A 9/11 Tribute to Teachers & School Staff in NY
When I thought about what I might want to write in commemoration of 9/11, there was no question about the focus. There are lots of heroes and lots more ordinary people who did heroic acts. But my heart is with the teachers and staff in those schools near Ground Zero...
Returning to School After Wildfires
Thoughts For Administrators Starting Schools Impacted by Wildfires Blog is below. Continue to return here to find new downloads and links - we'll keep adding to this list. CMI Handout Wildfire # 1_2026 Wildfire Teacher Handout #1 Tips and Thoughts for Teachers...
Talking with Youth about Ukraine
Photo by Volodymyr Tokar on UnsplashEven in homes where attempts are made to protect them, children are hearing about the war in Ukraine. Some overhear their parents' conversations or phone calls, some hear the news on in the next room, and others engage with friends...
Holiday Cheer!
We wanted to send you all our warmest wishes for a restful, joy-filled time to gather with loved ones, to carry forward your family's traditions and to have moments to slow down the busy-ness of the season. Please enjoy activities from this guide and feel free to...
Thoughts on George Floyd
We have been thinking a lot about all of our black friends over the past few days since the George Floyd verdict was announced. All of us a CMI and 5RM have set our hearts on creating programs that increase compassion and decrease racism, bias and so many other...
3 Ways to Cope with Grief & Loss During the Pandemic
Acknowledging the Pandemic Effect The pandemic effect began for me as I observed what it was doing to schools, school staff, students and families. Working in this field of crisis response, I had lots of opportunity to hear the bitter stories of children orphaned by...
How to Raise Civil Citizens
We have both an opportunity and a responsibility as educators and parents to do all we can to help raise educated, civil beings who are ready to participate in our democracy. There’s a direct correlation between a functioning democracy and an educated populace....
Talking with Students About Racism and Protests
We hear you.We acknowledge you.We stand with you. For the past two weeks, we at CMI have been working through the anger, horror and sadness brought across this country by George Floyd’s death. We have come face to face with our own privilege and have struggled...
COVID-19 and The Journey Ahead
It is going to be a long slog for all of us; young and old, families and classrooms, groups of all sorts and each of us individually. Anxiety often causes us to draw in, and with the contagion factors of the pandemic, to self-isolate. But there is a...
Community Responses in the Wake of Catastrophic Events
The Second Wave of Trauma: The Need for Broader Community Understanding and Action It is with indescribable sadness that we have learned of the suicides of two Marjory Stoneman Douglas survivors and the father of one of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary....