GRCS Weekly Social Work Support

May 19, 2020

Dear Parents and Students, 

The end of the school year is now upon us! I would bet it’s safe to say that no one could have anticipated closing out the 2019-2020 school year with continued off-campus learning and stay-home-stay-safe orders.

Reflecting on the last couple of months, I hope you can acknowledge and be proud of the strengths you have grown in, the challenges you have overcome, and the resiliency you have shown. You have been flexible and adaptive as you have navigated through uncertain times and the foreign waters of off-campus learning and a global pandemic. 

As you look ahead you may be wondering, What will summer break look like? What safety regulations will I have to follow? Will I be able to do my favorite summer activities?

While you cannot control what restrictions may be in place regarding COVID-19, you can gain a sense of control and support healthy coping by engaging in purposeful planning and adjusting your expectations. If you can anticipate how summer might look different, create a plan for how you will adjust and what you’re going to look forward to despite the changes that may be present — you’re going to feel less anxious.

Quick Tip of the week: Plan for summer

Be Intentional

Setting an intention can include a specific goal or simply a phrase, verse, mantra, or single word you want your summer to revolve around. Here are some ideas:

• Goal setting: Read at least one book a month 
• Phrase: Let every situation be what it is instead of what you think it should be.
• Verse: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." — Proverbs 3:5
• Mantra: “Less is more,” “I am enough,” “Let it go”
• Single-word: Gratitude, Fun, Nature, Creativity 

Bring Summer Camp to You

If a sports camp or summer camp you’ve been looking forward to gets canceled this summer, here’s a helpful article on How to Host Your Family’s Own Personal Summer Camp. This article also comes with additional resources for on-line activities, game suggestions, arts and craft ideas and suggestions on how to manage your own “camp!” 

Try Listening to Audible or a Podcast

Give your eyes a break from screens by listening to a book on tape or Podcast. You can listen while you go for a walk, lounge indoors, or on a long car ride. Need some ideas for where to begin? Audible has a free library of stories and books or check out this list of Podcasts for kids of all ages. 

Challenge Your Brain

When you feel boredom start to settle over you, there’s a good chance you’ve spent too much time doing mindless activities and it’s time for a change and creativity. Stimulate your brain by participating in a challenge, here are a few examples:

• Word games: Crosswords, word searches, categories, 20 questions, etc.
• Work on a puzzle
• Try these online games  
• Watch a documentary or historical show   
• Use a map instead of a GPS to go somewhere new 

Please reach out if you think further social/emotional support will be needed over the summer and we can talk about outside therapeutic support. 

While these past few days have had an abundance of rain, they have nourished our earth bringing green grass and budding flowers. We know the rain brings renewal and trust that sun and warmth will soon follow. As you prepare for summer break, trust that it too can bring growth and rejuvenation and that the Lord has His hand over what is to come.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” —Lamentations 3:22-24

In Christ, 
Grace Boyle (gboyle@grcs.org) & Casey McMahon (cmcmahon@grcs.org)
GRCS Social Workers