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The Encinitas Union School District's Farm Lab and Nutrition Program have teamed up to bring healthier fare to its students. The District has been successfully operating its Farm to School program since 2013 and secured its organic certification in 2016, making it the first certified organic school district in the country to grow for its own lunch program! The Farm to School Program harvested 5000 pounds of produce and enough lettuce each week to supply all nine daily salad bars in the...

When Heather Kiausas was seven weeks pregnant, one of her third graders punched her in the stomach. After the punching incident, however, her school principal took discipline to the next level and suspended the boy for several days. Much later, Kiausas learned what might have been behind the punch. There was a lot of trauma happening at home [for the student], she wrote in an email. But we were not aware of these issues until months later, after the student was placed in another classroom....

Few early education programs are prepared to help children recover from traumatic experiences, such as abuse and neglect, that can have long-term effects, according to a recent report . The National Center for Children in Poverty , a national public policy organization that advocates for children in poverty and low-income families, released the report titled, “Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education.” It describes the impact of...

Parents who believe their child is being "counseled out" of a charter school in California could soon have the right to request a hearing to challenge the student's removal. This provision is part of a broader deal State Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) brokered between charter school lobbyists and teachers union leaders in Sacramento, potentially paving the way for state lawmakers to change state laws governing charter schools' enrollment or discipline policies this session. The deal would...

A colleague of mine -- here in New Zealand!! -- recently passed the attached PDF, from Scotland, onto me. It concerns a relatively recent, and still developing, proposed trauma training framework. This might be helpful to others wishing to go further in introducing TIC in their own services. It includes a consideration of ACEs. Naturally, it needs to incorporate culture-specific additions or modifications to suit your local conditions. The document as it is likely has broad application.

Crocker College Prep is now one of five New Orleans charter schools in a collective to become more trauma-informed. That means Crocker aims to account for the social, emotional and behavioral needs of all students, and their lives outside of school. The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies found that kids in New Orleans screen positive for post-traumatic stress disorder at more than three times the national rate . The institute also found that up to half of all kids have dealt with homicide...

As a teenager he was sleeping in a park and trying to wash his clothes in a river so he would be clean for school. Matthew Cox was one of too many children who did not get adequate help soon enough, Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe has said. She wants the education system and agencies working closer on adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Mr Cox, now 22, works in a call centre and dreams of starting his own landscape gardening company. It is an amazing turnaround for a man who...

Around 1 in 10 children have a diagnosable mental health disorder according to the Young Minds charity - staggeringly, that’s the equivalent of around 3 children in every classroom nationally. There’s a national campaign currently in full swing to lift the veil on mental health, and great emphasis is being placed on the importance of spotting the early signs that suggest a child might be struggling emotionally. With children and young people spending so much time in school, there is a...

AS OF 2014, U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS REACHED A MAJOR MILESTONE: More than half (51%) of public school students were children of color and/or came from low-income families (qualify for a reduced or free school lunch). That shift represented a clear turning point toward greater diversity in America’s public schools and the need for a corresponding diversity of approaches in the nation’s classrooms. What is at stake if that need is left unmet? For one, resources: Students of color are more likely to...

As a teenager he was sleeping in a park and trying to wash his clothes in a river so he would be clean for school. Matthew Cox was one of too many children who did not get adequate help soon enough, Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe has said. She wants the education system and agencies working closer on adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Mr Cox, now 22, works in a call centre and dreams of starting his own landscape gardening company. It is an amazing turnaround for a man who...

The West Virginia Defending Childhood Initiative, commonly referred to as Handle With Care, is tailored to reflect the needs and issues affecting children in West Virginia. The Initiative, a result of a collaborative effort of key stakeholders and partners, builds upon the success of proven programs throughout the country. The goal of the Initiative is to prevent children's exposure to trauma and violence, mitigate negative affects experienced by children's exposure to trauma, and to...