“The most striking thing I heard was that when kids were highly escalated in the lower part of their brain, they physiologically can’t learn or take in new knowledge and problem-solve,” Sporleder recounted to participants in “Trauma-informed Schools: A conversation with Jim Sporleder”, an ACEs Connection webinar held on Nov. 19, 2018.
With the news of U.S. Border Patrol officers using tear gas against asylum-seekers in Mexico—affecting, among others, small children—we are reminded of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As its 70th anniversary approaches, we invite you to introduce its depth and relevance to your students with these resources—and to remember its enduring words: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." [For more on this edition of The Moment, go to...
In 2019, more than $40 million will become available to fund community-based, culturally rooted, trauma-informed services for youth in California as alternatives to arrest and incarceration. Thousands of California youth are arrested every year for low-level offenses. Youth who are arrested or incarcerated for low-level offenses are less likely to graduate high school, more likely to suffer negative health-outcomes, and more likely to have later contact with the justice system.
From Berkeley Public Schools Fund, March 22, 2018 Once a week at Willard Middle School, there’s an unexpected sight of a classroom full of students sitting still with their eyes closed. With the support of our Strategic Impact Grant , Willard Middle School has implemented a weekly Dynamic Mindfulness program where students engage in mindful ABCs (Actions, Behaviors, and Centering) during their Advisory period. The 15-minute program involves grounding activities from listening to a bell until...
Self-directed free play is vital for the healthy development of children. Here we see 43 science-backed benefits it brings.
PHILADELPHIA and GREENVILLE, Pa. — Back when he still lived with his family, when school was across the street from his home in West Philadelphia, Johnathan Hamilton used to plow through reading assignments and research religious questions online. He stumbled over fractions — math was always a struggle — but started getting into philosophy as an early teen. Then, at 15, his relationship with his parents grew violent, and Hamilton went to live in a city shelter for foster youth. When a bed...
By Amber Revels-Stocks The Times-Leader Saturday, November 3, 2018 Pitt County Schools is implementing a new practice in an attempt to decrease the amount of discipline referrals in its schools. Trauma-informed practices take into consideration adverse childhood experiences or ACEs that can affect physical, mental or emotional health, according to Karen Harrington, director of student services. Examples of ACEs include having a household member in prison, having divorced or separated parents...
The educational needs of refugee and immigrant students are frequently unmet in the United States and other nations across the globe, a new United Nations report concludes. "Building Bridges, Not Walls," a report released Tuesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization makes the argument that the current immigration policies of the U.S. government create too many barriers for students who are immigrants or refugees. The report calls for policy changes that...
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing over the fact that the U.S. teaching force is mostly white but the students in our classrooms are now mostly black, Hispanic and Asian. Although the latest federal data shows a dramatic surge in the number of black and Hispanic teacher hires, these same teachers continue to be among the most likely to leave the profession, with many churned out soon after they are hired and before they have a chance to develop strong teaching skills. “No, we don’t have...
By Amber Revels-Stocks The Times-Leader Saturday, November 3, 2018 Pitt County Schools is implementing a new practice in an attempt to decrease the amount of discipline referrals in its schools. Trauma-informed practices take into consideration adverse childhood experiences or ACEs that can affect physical, mental or emotional health, according to Karen Harrington, director of student services. Examples of ACEs include having a household member in prison, having divorced or separated parents...
Check out this article, written by the Learning Policy Institute, addressing how schools in the state are attempting to address inequitable suspension practices. Note that this article addresses both reducing student suspensions as well as creating a positive school climate where students feel CONNECTED. ...
Andrew and Ariya Boone got the call from Paradise Elementary at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 8. Fire was roaring toward the town of Paradise and they had to come immediately to pick up their three boys. Andrew raced to the school as Ariya frantically packed the family’s most treasured belongings and soothed their small daughter while the sky, which had been relatively clear just an hour before, turned so dark that it felt like “10 o’clock at night at 9:30 in the morning.” “It was insane…the fire was...
Canoeing through a historic rice plantation in Charleston inhabited by alligators in early June, Clara Denham got a small taste of what it would have been like for slaves clearing swamps and harvesting rice in the south's oppressive heat. The eighth-grader, who attends Broomfield's Aspen Creek K-8, challenged herself to learn about slavery by joining a school district trip to Charleston, S.C., to see firsthand what was one of the country's busiest ports during the slave trade. Clara was one...
CDC has launched a new free online training to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). It includes information about the risk and protective factors and outcomes associated with ACEs and evidence-based prevention strategies. Module 1 is an ACEs overview. Module 2 is a public health approach to preventing ACEs. Additional modules for specific professions such as mental health providers and medical providers are coming soon. No cost CEs are available. ...
What if the we could stifle the School to Prison Pipeline by simply creating a culture of belonging and inclusion in elementary school? The need for caring classrooms that promote a sense of connectedness and belonging is essential and must begin the day a child begins their educational experience. In many, not all, underserved communities, minority students are being taught by less experienced teachers who have emanated from culturally and economically incongruent backgrounds. Furthermore,...