Kamsack Family Resource Centre
223-241 2nd St S0A 1S0 Kamsack, SK, Canada

LEAF SHADOW DRAWING We did this last week on a sunny afternoon. I pegged the leaves up on some string between two chairs and Miss 4 carefully drew around the... shadows. It was a great fine motor challenge for her and good for concentration and observational skills. This activity is also a great conversation starter to talk about shadows.

Seasonal allergies in a time of COVID-19 Many of the symptoms of seasonal allergies and COVID-19 are similar. Cough, headache and/or a sore throat are just a fe...w symptoms that belong to both. If you are typically affected by seasonal allergies at this time of year, you likely have a go-to medication you take to improve your symptoms. If this medication does not work on your symptoms as it usually does, in the timeframe it usually does, you should stay home and arrange for a COVID-19 test by calling HealthLine 811 or your primary healthcare provider. Read the rest of the article here: https://www.saskhealthauthority.ca//Seasonal-allergies-in-

We have separated the play spaces.

We want to share a few pictures. We have a few extra safety steps we must do with you and your children.

Walk-in Counselling is back!! David is here today in Room 225!

GETTING THE HANDS READY FOR WRITING Providing opportunities for squeezing can help strengthen a childs grasp, important for holding a pencil. Try one of these... activities this week! https://teaching2and3yearolds.com/fine-motor-squeezing-act/

A question leads kids to solve problems on their own. This builds the brain and strengthens the connections required to complete tasks and pay attention. When w...e use our brains we make them more efficient. Instead of: "Put on your shoes, we have to leave." Try: "It's almost time for school. I see your socks are on. What's next?" Inspired by Lori Petro @TEACH through Love

Is your local Community Group hosting an event, activity or program? We can help spread the word by adding it to this Facebook page, our Calendars, the Monthly ...Newsletter, the Monthly Kamsack Times Ad as well as the Electronic Town Sign! Simply email [email protected] or call (306) 542-5997 with the title, a short description, date, time as well as the location and we'll handle the rest

Please note these sessions are in Yorkton.

Did you know that annual eye exams are recommended annually at least once before Kindergarten starts? Eye exams are fully covered for Saskatchewan children unde...r 18 years old by the Government of Saskatchewan. Children should get their vision tested annually because eyes can change so much at this time of their lives. Also, children don't always realize that they are having vision problems because to them, what they see is all they have ever known. Its important to be on the watch for signs that suggest your child may be struggling to see clearly. These can include complaints of blurry vision, squinting, headaches, turning/tilting head or covering 1 eye, trouble reading and poor eye-hand coordination.

Eye exams are covered by the government for children under the age of 18!

Intake next week for Essential Skills!

Always try to understand the why. When children hit, we can try to put ourselves in their shoes and consider what they might be thinking and feeling. This crea...tes understanding and helps us to RESPOND with empathy rather than REACT with anger or shock . For young children, hitting often happens because of an emotional event, curiosity about what could happen and others reactions, or because they are not yet able to control their bodies. They are not purposefully being mean. The hitting is not under their control. Hitting is a normal part of many childrens development. Young ones are still learning language, impulse control, regulation to handle multiple stimuli, coping skills for big feelings, social skills to handle conflict. They are also learning how to move their bodies and what they can and cant do. When a child hits, reacting with anger or punishment can create confusion, fear and further overwhelm their emotions. Why would we want to punish a child for doing something they do not have control of? Our role is to respond with empathy and guidance, be there to keep them and others safe while supporting them to learn appropriate expression and behavior. Some helpful practices to address hitting are: Try to prevent it when possible. If your child has hit, try to understand and empathize. Think about how you can help them. Acknowledge how they feel and why it happened. Calmly and clearly state the limit and what they can do instead. If they are very upset/emotional, be with them, accept their feelings, help them calm down. Ask them to check on the person who was hit and make sure theyre okay. Proactively teach them language to talk about feelings, how to be safe with their hands and feet, and ways to cope with big feelings. Well be touching on some of these this week. How have you been handling hitting with your little ones? What has worked well for you?

Feeling overwhelmed? If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Experienced counsellors are ready to connect with you: Hope for Wellness Help ...Line 1-855-242-3310 hopeforwellness.ca National Indian Residential School Crisis Line 1-866-925-4419 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Support Line 1-844-413-6649

For more information, visit, http://ow.ly/YSAi50AGywv.

Now this is Fridays sweetness

Here is some need to know information for the 2020-2021 school year. You can find the full document here: http://www.gssd.ca//Do/Victoria%20School%20Plan%202020.pdf

http://ow.ly/ezXK50AGyke

Play ideas for baby! Great for 6-12 months! - (1) Ribbon Pull (2) Fruit Exploration (3) Rainbow Pasta Pull... (4) Sticky Paper and Silicone Molds (5) Egg Carton and Straws (6) Ribbons in a Tissue Box (7) Feathers in a Colander (8) Easter Eggs in a big Bowl (9) Edible Paint (10) Taste Safe "Water Beads" get them here >> https://amzn.to/2QpMTZN (aff) (11) Painting with cotton balls and water! See more

Nobodys Perfect Parenting Nobodys Perfect is an educational and support program for parents of children from birth to age five. The goal of the program is to ...support parents to enhance the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence that are vital to healthy and effective parenting. It also encourages the development of a strong and supportive social network among participants. Funded by the Ministry of Social Services, the Nobodys Perfect Parenting Program has been coordinated through the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute since 1990. See more

Not all children and teens respond to stress in the same way. For more information on what you can do to help your child during the COVID-19 pandemic, please see www.saskatchewan.ca//2019-novel/resources/tips-for-parents.

You know what's better than saying "this food is good for you"? Tell them what foods do in their body! Why do I keep sharing this message? Because we keep selli...ng our kids short labeling foods and good/bad, healthy/unhealthy. Here are some examples of messages I like for different ages: For 2-3yo kids I usually break it down by color. Although it's not 100% accurate, its a good framework to get started. Red: gives you a strong heart Orange: helps you see in the dark Yellow: helps your body heal cuts Green: gives you super powers to fight off sickness Blue and Purple: Give you a strong brain White: gives you energy For 4s and 5s you can start being more specific - like carrots and sweet potatoes help you be able to see in the dark. Clementines help your skin heal cuts. Broccoli helps your night vision, your skin heal, AND your bones be strong. For 4s/5s and 6s you can introduce the idea that some foods do a lot of things in their bodies and some foods do a few things. For 6s and 7s you can introduce the concept of vitamins and minerals - tell them HOW carrots protect their night vision (via vitamin A). Learn about the body. For 8s and 9s - learn even more about different things in foods. And so on. All the while, model the way you want your kids to eat in your home and serve them the balanced diet you want them to eat. That's more powerful than anything you could ever tell them. If you need help getting your child to try new foods, my free child eating guide From Stress to Success - 4 Ways to Help Your Child Eat Better without Losing Your Mind is in my bio @kids.eat.in.color #kidseatincolor See more

Back to school is on the horizon! Whether returning to class or homeschooling, we know routines are great for kids :)

NIHB now covers the cost of thermometres up to $25!

It's Friday!!! Here is what we have up next week: Wednesday August 26th - "Getting Teenagers to Cooperate" via WebEx from 7 - 9pm... Thursday August 27th - Swearing!!! Grab a coffee and join Corinna as she shares simple strategies on what to do when you child swears! This session runs from 830-9am. Registration is required. Text 306-621-3084 Email [email protected] DM us on Facebook Have a great, safe weekend!

Become a GSSD School Board Trustee! Elections are an integral part of the democratic process to ensure that all areas of our division are equally represented. I...n this way, ratepayers have input through the "power of the pen" to elect who they feel will best represent them at the board table. The next date for Board of Education elections is November, 2020. Check out our "Becoming a GSSD Trustee" video on our website! https://www.gssd.ca/Board/elections/Pages/default.aspx#/=

Day 10: Regulating Screen Time Use Raise your hand if youve ever seen a group (family or friends) out to dinner, table silent, each person looking down, scroll...ing through content on a handheld screen. Now raise your hand if youve ever been a member of such a group with either family or friends. Yeah me too and Im not exactly proud of it. It all started when the first television set popped up inside our living rooms. Next came the video game. Pretty soon, we had cable TV and VCRs. Enter the age of personal computers. Internet. DVRs. Wireless connections. iPhones. Android. iPads. A screen in every pocket. Its amazing how far weve come! They say all magic comes with a price. This includes technological magic. The average Canadian child (2-12 years) consumes more than 3 hours of screen-based entertainment each day. Canadian youth consume an average of just over 4 hours each day. Enter COVID-19 and the need to physically distance and socially isolate. As a result of this pandemic and changes in how we connect and interact, many children and families, have seen their daily screen time increase exponentially. How can we help children digitally detox and get ready to go back to school? The key is to regulate screen time and ensure a just-right balance between time spent using these devices and time spent in independent activity and outdoor experiences with nature. A growing body craves copious physical activity. While a frustrated parent may wish to resort to pulling the plug on all electronics within a home, as much as possible, it is recommended that parents strive to use the tools of cooperation and respect first. One of the best ways to do this if for children and youth to see for themselves the consequences of too much time online and make a decision for themselves to bring more balance into their lives. The following tips provide some initial strategies on ways to regulate the amount of screen time in preparation for school. Do you have strategies that work to regulate screen time in your house? Please consider sharing those strategies in the comments section below.