A Resource for Using the Circle of Courage to Build Connection, Trust, and Resilience at the Start of the School Year There is a particular kind of energy that lives in a school building at the beginning of the year. Fresh... Continue reading.
Help Your Students Tell Their Story: Free Circle of Courage Maps
The beginning of a school year is about so much more than learning names, establishing routines, and organizing supplies.It’s about getting to know one another. Who are the students walking into your classroom? What are they proud of? Where do... Continue reading.
Our Students Need to Feel Seen. So Do We.
A Back-to-School Reflection and 5 Simple Ways for School Leaders to Help Staff Feel Seen There’s something about the beginning of a school year. The building starts to come alive again. People are catching up in the hallways, classrooms are being... Continue reading.
The One They Remember
There is something about the beginning of a school year that makes everything feel possible. The floors are freshly cleaned. The classroom smells like new crayons and dry-erase markers. Books are waiting to be opened, names are waiting to... Continue reading.
More Than a Fundraiser: Why Night of Starrs Matters
Every child deserves to feel safe. Every family deserves hope. Every community deserves the opportunity to thrive. For more than 113 years, Starr Commonwealth has worked alongside children, families, educators, and communities to build... Continue reading.
Behavior Is Communication: Understanding the Unmet Needs Behind Your Child’s Behavior
If you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a meltdown wondering, “What am I doing wrong?”, this article is for you. First, take a breath. You’re not alone. You’re not failing. And there is nothing “wrong” with your... Continue reading.
Why Staff Wellness Is a Student Outcome Strategy
If you’ve worked in education, you’ve probably experienced it. The kind of exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fix. The feeling of carrying dozens—sometimes hundreds—of stories home with you at the end of the day. The weight of worrying... Continue reading.
The Most Powerful Intervention in Education Isn’t a Program
Every educator can remember a student who stayed with them long after the school year ended. Maybe it was the child who rarely spoke but somehow trusted you enough to share their story. Maybe it was the student who spent... Continue reading.
One Framework, Many Names: Why Trauma-Informed Care, PBIS, SEL, and MTSS Belong Together
Walk into almost any school today and you’ll hear conversations about Trauma-Informed Care, PBIS, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Too often, these approaches are discussed as separate... Continue reading.
Summer PD You’ll Actually Use Next Year
A Reflection from One Educator to Another Ok, can I be honest with you for a second? I used to dread summer PD. There. I said it. The binders we never opened again. The keynote that was inspiring in the moment and completely... Continue reading.
Letting Go with Love: Helping Students Transition Emotionally to Summer
There's something quietly electric about the last weeks of school. You can feel it the moment you walk through the door — a little more wiggle in the seats, a few more glances at the clock, an unmistakable hum of almost... Continue reading.
Holding Space for Yourself: A Reflection on Resilience and Care in Education
A gentle invitation back to yourself There’s a quiet misconception in education that self-care is something extra—something to get to after the work is done. But the truth teachers know, deep in their bones, is this:the work is never... Continue reading.
An Open Letter to Teachers: Thank You for Showing Up, Even After Everything
Dear Teachers, There are so many things we could say. So many ways to try to capture what it means that you are still here—still showing up—after everything. But maybe we start here: We see you. We... Continue reading.
The First Few Mornings Back: Rebuilding Rhythm After Spring
The hallway sounds different after spring break. It’s louder in some places—bursts of laughter, retelling stories, the kind of joy that spills over.And quieter in others—hesitation at doorways, slower steps, eyes scanning for what feels... Continue reading.
Beauty is a Silent Teacher: Seeing SEL Through a Different Lens
It was one of those in-between moments. The lesson had ended, but the next transition hadn’t quite begun. Papers shuffled. Chairs scraped. A low hum of conversation filled the room. And then—unexpectedly—everything softened. Near the... Continue reading.
