With a grant from The McLean Community Foundation to support Stress Less, Laugh More campaigns in McLean-area schools, JAF supported Franklin Sherman Elementary School in putting on a series of three mental health-centered weeks:
- Laughter Week in April
- Calm Week in May
- Service Week in June
See below for a more in-depth look into each of these weeks!
While celebrating Laughter Week, FSES students helped put up some bulletin boards:
Calm Week is encapsulated in this write-up sent out to parents:
Hey parents! Are we getting stressed out as the pace of spring activities picks up and the school year winds down? What do we do to calm and relax when we feel tension building up? Are we good role models for our children when it comes to stress management? If you feel you could use a little help with stress reduction, you’re in luck. Our children will be learning useful techniques for dealing with stress as Franklin Sherman eases into Calm Week, May 9-13. Teachers and staff will introduce the calm theme and work with it all week, drawing on resources like breathing exercises, gentle movement, and relaxing music. Similar to what FSES did during Laughter Week in April, FSES will create big bulletin boards where schoolmates can post a “selfie” depicting their favorite way to de-stress and let go of worries. Children who would like to bring in a selfie of themselves de-stressing will be asked to deliver their pictures to Ms. Scharl by Friday, May 6. Ask your children to teach you some of the techniques and practices they are discovering, and practice them together at home!
In addition to that description, this article was provided for its “tips to reboot the way you help your children handle stress.”