Dear Morningside Center friends,

We hope your school year is getting off to a good start! 

Below we share a lesson on using restorative practices right from the beginning of your year, as well as our updated 9/11 anniversary teaching guide, and more.

Also, find a video on the benefits of storytelling, an article about NYC's class sizes, and an interesting national conversation piece around failing schools..  

Meet Our New Staff!

With the new school year comes new energy.

We are delighted to welcome two new staff members to our team: Asja Culpepper and Mariah Schwarz!

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Supporting Little Ones with their Big Feelings

Students are coming to school with many emotions. How can we help them name their feelings and start getting to know each other? 

For those teachers working with littles in the classroom, we offer this feelings wheel to help your little ones find the words for what they feel, begin to get to know each other, and help you give them the care they need this year. Read More

Starting Out with Restorative Discipline

The beginning of the year is the ideal time to set out on the path toward “restorative discipline,” a holistic, relational approach to discipline that requires us as educators to be in community with our students.

Ask yourself: What is important for you to know about your students? What would you have liked your teachers to have known about you?  

9/11 Anniversary Teaching Guide (Updated)

How should educators acknowledge the anniversary of September 11th and educate students about the events of that day and their impact?

What We're Reading

Video: The Surprising Benefits of Teaching Speaking Skills

“Simple storytelling activities can boost reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing abilities, and strong oral language skills predict healthier interactions with peers and teachers, and fewer behavioral problems during the first few years of school.” At Edutopia

This is a pivotal year for NYC’s class size law. Here’s where things stand.

"New York City officials on Wednesday touted the opening of 24 new school buildings serving roughly 11,000 kids when classes begin Thursday – the most new school seats in two decades." By Michael Elsen-Rooney at Chalkbeat

Talking back to the failing-schools narrative

"Parents can rely on their personal experiences to evaluate their children’s schools. However, they know little about the 98,000 public schools their children don’t attend — a roster that includes most of their community’s schools, as well. Their firsthand information, in other words, rarely extends past the level of the school, and almost never beyond the district. As a result, their opinions of how schools are doing nationally are shaped by what they hear, read, or watch. And much of the conversation in the media advances a failing schools narrative." By Mark Hlavacik & Jack Schneider at Kappan

"The circle helps me connect with the students and the school and the staff. My favorite moment is when everyone comes together, becomes a family…and just shares." 

—12th grader, Green School