High Fives

A parent volunteer sent me this special moment she captured during field day. Our water balloon had just erupted on the turf, splashing away our opportunity to win our first field day game. Yet, I leaned in and gave a deserving smile and a high five. I said, “Good try!” In any given year (and

Quintessence

I pulled Jess Redman’s Quintessence from my bookshelf on Christmas Eve, and this book turned out to be everything my heart needed during winter break. It is a brilliantly crafted magical quest– one that reveals truths about anxiety and emphasizes the importance of friendship and self-discovery. Alma is an unforgettable character, and her Alma-ness might

Talk About It Tuesday: Mental Health is Health

Saturday was World Mental Health Day. Today, I stamped our community meeting with the name “Talk About It Tuesday” and declared health as our topic of the morning. What my students don’t know is that my family history is filled with mental health conditions — depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, mood disorders. This is a