Support the transition to virtual learning and help students think critically and compassionately about what they see online.

Best Tools for Virtual and Distance Learning 

How to Help Kids Sort Fact from Fiction About the Coronavirus

Emotional Support Resources:

• 7 cups of Tea:  

(www.7cups.com)

• Crisis Text Line:

(www.crisistextline.org)

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

• Trans Lifeline:

1-877-565-8860

• Plumas County Behavioral Health (PCBH):

Phone: 283-6307 (24/7 access); (https://www.plumascounty.us/87/Behavioral-Health)

• Plumas Rural Services (PRS): 

Phone: 283-3960 ext.858; (email: [email protected])

• Healing Minds: (http://healingminds.com/)

• Private Counseling: 

Mike Rabe: https://lakealmanorfamilycounseling.com

• Trevor Project (LGBTQ):

1. Self-Care quiz: (https://click.thetrevorproject.org/quiz/self-care-with-the-trevor-project/?utm_source=Master+Contacts&utm_campaign=fa3fb13476-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e8d7ceff05-fa3fb13476-32821993)
2. Homepage: (https://www.thetrevorproject.org/)

• Healthy Coping Skills:

1. Talking with friends
2. Spending time with pets
3. Listening or playing music
4. Exercising
5. Writing in a journal 
6. Coloring or crafting
7. Getting adequate sleep
8. Having family game night
9. Noticing when you need a break...and taking it!
10. Focus on your breathing

• Stress relief activities your family can try together:

Here are some stress-relief activities that families can try together:

Get moving

A great stress-relief activity for families to do together is to exercise. Physical activity has been found to reduce fatigue, improve alertness, enhance concentration, and benefit our cognitive functions. This is important and helpful when our energy has been depleted by stress. Challenge your family to go for a walk, throw around a frisbee, ride bikes, or shoot some hoops together to sweat away stress from the day.

Have a laugh

There is a lot of truth to the adage that “laughter is the best medicine.” Laughter releases endorphins, stimulates your organs, and releases tension in the body. As a family, watch funny movies or a silly cartoon, tell jokes, share hilarious stories, and make each other laugh and release tension.

Take a time out

In the heat of the moment, stress can affect our families in some surprising ways. Far too often, in the moment when we experience stress, we lose our cool, say harsh words, break down in tears, or completely shut down all forms of communication. In these situations, sometimes it’s best for everyone to step back and seek some time away from the stressor. When feeling stressed, give yourself permission to find something else to do for 20 minutes to gain your composure or practice techniques to feel less overwhelmed. This technique is beneficial for kids, too.

Break bread together

Make it a priority to sit down regularly and eat dinner together as a family. According to research at Columbia University, children who ate dinner with their families had lower chances of abusing drugs or alcohol and did better in school than those who didn’t. Mom’s meatloaf probably isn’t responsible for this effect, but being with caring people and talking about our day-to-day lives just might be. Eating dinner together creates the perfect opportunity to begin discussions, allows kids a chance to vent, and gives us plenty of opportunities to reassure our kids that everything will be alright.

Practice counting techniques

We can teach youth how to calmly count to regain their composure by modeling this technique when we are stressed. A few seconds spent finding our center can help us handle stress and avoid bad reactions to the stressor. Pick any random number, say 61, and slowly count up to or backwards from this number. You can challenge kids to count by twos or threes to help shift their mental focus onto the counting and stop stress in its tracks.

See a little green

Researchers have found a direct correlation between people’s stress levels and the amount of green space in their surrounding areas. It turns out when there is less green space, a person is more likely to experience stress. We can use this knowledge to fit in a little extra family time and head to the backyard, local park, or recreation area for a picnic, hike, or just an afternoon of exploring and appreciating the natural world around us.

Find social support

Stress-relief can come in many forms, but when we are expressing moments of great stress venting or leaning on someone can be a great help. Encourage family members to call a friend or reach out by sending a text or email. Sharing concerns and feelings with another person can help relieve stress. Just make sure the person you share your concerns with is someone you can trust and will understand your concerns. This might be a family member, close friend, or healthcare professional.

Craft up some fun!

Tap into your inner artist and paint, color, or sculpt away stress. Not sure where to start? Purchase an adult coloring book, buy finger paints, or register for a canvas painting class. Is someone in your family an artist? Have them teach the family their craft. Take a few minutes to relax your mind and create something in the process. (http://familyaware.org/stress-relief-activities/)

20 TIPS FOR TEENS BY TEENS

1. Text a friend you haven't talked to in a while/moved/lost contact with.
2. Play a game over FaceTime such as Heads Up, Yahtzee, Go Fish, Truth or Dare (you can get creative with this one).
3. Choreograph a brand new TikTok dance with a friend or group of classmates/or learn one.
4. Make a friendship bracelet and then mail it to a friend or someone having a hard time being isolated.
5. Make postcards and send them to friends.
6. Use "one second a day app" to record each day.
7. Take turns making dinner with the rest of your family.
8. Help younger siblings feel included (set up Skype for them to see friends, build forts, bake, etc.).
9. Encourage your younger siblings to reach out to 3-5 people they don't usually connect with, someone who might not have as many people checking in on them, text them and say hi!
10. Invite a classmate to join an exercise class (lots of free programs/challenges that span a few weeks).
11. Get your school sports team together and do virtual group workouts.
12. Send your friends voice memos, letting them know what you appreciate most about them. They get to save it and replay it!
13. Watch live-feed online concerts together (lots of musicians are holding these).
14. Write down your thoughts, fears, and ideas in a journal. Encourage others who feel disconnected and anxious to do the same.
15. Learn or teach someone a new craft, such as macramé, henna designs, making dream catchers or bath balms.
16. Start a Zoom book club.
17. Challenge friends to games on Xbox or other gaming platforms.
18. Get a group of friends together and start a 30-Day Challenge. Check-in and hold each other accountable. Show your progress on Instagram.
19. Create a podcast with your friends.
20. Get a group of friends together and work on a video project. We made a video on activities you can do to keep busy while social distancing!

    Creative Collection:

    • Positive Images (clipart images: unity, happiness, health)
    • Coloring pages (daily or weekly; silly, thoughtful, characters, mandalas, complex, etc)
    • Positive Quotes (daily or weekly)
    • Word find (easy to complex)
    • Mazes (easy to complex)
    • Happy Songs (ask students to share title of their favorite song)

• National Parks list webcams:

(https://www.webcambiglook.com/nationalparks.htm)

• National Parks Service webcams:

(https://www.nps.gov/media/multimedia-search.htm#fq%5B%5D=Type%3A%22Webcam%22)

• Monterey Bay Aquarium webcams: (https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams)
• Aquarium of the Pacific:

(http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/exhibits/webcams/)

• The National Aquarium:

(https://aqua.org/Experience/live)

• San Diego Zoo webcams: 

(https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams)

• Houston Zoo webcams:

(https://www.houstonzoo.org/explore/webcams/)

• Zoo cameras around the world:

(https://zoocamerasaroundtheworld.com/)

• Virtually Travel with EarthCam:

(https://www.earthcam.com/)

• Get a virtual tour of 12 famous Museums: (https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?fbclid=IwAR1aaNTm1K0jSgREcUjpFDo9aU1Cvk6T1pJO9GO5SpGvot90Pc2V3TfkzDA)
• Brooks Gibbs video links:

1. How to stop a bully (Elementary school assembly): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oKjW1OIjuw
2. Student ATTACKS speaker (click bait, not really attacking, FFA conference with older students): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2rZux7QBII
3. The history of bullying in America (Bully used to mean “dear one, friend”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--GmlqZkODE&t=10s

• Common Sense Media Links:

1. Resources for Families during the Coronavirus Pandemic: (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/resources-for-families-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?j=7704934&sfmc_sub=170307016&l=2048712_HTML&u=143543079&mid=6409703&jb=468&utm_source=covid19_landingpages_jim&utm_medium=email)
2. NASA Visualization Explorer: (https://www.commonsense.org/education/app/nasa-visualization-explorer)
3. Movement apps, Games and Websites: (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/movement-apps-games-and-websites)
4. Best Nutritions, Health and Fitness apps: (https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-nutrition-health-and-fitness-apps-for-kids)

• Best Educational YouTube channels:

1. Liberty’s Kids: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHeaIWvdbER3Ic90BzhPsH2aJ5KI3UtmM)
2. Mark Rober: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgeXOVaJo_gkxfQYLohTWXpNejKwRsS5U)
3. Extra Credits Extra History: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5Aq7g4bil7bnGi0A8gTsawu)
4. Bill Nye the Science Guy: (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_zuNdsXRcfMThB81edcSxSYQqG_41JMg)
5. Crash Course: (https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse/playlists)

• Zoom video chat/group meetings (https://zoom.us/)
• Beyond Differences Tips for reducing social isolation (5th thru 8th grade):

1. Text a friend or relative and ask how they're doing.
2. Like and comment on a friend's post, leave kind messages, acknowledge them, let them know they are seen and appreciated, especially someone who doesn't always get a lot of attention online.
3. Video chat with your friends and relatives.
4. Send a friendly snap or group text to your classmates and friends.
5. Reach out to an old friend you haven't spoken to in a while and just say "hi."
6. Use the No One Eats Alone® Conversation Cards to create a fun group chat activity or post online and invite others to join in using the hashtag #IsolatedNotAlone.
7. Set up a webinar or FaceTime or skype and host a virtual party or study group.
8. It's your time to shine! Share your talents. Create a video or go live on social media and teach a new skill.
9. Create a virtual book club using a chat group or schedule a webinar.
10. Set up a phone or text tree and have each person check on three people every day.
11. Play online games with others. Encourage students to invite a new friend to play the game, maybe someone from school who they haven't yet had the chance to get to know very well.
12. Come together on Zoom or FaceTime to play music together.
13. Post something positive on social media that might bring hope to others during this stressful time.
14. Post a photo on Instagram or through a group text. Invite your friends to write a story together. Select the type of story (fairytale, historical, fiction). Write an introduction sentence to prompt creativity then tag a friend. Each person gets to add one line to the story and tag another friend. For students, the goal is to include everyone in your class.
15. Take the Pledge to Be Kind Online. Complete the statement: "I pledge to #BeKindOnline by..." and share on social media.