Families at Home: Tips, Resources, and Inspirations
Welcome to our constantly evolving web page designed as a resource to help support families and students with remote learning and life at home.
We invite you to share your ideas so we can share them with the community. Click here to share your ideas. Thank you!
View COVID-19 communications from Head of School and Division Directors.
Parents are invited to join the new private Waynflete Parents Facebook Group.
General Resources
- Articles and online resources Worth Exploring
- Health and wellness | Supporting kids
- Online Learning
- Local restaurants (with Waynflete connection)
- Fun Activities and Virtual Sites
- Activity/Exercise
- Social Connection
- Lower School
- U.S. CDC Guidelines
Articles and online resources Worth Exploring
How to Reduce the Stress of Homeschooling on Everyone: A school psychologist offers advice to parents on how to support their child during school closures. (Greater Good Magazine, April, 2020)
Online directory that lists free or reduced cost services like medical care, food, housing and more through MaineHealth Community Resources’ site.
Berkeley is launching a new online video series, Berkeley Conversations: COVID-19, featuring our faculty experts from a wide range of disciplines.
Suggestions of where to find online activities for kids and families – some happening live, some waiting for you anytime – made by creative Mainers who are stuck in their homes, too.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci shares what makes COVID-19 so insidious, busts myths about the virus and breaks down why adhering to public health guidelines is paramount. (3/26/2020)
Podcast: Dora Anne Mills’ facebook posts as read by her daughter Julia Fiori ‘20
"Congratulations, Your Kids Are Now Your Coworkers" (The Nation, 3/27/2020)
"For the full life experience, put down all devices and walk" (Aeon, 3/23/2020)
"That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief" (Harvard Business Review, 3/23/2020)
"What I hope my kids are learning in the age of the Coronavirus" (Raise Ready Kids, 3/23/2020)
"I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips about Isolation to Share" (New York Times, 3/21/2020)
"Why the Coronavirus Has Been So Successful" (The Atlantic, 3/20/2020)
"Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters" (New York Times, 3/19/2020)
"Handling Your Kid's Disappointment when Everything is Cancelled" (NY Times, 3/18/2020) (New York Times, 3/18/2020)
"10 Tips for talking about COVID-19 with your kids" (PBS Newshour, 3/16/2020)
"Flattening the Coronavirus Curve" (New York Times, 3/10/2020)
"12 tips to help kids cope with social distancing" (Florida International University, 3/16/2020)
"Social DIstancing: Not A Snow Day" (Ariadne Labs, 3/14/2020)
"Parenting in a Pandemic" Podcast by Susan Kaiser Greenland
"Confronting the coronavirus outbreak" (Harvard Graduate School of Education)
Harvard Coronavirus Resource Center
National Conversation Project promoting conversations and community amidst fear and isolation #weavingcommunity
Local Resources
Portland Maine Area Community Support (Love in the time of COVID-19) Facebook group
Brighten your Day
Video of "What the World Needs Now" from Berklee College of Music's virtual orchestra
Biddeford man gets surprise parade for 80th birthday
The #1 source for good news! (The Good News Network)
Charter Communications to offer free broadband to new K-12 or college households: learn details
Health and wellness | Supporting kids
Coronavirus Information
Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (CDC)
Mental Health and Coping During COVID-19 (CDC)
5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety about Coronavirus (New York Times)
Coronavirus: Practicing Wellness While You Stay at Home (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
Wellness Supports
Support for Teens: It's possible to talk about your feelings and get support from another young person. You are not alone! Text NAMI at (207) 515 - 8398. NAMI counselors are available every day from noon-10:00 p.m. and can provide adolescents who may need additional mental health support with a safe space to talk with another young person. Staff providing support via the Teen Text Line are between 19–23 years of age. Learn more about NAMI.
"A Care Package for Uncertain Times:" podcasts and poetry by journalist, author, and entrepreneur Krista Tippett, who runs a public radio program called the "On Being Project."
Greater Good Magazine: articles on how to help teens shelter in place, personal wellbeing as a parent, and support for SEL
Apps for children with anxious feelings
How to Help Teenagers Embrace Stress
Find Your Calm: Sleep more. Stress less. Live better
Cosmic Kids: mindfulness, yoga
Child Mind Institute (offering daily videos/tips/articles specific to kids and the learning during the coronavirus)
ADDitude Magazine (website with lots of support for students with ADHD and a variety of learning profiles- also lots of material focused on learning during the coronavirus)
In honor of #SELday on March 27, here are four Greater Good in Education practice collections:
Online Learning
A Complete Guide to STEAM Supplies for Parents and Teachers: Tools to Use to Help Learners Become Innovators (Aspen Academy)
With many schools resuming online or closed for the remainder of the school year, NASA has launched NASA at Home. The website features activities for grades K-12 and higher education that range from STEM to Augmented Reality.
Free stories from Audible to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Art for Kids Hub on YouTube is for all ages. Learn to draw your favorite cartoon characters, and other things.
TedEd has video stories and lessons with questions for deeper thinking and discussion.
Free Online Events and Activities for Kids at Home from Common Sense Media
Youth Remote Learning looks to connect students across the United States with courses that will help to promote intellectual curiosity in an online platform.
Google Arts and Culture Museum Collections Online
Scistarter (volunteer to advance scientific research at any age)
Tips for Taking Online Classes: eight strategies for success
Khan Academy: free online courses, lessons, and practice
Quill.org | Interactive Writing and Grammar
Over 1,000 Writing Prompts for Students
Newsela: Instructional Content Platform: free access to the entire product suite for the rest of the 2019/2020 school year
Open Up Resources: curriculum, free and open
Brilliant | Learn to think: build quantitative skills in math, science, and computer science with fun and challenging interactive explorations
Library Resources
Klingenstein Library: for Lower School students
Thaxter Library: for Middle School students
Thaxter Library: for Upper School students
Digital Maine Library offers helpful tools for every subject!
International Children's Digital Library: ICDL
Read Print Library: online books, poems, short stories
EPIC Book Library: digital library for kids 12 & under
Local restaurants (with Waynflete connection)
Portland Food Map - comprehensive, up-to-date list of restaurants, stores, cafes, etc.
Asmara: 51 Oak St. Eritrean food. Take out or delivery
BenKay: 16 Middle St. Take out or delivery through 2DineIn
Cocktail MARY: offering gift cards via DM on Instagram (@cocktail_mary) or email at mary@cocktailmary.com
Figgy’s will deliver via 2DineIn
Maine Beer Co in Freeport: offering bottles and pizzas to go (pizza crust from Zu Bakery)
Miyake and Pai Men Miyake: Pai Men is offering curbside pickup and take out.
Paciarino: 470 Fore St. in Portland, curbside pickup
Saeng Thai House: take out
Treats: Wiscasset. online ordering and curbside pick up once or twice a week
Tu Casa in Portland: take out or delivery by Doordash
Zu Bakery: Artisanal Bread in Brunswick. Currently located in the parking lot of Coastal Enterprises at 30 Federal Street in Brunswick. Saturdays 9:00-12:30 p.m.
Fun Activities and Virtual Sites
John Cariani discusses his new book, "Almost, Maine," at a virtual event hosted by PRINT: a bookstore. Wednesday, May 6.
Maine Audubon has a lot of nature-based resources, suggested activities, and online offerings. Maine Audubon Connections has information and fun activities for all ages. Trails at Maine Audubon’s eight sanctuaries are currently open and people are encouraged to connect with the outdoors. If you are planning to visit, please read “Three Steps for Mainers” guidelines. Maine Outdoor Film Festival will be streaming conservation-themed outdoor films on Earth Day!
Rent mobives digitally from the Portland Museum of Art. Donation recommendation $5-$10. Current offerings include "Once Were Brothers," "The Best of CatVideo Fest," "Fungi," "Bacarau" documentary, "Saint Frances" and more
Alvin Ailey Dance - free all access to videos of performances
What to Stream: Forty of the Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Blick Art Store: hundreds of free, original ideas for art projects
Empower and Help Global Awareness Challenge: a service learning/collaborative problem solving challenge to make grade 6-12 children aware about global issues
Girls Who Code weekly activities — some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty—which feature of a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.
Running Out of Games? Remember These Old-School Favorites (New York Times, 3/25/20)
StoryCorps (create an oral history with your family members)
Virtual School Activities! A collection of sites to live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other miscellaneous fun academic sites
Live Virtual Concerts to watch during the Coronavirus shutdown (from NPR)
These 12 famous museums offer virtual tours you can take on your couch
Virtual Storytimes for Kids: check out these resources!
Activity/Exercise
How to Exercise During a Pandemic (The Atlantic)
Waynflete eighth grader Skylar Cook is running Facebook Live dance classes for kids (and anyone else who wants to participate) three times a week: 5:15 pm on Mon and Weds, and 10:00 am on Sat.: https://www.facebook.com/movewithskylar/
Live yoga classes from Lila: Facebook group “Lila Live”
Planet Fitness, live-streaming on Facebook
GoNoodle: Home (movement activities for younger children)
30-Minute No-Equipment Cardio & HIIT Workout
Outdoor Options
National Park and Recreation: Keeping a Safe Social Distance in Parks and on Trails During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Open Space
Social Connection
Host virtual dinner and dessert parties with other families (we’ve heard Houseparty is a good app for this though haven’t tried it yet!
Playing cards (or other games) via FaceTime with family members
Lower School
Sesame Street and CNN got together to make a four-part town hall about COVID-19 to make it understandable for kids.
Free resources from ABCmouse for students in preK-Grade 8. ABCmouse.com helps kids learn to read through phonics, and teaches lessons in math, social studies, art, music, and much more. Click the links below for each program and enter school code: SCHOOL3698. Then create an account using your personal credentials. ABCmouse.com for children in preschool-Gr 2. Adventure Academy for children in Gr 3-8. ReadingIQ for children in preschool-Gr 6.
Bonus Activities for Kids in Lower School (compiled by school counselor Kate Corbett)
Portland Children's Museum online
Club SciKidz: 30 Day Lego Challenge is a fun way to encourage creativity as well as help with problem solving and engineering skills.
Center for Puppetry Arts offers workshops, museum tours, and puppet shows all free from your own home!
Circus Smirkus is now offering live online classes for circus enthusiasts of all ages and levels.
We are Teachers provides a list of children’s authors doing online read-alouds and activities.
Taproot: the magazine for makers, doers, and dreamers: Download a coloring book that includes a full range of difficulty levels to keep the whole family entertained and inspired.