Educators

We want to hear how you are Supporting Mental Wellness during the Ring A Bell Campaign!

We are asking schools to share how they are supporting Mental Wellness – this could be a video, a poem, poster or even a song. Get creative! A monetary award of $250.00 will go to 1 elementary school and 1 middle school with submissions chosen by the New Brunswick Youth Council. All submissions must be in by December 16, 2022 to qualify for the monetary award. Send your entries to cmiles@partnersforyouth.ca. (If sending pictures, please ensure all youth have filled out appropriate consent forms for image sharing have been signed)

Make some noise on December 2nd, 2022

If your school has classes on December 2nd, encourage students to bring a bell or something to make noise with for one minute at 12pm to show support for mental health. Some schools may opt to come together and ring bells together if social distancing and Covid 19 protocols allow, some will be ringing bells virtually or over the the school sound system. This is an opportunity to come together in one unifying action and celebrate mental health.

The Provincial Bell Ringing Ceremony this year is happening at Sunbury West School on December 1st with a focus on the Importance of Community.

For almost as long as history has been recorded,  bells have been rung around the world to bring people together  – sometimes to pray, to work, to war, to feast and, in times of crisis, to gather and unite. Used to send messages over long distances,  bells can mean the beginning of something or the end of something. On Friday, December 4th, bells will ring in communities across the province to break the silence around mental illness and support the beginning of new and ongoing conversations on the importance of youth mental health.

Elementary School Resources

Classroom Activities

  1.  Activity – Paper Chain Instructions and Talking Points

Connecting with each other  & finding opportunities to have open conversations about our feelings are so important.  These are the paper chain activity instructions and talking points for class discussions while students are colouring their strips.

Paper Strips Download  Here is the PDF of the paper strips.

2.  Suggested Lesson Plan Positive Mental Health

3.  Activity  Activity: My Active and Healthy Lifestyle Circle

4.  Activity Community Resources Activity

External Resources for Consideration From Other Sources

Elementary School Activities:

Mental Health Book Resources for Elementary School:

Classroom Treaty Conversations:

  • Treaty Education Support: This initiative in Treaty Education was spearheaded by the Three Nations Education Group Inc. to address the recommendations in education of the Federal Government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and in response to the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s commitment to have Treaty Education taught throughout the curriculum. 

There Are Many Informative Websites Available With Lots of Great Ideas – Here Are a Few of Our Favourites!

The Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resource supports K-8 educators by offering a repository of everyday mental health practices that are easily incorporated in t the classroom.  Multiple practices include:  Stress Management & Coping, Identifying Emotions, Positive Motivation, Healthy Relationships, Self Awareness & Critical Thinking.  

 

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Talking About Mental Illness: Teacher’s Resource (Bilingual): A teacher’s unit plan for implementing discussions about mental illness into the classroom. It promotes positive change in students’ attitudes and knowledge on the topic. While created in 2001, most of the information and resources are still very helpful.

 

Middle School Resources

Classroom Activities

  1.  Activity Paper Chain Instructions and Talking Points

Connecting with each other  & finding opportunities to have open conversations about our feelings are so important.  These are the paper chain activity instructions and talking points for class discussions while students are colouring their strips.

2.  Lesson Plan Humour 6-8

3.  Lesson Plan 6-8 (Managing Stress)

4.  Community Resources Activity

External Resources for Consideration From Other Sources

Middle School Activity Ideas:

  • DIY Self-Care Kit activity. Overview of the activity and includes a suggested checklist of things to include.
  • List of 12 “kid-approved” books for middle students about mental health
  • Treaty Education Support: This initiative in Treaty Education was spearheaded by the Three Nations Education Group Inc. to address the recommendations in education of the Federal Government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and in response to the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s commitment to have Treaty Education taught throughout the curriculum. 

There Are Many Informative Websites Available With Lots of Great Ideas – Here Are a Few of Our Favourites!

The Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resource supports K-8 educators by offering a repository of everyday mental health practices that are easily incorporated in t the classroom.  Multiple practices include:  Stress Management & Coping, Identifying Emotions, Positive Motivation, Healthy Relationships, Self Awareness & Critical Thinking. 

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Talking About Mental Illness: Teacher’s Resource (Bilingual): A teacher’s unit plan for implementing discussions about mental illness into the classroom. It promotes positive change in students’ attitudes and knowledge on the topic. While created in 2001, most of the information and resources are still very helpful.

 Stop Wondering, Start Knowing: A Mental Health Video Resource for Schools. This resource includes a facilitation guide, video stories from youth with lived experience with mental health challenges, and links to additional resources and supports. It is designed for grades 8 to 10, but can be for used for other groups at the discretion of the educator.

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