A little art and culture...

From our HS/IB Theater Arts teahcer, Mr. Pádraig Downey

In case anyone needs a dose of culture, Please click here for a list of over 100 FREE Theatre plays/Ballets/Operas recorded live, with links for free access from top theaters all around the globe (compiled by Alisa Kalyanova). 

Coronavirus: UAE group offers free online mental health consultations

Tired of being confined at home, stressed by social distancing? Is news about the COVID-19 pandemic getting to you? Well, you can now seek free-of-charge mental health consultation online.https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/coronavirus-uae-group-offers-free-online-mental-health-consultations-1.70721912

*This service is not endorsed by GEMS Dubai American Academy. This is purely for informational purposes.

It's ok to be overwhelmed!

We are all in this together...but it's ok to be overwhelmed. This article highlights the other side of the coin...where it's ok to not 'make the most of the lockdown' and shrug off the pressure of instagrammable quarantine moments. Be kind to yourself!
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/prescriptions-life/202003/covid-19-it-s-ok-feel-overwhelmed-and-be-unproductive

YouTube for education

Just like Netflix...YouTube also affords you an opportunity for education. Please be careful though as YouTube can allow kids to be subjected to adult content or other inappropriate imagery. Make sure you have your safety settings on. The article shows you how to set them up as well. Please see the post on the parent tab for a full list of educational YouTube channels.
https://homeschoolhideout.com/educational-youtube-channels/

Fun Family Time?

“GIANT LIST OF IDEAS FOR BEING HOME WITH KIDS”

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o6kEgCKLn3cyIm2hehhhSTIk7yRTd0C3zx49JS4wwCI/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR0iMx8UXwB-G4BSLRYCmOwP32XDIsK5mr6240DtgZp_nBt98Fej-lQcdmI

Deep Breathing for reducing anxiety

We are all experiencing various levels of stress and anxiety at this time. We may be worried about loved ones in a different country, remote learning, missing friends and social interaction, our health, working from home, financial strain...and the list could go on and on.
We are in this together and will make it through with stronger bonds and more resilience that we thought we had... we just need to remember to breathe.
Deep measured breathing is a fantastic way of getting re-centered and calming all the systems in our body. It can clear the mind and allow us to focus better.
Please find some resources below to help with deep breathing techniques.

8 Breathing Exercises to Try When You Feel Anxioushttps://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercises-for-anxiety


A Guided Deep breathing video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcCdiGBd4ok


A simple breathing visualization that you can follow along with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXItOY0sLRY

Just a moment of inspiration to start your day off. We will get through this together.

Managing your mental health during a crisis

In these stressful times, it's easy to try to turn your attention to others in your family and tasks that you have to accomplish only to become quickly overwhelmed since your emotional reserves are at a low point. 

Please take some time to practice stress management and self-care so that you are able to support those around you.

https://blog.ohiohealth.com/managing-mental-health-during-a-crisis-covid-19/

Let's visit a museum...virtually!

Just because you're staying at home...it doesn't mean you can't see the world!
As many touristic sites across the globe have closed their doors temporarily...they have made themselves available...VIRTUALLY!
Follow this link for virtual museum tours.
https://www.parents.com/syndication/museums-with-virtual-tours/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article&utm_content=20200315

Just some daily tips to cope with these unprecedented times as we begin week 2 of remote learning.

Balancing working from home and remote learning

Working and learning from home is a new experience for all of us. There are definitely a lot of growing pains associated with it...but with patience and a sense of humor, we will all get through this.
Joe Szynkowski: A WorkHappy survival guide to working remotely … with the kids at home
https://thesouthern.com/business/local/joe-szynkowski-a-workhappy-survival-guide-to-working-remotely-with/article_7b86a6c9-6683-5a68-8177-48ff85075c53.html

Making quarantining less isolating

The Art of Socializing During a Quarantine

Being cooped up at home will likely prompt feelings of loneliness no matter what, but these strategies might help make the experience less stifling.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/03/coronavirus-quarantine-socializing/608020/

Some more Kindness stories - to start your day in a positive way

A video clip with more acts of what CNN dubbed Corona-kindness.
It features people stepping up and supporting others and ironically, finding a way to be more 'connected' with each other than ever.
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/03/19/coronavirus-acts-of-kindness-savidge-pkg-vpx.cnn

Organizing your space to learn from home.

This applies to both our children as they move to remote learning and ourselves and we adjust to working from home. 

Remote learning can present a challenge in terms of not having an organized space and routine like you do while at school. Follow some of the tips in this article to help you.
https://www.utep.edu/extendeduniversity/utepconnect/blog/april-2017/7-ways-to-organize-your-study-space-for-success.html

Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety

This article contains some great practical tips for coping with the anxiety that you may experience due to the global situation. 
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/coping-with-coronavirus-anxiety-2020031219183?fbclid=IwAR1X3UoqBa1Jyy6DKx8ZljplX9jIphxew8X0yJ3t-P30W-0Uk78RewbMSKk

A heart-warming way to start your day

Some inspiring stories of kindness in a time of COVID-19.

https://www.womansday.com/life/inspirational-stories/a31668524/coronavirus-acts-of-kindness/

Just taking an opportunity to reframe some thoughts

Parent-teen Connect

This is a useful platform that is brought to you by the same company that created Second Step – which is a social/emotional learning program that we use heavily in our homeroom classes.

It gives parents an opportunity to connect with each other and discuss challenges associated with raising teens. Connecting online with others who are sharing our struggles is tailor-made for the current global situation we all find ourselves in.

https://www.parenteenconnect.org/

Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters

Because of coronavirus, teenagers are missing out on major rites of passage. Offering compassion paves their way toward feeling better.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/well/family/coronavirus-covid-teenagers-teens-parents-kids-family-advice.html

An interesting read. 

NETFLIX and...learn?

We know that your children will be spending quite a bit of time studying...but we also know that they will also be on Netflix a LOT! Of course, they will want to watch their favorite shows and series...but why not throw in an educational program every now and again. There are over 150 educational shows on Netflix...check them out!
Please see below for a list of topics...and for a full list of the specific shows plus other homeschooling tips, you can find the full article linked on the parent and student pages.
Animals
Earth & Nature
Space
Presidents
History
Dinosaurs
Documentaries
Entertainment
Geography
Food/Nutrition/Health
Mystery

How teenagers can protect their mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This article has been placed on the page for students as well...

Some great pointers for taking care of and managing the stress anxiety and possible loneliness that comes with remote learning and facing a worldwide pandemic.

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-teenagers-can-protect-their-mental-health-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Go Peer Tutoring

Remote learning can present many challenges, one of which is lack of peer connections and support. Go Peer pairs students from Harvard, MIT, UC Berkeley to give free tutoring to K-12 Students. Check it out

https://medium.com/gopeer/students-from-harvard-mit-uc-berkeley-give-free-tutoring-to-k-12-students-229cff0e3464

Counselor's Corner Newsletters

We hope that the first day of remote learning went smoothly!
We just want to draw your attention to that fact that we have added a page with all of the Counselor's Corner newsletters that have been shared this year and will continue to add to them as we publish new ones.
Stay safe and healthy!
Mira & Frank

Taking care of our mental health during these stressful times.

These are two fantastic resources that highlight the importance of taking care of our mental health and provide fantastic tips for doing so! 

A wealth of information about all things COVID-19 and how to take care of our mental health as well as that of our children. A truly fabulous website!

https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/

This one is for the kids. 

Taking care of your mental health while struggling with remote learning and fears surrounding COVID-19.

https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/

Both will be included on the appropriate pages. Stay healthy and calm :o)

Welcome to the world of Online Learning!

Dear lovely Middle School parents,
We know what a difficult and uncertain time this is. We appreciate that you may be struggling with anxiety and confusion. We are here to support you and will all get through this together. As the DAA community embarks on an online learning journey, we, your friendly neighborhood middle school counselors, wanted to stay in touch and support you as well as we can. We will be using this blog to post helpful articles for both our parents and students. 
Feel free to follow this blog, using the 'Follow by Email' tool on the right. 
Be well and Stay Healthy!
Mira & Frank