School Closure Resources

The educational leaders and staff of St. Joseph County are committed to the academic, as well as, personal growth of our students and have put together resources that can help your child's continued progress throughout these next three weeks. We greatly appreciate all of the hard work and support you provide your child. We will continue to update this document as new information comes out in the next few weeks.

It is important to incorporate academic activities into your child's day in the next few weeks, but also use the extra time you might have as an opportunity to be with your child and enjoy activities together.

There is a lot of information going around about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and it can be overwhelming to think about how to bring the topic up with your child. The following are recommendations for discussing the virus with children:

• Ease your own anxiety first
• Have the conversation promptly
• Learn what your child knows already
• Be empathetic
• Provide fact-based information and encourage good hygiene
• Keep it age-appropriate
• Develop a daily routine
• Watch your child's stress levels moving forward

For more details, go to Very Well Family: How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Parenting During COVID-19.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests trying to keep your child's days as routine and scheduled as possible. Here are a few tips they suggest can help:

Read books with your child. It's not only fun, but reading together strengthens your bond with your child AND helps their development.

Make time for active play. Bring out the blocks, balls, jump ropes and buckets and let the creativity go. Play games that kids of all ages can play, like tag or duck duck goose. Let your kids make up new games. Encourage older kids to make up a workout or dance to keep them moving.

Keep an eye on media time. Whenever possible, play video games or go online with your child to keep that time structured and limited. If kids are missing their school friends or other family, try video chats to stay in touch.

For examples of daily schedules for different ages go to: Khan Academy Schedules for School Closures.

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Smithsonian

Yellowstone National Park

Top 10 Virtual Museum Tours

NASA

San Diego Zoo

The Great Wall of China

There are plenty of activities your child can do online, but it is important to limit the amount of screen time for your child. Below are some ideas you can do with your child that do not require technology:

• READ, READ, READ, READ- Start a family book club and discuss things such as, who your favorite characters are and what part you liked best and why.
• Games- Pull out some of those card games and board games you may not have played in a while.
• Homemade Gifts- Encourage your child to make a gift for someone.
• Baking- Have your child help you in the kitchen reading recipes, getting ingredients, mixing, preparing, etc.
• Reminisce- Sort through old photographs, make a scrapbook of memories. This is a great way to spend time with your kids.
• Organize- Take this time to include your child in organizing by having them sort through their belongings and throw out what they don’t need. They could also organize their room.
• Draw or Create a Family Tree- Creating a family tree and researching your family could be a learning experience for the entire family.
• Chat- Take advantage of this time to have conversations and talk with your kids.
• Treasure Hunt- Create clues and send your child on a treasure hunt.
• Gardening- As spring approaches, this is a great time to get some plants started in pots and have them ready to go when warm weather arrives.
• Movie Time- Having a family ‘film day’ is a great way of spending time together watching favorite movies. To make it educational, ask your child to write a film review or draw a movie poster.
• Show Time- Encourage the kids to put on a play or a magic show for the family. They could dress up with clothes and props from around the house. If you have a camera, you can even film it to watch later or for some great memories.They can even work on some literacy skills in a fun way by writing a play script and acting it out.
• Puppets- Make finger puppets and help them create their own puppet show. Create a stage out of a box.
• Picnic Time- Have a family picnic indoors or outdoors.
• Sports- Make your own mini-golf course in the living room. There are many online ideas you can easily recreate.
  
• Homemade Games-In the evenings get the kids to design a game that you can make the next day – give them ideas to keep it simple such as a paper boat race in the bath or homemade skittles using a tennis ball and empty toilet rolls.

During this time, visits to nursing homes will be limited. This would be a great opportunity for your child to make a difference in the lives of our elderly population by sending them letters, cards and pictures. Below is a list of addresses for adult care facilities in St. Joseph County:

St. Joseph County Human Services Commission- This site contain the many resources available in St. Joseph County, including food resources.

Comcast Internet Service- Comcast is offering 2 months of free internet service to new customers.

Charter Communications- Charter is offering 2 months of free internet service to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have Spectrum broadband subscriptions. Call 1-844-488-8395 to enroll.

If you have further questions, feel free to contact the St. Joseph County ISD Instructional Leadership Team.