Incorporating Mindfulness and Self-awareness into the Winchester School Garden

Kaitlyn Church, Kyle Baisa, Priya Bharj, Sarah Robbins, Ifrah Abdi, Michael Gozen,

Ellen Waring, Amy Foreman

NURS 3066

Stephanie Hamilton

Humber College/UNB

Integrity Pledge This pledge is to be included with all SHS assignments – including all group work. I have maintained Academic Integrity in my work by adhering to the values of honesty and integrity. I declare that this work respects APA requirements as well as policies within the School of Health Sciences.

Student Signatures:

Incorporating Mindfulness and Self-awareness into the Winchester Junior Senior Public

School Garden

Humber College/UNB 3rd Year RN Students

Community Health Nursing Project in Collaboration with Greenthumbs

November 20th, 2018

Students: Kaitlyn Church, Kyle Baisa, Priya Bharj, Sarah Robbins, Ifrah Abdi, Michael Gozen,

Ellen Waring, Amy Foreman

Agency Advisor: Sunday Harrison

Clinical Instructor: Stephanie Hamilton

Key Health Issues of the Population:

The nursing students participating in this community project did an extensive assessment

of the area in order to determine the key health issues. When considering the findings of the

assessment, it was found that there are many social determinants of health impacting the health

of the Winchester Junior and Senior Public School (WJSPS) students. Through the assessment

and collaboration with teachers, our team was able to identify an area of health to strengthen,

specifically related to mental well-being. According to the Toronto District School Board, 1 in 5

children experience mental well-being issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders, mood

disorders and ineffective coping strategies (2014). In addition, a current health concern is that

children and youth are undergoing a declining state of mental and physical health, which affects

various health outcomes including reduced academic performance, substance abuse, obesity and

violence (Greenberg & Harris, 2012). Thus, we tailored our community project to provide our

focus population with the knowledge to recognize their emotions and tools to cope with their

different feelings. Beginning the conversation about mental well-being with young students is an

important step in achieving positive health outcomes because it is traditionally avoided in

discussions about health as it can be accompanied by stigma and shame. As issues of mental

well-being become more common and apparent, we hope that the students of WJSPS will be well

equipped with the knowledge and tools to engage in open discussions regarding mental well-

being with their peers and family.

Community of Interest:

Our general community of interest was Cabbagetown, Toronto. To help us focus on a

specific group within this community, Green Thumbs assigned our team to the WJSPS and

provided us with the contact information of a grade one teacher, so that we could gain access

into the population. Upon meeting with the teacher, we acquired knowledge about the history of

the school, the division of classes amongst the heritage and new building, the different programs

that were offered and the needs of the students. This information assisted our team in focusing

our project on grade one and two students at WJSPS.

Assessment Methods:

To assess the needs of our population in a holistic manner, our team engaged in

secondary data collection by examining information from Toronto Public Health, the Toronto

District School Board, WJSPS and the Toronto City Planning Census. We gathered relevant

information to understand the determinants of health that positively and negatively impacted our

population. With this data we determined the demographics of the area, the average income of

the residents, the approximate prices of homes, accessibility to health care and social supports.

Next, we completed a community survey by walking around the neighborhood to develop an

understanding of the physical and environmental factors in the neighborhood. This allowed us to

understand the design of the community such as location of grocery stores, libraries, community

centres, parks and crosswalks.  With this knowledge, we created questions to ask our contact at

WJSPS and the school food program supervisor, to gather more specific information about the

needs of our focus population. Finally, we engaged in primary data collection by spending time

with the grade one and two students. This allowed our team to observe our focus population and

complete our assessment of their needs, so that we could develop a sustainable, beneficial

program that would be culturally appropriate for our population.

Priority Action Statement with Supporting Evidence:

As stated in Stamler, Dosani & Yiu (2015), many factors influence the social, physical

and emotional well-being of school-aged children, but research has shown that positive school

settings have an impact on most of the health behaviours and outcomes of the population.

Students also require social and physical environments, alongside school policies that aim to

reinforce educational messages (Stamler, Dosani & Yiu, 2015).

Therefore, the priority action statement for this project was to act on specific

determinants of health such as healthy child development and personal health practices and

coping mechanisms, through helping students develop personal skills that help create a healthy

school environment and community.

Project Goal:

Based on the issues that were determined by the group through primary and secondary

assessment, our project’s main goals were to provide a variety of skills and tools, over the course

of four lessons, which would help the students identify troubling emotions and how to effectively

handle them. The secondary goal of the project was to introduce the concept of mindfulness in a

manner that the students would understand, and to encourage daily mindfulness activities to

promote self-awareness.

Strategy and Evidence Based Intervention:

Overall, the group decided to hold weekly sessions in the garden – weather permitting.

Each week, the session focused on identifying a different emotion within the Zones of

Regulation. In order to create engaging and memorable sessions, the group tried to incorporate

different activities that focused on a variety of learning techniques. For example, we provided

hands on activities, such as making slime or preparing foods, created a bulletin board in the front

entrance way of the school, provided a tool-box for the students to use themselves once we are

gone, and incorporated real-life scenarios into activities.

In an effort to address the concerns the teachers voiced about behavioral issues,

emotional regulation, conflict resolution and problem solving, we decided to host a series of

mindfulness activities within the garden for the duration of 5 sessions with four classrooms.

These activities took place in the garden using evidence-based research that supports the notion

that increasing contact with any green spaces shows strong links to enhanced health outcomes

(Dadvant et al., 2016). After having spoken with the Green Thumbs coordinator as well as

introducing the concept of creating a garden space where children can practice mindfulness, we

went ahead with the implementation of our intervention (hosting mindful activities) within the

garden.

Introduction to Zones Strategies and Evidence:

The strategy for this lesson was as follows: to introduce the students to the concept of

mindfulness and to introduce what it means, or feels like, to be in each zone. Mindfulness is

described as “becoming more aware of what you are thinking and doing” (TDSB, 2018).

Students participated in two activities that were specifically designed to promote mindfulness,

which was a concept taken from the TDSB Mental Health and Well-Being curriculum for

school-aged students.

The primary goal of mindfulness practices is to become more cognisant of the daily

fluctuations of consciousness and learn to openly accept and acknowledge these emotions and

experiences. Mindfulness activities vary in their goals; however, the primary goal is to enhance

and sharpen attention, learn how to regulate emotions, manage daily stress, and learn more about

oneself and individual coping abilities (Greenberg & Harris, 2012). The hope is that with

continued practice, self-reflection skills will become routine in order to regulate emotions and

behavior in such a manner where it becomes automatic.  This aligns with the goals of the TDSB

that seeks to create mental health and wellness teams in school in order to build awareness and

knowledge in students in regard to emotional regulation.

Green Zone Strategies and Evidence:

One strategy to enter or remain in the “green zone” is to garden. Thus, this lesson

occurred in the garden and involved a garden scavenger hunt because according to Bethel,

Gentry, Lovell, Ohly and Wigglesworth (2016), being in a garden helps to improve the overall

health and well-being of children by relaxing them and reducing feelings of anxiety and

depression. Furthermore, being in the garden has been shown to improve school performance

because students are happier, thus they can focus and concentrate (Bethel et al, 2016). Thus,

through the application of the green-zone activities in the garden, positive health outcomes were

taught to the students.

Blue/Yellow Zone Strategies and Evidence:

The strategy implemented for the blue zone involved having the children acknowledge

the tools they needed to overcome sadness. Research supports the notion that incorporating

elements of hope and gratitude enhances overall life satisfaction and well-being in primary

school students (Kwok, Gu, & Kit, 2016). Supporting and nurturing positive feelings and

cognition, which include hope, optimism, and gratitude are important resources that students can

practice to support emotional awareness and overcome feelings of sadness (Kwok, Gu & Kit,

2016). As a result, students created gratitude pumpkins through fun arts and craft activity.

For the yellow zone lesson the group looked to the TDSB mental health initiatives to see

what is currently being taught as tools to reduce anxiety. The TDSB (2014) states that “schools

support mental health and well-being in different ways … [such as] doing daily mindful practices

or encouraging kindness”. Therefore, the creation of a sensory slime activity was created as a

mindful, anxiety reducing practice that students could easily make at home in order to transition

from the yellow zone to the green zone.

Red Zone Strategies and Evidence:

According to Golden (2002), “helping children … make sense of anger involves teaching

them the skills of self-reflection necessary for increased emotional awareness”. In addition, as

previously mentioned, being in the garden can promote happiness (Bethel, Gentry, Lovell, Ohly

and Wigglesworth, 2016). In order to combine these to ideas, the activities in this session

focused on understanding what the feeling of anger is and using activities that promote

mindfulness, like gardening and deep breathing, to manage that anger. There are also ongoing

efforts to come up with new health promotion strategies to enhance well-being by developing

mental habits and behavior that improves resilience when met with tough tasks and adversity

(Greenberg & Harris, 2012)

Impact Objectives:

The group held 4 sessions on Wednesdays throughout October and November. Each class

was given 45 minutes/session for activity with 60 minutes booked with each class in order to

allow for transitioning time. The sessions begin October 17, 2018 and conclude on November

21, 2018.

The dates were as follows:

- October 17, 2018: Introduction to the Zones of Regulation

- October 24, 2018: Green Zone Lesson

- October 31, 2018: Blue/Yellow Zone Lesson

- November 7, 2018: Red Zone Lesson

- November 21, 2018: Final Overview and Grand Opening of Mindful Garden Space

Action:

A brief overview of our lesson plan is as follows:

Wednesday October 17: Introduction to zones, mindfulness and self-regulation activities

-      Students were given basic definitions of each zone of regulation and mindfulness

-      Students participated in a mindfulness journey and mindful scavenger hunt (a butterfly

exercise through the garden) where the children practiced deep breathing exercise and

learned relaxation techniques within the context of the garden

-      Students were introduced to the “toolbox” which would be re-introduced in the last

lesson

Wednesday October 24: Green zone lesson

-      Students were given a more in-depth definition of what it means to be in the green zone,

and were given tools to stay in the green zone

- The strategy for this lesson was to teach the students about the “green zone”, specifically

what it means to be in this zone, the emotions that would be experienced and tools to

remain “green”.

-      Students were reminded of the definition of mindfulness

-      Students helped create stepping stones that would be placed in the mindfulness garden

Wednesday October 31: Blue/yellow zone lesson

-      Students were given a more in-depth definition of what it means to be in the blue and

yellow zone, and were given tools to transition back into the green zone

-      Group members affirmed that being in the blue and/or yellow zone is okay

- For the blue zone: The students engaged in exploring their triggers and shared strategies

that they have used in the past to cope with feeling sad or bored. We incorporated a fun-

filled, Halloween activity where students discussed and discovered fun strategies (hidden

within pumpkins) to help them transition into the green zone. We carried out a follow-up

activity, getting children to recall what they were grateful for while on a gratitude

journey.

- For the yellow zone: the strategy was to introduce the students to an in-depth definition

of what it means and feels like to be in the “yellow zone”, using the specified term

“worried”. This lesson utilized the term “worried” to encompass more complex emotions

such as stress and anxiety

Wednesday November 7: Red zone lesson

-      The strategy for this lesson was as follows: to introduce the students to an in-depth

definition of what it means and feels to be in the “red zone”, using the specified term

“mad”.

- Students were given a more in-depth definition of what it means to be in the red zone,

and were given examples of behaviors that may arise when in the red zone

- Students discussed with Nursing Students that it is okay to feel angry but we must not

resort to physical violence

- Students were re-introduced to the concept of mindfulness and participated in a lazy eight

breathing activity, just dance activity, a sensory bottle activity and gardening activities.

- Real-life scenarios were used during the lesson to help students make connections with

how to use the tools in their daily life

Wednesday November 21: Final lesson

-      Students will be reminded of the in-depth definitions of each zone and mindfulness

-      Students will participate in a summary activity with scenarios to test knowledge on

zones, and will participate in mood catcher activity

-      Students will be presented the “toolboxes” with the zone printouts and daily mindfulness

activities

- created a bulletin board

- put final touches on mindful space in the garden

*Note: Group members participated in lessons run by Hilda (GreenThumbs gardener) on

Wednesday November 14

Key Findings:

In order to evaluate any behavioral changes seen in the students, surveys were distributed

to each teacher to assess their perception of their students’ behavioral regulation patterns.

Questions involving open-ended and scale-based questions regarding the frequency of

misbehaviors (“acting out”), students poor and positive coping mechanisms when faced with

adversity, their support networks, and ability to transition between activities.

Pretest evaluations have shown the following averages/descriptions for the four grade 1and 2

classes:

1. How often do your students act out in class: 59%

2. Description of poor coping mechanisms:

- Inability to self-regulate and identify existing problems. Misbehaviours including

throwing chairs, kicking, yelling or storming out of the classroom

- Inattention, causing distraction to others and frustration with “self-regarding work”

- Isolated cases of students who “play rough” with others and screams at others or cries

in a corner when confronted by the teacher about misbehaviours.

- Poor coping mechanisms also include hitting walls, yelling and refusing to participate

in class.

3. How often do your students have trouble changing tasks or transitioning to a new

activity? : 55%

4. Who do your students go to for support when they are feeling angry or upset? (Select all

that apply)

o   Teacher: 100%

o   Peers: 67%

o   Religious support: 0%

o   Mom: 34%

o   Dad: 34%

Post-test evaluations (surveys given to the teachers after the mindfulness activities) have not yet

come back and this is a limitation to our research. We however, did observe improved behavioral

interactions among classmates after our activity interventions which included:

-      Instances of emotional support when classmates are down (hugging, consoling,

comforting)

-      Students helping their peers transition between activities and redirecting them to

appropriate tasks

-      Improved cooperation: sharing items, taking turns

-      Improved participation techniques: silently raising hands to answer questions

relative to prior the intervention (shouting out answers)

-      Enhanced respect for the garden space: no running, picking/stepping on plants

In addition, several of the teachers mentioned to us that they were already witnessing their

students using the coping mechanisms taught to them during our sessions.

Limitations:

There were several limitations that directly impacted the development and execution of

the community project. First of all, the pre/post survey could have been developed earlier. The

pre-test survey was given to teachers on October 24th, which was considered late as we were

doing community assessments and data collection during the last couple weeks of September and

October. We had already been implementing our interventions by October 24th.  If the pre-test

survey was given earlier, we could have had a more realistic picture of the classroom behaviours

before the project’s interventions were started. In addition, the teachers did not provide the post-

test results, despite the group’s effort in trying to remind them. This can affect the group’s ability

to fully understand the impact of the interventions, as we do not have a picture of how the

children are using the tools within the classroom when we are not there. This limits the quantity

and quality of data collected.

In addition, our nursing group only focused on grade one and two classes. This does not

paint a full picture of the overall health of WJSPS, as we did not collect any data on the other

students. We could have potentially missed serious health issues within the older grades.

Lastly, many of the students came out to the garden unprepared. As the seasons changed

and the temperatures dropped, children were coming out into the garden without their coats, hats,

or gloves. Some children even came out in shorts when it was really cold. Because of this, these

students were asked to go back inside to get their coats. This resulted in them missing valuable

parts of our interventions and presentations. This occurred each week, which ultimately only

affects the students as they are the ones that are missing out on the programming.

Sustainability:

Sustainability was a large part of the development of our nursing interventions.

Sustainability of community projects is an important aspect as it means that the community has

the capacity and interest to carry on with the health initiatives that we have developed with them

(Diem and Moyer, 2015). In order to increase sustainability of the project, our group organized

the interventions into “tools” which the students can practice and use for the rest of their life. In

addition, the nursing group organized a “tool box” for each of the classes that participated in the

project. The tool box contains the “tools” taught during the programming: slime, lazy 8 breathing

cards, colouring books, crayons, a gratitude mirror, and a sensory bottle. In addition, it also

contains a paper copy of the tool box in order to remind the students of all the zones of

regulation. This way, the nursing students were able to build capacity within the students in each

classroom by teaching them how to use each tool and then providing them with the resources to

practice each tool.

During this project, the nursing group also developed a “mindful” space within the

WJSPS’s garden. In order to make this area of the garden special, the programming and

intervention often revolved around the garden; for example, one activity was designed to have

the students create garden stepping stones that were to be placed within the mindful space of the

garden. Also, the programming involved planting lavender and bergamot, which will continue to

grow and provide sensory stimulation for a long time.

Our group further enhanced sustainability by using a bulletin board in the front entrance

way of the school to create a large visual representation of the tool box and the tools that can be

used with each zone.

Recommendations:

Going forward, the nursing group suggests changing a few things in order to make the

community project more effective. Firstly, the group found it difficult to link community nursing

with the mission and purpose of Greenthumbs without being redundant and copying the other

ideas of previous groups. Because Greenthumbs had different priorities than WJSPS, it was

difficult to meet the needs of both community partners. The project could have had a better focus

if the group did not need to split their attention between Greenthumbs and WJSPS. Secondly, the

pre/post test survey should be developed and distributed at earlier dates in order to provide the

teachers with enough time to fill out the surveys accurately and send them back. Lastly, in order

to use the garden to meet the needs of the students, the nursing group recommends that

Greenthumbs continue to communicate with the teachers of WJSPS in order to determine where

the priorities of the school lie and how Greenthumbs can work to implement effective

programming to meet the school needs.

Relevance for community health nursing:

Community health nursing aims to build strong and healthy communities that provide and

promote resources for health (Diem and Moyer, 2015). Building capacity is also an important

part of community health nursing. The nursing group found that the interventions provided for

the students not only provided and promoted resources for health, but it also helped the students

build capacity and take control over their emotional regulation. This addressed several social

determinants of health such as healthy child development, physical environment, social

environment, and individual and personal coping skills. Through addressing these social

determinants of health, the nursing group was able to create a stronger sense of community

within the grade one and two classes. Overall, sustainability, capacity building, and increased

access to resources, which are important aspects of community health nursing, were all

positively impacted

The community health nursing process and the population health promotion model was

used throughout the development and implementation of the project. This process and model was

used in order to help the nursing group fully understand all aspects, as community assessments

can be complex and lengthy (Diem and Moyer, 2015). By using and understanding these

approaches, the nursing group was able to implement evidence based interventions for the

students, which is the basis of community health nursing. Interventions that are evidence based

are more likely to be successful and to achieve the overall goals (Diem and Moyer, 2015).  

Attachments:

Link to Survey Monkey Results

http://www.surveymonkey.com/stories/SM-MY9VLSK8/

Introduction to Zones Teaching Plan

Intro Zone: Green (Calm), Yellow/Blue (Worried)/(Sad), Red (Mad)

Garden Rules: Ask them! “No picking or pulling, no running, no chasing, no playing with the hose, no tasting unless we tell you”

Overview of Zones: "We need to teach our kids good coping and regulation strategies, so they can help themselves when they become stressed, [angry], anxious or sad” (Zones of Regulation, p. 4).

Green (Calm): o What do you feel when you see the color green?o Green means calm, relaxed and ready to learn :)

Yellow (Worried):o What do you feel when you see the colour yellow?o Yellow means anxiety, stress, worried or feeling overwhelmedo It can make your body feel bad such as a stomachache or a headache.

Blue (Sad): What do you feel when you see the colour blue?o What does blue mean to you? What comes to mind?o The colour blue describes a state of feeling:

Sleepy  (not very alert) Tired Low on energy (slow) Sick Sad (feeling down) Bored  (e.g., when you don’t feel like doing anything)

Red (Mad): o What do you feel when you see the color red?o When we are in the red zone, we feel out of control and must STOP

before we do something we regret.o When we are mad, we may feel like we want to hurt others and things

around us or “explode” o What does exploding look like to you?

Mindfulness: “Being mindful is becoming more aware of what you’re thinking and doing”

Now we’re going to split up into groups to do our activities! We’re going to have ten students with 4 of us (can split 5 kids/2 of us).

Mindfulness Journey: For our first activity, we’re going to take a mindful journey in the garden. We’re going to start by standing in a circle and taking a deep breath in. Imagine yourself as a butterfly….

Close your eyes and take in a nice deep breathe. Allow your tummy to fill up like a balloon, and then exhale slowly. Do this five times to

really relax your whole body completely.

(Pause for breathing.)

Your body begins to feel deeply relaxed and your weight sinks down further and further into your feet. Your legs begin to feel very heavy. Your arms begin to feel heavy and relaxed. You enjoy every moment as your body continues to relax with each word I say.

Now as your body relaxes, imagine you’re a beautiful butterfly fluttering high in the sky above the trees. You see our lovely green and lush garden below you with lots of colorful flowers, just waiting for you to enjoy. You feel the wind blow against your delicate wings.

What do your wings look like? Are they colorful? Do they have spots? Think about your own unique pattern covering your beautiful strong wings.

As the wind touches you, it gently blows away any worries, any stress you feel. Feel how wonderful it feels to be so relaxed. Your mind is clear and calm.

You are completely peaceful. The sun touches your body and warms you. The big, puffy clouds floating in the sky

remind you how relaxed and calm you can be whenever you want, just by thinking about it.

The earth is a patchwork of color and you enjoy each moment here, gliding along feeling so joyful and peaceful. You spread your wings far and stretch.

You are ready for a wonderful, joyful day. Take in a deep breath now and exhale slowly. When you are ready, give your body a big stretch. With a clear, calm mind, say these words to yourself: I am peaceful and I am calm.

Mindful Scavenger Hunt: For our next activity we’re going to be exploring in the garden! We’re going to start by handing out our sheets, this is what you’re going to be looking for!

End Overview Now that we’re all together, how do we all feel? Are we in the green zone, the yellow

zone, the blue zone or the red zone? Can anyone remember what we’re feeling when we are green? That’s right! When we are

green we feel … Can anyone remember what we’re feeling when we are yellow? Good job! When we are

yellow we feel … Can anyone remember what we’re feeling when we are blue? Exactly! When we are blue

we feel … And can anyone remember what we’re feeling when we are red? Amazing! When we are

red we are mad, and we must STOP.

Toolbox Idea: “Every week we’re going to teach you tools that you can put in your toolbox and use when you feel green, yellow, blue and red. You can add your tools when you are in class and when we’re done learning we can put them up on the bulletin board in the school!”

Completed electronic toolbox will be sent to the teachers on November 7th, 2018 Toolbox will be put on the bulletin board and skills will be added each week by group

members

Yellow Zone Teaching Plan

Overview of Zone: “The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone.  A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone. “ (Zones of Regulation, 2018).

Introduce yellow:Can anyone tell me what does yellow means? Anxious, worried, stressed, restless, when you are in the yellow zone you need to SLOW down like the traffic light.

What kind of things do you feel when you are anxious or worried? Butterflies in my tummy, the wiggles, unable to sit still, scared or worried

What kinds of things make you feel anxious or worried? New situations, school, bullying

What do you like to do to calm down when you are feeling anxious or worried? When you are feeling anxious it is important to do something that helps you to slow down. Some things that you can do include; think of your favorite place or your favorite things, squeeze something such as slime, a stress ball, or your fists, deep breathing, have a nap or take a break, spend some time alone in a safe place, talk to someone you trust (such as a teacher, friend, or parent), do a calming activity like colouring or art.

Introduce slime activity:For our activity today, we are each going to make some “Calming Slime” that you can use when you are feeling anxious, or worried to help you calm down. We are going to use some lavender essential oil, sparkles, and some foam beads to help engage your senses to help your calm your mind and help you slow down.

Split into 4 groups – 2 Humber students per approx. 5-6 kids§  1 red cup per kid filled with 2.5 oz of glue (pre-prepped)§  Add food colouring, essential oil, sparkles and foam balls§  Stir§  Add borax solution filled up to 5oz line§  Stir and mix with hands when it gets too thick to stir

Now that everyone has their slime we want you to SQUEEZE it tightly and then relax your grip, stretch it, roll it in your hands, feel the beads in your hands, and smell it do you smell the lavender?

What did the slime make you feel as you played with? Did it make you feel calm?

The slime is a tool for your toolbox that you can use anytime that you are feeling anxious or worried by helping you to refocus your mind, when you smell the slime you smell the calming lavender, as you are squeezing, stretching, and rolling the slime in your hands you can feel its soothing effect on your body and mind. This tool can be used to help you get back into the green zone.

Let’s review the what you learned:-  What is the blue zone? Sad- What is the yellow zone? Worried- What kind of things can you do when you are feeling anxious or worried?- What tools are you going to put in your tool box today?

o Squeeze your slimeo Slow down with some deep breathingo

Green Zone Teaching PlanGarden Rules: Ask them! “No picking or pulling, no running, no chasing, no playing with the hose, no tasting unless we tell you”

Mindfulness: Who remembers what mindfulness means? “Being mindful is becoming more aware of what you’re thinking and doing” This will help you to recognize what colour zone you are in! Overview of Zones:Who remembers what green means? What does it make you feel when you see the colour green? Green (Calm): Green means calm, relaxed and ready to learn

·       How to get into the green zone:o   Have a snacko   Take deep breathso   Talk to an adulto   Ask to take a breako   Think of a calm place like the gardeno   Listen to calming musico   Exercise

Activity One:·       If you’re green and you know it clap your hands!·       If you’re green and you know it take 5 deep breaths!·       If you’re green and you know it do 10 jumping jacks!·       If you’re green and you know it reach for the sky!·       If you’re green and you know it do a dance!·       If you’re green and you know it be a still tree!

Now that you are in the green zone and ready to concentrate, we are going to move on to activity 2. For this activity we are going to be making stepping-stones to be placed in our garden. We need you to find 2 things from the ground that you can use to decorate the stones like leaves, sticks, pebbles. Come back in 5 minutes.

Activity Two:·       Pie plates with masking tape labels·       2 students per stone, so find a partner and decorate!

We’re going to split up into groups to do our activities! We’re going to have ten students with 4 of us (can split 5 kids/2 of us).

Snack:·       Since you did so well, in your pairs you get a snack and get a chance to mindfully walk around

the garden End Overview:

Now that we’re all together, how do we all feel? Are we in the green zone? Can anyone remember what we’re feeling when we are green? That’s right! When we are

green we feel …

Toolbox Idea:Do you remember the toolbox? What tools can you put into the toolbox from today?

Blue Zone Teaching Plan Garden rules: Who knows what some of the garden rules are? – no running, no picking or

pulling, no playing with the hose (omit if it’s raining) Introduce ourselves

Let’s play Simon Says:  to get you warmed up/energized Simon says: hop like a bunny Simon says: bend down and touch your toes 3 x Wave your arms around your head Simon says, spin in a circle 5 x Simon says, walk like a crab Balance on your right foot for 5 secs

Today, we’ll do an activity about the Blue zone. What feelings/moods can you associate with thecolour blue? (1-2 students)

Sometimes we feel blue and under the weather. Sometimes, inside us, the sun is shining. Othertimes, there’s a storm inside us & It’s cold and rainy.  How does the rain make you feel? Just like the weather, it is important to remember that our moods are always changing. We aren’t always inthe green zone, sometimes the clouds roll in and it rains.

What things can make you feel sad? (2 students)When we’re sad, we want to make the storm go away so we can get into the green zone where thesun shines! Today, we’ll give you some useful tools for when you are sad and feeling blue. The toolswill help you leave your sadness and get you into the green zone

Dancing and music can lift your mood and turn that frown upside down

Write about your feelings in a journal OR  Draw a picture/colour à This helps with mindfulness & being aware of your sadness

Eat something you enjoy & that is healthy à like a banana/apple/grapes Talk to a parent/family member/friend when you’re feeling sad – communicating your

feelings helps you become more aware Walk in a green space/ Smell something nice – you have a garden, so you can come

with your teachers and feel at peace. If you don’t have a garden at home, you can go to the park or any green space with an adult. Smelling something nice creates a feeling of peace and relaxation.

Say something nice to yourself – Name one quality/trait that you like about yourself. I brought a mirror and I’m going to get a volunteer to come up to this mirror and say 1 thing they like about themselves.

- Attitude of gratitude: Being grateful means naming something that you are thankful for or makes you feel good/happy e.g., food when you’re hungry, a warm cozy home, school (education to learn more & make your brains bigger)

Let’s go on a Grateful Journey

Journey to the Gratitude Garden:Separate into 2 groups (of 10) around the garden   (1 group indoors)

1)    We are going on a trip to the Grateful Garden, but to get there you have to go through three places! The Thankfulness Pumpkin will help you get through each one so you can make it to the Grateful Garden.

2)    The Frowny Forest:  The first stop is the Frowny Forest. Have the kids all mimic you as you frown, cross your arms, and hunch over.  There is a lot of wind in the Frowny Forest, so mimic being tossed about by the wind, turning back and forth as if you are trying to fight it.  The only way to leave the Frowny Forest is to feel happy again. So let’s all think of a PERSON that we are thankful for and makes us feel good. Once you’ve thought of a person, go to **respective group member* to write down your answer on your grateful pumpkinEnd the journey at the grateful pumpkin patch

3)    The Sad Swamp:  But, oh no!  Just beyond the Frowny Forest is the Sad Swamp! Hunch over again, swing your arms down low, and walk (in place) in big, heavy steps, as if walking through mud or water. So let’s all think of a PLACE that we are thankful for/makes us happy/feel good

4)    The Blue Mountain:  Past the Sad Swamp is the Blue Mountain.  Pretend to climb up the mountain with great effort, making angry faces.  Again, have the kids shout out things they are grateful for, so you can all feel happy again. So that’s all think of an ACTIVITY that you enjoy (or are grateful for)

5)    The Grateful Garden: Finally, you have all arrived at the Grateful Garden!  What a good job they have done! To celebrate, everyone can do a Happy Hop! (Finalizing the pumpkin)

Conclusion/Wrap Up-          The tools in the pumpkins that we learned about today help us become more aware of our

emotions (including sadness), help us slowly move into the green zone to feel happy, calm and at peace again, and ready to learn.

-          You can look at your pumpkins and this could remind you of an activity you like to do, a person you could talk to, and a place that you feel comfortable in. This will help you leave the blue zone and enter a happy state (green zone)

Red Zone Teaching PlanRed Zone Title: AngryGarden Rules: Who can remind us what the garden rules are? No running in the garden, no pulling

the plants, no eating anything in the garden (unless we tell you), no stepping on the flowers or in the flower beds! And where do we walk?

Wiggle Activity (2 Mins):-      Now we’re going to do another activity to shake out all that anger from our bodies!

Introduction to Red Zone (5 Mins): This week we’re going to be talking about the red zone with you guys! Who can tell me what they feel when they see the color red Great job guys! When we are in the red zone, we feel out of control and must STOP. But we want you to remember, being mad is a normal feeling.

When we are mad, we may feel like we want to hurt others and things around us or “explode”, this includes hitting, punching, pinching. That is when we must STOP.

This week, we are going to be doing activities that you can do when you are in the red zone. The three main things are breathing, relaxing our bodies, exercising and moving around.

We can also move our attention to something else that makes us feel green. Also, we have to remember we are all friends! And we are angry at our friends, we need to talk and apologize for our actions instead of hitting, punching and pinching.

Also, does anyone remember what mindfulness means? It means being aware of what we are thinking and feeling.

Okay, we’re going to split up into two groups now and start our activities! One group can stay in the circle and the other group follow us please.Lazy 8 Breathing Activity (5 Minutes): (Print 20 pages/4 per page)-      Sometimes our brains get foggy when we are angry, so we breathe to release the fog and think

clearly! We’re going to start this activity by taking 5 deep breaths.-      We’re going to hand out these sheets to you to help with the activity, but we created a nice big

sign to put in the garden, so if you’re ever here and want to practice your lazy eight breathing, you can follow along with the sign!

-      Now we’re going to hold the eight in our hands and start with our fingers in the middle of the 8.·       Start with your finger on the inside·       Breathe in and make one half of the eight·       Breathe out and make the other half of the eight·       You should end back in the middle of the eight

Just Dance Activity (2 Songs at 3 Minutes):·       When the music is going, dance your anger out! When the music stops, like we feel

when we are in the red zone, we need you to STOP.·       We need two speakers and two songs (appropriate)

Garden Activities: Okay! We’re all going to come back together and work on activities in the

garden. Exercising is also a very good way to help with our emotions when we are in the red zone, and that doesn’t mean that you have to run or do jumping jacks, even just coming outside to a garden space and walk around, or even do some gardening, can help to get back into the green zone!

-      We’re going to need your help to put some plants into the ground and to put woodchips and mulch around our special space in the garden.

-      We also have some other special stones from the beach that you guys can put in the garden if you want.2 Stations: Students will rotate between the stations, so everyone gets a chance to participate!

1. Plantiing              2. Mulching (around plants)

Sensory Bottles (4/Class)·       Create two bottles per half of each class to leave when we are done·       When we are in the red zone, we want to shift our focus to something that makes us

feel green. We’re going to leave these in your classrooms so that when you’re feeling in the red zone, you can come and play with this to get you into the green zone.

·       4 ingredients in each bottle that the class can contribute

Final Garden Lesson PlanIntroduction- Wiggle Activity (2 Mins)- This is our last week with you guys! You all have been great and it was our pleasure to be teaching you guys about mindfulness and about the zones of regulations. Today were going to do a zone of regulation scavenger hunt.

Also, does anyone remember what mindfulness means? It means being aware of what we are thinking and feeling.

Okay, we’re going to split up into now and start our activities!

Outside Activities- Scavenger Hunto Find four faces, checkmark listo Scenario based questioning – what do you do?- Tour of the garden: introduce them to the signs

Transition inside and show them the bulletin board

Indoor Activities- Mood Catcher activity using a template

- have students colour it in and show them the tools inside

Toolbox presentation- In this toolbox are some tools that we’ve done for the past few weeks like the slime and the sensory bottles, lazy 8 breathing sheet etc that will help you return to the green zone whenever you’re feeling that you’re in the other zones. Also, on this sheet are words that’s describe each zone that can help you recognize what you’re feeling

Image of the Bulletin Board

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