Welcome to the Chill Corner: A Place to Call Calm

School:: Alternative Schools
Subject:: Other
Teacher:: Lisa Garby
Students Impacted:: 170
Grade:: 9-12
Date:: August 25, 2019

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Champions For Learning - $150.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 185

The addition of three calming boxes in the front office where students are sent because of disruptive behaviors has made a definite impact on our alternative students. Before they would come up and have a worksheet to complete that reflected on why they were there. After receiving this grant I was able to create choices of tools for our students that assisted them in calming down, reflecting, and preparing them to go back to class to learn.

In the beginning, we were seeing some of the same students, but as they began to use the tools and talk to myself or the mental health counselor, they were slowly not being sent out of the class or using their "chill pass" as much if they needed a break before causing a disruption. They began to self-regulate and know their triggers. Based on the use of the tools, I was able to see which ones worked best for our population and adjusted what I placed in the kits. The front office became calmer, the classes had fewer disruptions, the students learned important life skills and in turn, did not lose as much academic time.

These calming kits will be replenished as much as possible if funds allow for next year as it proved to be a valuable asset for our learning community. Thank you to all who had a part in making this happen for our school. Please know that it made a difference for so many students who were in need of a spot, time, and tools to become successful.

Original Grant Overview

Goal

Our students are placed here because of poor decision making skills, most of which involves impulse choices made during an emotionally charged circumstance. Our goal is to assist students in reducing aggression, to encourage positive behavior, and to provide coping skills for good decision-making.

What will be done with my students

Three calming kits that include: coloring pages, colored pencils, sensory jars, plush snowballs, breathing cards (a series of different breathing techniques), grounding cards (a 5 step process that students write what they see, feel, hear, smell, and taste), 3 D puzzle pieces, I spy jar with instructions of what to find, monkey noodles (stretchy bands), magic sand, and cards for calm (a set of cards that teaches mindfulness and helps manage stress, anxiety, and negative thinking) will be available in the designated safe, chill corners in the front office.
When a student is in class and is getting frustrated, angry, or sad and they need to step away from the situation to avoid making a poor decision he/she will notify the teacher with the use of a yellow yield sign. The aide will walk the student to the front office and contact the counselor or mental health professional.

The calming kit will be available immediately for the student to decide which tool they need in that moment to help them regulate their emotions. After 5-10 minutes the counselor or mental health professional will meet with the student to discuss the situation, what worked, and make sure the student is ready to return to the classroom.

Our school is piloting a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum this year for all of our students' grades 6-12. The curriculum is incorporated daily for the first half hour of the school day. The chill corners with calming tools is a permanent integration of the new SEL curriculum and will be used on an as needed student basis.

Benefits to my students

Many students become over stimulated, upset or angry to the point that nothing seems to calm them down. There are numerous benefits of a safe place for students to calm down. Incorporating calming kits in these spaces allows a place for a student to de-escalate, to learn how to regulate his/her emotions, increase his/her awareness of feelings and triggers, and can help him/her to visualize and understand the various emotions.

Learning and practicing these skills can lead to a reduction in anger, stress, and anxiety. This in turn will enable students to make better choices and assist them in being successful not just in school, but in life beyond school. Our students need to learn these skills so they can continue their education back at the public school. Having these kits and safe corners in place is an essential component to their success.

Budget Narrative

Can be purchased at the Dollar Tree and Amazon. I have Amazon Prime so there is no cost for shipping.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	2 sets of Monkey Noodles - 5 pack	$25.00
2	Small Plush snowballs - 20	$15.00
3	3 sets of colored pencils	$3.00
4	6 coloring books	$6.00
5	cards of calm	$15.00
6	breathing cards	$5.00
7	I Spy Jar	$25.00
8	kinetic sand kit	$20.00
9	3 sets of fidget puzzles	$30.00
10	3 baskets	$6.00
	Total:	$150.00

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