1st Edition
Staying Well Facilitator's Guide How to Support Children whose Best Friend is Leaving
Coping when a friend moves away is hard. The Staying Well Facilitator’s Guide contains guidance notes, prompts, and bonus material that helps the facilitator bring out the best experience for the child using the Staying Well Activity Book. This practical guide can be used to support one child or a group of children by parents, class teachers, learning support teachers, and counsellors. Support material is included to help the lead-adult feel confident in their delivery and in responding to questions related to the discussion.
Every page in the Staying Well Activity Book has a corresponding page in the Staying Well Facilitator’s Guide for the user to refer to when delivering the material, each of which features:
• A page rationale which touches on the theory behind the activity.
• A visual of the corresponding page.
• Materials needed.
• How to set the scene.
• How to complete the activity.
• Facilitator’s top tips.
• How to close the activity.
• Possible extension activities.
Grounded in wellbeing and transition research, this guide is an invaluable companion to the Staying Well Activity Book, helping a lead-adult support children whose best friend is moving away.
Acknowledgements
How to use the Staying Well Facilitator’s Guide
Author’s Notes – supporting ‘the stayer’
The Staying Well Activity Book
Welcome!
Change happens.
What stays the same and what changes?
Friendship facts.
Magic memories: highlight reel.
Staying Well takes TRUST
Wellbeing scales.
How do I cope well?
Saying encouraging things to myself.
Rainbow breathing.
Taking my pencil for a walk.
My circle of support.
The magic of Vitamin N (N=NATURE).
Creative connections.
What my body tells me.
Draw feelings out.
Feeling focus.
Gratitude banner.
Purposeful planning.
Goodbye card for my friend.
A message from my friend
Cool connections.
What’s in and out of my control?
Appreciating strengths.
Star strengths.
Staying Well podium.
Make a Glitter Jar.
Make a Coping Well Spinner.
Awards ceremony.
Brain-dump page.
Bibliography
Biography
Claire Holmes is a school counsellor, her approach is trauma-informed and strength-based, empowering others to access their inner wisdom and knowing. As a mindfulness teacher, she weaves meditation into her work, alongside expressive therapies, and solution-focused interventions. She delights in spending time in the great outdoors and is a Nature and Forest Therapy Guide in training. She’s passionate about positive transitions, having lived and worked in Singapore for over two decades, and understands, first-hand, what it means to be ‘a stayer’. She is the author of the Moving On series and is delighted to add the Staying Well books to her collection.
"Claire Holmes has crafted a masterpiece. It should be a gift from every school to every single student aged 6-12 who will see a friend move away at the end of the year. Too often the adults' attention goes to the students and families packing their bags and boxes. This book fills a long overdue gap in the hearts and minds of the stayers. We have long suspected that the unresolved losses associated with being “a stayer” can impact the ability of these students to make and maintain long-term emotional bonds with others. Claire’s book addresses this gap, with a storehouse of accessible tricks and tools. Do not be mistaken by the playfulness of her approach: it is based on sound psychological science mixing mindfulness, cognitive therapy, and polyvagal theory. This book will help kids stay well and fully reap the benefits of a life where change happens. We owe Claire Holmes a debt of gratitude for writing it."
Dr. Douglas W. Ota, author of Safe Passage: How Mobility Affects People and What International Schools Should Do About It
"Staying Well is a true gem for kids facing difficult times. The activity book's creative approach makes it not just a book but a canvas for young minds to explore their emotions and questions and build their resilience. It's a practical guide that fosters self-reflection and personal growth whilst providing a platform for nurture and support at a difficult time. The facilitator’s guide is a reassuring companion for adults, equipping them with all the tools and insights to be the supportive rock a child needs during times of loss and change. These books are engaging and incredibly valuable, providing children and their supporting adults with the resources they need to navigate life's changes and challenges. A must-have for anyone supporting a child whose friend is moving away."
Dr. Pooky Knightsmith, world renown expert on mental health, author, keynote speaker and advisor
