At East Woods School, we have just completed our first round of parent conferences for the academic year. Our teachers talked with parents about each student’s academic progress, of course, but in most cases, also discussed social-emotional learning and development.

Gone are the days of treating students as disembodied brains. All the recent brain research of the last fifteen years has underscored the importance of emotional and social connection in promoting learning.

Have you been asking yourself, "How can I help my child cope with scary events?" In light of the recent enormous tragedy in Las Vegas, it's important to remind ourselves as parents that children are not equipped to handle the same kinds of images and information that adults are able to. They have not yet developed a context for frightening images and information. It is important not to expose children to frightening graphic images or upsetting details during or after such events. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests that parents, teachers, child care providers, and others create a buffer zone between the child and the ubiquitous media and talk about the violent event. Adults should filter the information about the crisis in such a way that a child can cope with the information. Author Mary Pipher calls this creating and maintaining the "shelter of each other."