As Uvalde’s students enter the classroom next week, they will have a new tool available to them when they experience big emotions.
Cincinnati-based company Calm Caterpillar is becoming part of the district’s mission of trauma-informed care — following the Robb Elementary School massacre — with a donation of 166 Calm Corner Kits.
The kits — meant to create a soothing space in classrooms — come with a seat cushion, sensory breathing ball, feelings flashcards and weighted caterpillar “Calmee” designed for guided breathing.
“Helping children develop emotional regulation skills positively contributes to their ability to manage difficult situations,” Nichole Henderson, Uvalde CISD director of recovery services, said in a news release.
Calm Caterpillar founder Sarah Habib visited Uvalde on Thursday to train district educators on using the materials, which can be molded according to the age of the student.
Little ones can practice “Coyote breathing,” named for the mascot, and older kids can throw the breathing ball back and forth with classmates.
“Often for kids, breathing is like a nebulous concept,” Habib said. “When we give them something that they can hold, and they get tactile feedback about how to take a deep breath, it really allows them to focus in.”
Most importantly, the program provides materials for educators to model breathing work and emotional regulation instead of the well-intentioned ask for kids to “calm down.”
For children who have experienced trauma at home or in their communities, breathing is a useful tool in reducing stress because it has been shown to decrease the body’s stress hormone.
“When we can take kids who have been in really traumatic experiences and introduce them to the power of breathing, we give them control over the anxiety and stress that they’re experiencing inside,” Habib said.
Reposted from: https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/uvalde-cisd-calm-caterpillar-kits-18656453.php