Safety Circles Facilitator Guide Safety Circles Facilitator Guide
Week 1: Building Our Safe Space
Session Objectives
Establish a safe and supportive group environment through group norms.
Introduce the concept of "Peaceful Hearts" and the 6-week journey.
Provide a simple, non-threatening definition of grief.
Allow students to identify the "colors" of their heart through creative expression.
Materials Needed
Safety Circles Slides
Heart Map Activity Sheets
Crayons/Markers/Colored Pencils
Large Chart Paper & Markers
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. Welcome & Warm-Up (5 mins)
Script: "Welcome to our Peaceful Hearts group. We are all here because we've experienced a loss—someone we care about has died. This is a safe place where we can talk about our feelings, remember our loved ones, and learn how to find peace when things feel heavy. Let's start by introducing ourselves with our names and one thing we love to do."
2. Group Norms (10 mins)
Facilitator Note: Use the chart paper to record norms. Guide them toward: Confidentiality ("What's said here stays here"), Respect ("No laughing at feelings"), and The Right to Pass.
Script: "For this group to feel safe, we need some rules. What things would make you feel safe sharing your feelings here? Let's write them down."
3. Defining Grief (10 mins)
Script: "What is grief? Grief is like a big, messy cloud of feelings that happens after someone dies. It's not just sadness; it can be anger, confusion, or even feeling nothing at all. It's our heart's way of healing."
4. Heart Map Activity (15 mins)
Distribute the 'Heart Map' worksheet. Ask students to color parts of their heart based on how they feel right now or things they love and miss.
Session Closing
"Next week, we'll talk about how our feelings change like the weather. Between now and then, notice one thing that makes your heart feel even a little bit peaceful."
Safety Circles Slides Peaceful Hearts
Building Our Safe Space
Session 1: Safety Circles
Why are we here?
To share our stories and feelings.
To learn that we are not alone in our loss.
To find ways to help our hearts feel peaceful.
Our Safety Circle Norms
Confidentiality
What we say here, stays here.
Respect
Listen when others are talking.
Kindness
No laughing at feelings.
What is Grief?
"Grief is the way our heart says goodbye and remembers someone we love who has died."
Sadness
Anger
Confusion
Okay-ness
All of these are normal!
Heart Map Activity
Take your Heart Map and fill it with colors, words, or drawings that show what is in your heart today.
Heart Map Activity Sheet My Heart Map
Peaceful Hearts Group - Week 1
Name
Date
Our hearts hold many things at once. Color in this heart to show what's in your heart today. Use different colors for different feelings or memories.
My Heart Key
This color means...
This color means...
This color means...
This color means...
Emotion Weather Facilitator Guide Emotion Weather Facilitator Guide
Week 2: The Heart's Climate
Session Objectives
Identify the wide range of emotions associated with grief.
Normalize that feelings can change quickly, much like weather patterns.
Learn that there are no "bad" feelings in grief.
Create a personal "Feelings Forecast" for the week.
Materials Needed
Emotion Weather Slides
Feelings Forecast Activity Sheets
Blue/Grey/Yellow/Red Art Supplies
Weather Icon Stickers (Optional)
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. Check-In (5 mins)
Script: "Welcome back, everyone. Remember our Safety Circles from last week? Let's do a quick check-in. If your heart was a color today, what color would it be?"
2. The Weather Metaphor (10 mins)
Script: "Have you ever noticed how the weather changes? One minute it’s sunny, and the next it might rain. Grief is just like that. Some days we feel 'sunny' and happy, other days it feels like a 'thunderstorm' of anger. And that's okay. You can't control the weather, and you can't control how feelings arrive."
3. Matching Feelings to Weather (15 mins)
Facilitator Note: Show slides with weather icons and ask students to name feelings that match.
Sunny = Happy, Peaceful
Rainy = Sadness, Loneliness
Stormy = Anger, Frustration
Foggy = Confusion, Numbness
4. Feelings Forecast (15 mins)
Distribute the activity sheet. Ask them to think about how they've felt since the last meeting and how they might feel this coming week.
Session Closing
"Just like the weather, feelings always pass. If it's raining in your heart today, the sun will eventually peek through again."
Emotion Weather Slides Emotion Weather
How Grief Feels in Our Hearts
Session 2: Feelings Forecast
Feelings are like Weather
They change all the time.
You can't force them to stop.
Every kind of weather is okay .
They move through us eventually.
When it Storms...
"Sometimes grief feels loud, angry, or scary. You might feel like shouting or crying hard."
Survival Tip:
Just like a real storm, you find shelter and wait for it to pass. Find a safe adult or a quiet space.
When it's Foggy...
"Grief can make you feel confused or 'nothing' at all. You might forget things or feel like you're in a dream."
This is called "numbness" and it's your brain's way of taking a break.
Activity: Feelings Forecast
Happy
Sad
Angry
Numb
Calm
Choose a weather icon for each day this week and draw your forecast on your worksheet!
Feelings Forecast Activity Sheet Feelings Forecast
Peaceful Hearts Group - Week 2
Name
Date
Sunny
Rainy
Stormy
Foggy
Breezy
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
When my heart weather is "Stormy" or "Rainy," I can feel better by...
One person I can talk to about my "Weather" is... Memory Seeds Facilitator Guide Memory Seeds Facilitator Guide
Week 3: Honoring What Remains
Session Objectives
Differentiate between the person who died and the memories we keep.
Normalize talking about the person who died (using their name).
Create a tangible "Memory Flower" to celebrate positive moments.
Understand that it's okay to feel happy when remembering.
Materials Needed
Memory Seeds Slides
Memory Flower Activity Sheets
Scissors and Glue Sticks
Optional: Real flower seeds to take home
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. Welcome & Sharing (10 mins)
Script: "Today we are talking about memories. Even though the person we love isn't here anymore, the memories we have of them are like seeds. They stay in our hearts and can grow into beautiful things. Would anyone like to share the name of the person they are remembering today?"
2. The Gardening Metaphor (10 mins)
Script: "When someone dies, it feels like our garden is empty. But our memories are the seeds that help the garden grow again. Memories can be funny, happy, or even a little sad. All of them are important."
3. Memory Flower Activity (25 mins)
Instruction: Have students write different memories on each petal of their flower. They can draw a picture of their loved one in the center.
Petal 1: A funny story
Petal 2: Something they taught you
Petal 3: Their favorite food or hobby
Petal 4: A place you went together
Session Closing
"Hold your memory flowers close. You can look at these whenever you miss your person. Next week, we'll talk about what to do when the grief waves feel really big."
Memory Seeds Slides Memory Seeds
Growing Love through Remembering
Session 3: Keeping the Heart Garden
What is a Memory?
"A memory is like a snapshot of the heart. It's a way to keep someone with us, even if they are far away."
A Picture
A Song
A Smell
All Memories are Seeds
Happy Seeds
Funny jokes, warm hugs, or silly faces. These make us smile!
Sad Seeds
Missing their voice or wishing they were here. These help us cry.
Strong Seeds
Something they taught you, like riding a bike or being kind.
A Big Question...
"Is it okay to laugh and have fun when I miss someone?"
Yes!
Your person would want your garden to be full of sunshine too.
Create Your Memory Flower
Write a memory on every petal of your worksheet. These are the seeds you keep in your heart.
Memory Flower Activity Sheet Memory Flower
Growing memories in our hearts
NAME
The person I am remembering today is:
Funny Memory
Lesson Learned
A Wish I Have
Favorite Thing
Draw Them!
How do you feel when you look at your memory flower?
Calm Waves Facilitator Guide Calm Waves Facilitator Guide
Week 4: Learning to Ride the Waves
Session Objectives
Understand grief as "waves" that come and go in intensity.
Identify physical sensations of grief in the body.
Learn and practice three specific coping skills (Deep breathing, Grounding, and Self-talk).
Begin building a personalized "Coping Toolbox."
Materials Needed
Calm Waves Slides
Coping Toolbox Activity Sheets
Small smooth stones or sensory objects
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. The Wave Metaphor (10 mins)
Script: "Grief is like the ocean. Sometimes the water is calm, but other times big waves come crashing down on us. We can't stop the waves from coming, but we can learn how to surf them so we don't feel like we're drowning. When is a time you felt a 'big wave' of grief?"
2. Body Scan (10 mins)
Script: "When a wave comes, your body feels it too. Maybe your tummy hurts, your chest feels tight, or your eyes feel prickly. Close your eyes and notice where your body feels heavy today."
3. Coping Skills Practice (15 mins)
Practice the following with the students:
Box Breathing: In for 4, Hold for 4, Out for 4, Hold for 4.5-4-3-2-1 Grounding: 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.Safe Thoughts: "I am safe right now," "This feeling will pass."
Session Closing
"Practice your box breathing this week whenever you feel a wave coming. Next week, we'll talk about the 'Support Stars' in our lives who help us stay afloat."
Calm Waves Slides Calm Waves
Learning to Surf the Grief Waves
Session 4: Riding the Big Ones
The Ocean of Grief
Big Waves
"Holidays, birthdays, or just a random Tuesday."
Calm Waters
"Feeling okay, playing with friends, and laughing."
You are the captain of your ship!
Skill #1: Box Breathing
1. Breathe In (4)
2. Hold (4)
3. Breathe Out (4)
4. Hold (4)
Skill #2: 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding
5 Things You SEE
4 Things You FEEL
3 Things You HEAR
2 Things You SMELL
1 Thing You TASTE
Build Your Coping Toolbox
What tools will you use when the waves get big? Let's write them down!
Coping Toolbox Activity Sheet My Coping Toolbox
Tools for Riding the Grief Waves
Session 4
My peaceful strategies:
Breathing Tools
Body Tools
Thinking Tools
Creative Tools
"If a huge wave hits, my FIRST step will be..."
Breathe
Ground
Talk
Support Stars Facilitator Guide Support Stars Facilitator Guide
Week 5: Finding Our People
Session Objectives
Identify "safe people" in home, school, and community environments.
Differentiate between peer support (empathy) and adult support (safety).
Practice self-advocacy through specific "Asking for Help" scripts.
Materials Needed
Support Stars Slides
Support Star Sheet
Yellow Markers
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. Safe People (10 mins)
Script: "A Support Star is someone who listens and cares. Who helps you at home? At school? What makes them a 'Star'?"
Facilitator Tip: Explain that friends are great for sharing feelings, but adults are best when you need to feel safe or if grief feels too heavy to handle.
2. How to Ask (10 mins)
Script: "Sometimes we don't have the words. Try these: 'I'm having a hard grief day,' or 'I'm missing my person.' Let's practice with different scenarios: missing someone at recess, feeling sad at dinner, or getting angry in class."
3. Map Activity (20 mins)
Identify your "Main Star" (your biggest helper).
Add 4 more stars for different areas: Home, School, Community.
Write a "Star Signal" sentence at the bottom of the page.
Facilitator Tips for Week 5
Validate that some students may have fewer "stars" than others; focus on the quality of support.
Encourage students to choose adults they see regularly at school (e.g., the counselor).
Remind them that they can be a Support Star for someone else, too!
Support Stars Slides Support Stars
Finding Light in the Dark
Session 5: Your Support Squad
What is a Support Star?
They Listen
They don't try to "fix" you, they just hear you.
They are Safe
You feel okay being yourself around them.
They Care
They show you love even when you're sad.
How to Ask for Help
"I'm having a hard grief day. Can we just sit together?"
"I'm missing someone special today. Can I talk about them?"
"I feel like a big wave is coming. What should I do?"
Asking for help is a superpower!
Stars are Everywhere
At Home
Parents, Siblings, Family
At School
Teachers, Counselors, Coaches
Friends
Best friends, Group members
See You Next Week!
Remember to look for the stars when things feel dark.
Support Star Activity Sheet My Support Stars
I am never alone in the dark.
CAPTAIN (YOUR NAME)
Support Stars are the people who shine light into our lives. Write the names of your Support Stars inside the stars below.
My Best Helper
Practice your "Star Signal":
If I need help, I will say to my Support Star:
Peaceful Paths Facilitator Guide Peaceful Paths Facilitator Guide
Week 6: Looking Forward
Session Objectives
Reflect on the growth made during the 6-week curriculum.
Present one key learning or memory to the group.
Address the transition to independent coping.
Celebrate achievements with the Graduation Ceremony.
Materials Needed
Session Slides
Certificates
Group Folders
Facilitation Script & Flow
1. Group Reflection (10 mins)
Script: "Can you believe it's been six weeks? Look at all the work in your folders. How has your heart changed since we first met? What tool do you use the most?"
2. Student Presentations (20 mins)
Each student shares one item from their folder (Heart Map, Flower, Toolbox, or Star Map). Prompt: "Tell us about this activity and why it's important to you."
3. Graduation Ceremony (15 mins)
Call each student up. Hand them their "Peaceful Heart Certificate" (available as a separate material in this curriculum). Share a specific word of encouragement for each child.
Final Closing Ritual
"We are ending this group, but the peace you found here stays with you. I am so proud of you."
Peaceful Paths Slides Peaceful Paths
Our Journey Together and Beyond
Session 6: Looking Forward
Our 6-Week Journey
1
Safety Circles
2
Emotion Weather
3
Memory Seeds
4
Calm Waves
5
Support Stars
6
Peaceful Paths
Show and Tell Time
The "Peaceful Heart" Presentation
Choose one thing you made during our group to share with us:
Your Heart Map
Your Memory Flower
Your Coping Toolbox
Your Support Star Map
Congratulations!
You have completed the Peaceful Hearts program. You are brave, you are strong, and you are never alone.
"Peace doesn't mean the sadness is gone. Peace means you have the tools to carry it with love."
Peaceful Heart Certificate Certificate of Peace
Awarded for Courage, Heart, and Resilience
This certificate is proudly presented to
For successfully completing the Peaceful Hearts Grief Curriculum . You have shown great strength in exploring your feelings, honoring your memories, and learning the tools to find peace within your heart.
Group Facilitator
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