance to host some type of reimagined version of community events including Songfest and Rites of Passage in June. The school will keep everyone informed as we make decisions towards getting back to some sense of normalcy.
Please check out Bianca's Blurb throughout our distance learning phase as it will focus on supporting your teen and family throughout this challenging time.
|
|
ZOOM UPDATES
In an ongoing effort to create a safe and productive environment for our students, we want to add all students to the SBMS Zoom account. This will enable us to strengthen the security for our Zoom meetings, and broaden our capabilities by making more features available to us.
Your student will receive an email from Zoom in the next day or so asking them to join the SBMS Zoom account.
Please accept the invitation
and follow the prompts to create an account and be added to the SBMS account. If you do not see the email from Zoom, please remember to check your Junk folder. That’s it!
ZOOM P.E. CLASS
On
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3pm to 3:45pm
, we will be offering an optional Zoom P.E. class. We are aware that many families are taking the opportunity of these longer days to go on hikes, beach walks and bike rides around the neighborhood, so you are not required to join in, but it is encouraged that students join when it works with their family's schedule.
The classes will begin with a 10-minute warm-up, followed by a new workout each week.
You don't need much to participate:
- A 10 ft. x 10 ft. area. Inside or outside (If space is an issue, students can modify movements to accommodate what they have.)
- A yoga mat. This is not required, but good if you have one.
- Wear comfortable workout / athletic clothes
- A jump rope. Any piece of rope around 7 to 8 ft. long will work if you do not have a jump rope.
- Several students received one in their care package. If you did not and cannot make one from what you have at home, email erik@sbms.org, and we can drop one off for you.
FRIDAY ACTIVITIES
As we move deeper into distance learning, we are going to be adding some further offerings on Fridays. Some will have set tune-in times for a Pilates or cooking class. Others will be videos or worksheets that you can access at any time to learn guitar or start an art project. Don't forget the
Carpe Diem Bucket List is also full of activities to do each Friday and into the weekends. Check back in the SCOOP each week for new Friday offerings!
Photo Contest
Join us for our weekly Photo Contest. It is open to everyone. We will announce the theme and the previous week's winner in the Scoop and social media. Have fun. Be creative, and give us your best shots! This week's theme is
Portraits
. Take a portrait of a person, your pet, a doll, or be creative.
When shooting your portrait, consider the light on your subject. Do you want a strong light to create shadows or soft, even light? Also consider the direction of the light. Do you want your light source to be from the front so it lights the whole face or maybe from the side which will give you a different effect. There is no right or wrong here. It is personal preference and is up to you how you want the portrait to look.
Pilates Class
Coming next Friday! We'll be launching an SBMS exclusive live Pilates class with Michele Lee. Parents and students are welcome to join. More details to come.
Beginner Guitar
GET YOUR STUDENT INVOLVED IN YEARBOOK CLUB
In the Yearbook Club, we get to create a piece of history! We get to create a very special book for our school that we will treasure forever. In this club, we create original art, arrange page layouts, and collect awesome pictures of friends and classmates. If you love to do calligraphy/creative lettering, fun little drawings, cool watercolors, and collages, then we need your help!
We meet T/Th 2:45-3:30pm with Sophie and Colin. Sign up with
Erik
.
CALLS TO FAMILIES
Lilli will be calling to check-in on each and every one of you to see if there is any additional support SBMS can provide during this time. We would just like to make sure everyone is doing well and staying healthy. She looks forward to speaking with you all!
|
|
BIANCA'S BLURB
Today I read an interesting
article
about common ways that children are reacting during this pandemic. One common thing they noticed in younger children is regression, specifically regression toward being little. Young kids are needing their parents more, not sleeping well (or wanting to climb in bed with the parents like when they were little), and there may be potty training regression. For teenagers, they mentioned that irritability, defiance, and clinginess might be manifesting more so than normal. For some of you, you might be thinking, "But my teen was ALREADY irritable and defiant! Now there's more?" It's a stressful and anxious time for all of us and children struggle to articulate their feelings more than adults. Couple that struggle to communicate with a teenager's lack of willingness to communicate with their family, and that can lead to feelings of frustration, hence the irritability and defiance. Simply put, our children (just like us adults) are overwhelmed. So what can we do? Here are some tools you can try. They may work some days and not others, but they're helpful to keep in mind.
- Connect- find a moment to be physically close with your child and just check in with them. We might be housebound with them for hours on end, but make it a point to really connect with them without the cell phone or computer screen nearby.
- Know the signs and give extra support- Teenagers will likely act out stress by lashing out. Instead of scolding your child for not acting as maturely as you think they should, offer extra support. Say things like, "I know this is hard. Yes, this sucks. You're feeling frustrated or lonely. Tell me more."
- Create some sort of structure- I know creating routines is terribly hard right now, but hopefully having school has helped to a certain degree. The teenage brain craves structure and limits so try to be consistent with things like exercise or outdoor time. Even little things can help like showering before school and turning off devices at a certain time every day.
- Move- Teenagers need exercise as a way to get out of their mind and into their body. Whether it's a quick run, bike ride, walk, yoga session, or dance party, make sure your child is moving. This will increase endorphins and improve focus later.
- Seat time- I recognize that the kids are sitting for a few hours a day while ZOOMing. If your child struggles with this (they probably did at school too), then I recommend making a DIY standing desk or offering to replace their chair with an exercise ball for a couple of classes per day. Another trick is placing an exercise band around the legs of the chair. Children can expend energy by pressing down on the band.
- Practice self-care- Please be sure to address any of your own stress as our kids are super perceptive and attuned to our feelings. Journal, meditate, exercise, get outside, call a friend or family member, or do some deep breathing exercises -- these can all be hugely beneficial.
Look back at all of Bianca's Blurbs
here
.
|
|
UPCOMING PA MEETING
Join us for the first virtual PA meeting next Tuesday, April 21 at 9:15am
. Dave Mochel will be talking to us about "Staying Grounded Amidst Uncertainty.“
In this interactive workshop, educator, neuroscientist, and mindfulness expert Dave Mochel will provide tools for responding peacefully and powerfully to anxiety, stress, challenge, and change. Participants will be provided with specific, research-supported strategies for remaining grounded and resourceful in the midst of uncertainty. There will be time for practice as well as time to share observations and ask questions.
Dave Mochel's Bio:
Dave has done extensive mindful self-regulation training with thousands of faculty, staff, and students. After a twenty-year career teaching neuroscience, human development, and mindfulness in independent schools, he founded Applied Attention Coaching and Consulting. His clients have included SBMS, Colorado Academy, The Urban School, Albuquerque Academy, The University of Wisconsin, Subaru, Bank of America, and The Federal Reserve Bank. He has served as a lecturer at Stanford’s School of Health and Human Performance and holds degrees in biology, geology, and Humanistic and Multicultural Education.
You can watch his TEDx Talk here
.
Additional Resources:
Zoom PA Meeting
Click on
ZOOM LINK HERE
to join the zoom meeting next Tuesday morning.
|
|
THE WEEK AHEAD
Monday, April 20
Tuesday, April 21
9:15am PA Meeting on
ZOOM
3pm-3:45pm NEW P.E. class
Wednesday, April 22
Thursday, April 23
9am Cups and Questions on
ZOOM
3pm-3:45pm NEW P.E. class
Friday, April 24
Pick a Friday activity from the Carpe Diem Bucket List. Share your photos with us!
|
|
|
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY HAVES + NEEDS
SBMS is working to highlight ways for our school families to collectively make a difference for those in need in our community. If you'd like to get involved, you can find the full
Haves + Needs list linked here
, with this week's top ideas highlighted below. This list will be continuously updated, so if you have suggestions to add, please send them to
Phoebe
.
Support local recreational shops!
|
|
WANTED: SPRING & SUMMER MENTOR FAMILIES
Our Admission Team is excited to be welcoming in a whole new group of awesome and excited kids and families for our 2020-2021 school year. We are looking for current SBMS “Mentor Families” to serve as a more personal point of contact and to offer an additional connection to our wonderful SBMS community for these new families.
What does being an SBMS Mentor Family entail?
- We will team you up with 1-2 new families to “mentor."
- An email or phone call to introduce yourself — and eventually a virtual Zoom meet up
- Come summertime, provided our social distancing restrictions have been revised, we encourage mentor families to host a summer event where all of the kids and parents can get to know one another at a beach day, hike, etc.
- Our SBMS Mentor Families stay connected with their new families well into the first half of the year, offering some advice on all things SBMS - trip prep, the HUB, how to get involved, etc.
Please email
Sue
if you are interested in being one of our awesome SBMS Mentor Families.
FYI
- We won’t begin making Mentor and New Families connections until the end of May, so this program won’t officially launch until mid-June.
SBMS SOCIAL
We love seeing what students are up to during their free time and during distance learning classes and electives. Send us your photos for social media so we can share how you and your family stay busy!
(
Instagram
,
Facebook
,
YouTube
)
|
|
FROM THE PARENT ASSOCIATION
I remember thinking when we were first given the stay at home order, how are we going to do it? How is my family going to spend so much time together under the same roof with no activities, no social events, no sporting events to keep us busy? Our travel plans for Spring Break were not going to happen. What were we going to do for 2 weeks with nowhere to go and nothing to do? So when my husband suggested renting an RV and going to the Grand Canyon, I was totally onboard. We would take our quarantine on the road in a self-contained RV. So we wiped the RV down with disinfectant, packed up everything we needed for the week, and hit the road. It was an amazing trip with biking, hiking, and playing games together as a family. We got home and reflected on our fun adventure thinking…so glad we were able to get away together.
I’ve never been much of a “homebody” and have always liked to stay busy. Unfortunately, sometimes that means overbooking myself and my family. On several occasions my children have asked, “Why can’t we just stay home?” These quarantine days have made me realize how important it is to stay at home. Why do we need a trip to keep us connected as a family and spend quality time together? Curling up and watching a movie together, sitting by the fire and making s'mores, playing cards, or just spending extra time at the dinner table talking as a family have become moments I've come to cherish these last several weeks. I have told myself that our new normal, post coronavirus, will be more “at home” family time.
If you have an activity or challenge that you have started in your house during quarantine, we’d love to hear about it! Email me at
debbiepopovich@hotmail.com
and we will share it in the SCOOP (feel free to include pictures).
Hope you found the
Cups and Questions
session this morning a great way to reconnect with other SBMS parents and ask any questions you have. If you have any feedback on the virtual parent space, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me,
debbiepopovich@hotmail.com
.
Stay healthy and safe,
Debbie Popovich
PA Chair
|
|
ON THE HORIZON
In addition to the Spring Auction being canceled, we have also canceled the dates for Songfest, Whitneyfest, and the Spring Drama Performance. We hope that there will be a chance to host some type of reimagined version of these community events including Rites of Passage in June. The school will keep everyone informed on new dates or virtual events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
