Tagged With "Child Mind Institute"
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Sonoma County Trauma-Informed Teaching: Knowing our Students' Stories and Fostering Resilience
Sonoma County Office of Education published this bulletin that provides an overview of ACEs science, trauma in Sonoma County, trauma-informed teaching strategies, and building resilience for teachers and students. It's attached to this post, and also available for download in this group's resources for download section.
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Superkid Power Guidebook
In Southern Oregon, Janai Mestrovich, MS, Early Learning & Child Development, labels her curriculum Empowering Superkids. The focus is on pre-K and Kindergarten kids and teaching them to know her/himself and tap inner resources of mind/body/emotions/breathing and have skills to make good choices and feel like a SUPERKID. Teaching self awareness, self respect and communication/collaboration are essential towards resiliency. Janai has developed and taught the Superkid Guidebook over a 40...
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Teaching Black Students Love in a System That Doesn’t Always Love Them Back [the74million.org]
C ornel West said we have a history that is “inseparable from though not reducible to victimization.” This is just as essential as it is difficult to keep in mind when white high school dropouts own more wealth than black and Latino college graduates . Black children in America today are constantly being told that they do not belong and they are not enough. The past several years have forced me to reflect on what it means to be not only a black man in this country but a black educator for...
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Temporary Free Access to Paediatrics & Child Health (PCH) articles (Oxford Academic)
Temporary free access to highly cited articles making an impact in Paediatrics & Child Health ( PCH ) has just been opened up by Oxford Academic. If you're a research hoarder like me, you'll want to check this out. https://academic.oup.com/pch/pages/highly_cited_articles
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The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Where to begin... My heart is full of hope and joy as I watch the trauma-informed schools movement swell across our nation and planet. The science of ACEs is mind-bending to say the least and we are now able to open up a much deeper dialogue about human behavior and health. Ultimately this work is about healing… All. Of. Us. A new consciousness is taking root around ending the “us vs them” construct. The idea is growing that we’re all on this journey together and that no matter where our...
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The Art of Control ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION IN YOUNG CHILDREN
Executive function — our ability to remember and use what we know, defeat our unproductive impulses, and switch gears and adjust to new demands — is increasingly understood as a key element not just of learning but of lifelong...
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The Center on the Developing Child - Harvard University
Website: The Center on the Developing Child - Harvard University Info: The Center on the Developing Child’s diverse activities align around building an R&D (research and development) platform for science-based innovation, and transforming the policy and practice landscape that supports and even demands change. We do this because society pays a huge price when children do not reach their potential, because half a century of policies and programs have not produced breakthrough outcomes,...
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The federal Handle with Care Act is designed to connect children who experience trauma to trauma informed school resources
Click here for the full press release: Proposed Federal Legislation: Handle with Care Act KAINE, MANCHIN, CAPITO INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO CARE FOR CHILDREN IMPACTED BY OPIOID ABUSE Thursday, April 26, 2018 Bristol Virginia Public Schools Superintendent: this bill ‘will equip us to better achieve our vision of enabling all students to thrive’ Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Handle with...
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Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience Curriculum
With teaching High School Health, I began using this curriculum in the fall semester 2017. Students are responding to this; asking for it! This engages students and speaks to them at their level. https://www.dibbleinstitute.org/mind-matters-more-details/ How about we front load all students with coping skills for trauma... before trauma hits? We know that everyone will feel the affects of trauma at some point in their life: a car wreak, a divorce, or possibly a death. Happy to answer any...
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Mind Powers: Meditation Matters for Special Education Students [ChronicleofSocialChange.org]
While meditation has expanded in recent years from a zen-seeker’s path to higher consciousness to a best practice for hard-charging CEOs, it’s now gaining a foothold at a school in Southern California serving students with serious emotional and behavioral issues. Administrators at the Five Acres School in Altadena, Calif., are testing whether meditation and mindfulness can help students succeed in the classroom. A new mindfulness program implemented there in two semesters over...
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Mindful-Based Practices, Therapeutic Activities, & Ways to Relax: For Teachers, Parents, & Children
Yoga is a great activity for children and adults and is easy to do just about anywhere! Children need to have multiple healthy ways to express their feelings and have opportunities for mind and body awareness. Yoga is beneficial because it is... Non-competitive Gender neutral Enhances motor skills and balance Improves listening skills in a fun approach Children can focus on what is happening in the moment A healthy way to express feelings Supports social and emotional learning and...
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Mindfulness Resources
Watching the video Gail just posted, I was inspired to look for further resources as to how this could work. Here's a link to what I believe are helpful in implementing such a program and The Smiling Mind can be downloaded for older students to use on their phone, etc. And it's free. https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/mental-health-matters/mindfulness-and-children/further-resources
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Moama Anglican Grammar School [www.weeklytimenow.com.au]
This school in New South Wales, Australia is building resilience, emotional wellness, and stress management skills starting in Kindergarten and continuing through grade 12! Moama Anglican Grammar School The Weekly Times August 14, 2016 9:00am “AT MOAMA Anglican Grammar we recognise the importance of the connection between mental health and learning,” said Libby Barnes, head of pastoral care at the young co-educational school. The school, on the Murray River north of Echuca, strives to help...
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Navigating the Holidays for Students with ACEs
Over the last few weeks, I have had countless conversations with schools about the uptick of behavioral issues this time of year. Many educators are recognizing that students with ACE’s have a tough time around the holidays, but very few people know what to do about it. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, below are the top three pieces of advice I have been sharing. Avoid some of the most common holiday traditions: When we have negative experiences, our brain latches on to everything...
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New Resources from the National Traumatic Stress Network
Last week, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) hosted a webinar geared for educators. The expert panel spoke about what schools and communities can do when there are allegations of sexual misconduct by an educator towards a student. This webinar was a follow up to a fact sheet that was developed by the Child Sexual Abuse subcommittee of the NCTSN in response to a request from educators on how to handle sensitive situations in which a student(s) alleges sexual abuse by an...
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Now available: recording of Chris Blodgett's talk on trauma-informed communities
Dr. Chris Blodgett spoke on Thursday, Nov 3rd at the Anchorage Loussac Library to a room of nearly 140 people and 60 more online. His talk "From ACEs to Action: How Communities Can Improve Well-Being and Resilience" was approximately two hours long. Access the webinar video, audio file, and slides here.
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Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Developmental trauma changes the architecture of the physical brain, ability to learn and social behavior. It impacts two out of three children, but I didn’t even know what it was…
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California Plans to End 'Lunch Shaming' That Guarantees Meals for All Students [usatoday.com]
By Joshua Bote, USA Today, October 14, 2019 A bill signed Saturday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to cut the recent trend in schools of "lunch shaming." SB 265, which was originally introduced by California state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, will require that all public school students have a "state reimbursable" meal provided by the school "even if their parent or guardian has unpaid meal fees." It amends the Child Hunger Prevention and Fair Treatment Act of 2017, which previously stated...
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California Plans to End 'Lunch Shaming' That Guarantees Meals for All Students [usatoday.com]
By Joshua Bote, USA Today, October 14, 2019 A bill signed Saturday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to cut the recent trend in schools of "lunch shaming." SB 265, which was originally introduced by California state Sen. Robert Hertzberg, will require that all public school students have a "state reimbursable" meal provided by the school "even if their parent or guardian has unpaid meal fees." It amends the Child Hunger Prevention and Fair Treatment Act of 2017, which previously stated...
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Can Yoga Turn Around East Palo Alto Schools’ Drop-Out Rate? [SanFrancisco.CBSLocal.com]
A school district in a low-income area of East Palo Alto [California] is hoping to lower dropout rates by launching a health and wellness program that includes yoga. The Ravenswood School District is launching the program in partnership with the Sonima Foundation. “What we’re going to do here in Ravenswood is we’re going to provide 3,400 children with a curriculum in health and wellness. The benefits are basically higher attendance, less bullying and violence, higher...
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‘Change in culture’: New California guidelines aim to help teach social, emotional skills [Press Democrat]
The nation’s schools long ago broadened their missions beyond the teaching of academic subjects and participation in extracurricular activities. Educators have for decades been entrusted to teach students a wider range of life skills, including those that touch on emotions, empathy and relationships with other people. Now, a new state guide , released Wednesday, offers a slew of resources for teachers and administrators seeking to bolster kids’ social and emotional development. “Science...
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Cherokee Point Youth Leaders learn about Child Abuse Prevention month
Some days at work are better than others. Yesterday was one of the best days I've had in awhile! I had the chance to speak to a small group of youth leaders from Cherokee Point Elementary School on Wednesday. As a representative of the Chadwick Center for Children & Families, I came to talk with them about Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) month, which is coming up in April. We are collaborating with Cherokee Point in an effort to bring awareness to the community about CAP month, resilience,...
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Child Bullying And The Long Term Effects Of Negative Body Image
Childhood bullying can have lasting harmful effects on kids, lowering their self-esteem and causing some to become suicidal when left unchecked. It’s crucially important for parents, teachers, and other adults to get involved and fight back when it comes to children being bullied. Bullies have a tendency to pick on children who have deformities or disabilities. Sometimes the bullies themselves have their own, similar issues and tease others so as to feel better about themselves. Whatever the...
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Child Trauma Academy
Website: Child Trauma Academy Info: CTA is a not-for-profit organization based in Houston, Texas working to improve the lives of high-risk children through direct service, research and education. We recognize the crucial importance of childhood experience in shaping the health of the individual, and ultimately, society. By creating biologically-informed child and family respectful practice, programs and policy, CTA seeks to help maltreated and traumatized children. Founded: 1990 Link: ...
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It Takes Zero Intelligence to Still Support Zero Tolerance in Schools [JJIE.org]
On the first day of kindergarten every year, public school teachers and administrators stand at their school portals with arms opened wide to embrace every child. Teachers comfort every student readying their cerebral blank slate to be filled with the three R’s — reading, writing and arithmetic. There is only one problem. Kids don’t come to kindergarten with a tabula rasa mind, a blank slate of perceptions, ideas, thoughts and emotions. This may be true for the three R’s, but the experiences...
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Kindness: A Lesson Plan (edutopia.org)
Research tells us there are three domains of learning: cognitive (thinking), motor (physical), and affective (emotional/feeling). And as the Greek philosopher Aristotle supposedly said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” According to the research of Adena Klem and James Connell , students who perceive a teacher as caring have higher attendance and better grades and are more engaged in the classroom and at school. Think about this research. If we grow...
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Knowledge & Awareness of ACE's itself AS the Most Powerful Therapeutic Healing Agent
Thesis; ACE's Knowledge and Awareness is a POWERFUL Therapy that delivers proven effective Therapeutic Healing in and of Itself. Simply knowing of ACE's and of one's own score is healing above any therapeutic intervention currently in use, to the best of my knowledge - odd as this might sound to those whose livings are made providing such therapies - not that these are not also beneficial - but the numbers speak for themselves I think. Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris has published some crude data on...
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Making the Case for Restorative Practices (edvisions.org)
School discipline is something few people really like to discuss. Let’s be honest – the topic is rife with negative connotations. The conversation usually focuses on negative behaviors , and an inordinate amount of time is usually spent on determining the appropriate punishment. “We need to hold kids accountable,” we say. “They must suffer the consequence of their choices.” We are also perpetuating inequity in the system. Take for example the disproportionate suspension and exclusion rates...
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The Importance of Physical Activities, Yoga, and Mindful Based Practices for Young Children
The topic of this blog post is the importance of physical activity for children. In terms of physical activity, I chose to focus on yoga practice for young children. I believe that children are a big part of our society and their health is a reflection of their surroundings, which is why children’s health is so important. I researched three unique and professional studies that show how yoga builds resilience, self-awareness, self-image, self-esteem, quality of life, and dramatically reduces...
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The Importance of Quiet Time (dailygood.org)
The destruction of our inner selves via the wired world is an even more recent, and more subtle, phenomenon. The loss of slowness, of time for reflection and contemplation, of privacy and solitude, of silence, of the ability to sit quietly in a chair for fifteen minutes without external stimulation — all have happened quickly and almost invisibly. A hundred and fifty years ago, the telephone didn’t exist. Fifty years ago, the Internet didn’t exist. Twenty-five years ago, Google didn’t exist.
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The Importance of Self-Care for Administrators (edutopia.org)
“The moment you want to retreat is the exact moment you have to reach in.” As an administrator, I use this mantra when the work feels too difficult or the feedback seems too tough, to remind myself that the challenge is also a moment of opportunity. FIND CONNECTION Who are your supporters? Who can you trust to discuss challenges and solicit advice? Cultivating these relationships is important for any school leader. READ TO LEARN Reading up on best practices and tips from others can help...
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The Regulated Classroom Goes to California
Have you ever had the experience of becoming the living embodiment of an illustrated children’s book character? Yeah, that’s happened to me. I am Froggy. The Froggy that goes to school Froggy. In the children’s story, Froggy feels anxious about his first day of school. His healthy and natural nervousness (the body’s stress response system is activated by novelty) manifests in his dream. In his dream, he misses the bus and shows up to class in his underwear. I am feeling “Froggy.” Two...
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The Relentless School Nurse: #NoMoreEmptyDesks
A new movement was born out of a Tweet from a colleague that I have never met. The Empty Desk Project is the unofficial working name and our hashtag is #NoMoreEmptyDesks. We have a name, a plan to begin, and a vision for what we want to accomplish - all from a Tweet. Here is the message that began this new movement: I read and re-read Kendrea's message and my mind jumped to involving students in painting desks to symbolize students who have been lost to gun violence. I thought of an art...
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Third Grader Learns Bullying Others Makes Him Feel Worse Inside
Teaching self and mutual respect to eliminate bullying
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This school replaced detention with meditation. The results are stunning. (upworthy.com)
Imagine you're working at a school and one of the kids starts to act up. What would you do? T raditionally, the answer would be to give the unruly kid detention or suspension . But in my memory, detention tended to involve staring at walls, bored out of my mind, trying to either surreptitiously talk to the kids around me without getting caught or trying to read a book. If it was designed to make me think about my actions, it didn't really work. It just made everything feel stupid and unfair.
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This teacher's viral 'check-in' board is a beautiful example of mental health support. (upworthy.com)
Update: We have found the teacher who originate the mental health check-in board! Kudos to Erin Castillo for the brilliant idea and for sharing how she's using it to help kids. She is offering a free download of the board as a poster along with instructions for utilizing it on Teachers Pay Teachers. Thanks, Erin! Excellent teachers do so much more than teach. They can be mentors, role models, guides, and even confidants. Sometimes a teacher is one of the only trusted adults in a child's...
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Reflecting on Mindfulness Through the Joy of Coloring (dailygood.org)
“Allow Breathe Curious” is a mother-daughter collaboration that emerged from Anne’s growing interest in mindfulness and meditation and her daughter Ellie’s belief that art is a powerful tool for change. The project began when Anne developed a list of words to help with mindfulness during sleepless nights. Starting with “Allow” on the in-breath, the list grew over time to include all of the letters of the alphabet. She shared the idea with her daughter Ellie, whose mind instantly swirled with...
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Regulating the Teenage Mind: ACTIVITIES TO HELP TEENS SET GOALS, STAY ORGANIZED, AND KEEP THEMSELVES ON TRACK
Teenagers don’t yet possess the executive function skills of adults, but they probably need those skills just as much as adults do, or more. They have to manage the increasingly complex demands and fast-flying deadlines of school...
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Reminder: Live Chat with Donna Jackson Nakazawa
"It's really not survival of the fittest - it's survival of the nurtured." Donna Jackson Nakazawa Date: Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 Time: 10 AM PST / 1 PM EST Where: Here / Chats ( featured chat ) Hosted by: @Jane Stevens Topics to be Covered: Parenting with ACEs. What parents need to know. Affordable self-care for stressed and busy parents. Healing from ACEs & family wellness. How to Attend Online Chats: M embers of ACEs Connection : Go to Chats (top of page). Find...
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Resource List - Activities & Tools
This is a list of activities and tools for children K-12. If you recommend any others besides those listed here, please leave a comment in this blog post with a link and/or information.
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Resource List - Research & Reports
Reports and research about how ACEs affect schoolchildren, or about how schools become trauma-informed, or the outcomes of integrating trauma-informed and resilience-building practices in schools. If you recommend any others besides those listed here, please leave a comment with a link and/or information.
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Rethinking Education, envisioning the future of schools
Lara Kain, 04/14/20 I am an optimist, unapologetic, glass always full, sunshine and rainbows to-a-fault optimist. It annoys people. As my mind begins to clear a little for the first time since the true scope of this pandemic became clear to me, I have the headspace to write down the thoughts, musings, wonderings, and inspirations swirling in my head. That is what typically happens with my writing... an idea begins as a small whisper, something noodling the back of my mind, and then builds...
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Rhythmic, Repetitive, Patterned, Physical Regulation
In an urban elementary school in Kansas, teachers are using Bal-A-Vis-X to help students regulate their bodies and their emotions. In the words of BAVX creator, Bill Hubert, " BAVX enables the mind-body system to experience the symmetrical flow of a pendulum." When students arrive in the Mindful Classroom for a scheduled break, the teachers engage them in a few minutes of partner BAVX exercises. During those few minutes, they are completing hundreds of rhythmic, predictable mid-line...
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Richard Davidson: A Neuroscientist on Love and Learning (onbeing.org)
Neuroscientist Richard Davidson is one of the central people who’s helped us begin to see inside our brains. His work has illuminated the rich interplay between things we saw as separate not that long ago: body, mind, spirit, emotion, behavior, and genetics. Richard is applying what he’s learning about imparting qualities of character — like kindness and practical love — in lives and in classrooms. This live conversation was recorded at the Orange County Department of Education in Costa...
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Safety First - Toxic Stress in Education
What is the purpose of having school without power?
I work in a small school in a big state. The local school community had the power shut over the weekend as a preventive action for avoiding fires. This morning I was told that there would be school without power and to plan to provide services and teach children without power.
My instinct was - this is not safe!
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Santa Rosa school embraces mindfulness to improve focus, boost grades (Pressdemocrat.com)
Lisa Moore rattled a rainstick before urging her Cook Middle School students to shut their eyes or look down. “Let what’s stressing your mind go,” she said between deep breaths. “As you breathe out, let all that stuff go.” Students exchanged glances. Some giggled, distracted by classroom visitors. Ultimately, the eighth-graders sank into their seats, closed their eyes or looked at their feet as their teacher’s soothing voice led them through their afternoon “mindfulness” session. Twice a...
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School Board Supports 'Trauma Informed'
[Editor's note: This was post on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2017 in the Hutchinson KS ACEs Connection community site. The board of education meeting was on Nov. 23, 2017.] On Monday night the Hutchinson Public Schools Board of Education approved a resolution in support of the district being trauma informed. The board voted 7-0 to "support the training and implementation activities currently addressing the trauma-informed schools’ philosophy and commend the entire staff as they move toward creating...
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Re: Echo Conference Spotlight: Self-Regulation, Dysregulation & Co-Regulation - Neurologically Informed Teaching & Parenting
This looks fantastic. I have been trying in a variety of ways to bring neuroscience --- especially in terms of bullying --- to educators. We are not talking about it or learning about it and it's so important. A couple of articles I've written for those interested http://ourmomspot.net/community/index.php?topic=12667 http://www.edutopia.org/blog/w...tors-jennifer-fraser
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Re: Articles about trauma-informed schools
Thanks Daun. I will pass on the suggestion to Jane, and we'll keep it in mind for the future. - Joanna
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Re: Articles about trauma-informed schools
These may help, Dan. http://www.wendtcenter.org/res...r-professionals.html http://www.headington-institut...246/vicarious-trauma