Well here we are again everyone - who'd have ever thought!  I wanted to share first that online small groups are starting this week....if you (your student) is interested, please get in touch right away......never too late for new people and there's never too many!  I just need a parent 'OK' for students to participate - a quick email or phone message (715-265-7869) will do it!

I also wanted to chat this week a bit about how our whole situation right now is actually very related to the process of grief and loss.  Maybe you've already put these thoughts together to some degree, but the reality is we're all dealing with feelings of loss and grief often follows loss.  No matter what your life-loss situation may be right now - employment, being separated from loved ones,  your feelings of safety in the world being compromised, worry for a 'normal' future, life milestones such as finishing a grade level or a high school graduation being compromised - things have changed dramatically and that results in loss.  Now grief is another part of this all.  Typically we think of grief after a death of a loved one, but that is not the only time we face it.  You may also be thinking now, 'well, I'm not sad and crying all the time', as grief can often present itself that way.  Grief can actually take many forms and combinations of 'big' feelings (to use our Elementary words!), not simply sad.  One key to any 'big' feelings is to find some kind of outlet to get them out of yourself in a mindful way.  Different things work for different people of course!  Whether its talking to someone about them, physically activity, writing, listening to music, focusing on a project, spending fun time with loved ones....do it with a purpose - that being to give yourself a break from those big feelings and decide your activity will be to 'let go' of them for that period of time.   Just like we need to work to practice patience and grace with others around us at this time, we also need to practice that for ourselves as well!

Click on the following link for more information on grief/loss.  Keep taking care and let me know if I can be of any help!  Mrs G