Bridging to Resilience

Do long-term suspension and expulsion hearings feel like the worst part of your job as a school leader? Do you wonder how the student will address the initial concern while also wondering if they can return to the school setting successfully? It feels terrible to expel students. Sometimes we don't have a choice, and while we take a collective breath after the chaos, the student is likely alone with more gaps and less positive connection in their near future. 

Come learn how building B.R.I.D.G.E.S. can restore relationships, address student behaviors, and set the student on a path to success. Participants will leave this session with tools and strategies to address behaviors before the need for a hearing arises, as well as resources and solutions for use during and after the hearing process. Leaders will learn how to utilize empathy maps and restorative practice reentry circles designed to highlight students’ strengths and areas of concern, the tremendous growth occurring during the suspension/expulsion, and to talk plainly about challenges as all stakeholders prepare for the student’s return to school. Experience how we can work together as we build restorative bridges to support the student, family, and staff members to prioritize future success.

Take a journey with me as we experientially feel the emotions and dysregulation a special education student may feel in any classroom. Then we'll see and feel the difference when trauma responsive and restorative justice practices are implemented.  

In this session we will walk through McPherson Middle School’s journey towards our comprehensive counseling program.  We will explore how we utilize data to develop a tier one SEL program as well as tier two and tier three interventions. We will share different strategies used and obstacles we encountered while implementing our program.

In this engaging and interactive session, participants will explore the power of co-regulation and the critical role relationships play in fostering emotional well-being. This workshop will combine discussion with hands-on activities to introduce a variety of mindfulness and regulation techniques. The goal is for you to leave this session with practical, ready-to-use tools that can be implemented immediately—in classrooms, group settings, meetings, sports practices, or even one-on-one. Walk away with a personalized toolkit designed to strengthen connection, promote emotional regulation, and enhance well-being in any environment.

School districts are facing challenges that can seem insurmountable when it comes to supporting the mental wellness of staff and students. In addition to the challenges of the last few years, education itself has one of the highest burnout rates across all professions. In response to this critical need, self-care models are being promoted with the best intentions, however, self-care alone is not sustaining. While this is an important step in the right direction, without effective organizational care structures to support self-care models, they fall short. In this session, participants will walk away with a greater understanding of the foundations for organizational care through the lens of neuroscience. Additionally, practical first steps and tools will be provided to begin implementing effective, systemwide organizational care that addresses the limitations of traditional approaches.