There are still a couple of weeks left in school for 2016, which means there are several days left for your students to help bring joy to others. If your classroom isn’t doing a gift exchange, consider doing a “Joy Exchange.” Each child could write a note to the other students in the class, telling them what makes them each important. Using ribbon...

Not feeling very joyful yet? Want to know how to explain JOY to kids? Let Sam help you out. Share this video with your family or class and then talk for a few minutes about joy. When is it hard to choose to be joyful? When was the last time you were really sad? When was the last time you choose to be joyful? How can we help each other remember to choose joy? Share...

Sometimes when you’re teaching or leading, it can feel like you are treading water, just keeping your mouth and nose above the waves enough to catch a breath. Sometimes, however, you get reminded why it is you do what you do. A user of Core Essentials’ Reco middle school curriculum got this note from a student this week. Imagine that! The school was in...

This month, Core Essential Values is focusing on the Big Idea of honor: letting someone know you see how valuable they really are. This Big Idea fits perfectly with the holidays and remembrances on our calendars this month, and we will definitely help your family make the connection between honor and those special days. But what about today? How can your family talk...

Check out this month’s videos to share with families! There are two videos on our YouTube channel this month to help your families learn more about courage together, featuring Artie the Monkey and the Science Station! Subscribe to the channel to get access to new videos each month (subscribe...

Only a few days left this month…be responsible and share our Big Idea Experience videos with your staff and parents! There are three short videos this month for you to enjoy with the kids in your life, then have a conversation about responsibility. Subscribe to our channel so you get notified each month when our new videos...

As a parent, I hear that phrase ALL. THE. TIME. As a teacher and counselor, I’ll bet you hear it a lot, too. Responsibilities can feel so boring — taking the dishes out of the dishwasher, raking leaves in the fall — or they can feel so weighty — taking care of a loved one in need, watching someone else’s children. Even the word itself...