BASEC Blurb Vol. 2: A Closer Look At Building Daily Schedule, PLUS! STEM & Art Activities!

Volume 2 | March 17 2020

Dear BASEC Community,

We are thrilled with the response to our first virtual community learning newsletter yesterday! It's a challenge for all of us (teachers included!) to shift to a routine without the rich daily connections in our school and community buildings. We're hopeful that we can help you navigate that change for your children with easy-to-use supports and resources. We have plans to build on these new virtual connections so that soon students can participate in shared learning experiences with peers and BASEC teachers--stay with us as we move beloved BASEC programming to new spaces!

Kind regards,

Andrew Mountford

BASEC Founder & Executive Director

Schedules Are Important; How Do I Make One?

With the recent school closure and other social distancing measures, the typical daily routine has changed significantly for students and families alike; however, we know that children (and adults!) thrive when there is a consistent routine in place. Developing and following a schedule during this time can help students maximize their creative, active, and learning potential.

Tip: Break up the day into hourly chunks with a variety of different activities!

* Note for younger students (elementary): Younger students may benefit from a visual reminder of the schedule that’s posted somewhere in the home. The act of creating artwork for a visual schedule can also be a fun family activity!

* Note for older students (middle and up):

It’s best to enlist your student’s help to develop this routine. Older students will value having the ability to collaborate with you and express their opinions when determining the content of the schedule.

Common Sense Media: Top Time-Management Apps

BASEC @ BHS Academic Suggestion

Sample schedule by Khan Academy for grades 10-12

Lessons from Our Teachers!

Starting today our newsletter has activities you and your child can do at home planned by our BASEC @ Chenery Visual Arts Specialist and BASEC @ Burbank STEM Specialist.

Art with Jamie: Andy Goldsworthy's Naturalist Art

Ola's Test Lab: How Well Do You Wash Your Hands?

As written before, BASEC plans to send a daily newsletter with resources that will support the social-emotional and creative health of your child (and you).

Things to Look for in Our Daily Newsletter

Suggested activities from our BASEC educators, such as:
Arts & crafts
STEM challenges
Improv games
Community service projects
Family-oriented sports games
Executive function tips
Math and literacy games
BASEC-vetted online resources & activities
Up-to-date articles about child development and social-emotional learning
And, so much more as we learn more about online learning!

Activity Spotlight: Get Moving with GoNoodle!

GoNoodle: Good Energy at Home

GoNoodle hosts an abundance of movement games and activities that many students do in their classrooms at school. Good Energy at Home is free and "gets kids active, offers quiet moments for focus and calm, and provides tons of ways for kids and families to learn, bond, and have fun."

( Recommended ages 2 years - 10 years )

Important Belmont Resources

Belmont Covid-19 Resources Various contact information for hotlines and community groups addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

Belmont Connects A community list of online and virtual resources for and throughout Belmont.

Belmont Massachusetts Helps Out GoogleForm by Community Support and Resources in Response to COVID-19 in an effort to connect interested volunteers with those in need.

Sharing Is Caring!

Many of the above resources were shared by various teachers and parents. We at BASEC love our community and believe in the notion that we learn from each other.

If you have any great resources, articles or ideas, please share with annie.gladfelter@belmontbasec.org

Additionally, if you know of anyone who does not attend BASEC but would like to be added to our email list, please have them reach out to us. We are happy to share our resources!