SUMMER LEARNINGA S P E C I A L E D I T I O N N E W S L E T T E R F O R
G R A C E F A M I L I E S A S W E H E A D I N T O
S U M M E R !
J U L Y 2 0 2 0
WHAT 'S I N S IDE
All Hands On Deck ! Check out
these non-screen activities for
the summer ! (pages 1-2)
Bring Social Back to Distancing :
Learn about social-emotional skills
and how you can help your child
at home . (pages 3-4)
Build Your Own Calendar ! Use
the link and document
provided to plan summer
activities for your children
from this article ! (page 4)
ALL HANDS ON DECK !
Get your child(ren) into summer mode with
these fun , hands on , engaging , tech-free
activities !
G R A C E N O T R E D A M E O F D E P E R E S C H O O L
JULY 2020 PAGE | 01
Education, Post-Quarantine
It is no secret that the digital learning
period required a large emphasis on
technology and reliable internet access .
However , as we begin transitioning out of
quarantine , we will see a period
where "there will also be lesstechnology" as a way to take a break from
the screens we 've all come accustomed to
during this time (The Conversation , 2020).
Take advantage of these screen-free fun ,
yet educational , activities this summer !
" I t w a s y o u w h o s e t a l l t h e b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e e a r t h ;
y o u m a d e b o t h s u m m e r a n d w i n t e r . "
- P s a l m 7 4 : 1 7
G R A C E O U R L A D Y O F L O U R D E S S C H O O L
GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER
JULY 2020 PAGE | 02
The Great Outdoors
One of the best ways to get
some screen-free time is to get
outside . Not only does getting
outside promote a healthy
lifestyle , but there are great life
skills engrained in many of the
games and activities you already
normally do ! Some great
outdoor activities include :
Plant a garden and keep a journal on it 's progress .
Go geocaching near your home to tone those navigational
skills and knowledge of latitude and longitude .
Go berry or fruit picking at a local farm . Learn about the
nutritional value of the foods and maybe even make
something with them !
Keep a bird watching log and record the birds you see in
your backyard or while on a hike .
Find more ideas here !
Become an Artist
Art naturally lends itself to a
screen-free environment . With a
few simply supplies (that you
might already have around your
home), you can encourage your
child(ren) to unleash their inner
creativity ! Even take the art
room outdoors by using some
unique art supplies !
Become a photographer ! Take a walk and snap some
amazing shots . No need for fancy cameras use a phone or
an instant camera .
Set your imagination wild with a cardboard box . What can
you create? A house? An Instagram background?
Become a naturalist artist and draw what you see . Go in
your backyard , a park , or a room in your house . Take time
to notice the details of the space or item .
Find more art ideas here !
Build on those School Skills
Summer is a great time to delve
into topics and content areas
that deeply interest your
child(ren). Take this time to seek
out subject area focused
activities that will spark interest
in your child(ren) and inspire
them to learn more ! You could
also choose one subject area
and theme a whole day of
activities around it too !
Design and run a make-believe business . Design the logo ,
signs , determine what you would sell or provide as a
service , etc .
Learn about the history in your city and/or town . Many
hiking trails have historical signs and landmarks . Visit
historical buildings (even if you can 't go inside).
Produce your own cooking show for your family . Choose a
recipe and invite your family to watch you make it step by
step as your live audience . Finish it off with a taste test !
Make your own or practice a musical instrument .
Find more school skills ideas here !
G R A C E F A T H E R A L L O U E Z S C H O O L G R A C E S T . J O H N T H E B A P T I S T S C H O O L
GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER
JULY 2020 PAGE | 03
BR ING SOC IAL BACK TO D I STANC ING
THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING
Due to this pandemic experience that led to months of digital online learning as opposed to
face-to-face classroom instruction , "well-being will no longer be dismissed as a fad" (The
Conversation , 2020). Social-emotional learning will now be an integral part of classroom
instruction to not only take care of our students ' academic needs but also their emotional
ones . Social-emotional learning will now be seen as a "essential precondition forachievement, especially among our most vulnerable children" (The Conversation , 2020).
Take a look at the information below to see how you can support social-emotional learning
over the summer to set your child up for success for the upcoming fall .
FOCUS ON RECONNECTION
Bringing connection back to day to day interactions and
tasks can make a huge difference in a child 's stress levels .
Many times children are able to pick up on parent (or
teacher) stress and then get stressed themselves . To help
minimize the focus on stressful feelings , try doing this
simple , easy tasks together with your child(ren).
Children , teachers , and families have missed the socialization that normally comes with a
traditional classroom environment . Bring some of that back this summer to promote social-
emotional learning and health with these activities and strategies .
G R A C E S T . B E R N A R D S C H O O L
Take walks together . Encourage your child to talk about
what they are feeling .
Get outside and play ! Fresh air and exercise are natural
stress reducers .
Journal together . Whether your child is old enough to
journal alongside you or you write down what your
younger child wants to say , spend some time writing .
Write things you 're grateful for , feelings you 're currently
having , things you 're looking forward to , etc .
See more ideas here !
G R A C E H O L Y C R O S S S C H O O L
GRACE CURRICULUM NEWSLETTER
JULY 2020 PAGE | 04
G R A C E H O L Y F A M I L Y S C H O O L
BU I LD YOUR OWN
SUMMER ENR ICHMENT
CALENDAR
Set your child(ren) up for a great start for the
2020-2021 school year . Encourage learning , skill
building , and more during the summer . Even
have your child(ren) help select the activities !
DEFINE A SCHEDULE
Knowing what 's coming up can provide a lot
of comfort and security in a rapidly changing
world . Sitting down and creating a schedule
with your child , especially if change is hard
for them , may ease their anxiety . When
creating your schedule , consider the
following :
Try to create and maintain a consistent
sleep cycle for your children . Getting the
rest they need can help their emotional
well being for the next day .
Plan meals together . If possible , have at
least sometimes when the family can sit
down together , talk , and eat . Encourage
children to help prepare the meal with
you if appropriate !
Go outside . Getting some fresh air
everyday can help get some of that built
up anxiety out and promote creative play !
See more ideas here !
TEACH SKILLS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Not all learning occurs in a classroom . Many
life skills including social-emotional ones are
experienced and modeled in your day to day
life . Keep this fact in mind when going
through daily routines or doing certain tasks .
It might be a great teachable moment for
your child !
Be present . Think about the task you 're
doing right now? Could your child
participate or learn a life skill from it? Take
advantage of those moments and create a
memory !
Skills you can teach at home are
everywhere ! Cooking skills , study skills ,
and even organizational skills can all be
practiced through household tasks and
chores .
Model what you do to help show your
child the process of doing things , such as
making a to-do list for the day .
See more ideas here !
FREE GRACE PLANNING CALENDAR
Use the calendar linked here to plan your
summer activities ! Try to include non-screen
and social-emotional ones listed above . Have
a great summer !
Contact Team Curriculum!Have questions about GRACE curriculum
or anything in this newsletter? Contact
either Laura Blicharz , GRACE Curriculum
Coordinator at lblicharz@gracesystem .org
or Kay Franz , Director of Teaching and
Learning at kfranz@gracesystem .org .
We look forward to seeing you in the fall!