If you've spent any time around Langley Elementary, you've certainly heard about Conscious Discipline - through veteran parents singing it's praises, mushy reminders on the hallway walls ("In this place you are loved" etc.), maybe even through the tidbits your child shares at home. 

I spent a recent morning volunteering at Langley and got a firsthand look at how Conscious Discipline is implemented in the classrooms. Familiarize yourself with the rituals and structures below - your child will get the maximum benefit of the program if you can find ways to weave it through their home life. 

Building a strong school family is all about establishing connections. One of the ways this is done at Langley is through touch. Principal Drumm personally greets each child in their preferred manner - some kids want a big bear hug and others are happier with a fist bump. 

This ritual is repeated again within the classrooms - though it may take on a different shape depending on age group. In the preschool classrooms, a young greeter is designated and she'll go around to each of her classmates and make sure they've been welcomed warmly. 

The first-graders at Langley have got it good with an invigorating dinosaur-themed classroom makeover that includes some rrrrRrrradical furniture. The first-graders, AKA the Responsible Raptors, are test-driving non-traditional seating options this year - bouncy ones, wobbly ones and super soft and squishy ones too. 

The cozy nooks and cushy surfaces invite new readers to settle in with a good book. The chairs that move are great for kids with restless bodies and wandering minds since they increase secondary focus, relieving the student's need to fidget. 

These specially designed seats set the tone at each station of the classroom. They promote closer attention to detail and retention of lessons - oh yeah, and they're fun. 

In a piece called, "Good things are happening at Langley Elementary. You can help." Washington Post columnist John Kelly praised the school's social emotional program, Conscious Discipline, which Principal Drumm and team rolled out during the last couple of years. After describing some of Langley's healthy school family rituals the author wrote: "It can sound like so much high-concept touchy-feeliness, but the approach seems to be working. Since 2015, suspensions at Langley have fallen by 50 percent." 

Kelly invites readers to become a part of Langley's transformation by linking their Giant and Harris Teeter grocery cards to the school, which is an excellent way to contribute financially to Langley's PTSA. 

Read the full article here. 

Read about what Langley parents have had to say about Conscious Discipline here and here.  

Feeling stressed, Langley parents? Let's try some deep belly breathing. 

Each day at school, our children are learning about their emotions - what those emotions are called, the negative responses they may trigger and effective tools for regulating them. 

As part of Conscious Discipline, Langley's socio-emotional learning program, the children are taught four calming breathing techniques - you may have noticed references to them in your child's classroom and in the school hallways.

Watch the videos below to learn the breathing techniques. The next time your child is struggling with self-regulation at home, just say, "Breathe with me."

Stop by the Bloomingdale Farmers' Market this Sunday, Sept. 16th from 9 AM - 1 PM for lemonade, baked treats and information about your neighborhood school, Langley Elementary. This is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the school and the process before the busy winter season begins. Principal Drumm-Canepa and parents of Langley students will be on hand to share their positive experiences. We look forward to telling you about Langley's exceptional social-emotional program over some home-baked brownies!

The Langley representatives who attended professional development at the Conscious Discipline Institute in Orlando in June were, from left, Special Education Teacher Baxter O'Brien, Third Grade Teacher Stephanie Gunter, Principal Vanessa Drumm and Dean of Students Monique Robinson. 

In June we had the amazing opportunity to attend the 7-day Conscious Discipline Institute in Orlando, Florida, and learn directly from program creator Dr. Becky Bailey.  The Institute is small -only 150 people - and we enjoyed meeting other educators and administrators from around the country.  The Institute usually sells out right away, but we were fortunate enough to receive special tickets through our trainer, Nicole Mercer, because of the strong programming we have had at Langley and because we received funding from the DCPS Design Lab.  I was able to bring our CD Action team including Monique Robinson, Dean of Students, Baxter O’Brien, Special Education teacher and Stephanie Gunter, grade 3 teacher and myself, Principal Vanessa Drumm.

My daughter was one of a few preschoolers recently recognized by her Principal and her teachers for mastering a special new skill. I'm sure you're thinking it was writing her name legibly, counting by 10s to 100 or tossing her juice box in the trash.

This recognition (which came with a certificate and everything!) was for mastering the skill of assertiveness. A mother couldn't be more proud - first, that my kid is assertive at school and second, that she goes to a school that teaches such an important method of communication. "Be nice, be nice!" That's pretty much the extent of my own early childhood social training.

Telling preschool kids to be nice doesn't cut it. According to Dr. Becky Bailey, founder of Conscious Discipline, the third and fourth years of our lives are the most aggressive. When conflicts arise, children use the problem-solving tools at their disposal: often hitting, kicking, biting and screaming. Expulsion rates for preschoolers is 1,300% higher than any other grade level. I've known parents who have declined to send their children to preschool, for fear of exposing them to violence. 

Langley preschool and kindergarten students interact with Coach Pedro during an after school soccer class.

​What a delight it has been to watch Team Langley implement Conscious Discipline. The composure strategies, safe space to calm down, and encouragement of others are just the first of seven skills taught to students through Conscious Discipline. For the second half of the school year, Langley has introduced the skill of Assertiveness, which promotes respect for self and others, healthy boundaries, and conflict resolution. At a recent assembly, students practiced being appropriately assertive: “I didn’t like it when you took my ball.  Next time, please ask for a turn.” 

I’m thrilled that my daughter is practicing how to assert her voice - we’re working on it at home as well, with the materials the school sends home.  A healthy school culture is so much more than being orderly and following directions.  Through Conscious Discipline students learn to act with respect and integrity, and to assert themselves to resolve disagreements, defuse bullying, and stand up for what’s right. Next steps for our students are Playworks  for leadership and conflict resolution, and our Fifth Grade Girls Empowerment Group to help our young women prepare for the academic and personal challenges that await them in middle school.