Reading aloud to (and with) children is a wonderful way to build not only literacy skills, but relationships. This article from the Washington Post highlights an elementary school principal in Texas who builds relationships with her students - and their families - by snuggling up in her PJs to read a bedtime story to her students once a week via Facebook Live. To quote Dr. Bruce Perry, "“The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely he will be to recover from trauma and thrive.

As our team works with communities across the state, we have had the privilege of meeting a significant number of educators who are working to respond to the growing number of behavioral health needs their students are presenting. To support those efforts , the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has just released Student Assistance: A Guide for School Administrators . The purpose of this guide is to provide school leaders and administrators with key...

School districts across the state (and country) are working to find ways to become more trauma-aware, trauma-sensitive, and trauma-responsive. Many have started the process by implementing a variety of programs and practices school-wide from Restorative Justice to Capturing Kids' Hearts . Others are making small changes, one classroom at a time. All of it is good work – and the best way to make it sustainable is to have a written plan developed by leaders at all levels within the school or...

Regulate. Relate. Reason. These “3 Rs” (developed by Dr. Bruce Perry) are an easy way to remind adults of how the brain is structured and develops and how communication is impacted when we are under significant stress. But how do you explain this in a way that kids can understand? Enter Nathan from Walnut Creek Elementary School in Austin, Texas. Walnut Creek has been working to implement the Neurosequential Model in Education as part of a pilot project in the Austin Independent School...