08/28/2026
🌻Seedlings to Sunflowers' September 2026 Teacher In-Service Training🌻
A huge thank-you to our S2S families for supporting our school being closed for these important professional development and classroom preparation days. These days give our teachers something incredibly valuable: time to learn, reflect, collaborate, and prepare with intention for the year ahead.💛
On our Thursday In-Service Day, our team spent the day learning, sharing, and getting ready to welcome our children back for the 2026–2027 school year. We dug deeper into our core philosophy, the Circle of Courage — Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity — and explored what it looks like to intentionally create classrooms where every child feels safe, known, capable, and truly at home.
We also revisited Zones of Regulation® and Conscious Discipline®, explored ways to support children's emotional regulation and sensory needs, and talked about how connection, safety, and relationships lay the foundation for learning. Our teachers worked together to think about practical ways to recognize children's individual needs, build classroom community, and respond to challenging moments with compassion and understanding.
A special thank-you to Amber Decker for leading a thoughtful and meaningful workshop on “Burnout in ECE Settings: Preventative Practices through Connection and Self-Care.” 💚 Amber reminded us that caring for children begins with caring for ourselves, and gave our team practical, accessible strategies for building connection, supporting regulation, and incorporating small acts of self-care into our everyday lives. We are grateful for the opportunity to pause, reflect, and support one another as educators.
We also spent time looking inward as educators — talking about connection, self-reflection, and the importance of caring for ourselves so that we can continue to be the calm, supportive adults our children need. Sometimes the smallest habits and shifts can make the biggest difference.
And, of course, professional development is only part of the work! Our team is also spending time cleaning, organizing, refreshing learning spaces, preparing materials, and putting those final touches on classrooms so they are ready for a brand-new year of exploration and discovery.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to step away from our daily routines and invest in ourselves, our classrooms, and most importantly, your children. Your support of these closure days makes this work possible, and we don't take that trust for granted.
And a very special THANK YOU to Chef Ashley for keeping our team fueled with absolutely delicious food throughout the day!
Our teachers are refreshed, our classrooms are ready, and our hearts are full as we look forward to another year of growing together!💛
