Educator Newsletter: Summer 2024

Happy Summer!

We hope you were able to rest, spend time with family and friends, unwind, and recharge!

Welcome to the Summer 2024 Educator Newsletter. Read on to find out about upcoming training opportunities, curriculum updates, and summer webinars. 

Beginning in the Fall, this will become a quarterly newsletter. Make sure to sign up to stay connected!

Curricum Updates

Stand Strong * Stay Safe - Early Childhood is fully updated!

We are excited to reminder presenters that the Early Childhood program is now available in it’s final form. If you downloaded the program during last school year, please review the update scripts, both in English and Spanish. The Stand Strong Stay Safe Rules poster is also available in Spanish! The updated resources are linked below.

Upcoming Refresher Training Dates

If you have not been trained in the updated Early Childhood program, please register to attend one of the dates below or  contact us to request training. The old program will be phased out this year and we expect everyone to be using the new program as soon as possible.

Download Flyer

  • August 20, 9:30-11 AM
  • September 5, 9:30-11 AM
  • October 15, 10-11:30 AM

Cost: $50 per person. Scholarships are available.

Training will take place live on Zoom. Participants must have previous training in Stand Strong Stay Safe – Early Childhood. New puppets and CE credits are included in the cost. Grant funding may be available to offset costs in certain areas. Contact Gretchen Lash for details and to register.

Please Submit Your 2023-2024 Data

Attention all 2023-2024 presenters! If you used ChildBuilders programs in any way during the 2023-2024 school year, please send in your data reports as soon as possible. This information is required annually by anyone using ChildBuilders programs. We use your feedback to improve programs and training, and it is critical to our ability to report our impact to funders, stakeholders, and potential new partners. Thank you for your cooperation!

Complete the Quick Data Survey (if you are short on time or used multiple programs) or choose to provide more detailed information using the Program Survey that corresponds to the program you used.

Though our data collection won’t be finalized until early August, we want to give a shout-out to the leading districts! Fort Bend ISD has reported teaching Stand Strong Stay Safe to 13,243 children in 2023-2024! And Pearland ISD reached 1,330 children so far. Get your surveys in and be counted!

Fort Bend ISD
13,243

Pearland ISD
1,330

Program Spotlight: Build to Nurture

by Priscilla Bagley, co-creator of Build to Nurture

I loved teaching Pre-k and Kindergarten-aged children. Those are the years that everything is fresh, new, and the information you are teaching is being soaked up as quickly as you can give it. What if we used these beautiful years for not only giving information and basic skills; what if we also taught the social and emotional skills that promote positive community-building and good mental health for years to come? That is what Build to Nurture aims to do. With lessons on community, emotions, kindness, empathy, assertiveness and solving problems, the curriculum offers tangible activities that help create warm, nurturing, and safe classrooms.

Here are 5 reasons Early Childhood teachers will love this curriculum:

1. Focused lesson plans that clearly teach these skills, not just a philosophy that teachers have to decipher how to use day-to-day.

2. Hands-on activities in each lesson.

3. Lots of movement and fun.

4. Follow-up activities that can be used easily in Centers and Workstations.

5. These lessons and activities create a warm classroom environment that allows for better classroom management and connection.

Build to Nurture is appropriate for PreK through 1st grade classrooms in public schools, private schools, charter schools, Head Start centers, and daycares. While the cost is reasonable, we understand that budgets for social and emotional learning programs can be tight – please inquire about grant-funded opportunities when you complete the Program Interest Form (below) or email us today!

Upcoming Summer Webinars for Parents, Caregivers, and Educators!

Please download and share our flyers in your school, center, or community: Summer Webinar Calandar

Webinars for Educators

When Life Gets Hard: Coping With Adverse Childhood Experiences & Trauma

When Life Gets Hard: Coping With Adverse Childhood Experiences & Trauma

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and how does trauma impact the developing child?
Cultivating Healthy Classrooms with Empathy and Connection

Cultivating Healthy Classrooms with Empathy and Connection

Have you been frustrated managing a classroom with out-of-control behaviors? In this workshop, learn knowledge and skills to cultivate a nurturing and empathetic classroom climate. Participants will walk away with hands-on activities and ideas to promote empathy and connection in the classroom.
Navigating Rough Waters: Understanding Children's Mental Health

Navigating Rough Waters: Understanding Children's Mental Health

What is typical childhood behavior? When should I be concerned? Learn strategies to recognize and help kids with mental health concerns.

Webinars for Parents/Caregivers

You've Got This: Parenting And Children's Mental Health

You've Got This: Parenting And Children's Mental Health

Learn about signs & symptoms of mental health concerns in young children and 3 strategies for helping children. With Spanish interpretation.
Feeling Stressed? Learn Mindful Parenting

Feeling Stressed? Learn Mindful Parenting

November 13, 2024    
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
No Cost
Find a new way to respond to the stress of parenting, calm your mind, and be kinder to yourself and your kids. With Spanish interpretation.
Using Empathy in Discipline

Using Empathy in Discipline

November 20, 2024    
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
No Cost
Parenting is about the day-to-day interactions we have with our children that build trust and love. This presentation will focus on connecting with your children while disciplining. Learn to set boundaries and hold children accountable.
When Life Gets Hard: Parenting Through Trauma

When Life Gets Hard: Parenting Through Trauma

Learn about trauma’s effect on development and behavior and come away with 5 strategies to help children heal. With Spanish interpretation.
Keeping Children Safe in a Troubled World

Keeping Children Safe in a Troubled World

December 11, 2024    
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
No Cost
Learn to identify signs and symptoms of abuse and explore ways to keep children safe from abuse & trauma.

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Questions or Concerns?

Thank you for using our new website. If you have a question or need help accessing information or materials, please get in touch.