Jill Mortensen - Activities Director, Ripon High School

Website: asbofriponhighschoolweebly.com

Email: jmortensen@riponusd.net

Living with Love & Kindness in Your Heart

1. Praises
2. Square Up
​3. The Painted Rock
4. Magic Glitter
5. My Intent

Praises

Spend time writing a positive and creative note to a member of your leadership family. Perhaps it is to support them when they were having a bad day or acknowledging a good job done on an activity. Simple words can come together to make a huge impact on someone. 

If you are together as a whole class, have your Seniors/Elders read them out loud to the whole class. Share positive words of kindness amongst the whole group.

If you are in distance learning, have students write them, drop them off with the teacher and mail them to the particular student. What a wonderful surprise to receive in the mail!

Square Up

Together as a class circle up on the floor or perhaps outside in the grass area. Each student will receive one piece of color paper. Have the student write their name in the center.

From there, pass the paper around in the circle where each member of the leadership family can write a positive message to the student.

Teach about superficial comments versus a well thought out comment that applies directly to that person.

Spend about a minute with each square piece of paper.

Once the paper makes it around the whole circle, allow time for the students to read their squares. If you run out of time they can spend the rest of the day reading positive and loving comments made by their peers/friends/family members of leadership. ​

Hang this on your wall at home or place it in your binder to have with you throughout the days/weeks/months of the school year. When you are feeling down, take the time to read the support given to you. It will lift your spirits.

The Painted Rock

The Painted Rock

A rock from mother earth has undergone the shifts of nature. From the quake of its foundation, the water to smooth its edges, air to take away particles of imperfection, fire to solidify its strength and in the end the spirit to survive each and every day. 

In this activity, you will be blind in picking your earthly item. Allow your rock to show you the mantra that is meant just for you. From the shape, to the color, to the words present...what is meant to be will be.

In the Japanese culture - Ikigai - is the practice of gratitude that is conducted morning and night. Allow yourself to be grounded with a simple flair of creativity to guide you through your year. 

  1. Notice the shape of the rock. Describe it.
  2. What do the patterns of your rock look like?
  3. What color is your rock?
  4. What are your initial thoughts to the rock you picked?
  5. How will the simple words on the rock help guide you this year in high school? ​

Magic Glitter
The Magic of Purposeful Movement

Do you believe in Magic?

There is beauty all around us if we take the time to be in the present moment, to calm the busy mind, and let go. 

Let me tell you a story…
My daughter at a young age struggled with going to sleep at night so I created a story in which good fairies in our world have magic dust that is sprinkled all over a room for protection and good dreams. We would decide what color our fairy would be wearing that night and the color of the fairy dust. We would sprinkle the fairy dust magically all over the room and my daughter’s fears would be at ease. 

So how does this story relate to the magic bottle of glitter?

Take a moment to shake the bottle of Magic Glitter in times of stress, frustration or fear. Take a moment to breathe in and out slowly. Let go of your worry while watching the “magic fairy dust” in the bottle. Be present in finding peace within you. Believe in the power of magic. Better yet, believe in the magic of YOU!

My Intent Project