Letter To Staff

Dear Staff,

With your permission, I would like to share our journey with other educators interested in learning more about our path toward a non-violent organization that is committed to building people. We build strong, connected, aware people that can support their community with social and emotional regulation as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Chronologically, to the best of my recollection, this was our landmarks along the way;

We began as a group of eager and passionate adults that want to teach children

We want to teach content, knowledge, wondering, tinkering

We want to be rigorous

We want to make learning fun

We want to create opportunities for critical thinking and creativity

We learned some of our old ways of thinking weren't serving us well

We learned that sometimes calling home or going for a home visit didn't achieve the desired outcome we were hoping for

We learned that we were starting to feel unsure of our known strategies and unable to control the learning environment for all

We learned we weren't always responding the way that would represent our best self. However, we also learned that we are doing our best, and with grace, we will learn to do better

We learned about the ACE study

We learned about adverse childhood experiences

We learned about toxic stress

We learned about cortisol and it's impact on the developing brain of a child

We learned about emotional regulation

We learned, some, about how the brain works

We learned about mirrored neurons

We learned to recognize our own emotional responses and regulations

We learned about grace and forgiveness

We are looking through a different lens, today, right now…

We see hope

We see potential

We see gratitude

We see that where we focus, we get results... Amazing results!

We, with respect and kindness, have the momentum swinging the positive direction... Yeah!

We wish for the day that taking the necessary time to really teach the mind-up curriculum was a priority above all else. When equal weight is given to social - emotional skills (boystown, mind-up, yoga, conversational skills, social skills up, or down, a socioeconomic registry) as content knowledge.

In the meantime, great things are happening at Holiday Park. We are open to learning more about how our response, to any given situation, is the best indicator of our outcome. As we learn, together, to respond differently, we have had to be both vulnerable and honest with each other at times. We were extremely lucky last year to have Dr. Bill and Kate give of their time to offer strategies and relief for the adults on campus. As we desire to learn in our craft of purposeful teachers, we desire to learn in our craft of inner-focus of control thinkers.

With much thankfulness,

Rebecca