Longfellow Elementary calming boxes

Counselor Brittney Diaz and others have been working this school year on creating "Regulation Stations" for all classrooms to help teach students how to identify feelings (using Zones of Regulation SEL curriculum), as well as choose tools and strategies to help regulate and get back to learning without leaving the classroom.

Section:Gallery

Wed., Dec. 22, 2021

School counselor Brittney Diaz shows a basket of "fidget toys" assembled a teacher in one classroom at Longfellow Elementary in Spokane Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. On Tuesday morning, all the teachers at Longfellow received a basket of similar fidget toys to keep in their own classrooms, bought with a donation from Douglass Properties. The toys occupy a kid's attention while they focus on the toy and can better focus on lecture in the classroom.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
School counselor Brittney Diaz talks about a “calming station” set up in the library at Longfellow Elementary School in Spokane on Dec. 14. Diaz created a poster identifying color coordinated reasons a child cannot focus on learning and tools to bring their minds back to learning.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
School counselor Brittney Diaz shows off a simple toy given to kids to help them calm down at Longfellow Elementary in Spokane on Dec. 14. The boxes are filled with toys and other distractions that give restless kids something to focus on.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo
Sierra Ramos, a behavioral support specialist, holds a rubber “pop-it” which is one of the “fidget toys” provided in the “calming box” put together by Ramos and school counselor Brittney Diaz and paid for by a donation by Douglass Properties.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review Buy this photo