Ready or Not… Expert Advice for a Smooth Start to the School Year
written by Liza Bennigson, 
Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
The only thing certain about this school year is that no one knows what to expect. Parents, students and staff are feeling apprehensive about what the transition to full-time, on-campus learning will look like after over a year of fits and starts. We may be eager for our kids to jump right back into academics to make up for inevitable learning loss, but we also know that they first and foremost need to feel safe, secure and emotionally ready to learn. Read more ›
The 
Cultivating strong friendships isn’t easy for every child — pandemic or no pandemic. Neurodiverse children or those with behavioral or mental health needs may require additional external support for themselves and their caregivers. Here’s how you can help your child make and keep friends — at any age. 
The young teen years are a ripe time for forming friendships. It’s an age when kids are particularly focused on peer relationships and social status, developing their sense of identity and social skills. 
Is your child having trouble developing friendships? Help him feel more confident with these tips and activities for making friends at school. 
Data shows that Black youth are especially prone to develop mental health issues but less likely to seek out or receive the specialized services and care they need. 
To help students relax, some California schools are adding something new — that’s actually very old — to the daily routine: yoga.
Feeling blah? Science shows you can boost happiness by taking time for small moments of delight. Scientists are learning that our feelings aren’t hard-wired — emotions are created by our brains in response to what we’re experiencing now and what we’ve felt in the past. 
Although some people are starting to test the waters of public life again, planning vacations and socializing more, others may still have lingering signs of what psychologists call languishing. They may feel an emptiness or dissatisfaction in day-to-day life. Or feel like they’re stuck in weariness or stagnation. 
The pandemic has raised concerns about the way stress is affecting kids. Even though the word ‘trauma’ is on a lot of worried adults’ minds these days, information about it is wide-ranging and can leave people feeling unsure about what to do next. 
