Routines

  • Start Strong and Set the Tone: Build Routines that Boost Learning and Connection

    Start Strong and Set the Tone: Build Routines that Boost Learning and Connection

    The shift from summer break to a new school year brings fresh energy and new opportunities! The beginning of the year is the perfect time to help students find their rhythm. When you build consistent routines and set clear expectations from day one you’ll begin to create a learning environment that feels safe, connected, and…

  • 8 Ways to Start the New School Year on a Positive Note

    8 Ways to Start the New School Year on a Positive Note

    Here in the Pacific Northwest many schools start right after Labor Day. The end of summer always brings a mix of emotions. These can include anticipation, curiosity, and maybe even maybe even a touch of dread. As we transition from summer days to structured school days, here are eight ways to foster connection and establish routines to…

  • Campbell Hill Classified Staff use Data and SEL Strategies to Help with Transitions and Recess

    Campbell Hill Classified Staff use Data and SEL Strategies to Help with Transitions and Recess

    The classified staff of Campbell Hill Elementary, in Renton, WA, works hard every day to be sure that students know they are safe, belong, and matter in the unstructured spaces like the school playground and cafeteria. This team of educators meet monthly to align their practice, continue their learning about social emotional learning and trauma-responsive…

  • Teachers Can Harness the Power of Ritual and Routine

    At this time of year, with heightened excitement and a looming break from school, the agreements you co-created with your class at the beginning of the school year and the everyday routines you have been establishing are things to lean on. Depend on that structure now, because it comforts them and helps them feel safe.…

  • Lunch time! How Bryn Mawr Elementary Creates Community in the Lunchroom

    We all have distant memories of a loud, chaotic lunchroom, where students often had their heads down for being too loud and left lunch a bit dysregulated and less ready to learn. At Bryn Mawr Elementary, the staff has creatively addressed one of the key sources of stress for all schools this year – how…

  • A Strong Start for Teachers

    Teachers: we sincerely hope you were able to take some well-deserved time off this summer. The past two school years have asked too much of you. And right around the corner is the beginning of something new…a new classroom of kids, new challenges, new successes.  Although we continue to face many unknowns this school year,…

  • A Smooth Transition to the School Year

    The new school year is fast approaching, and the sunlit days are growing a little shorter. It’s time to transition from summer to the more structured schedule of fall.  There are still a lot of unknowns this school year, so it will helpful for kids to feel as ready as they can. When we leave…

  • Ideas para familias

  • Contributions Create Capable, Competent Kids

    Our children shine when they know that they have helped. We can see it on their faces. But as parents, we often fall into doing everything ourselves, forgetting how important contribution is to the well-being of our children. When kids are little they are constantly begging, “Me do it!”  We may tell them something that…

  • When Students Contribute, They Feel Capable, Connected and Confident

    Finding ways for your students to contribute is a powerful positive step towards fostering their belief that they matter and make a difference. ALL kids can contribute….academic excellence is not the only way to shine. Sometimes being trusted to help makes all the difference.  Think of the teen gang leader whose savvy teacher recognized her…