Your Morning Boost - The Anchor Role: Proactive Support for Vulnerable Students Before Holiday Break
December 15, 2025 • 4 mins
As the excitement builds for the holiday break, the energy in school buildings is often high. However, for some students, this extended time away from the routine safety, structure, and nourishment of school can bring profound anxiety, not joy, due to instability at home.In this crucial episode of Your Morning Boost, we dive into essential strategies for school leaders and educators to proactively identify and support their most vulnerable students. This week, your role is to be an anchor. Learn how to:
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
- Amplify Communication and Visibility: Encourage staff to shift focus from finishing curriculum to genuinely connecting with students, as a simple, non-academic conversation can reveal much.
- Implement Predictable Check-in Rituals: Discover the power of simple, predictable daily check-ins, which the Center for Trauma and Resilience in Education highlights as a significant predictor of perceived safety.
- Boost Resource Referral Systems: Make sure your systems are working overtime. Compile a concise, easy-to-read list of community resources—food banks, mental health hotlines, shelters—to provide a safety net and a physical lifeline for students who need it most.
- Facilitate the "Back to School" Conversation: Give students a future-focused purpose by clarifying their exact return date and giving them a low-stakes task, like drawing their favorite thing from the break, to look forward to.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-edify-network-insights-for-every-education-stakeholder--6630377/support.
Thank You for Listening!This has been an episode from The Edify Network—Where the Whole Education Community Listens and Learns. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.Want to keep the conversation going?
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education.
Here we amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact in education,
delivering your daily dose of professional development. This program is
sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services, where together we are transforming education,
one leader at a time. Now, get ready to amplify
(00:25):
your day with your Morning Boost.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What a wonderful day to get together and kick off
a brand new week right here on your Morning Boost.
Good morning, everybody. I am so glad that you've carved
out a few minutes to think intentionally about your leadership,
and I'm going to do that with you today as
we lead into this final week before the long awaited
holiday break. For most of us, the energy in your
building is likely buzzing with excitement, But for some students,
(00:54):
this time of year brings anxiety, not joy. The extended
time away from the routine, safety and nourishment of school
can be deeply unsettling for those that are experiencing instability
at home. So today we are diving into some crucial
strategies for proactively identifying and supporting your most vulnerable students,
(01:15):
ensuring that they feel seen, supported and safe as they
leave your care for the holidays. School leaders and teachers
often see a dip in attention and a spike in
behavior issues this week, but it's important to remember that
not all of it stems from holiday excitement. For students
(01:38):
facing food insecurity, housing instability, or family conflict, the approaching
break means losing access to reliable meals, trusted adults in
a stable environment. Your role this week is to be
an anchor, and that starts with amplifying communication and visibility.
This is a good time to encourage your staff to
(01:58):
shift from folk using solely on finishing curriculum to simply connecting.
A genuine non academic conversation can reveal a lot. For example,
the Center for Trauma and Resilience and Education consistently points
to the power of a simple, predictable check in ritual
like asking every student the same non invasive, low stakes
(02:20):
questioned daily as a significant predictor of perceived safety. Another
critical layer of support is to make sure your resource
referral systems are working over time. Compile a concise, easy
to read list of community resources food banks, mental health hotlines, shelters,
and by doing so, you ensure every student who needs one,
(02:42):
particularly those who are already utilizing your school support services
receives it discreetly. This isn't about solving their long term problems.
It's about providing a safety net and a lifeline that
can physically hold on to. Now. Finally, remember the power
of the simple back to school conversation For a child
(03:02):
who may feel forgotten over a long break, Knowing exactly
when they return and having a clear task like drawing
a picture of their favorite thing they did overbreak gives
them a future focused purpose and a concrete date to
look forward to, turning an uncertain break into a structured interlut.
(03:28):
Before you get back to your busy day, take a
moment to reflect on the immense, often unseed role your
school plays and the lives of every student. You don't
just educate, You stabilize, You nurture, and you provide a
reliable home base. When a child knows there's an adult
who will notice their absence and welcome them back, that
knowledge alone can be a profound source of resilience during
(03:51):
challenging times. As you wrap up this December, carry the
knowledge that your intentional, compassionate leadership this week is the
true boost some of your students need to navigate the
coming days. We appreciate you tuning in today and making
this crucial topic of priority. Have a phenomenal day. We
will talk with you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
That concludes another episode of your Morning Boost. We hope
today's daily dose of professional development helps you amplify knowledge,
widen reach, and broaden impact. Your Morning Boost is an
AWB Education production brought to you with the generous support
of Grundmeier Leader Services. Join us again tomorrow for more.
(04:35):
Until then, keep boosting your impact.
Welcome to your Morning Boost, brought to you by AWB Education.
Here we amplify knowledge, widen reach, and broaden impact in education,
delivering your daily dose of professional development. This program is
sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services, where together we are transforming education,
one leader at a time. Now, get ready to amplify
(00:25):
your day with your Morning Boost.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
What a wonderful day to get together and kick off
a brand new week right here on your Morning Boost.
Good morning, everybody. I am so glad that you've carved
out a few minutes to think intentionally about your leadership,
and I'm going to do that with you today as
we lead into this final week before the long awaited
holiday break. For most of us, the energy in your
building is likely buzzing with excitement, But for some students,
(00:54):
this time of year brings anxiety, not joy. The extended
time away from the routine, safety and nourishment of school
can be deeply unsettling for those that are experiencing instability
at home. So today we are diving into some crucial
strategies for proactively identifying and supporting your most vulnerable students,
(01:15):
ensuring that they feel seen, supported and safe as they
leave your care for the holidays. School leaders and teachers
often see a dip in attention and a spike in
behavior issues this week, but it's important to remember that
not all of it stems from holiday excitement. For students
(01:38):
facing food insecurity, housing instability, or family conflict, the approaching
break means losing access to reliable meals, trusted adults in
a stable environment. Your role this week is to be
an anchor, and that starts with amplifying communication and visibility.
This is a good time to encourage your staff to
(01:58):
shift from folk using solely on finishing curriculum to simply connecting.
A genuine non academic conversation can reveal a lot. For example,
the Center for Trauma and Resilience and Education consistently points
to the power of a simple, predictable check in ritual
like asking every student the same non invasive, low stakes
(02:20):
questioned daily as a significant predictor of perceived safety. Another
critical layer of support is to make sure your resource
referral systems are working over time. Compile a concise, easy
to read list of community resources food banks, mental health hotlines, shelters,
and by doing so, you ensure every student who needs one,
(02:42):
particularly those who are already utilizing your school support services
receives it discreetly. This isn't about solving their long term problems.
It's about providing a safety net and a lifeline that
can physically hold on to. Now. Finally, remember the power
of the simple back to school conversation For a child
(03:02):
who may feel forgotten over a long break, Knowing exactly
when they return and having a clear task like drawing
a picture of their favorite thing they did overbreak gives
them a future focused purpose and a concrete date to
look forward to, turning an uncertain break into a structured interlut.
(03:28):
Before you get back to your busy day, take a
moment to reflect on the immense, often unseed role your
school plays and the lives of every student. You don't
just educate, You stabilize, You nurture, and you provide a
reliable home base. When a child knows there's an adult
who will notice their absence and welcome them back, that
knowledge alone can be a profound source of resilience during
(03:51):
challenging times. As you wrap up this December, carry the
knowledge that your intentional, compassionate leadership this week is the
true boost some of your students need to navigate the
coming days. We appreciate you tuning in today and making
this crucial topic of priority. Have a phenomenal day. We
will talk with you again tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
That concludes another episode of your Morning Boost. We hope
today's daily dose of professional development helps you amplify knowledge,
widen reach, and broaden impact. Your Morning Boost is an
AWB Education production brought to you with the generous support
of Grundmeier Leader Services. Join us again tomorrow for more.
(04:35):
Until then, keep boosting your impact.
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