November is a time when fatigue and frustration may occur with overloaded schedules.  School is a marathon, not a sprint.  Self-care is an important dimension of individual wellness to preserve energy in meeting the demands of school.  

Elena Aguilar, in Onward (2018), describes sleep as the key ingredient to self-care most often neglected.  Brain research suggests that sleep deprivation can limit cognition, memory, and creativity.  Other aspects of physical wellness requiring self-care (e.g. nutrition or exercise) seep into our physiological, emotional, and social functions.  

Regardless of the method, consider the value of self-care when navigating your daily living.  It does not always take a lot to infuse a little self-care into your life.  For example, I intentionally take time out of my schedule to visit classrooms purely for the purpose of enjoyment.  I requested pieces of student art work (see above) to bring life, energy, and authenticity to my physical space for perspective and inspiration when working on difficult tasks.  Find what works for you, and attend to yourself. 

October is the month when school kicks into high gear -- weeks of uninterrupted daily instruction.  In USR, we want all of our students to thrive, and to do so requires that we our mindful about our students' wellness needs.  This anchor chart, illustrated in one of our classrooms, demonstrates a commitment to always being present. 

Along with mindful messages, we need to provide students with strategies to navigate the rigor of school and pause to reflect on their learning.  Elena Aguilar ends one of her chapters from Onward (2018) with a daunting fact that is complemented with sound advice.  Each day, our minds are consumed with roughly 65,000 thoughts.  That can be extremely burdensome and disturbing to one's emotional stability.  Mindful practices (being present) can help us acknowledge these thoughts and determine which ones are worthy of occupying our time.  

Reynolds was one of the first schools in the area to illustrate a welcome message to its students on the first day of school with chalk etchings.  The colorful array of images sets such a wonderful tone to the year.  Our staff members thoroughly enjoy creating this art work and sharing it with our community.  

September is a month of transiton and new beginnings for everyone.  It is important that we embrace our anticipation with a hopeful, committed, and energetic outlook to all we do in school.  

Each month, I will post a blog entry that includes one key image and a theme for the month.  These themes are drawn from the recently published professional text, Onward (2018), by Elena Aguilar.  This book provides educators with principles and strategies aimed at sustaining an emotionally-strong school culture.  

The theme for September is: Community.  When school begins, each teacher focuses heavily on cultivating a vibrant classroom community, while our administrative seeks to do the same for our staff.  The concrete chalk art work is one of many examples of community-building taking place in Upper Saddle River.  According to Aguilar, healthy school communities occur when relational trust is established through empathy and expansive listening.