RPA instructor shares resources, encourages self-care during COVID-19 closure

Screenshot from one of Mrs. Caron’s recent Zoom meetings with students.

Redmond Proficiency Academy’s English instructor Hallie Caron is spending the COVID-19 school closure period coming up with creative ways for her students to stay engaged, including holding weekly class meetings via Zoom and encouraging her students to create self-care plans.  

The materials and resources shared during this period are not a part of required curriculum but are being used to bridge the gap between when students left prior to Spring Break and when they eventually return. 

Caron’s ninth and tenth-grade English students spent this past week reading articles and watching videos about the importance of creating routines, as well as identifying unhealthy habits throughout their days.  

“I am encouraging my students to consider how they can create a new normal for themselves during this time,” Caron said. “It is too easy to slip into semi-permanent vacation mode which can leave us all feeling anxious, unproductive and disengaged.” 

Caron is suggesting students create self-care plans to help them build structure into their routines to support their mental health (through activities such as school participation, reading, researching, engaging in conversations), their physical health (through activities such as yoga, walking, at-home physical workouts), and their emotional health (through family time, online video chatting with friends, journaling, mindfulness). 

Caron stressed to her students that there is no “right” way to create a self-care plan and that each plan is specific to the individual, allowing them to design a plan that works for them. 

For students or families in need of guidance making their own routines or self-care plans, feel free to reach out to Hallie Caron via email at hallie_caron@rpacademy.org or by phone 541-390-9756. 

Mrs. Caron’s Self-Care Examples and Ideas