Navigating 2019 as a child is tough. For kids with marginalized identities, it’s even tougher. Last month, educators, parents, and community members gathered at the Robertson Center for a special conversation on supporting kids with diverse identities as they figure out who they are and who they want to be.

Whatever you do, don’t throw out all your garbage. That’s the advice from Shavon Frazier, a kindergarten teacher at PS 41 and panelist at the Robertson Center’s inaugural Thought Starter event, The Power of Play: Using Playtime to Help Kids Thrive. The mini-summit brought together parents, educators, and early childcare providers from across the city to learn about how and why to ensure kids get enough productive playtime, at home and at school.

Last year, Success Academy doubled down on our commitment to play with the introduction of “Choice Time” in Kindergarten. Now, five days a week for hour-long periods, our youngest scholars head to the Blocks Room, or stay in their classrooms and choose among stations dedicated to sensory materials (clay, play dough), building materials (Legos, Tinkertoys), dramatic play, art, reading, creative writing, and board games.

On Wednesday, Julia King Pool helped the Robertson Center, Success Academy’s new accelerator for educators, launch its free Wellbeing series for teachers and school staff. With a TED-style Robertson Center “Chalk Talk” she kicked off The Mindful Teacher: Harnessing the Power of Your Attention to Unleash Your Best School Year Yet.