As we enter this next new year there is much to anticipate. We seem to be facing another contagious round with the Omicron variant that is highly contagious and threatening our schools, businesses and communities. We still need so much work to be done to find curative measures for those who contract this virus. It […]

This is the time of year where you hear all the reflections on the past year and look forward to what is to come in the new year. For most of us COVID still dominates our thoughts in both categories as to its pervasive and prevalent impact on so many levels in all our lives. […]

We have been hearing post-COVID statistics and stories that suggest that our children and youth are still caught in the emotional and relational vortex stemming from the impact of the pandemic. It is sometimes really hard to grasp and make connection as to why. Yet as educators we are experiencing all kinds of consequences in […]

By now most everyone is aware that the pandemic has been a source of extreme sustained toxic stress that has contributed to many mental health issues for adults and children: anxiety, depression, loss of motivation, desperation, frustration, and anger to name a few. Those who have trauma histories can be more deeply impacted because the […]

As we move forward from this Thanksgiving Season, it is very difficult to feel positive feelings about the impact of this COVID pandemic.  On the horizon there is yet another variant which has already emerged and may threaten our world yet again. We continue to feel the impact of this pandemic physically, emotionally and psychologically.  […]

I cannot remember a time where we saw school board members and community members having the kind of battles that we have seen in recent days. Most of these arguments are related to what schools should and should not impose in their health and safety plans. The arguments have become heated and sometimes violent.    The […]

There is some recent research about the impact of the pandemic on children that is alarming, research that we should all take note of. This past summer there were headlines stating that children born during pandemic have lower IQs. Not just lower IQs but substantially lower IQs.  A headline from The Guardian states the following: Researchers blame lack of […]

As we’re well into the post-COVID 2021/22 school year, our schools had no idea what to anticipate, although we knew there would be some struggles. The impact of this mental health reaction has been felt significantly accordingly to a recent report on the PEW website written by Christine Vestal. Here is the introduction to this […]

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, can we be grateful for….wait for it….the Pandemic?! Maybe. I thought an invitation to all of us to reflect on those things we are grateful for about the pandemic might be an interesting exercise.  According to the website Positive  Psychology in an article entitled What is Gratitude and Why is it so important the Harvard Medical […]