Activity A Closure Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings

Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings

A Closure Activity

Stephanie Lerner, MSCertified School Counselor

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Instructions for Use

Paper-Based InstructionsSimply print out the lesson and prepare your materials. You can then follow the activity steps to lead students through the Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings presentation in either a paper packet form or as a scrolling PDF presentation on the computer.

Distance Learning InstructionsThis activity can be easily modified for the distance learning classroom by videotaping yourself guiding students through the presentation and reading them the passage. Then upload your video, as well as the presentation, to your school’s online platform. To use only parts of the document with your students, you can delete the PDF pages that you don’t want for students, and then upload to your online platform - here is a link to the steps to delete a page from a PDF, if you need it: https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/delete-pages-from-pdf.html . Finally, have students watch the video and then complete the presentation activities with a family member or on their own. Alternately, you can skip the video-taping part and just instruct students to watch and follow the activity ideas in the presentation with a family member.


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A Closure Activity Note to Counselor: The news that schools have closed their campuses for the year is hard for so many of us,

students and adults alike. This activity will help both you, your students, and the community to process this event

with hope and heart.

ASCA Standards AlignmentMindsets M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-beingBehaviors B-SMS 10. Demonstrate ability to manage transitions and ability to adapt to changing situations and responsibilities

MaterialsHopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings presentation, I Wish You More by Amy Krouse Rosenthal or one of the other attached reading suggestions, blank paper, markers

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ACTIVITY PLAN

● Introduce the activity by asking students how they feel about their campus closing for the year due to COVID19 (consider using your online platform’s chat feature here) and tell them your feelings about it.

● Tell students that they will read through the Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings presentation, either as a class, with a partner (classmate or family member), or on their own.

● Through the presentation, guide students to the idea that this situation is difficult for many of us, but reflecting on future hopes and new beginnings is a way to feel better.

● Show students the book, I Wish You More, and ask them what they think the story is about. Read the book, showing how it explores endings, beginnings, hopes, and wishes. *Even though it is a picture book, it is appropriate for any age and is often used as a gift for graduating seniors! Alternately, you can choose one of the other reading selections listed below.

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ACTIVITY PLAN- continued

● Once you have finished reading the story, have students reflect on the questions- again, either as a class, with a partner (classmate or family member), or on their own. Students can discuss only or submit their reflections to you.

● Finally, have students draw and color their wishes and/or hopes for the future. Feel free to have students share out their drawings as a class or submit it to you, as needed.




ACTIVITY PLAN- continued

OPTIONAL CLOSURE EXTENSIONTo bring some much needed closure to this sudden end-of-school experience that we are all grappling with, create a mosaic of student drawings. To do this, have students screenshot their drawing from the last activity bullet and send to you. Then you can make a mosaic of all the students’ drawings. Create this mosaic using something as fancy as Canva or as simple as MS Word’s chart feature (just insert each screenshot into a chart cell). You may need to make multiple mosaics, depending on the size of your caseload- possibly divided into classes or grade levels. Finally, send the mosaic out to all who might need the closure and positive vibes from it (be sure to check with your admin over FERPA restrictions in our “new normal” first).

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Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings

A Student Closure Activity


A Historic and Momentous DecisionThe close of the school year is a time of endings and new

beginnings.

While we are not ending our learning, our country and state

leaders have decided that it is safer for all of us to stay

home for the rest of this school year. This April nationwide

closing of schools has never happened before. It is a historic

and momentous decision. And decisions this BIG lead to

even bigger things...

Big Feelings Big Worries

Big Celebrations Big Changes

Let’s talk about this...

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How Are You Feeling?How are you feeling about this decision to close school campuses for the rest of the year?

Write, draw or tell someone your thoughts about schools closing- no matter how you feel about it- it is normal and it

is ok.

This is hard for so many of us.

This is exciting for a lot of us, too.


A Tribe of StorytellersDid you know that humans have evolved over millions of

years to be storytellers who have strong bonds to our “tribes”? This means that we develop strong connections to

our families, friends, classmates, teachers, coaches, and anyone else we spend time with.

As a result, many students and adults are feeling uncomfortable or upset over the news that we will no

longer be together on the school campus for the 2019-20 year. But some good news is that we can use our natural storyteller abilities to feel better during this pandemic.

Let’s try this now.


Experience StorytellingChoose a story or poem from the list on the next page and

read it while you think about the reflection questions below. You can do this with a family member, a classmate, or even on your own. All of the listed readings have themes

of endings, beginnings, and hope for the future.

Reflection Questions


● Look at the title. What do you think the story/poem is about?

● What are the hopes or wishes in the story/poem?

● What is difficult for you about the news that our school campus is closed for the rest of the year?

● What is your hope or wish for the rest of this year? For next year? How would you show this in a picture?

Reading ListBelow is a reading list of stories and poems with themes of

new beginnings and bittersweet endings. All are appropriate for any age, and some are even popular

graduation gifts for high school seniors! You can find all of these books and poems online by using the Google search

engine; some of them are even free to read on your device!

*You can also read a story of your own choosing with themes of endings, beginnings, and hope for the future.

I Wish You More by Amy Krouse RosenthalWinnie-the-Pooh (Chapter 10) by A.A. Milne

The House at Pooh Corner (Chapter 10) by A.A. Milne“Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein“Wishing, Hoping, Knowing” by Joanna Fuchs


ReflectingNow take some time to discuss the reflection questions

with your family or your counselor and classmates. Alternately, you can journal about the questions if you are

working individually.


My Hope for the FutureNow, create an illustration that shows your hopes and

wishes for the future and share your artwork with someone.

Optional Extension Activity: Send your illustration to your counselor who will combine them into a mosaic for everyone in the school and community to enjoy.


It’s Not Goodbye...It’s just a little wave and a smile as we all say,

“See You Soon!”

So, if you are having a hard day, take comfort from the stories of others and from talking with your friends and

family.

We are all here for each other.

We are all in this together.


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Documents

Activity A Closure Hopeful Endings & Happy Beginnings