Originally published July 2024 CENTEGIX®, the largest wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2024 School Safety Trends Report. Unique to the panic button market, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of school safety incident trends observed during the 2023-2024 academic year through data collected from the CENTEGIX Safety Platform. CENTEGIX solutions are utilized by 800+ districts nationwide. The flagship of the CENTEGIX Safety Platform is CrisisAlert, a wearable panic button solution with dynamic incident mapping. Safety Blueprint ..read more

Students in any U.S. classroom are incredibly diverse in terms of prior learning, home language, socioeconomic status, and culture. They are also diverse in the concepts, skills, and standards they have either mastered or are ready to learn.  Varied Skill Levels Some kindergarteners are already able to add and subtract (about 7%) while others still can not identify basic shapes (about 5%). Similarly, multiple studies have revealed the wide-ranging instructional needs that are common in a typical American classroom. In the U.S., about 1/3 of 8th-grade classrooms range from students who ar ..read more

Research shows that children who spend more time outdoors develop better social and emotional learning skills. A strong connection to nature leads to higher levels of social competence, emotional regulation, and behaviour management among kids.  Despite that, many North American children do not spend enough time outdoors. The National Wildlife Federation reports that each day, children spend an average of only four to seven minutes in unstructured outdoor play; compared to more than seven hours in front of digital devices. This has implications for children’s physical health, social deve ..read more

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2024 Issue Name: Dakota Age: 4 years Breed: Northern Special (Husky/Shepherd Cross) Characteristics: loving, intelligent, energetic Location: British Columbia, Canada Parent: Shirely B. Name: Luna Age: 8 years Breed: Papillon/Chihuahua Mix Characteristics: big scary wolf, family protector Location: North Carolina, USA Parent: Eric G. Names: The Great Grey Ooblek (left) | Gandy Fluffyjammiepants (right) Ages: 2 years | 9 years Breeds: Domestic Longhair | Norwegian Forest/Tabby Cross Characteristics: in love, devoted, niceLocation: Brit ..read more

Originally published July 2024 This June, the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation (ILOR) honoured National Indigenous History Month in a historic way. The foundation donated its largest sum to date to First Nations schools. They impacted 30+ schools by awarding $300,000 of a total $1,000,000 to 11 on-reserve schools. These funds will help dramatically increase library budgets, ensuring new books and resources are available to 10,000 students and creating access to current literature in schools.  Photo courtesy of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Libraries Are Crucial The Indigo Love ..read more

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2024 Issue By Laura Baukol 5 tips from an SLP to teach students to be more inclusive of classmates with communication disorders. As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), I am an expert in communication disorders in children. My 15 years of experience has spanned from early intervention with our youngest communicators through public education with elementary and secondary students. In these roles, I have learned that teaching peers, families, educators, and friends to be strong communication partners can be just as important as teaching new skill ..read more

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2024 Issue By Paul Weatherford  The Hook I, among other things, define myself as a rapper, and it’s a fact of which my students are all too aware—“Is he really rapping on the first day of school?” I use raps to hook my readers (did it work?), to bring literary characters to life, to commemorate momentous occasions, and, most of all, to inject the world inside and outside of the classroom with a bit of the extraordinary. Each day that I teach at South High School, I walk into a building that the state department of education deems “failin ..read more

Originally published June 2024 Independence Day is right around the corner, and to mark the occasion we’ve put together a list of books bursting with facts, figures, food, and more—all to do with the USA! Get ready to dive into stories about America’s history, culture, and geography, along with a wide range of other topics. Whether you’re looking for books to add to your classroom library next year or to share with your own kids this summer, these reads are a great way to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the United States. America’s Dreaming By Bob McKinnon Illustrated by Thai My Phuon ..read more

Originally published June 2024 As we commemorate Canada Day and the anniversary of Confederation, it’s the perfect time to delve into some outstanding books inspired by the colourful Canadian landscape. To mark the occasion, we’ve curated a collection of new and upcoming books that take place at different locations across the country. Canada Day is also a great opportunity to highlight the wide number of Canadian publishers, so be sure to check out the ones on this list and show your support for the many, many others as well! Adventures in Desolation Sound By Grant Lawrence Illustrated by G ..read more

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, May/June 2024 Issue By Fiona Tapp The humble bee is a symbol of busy productivity. It is also one of the most important pollinators. What makes bees so special? They transfer pollen from male to female flower parts in order to fertilize plants, a process that is essential for the reproduction of many flowering plants, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Bees and other pollinators are responsible for 35 percent of global crop production. Without them the resulting imbalance in our agricultural system would severely threaten food supplies. Bees ..read more