Mathews Elementary awarded grant for ‘calm corners’

VIENNA -- Samantha Lantz, K-2 school counselor at Mathews Elementary School, was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the Ohio School Counselor Association to allow the school to create 30 portable calm corners and grief kits.

The kits and corners are designed to help students who need self-regulation tools at home by providing them an area where they can work through their emotions at home through the use of tools provided in the kits.

Lantz said she got the idea to develop such resources after realizing many of her students lacked the means to create similar spaces at home.

Each kit includes directions, a folder with grief resources for families, the book "The Invisible String" by Patrice Karst, the book "A Little Peaceful Spot" by Diane Alber and accompanying workbook pages. The kit also includes a "coping skills tool box" that contains Play-doh, fidget toys and a coping skills checklist as well as breathing cards and other tools for redirecting anxious emotions.