by Susan Dougherty, NJLA Board Member The days of summer vacation are numbered and parents are immersed in the annual ritual of gathering school supplies, refreshing backpacks and lunchboxes, and scrambling to make sure their child has read the required summer reading book. In my children’s district, the request was reasonable: a picture book for my rising 3rd grader, which is the “whole school” summer read and was selected for grades K-3, and a graphic novel for my rising 5

by Rachel Lella, NJLA Board Member Every August, there seems to be a sense of trepidation in even the most confident teachers. The teachers with the strongest, asset-based mindsets may show signs of their back-to-school nerves getting the best of them, even if only for a moment. In previous years, that may have been due to concerns over class dynamics, limited supplies, implementation of new programs, or even just the idea of starting over. This year, much like the last, brin

by Shalonda Archibald, NJLA Board Member "Love is giving yourself a chance." It's giving yourself a chance to do whatever it is that you need to do for yourself. As I've continued along this journey to self: self awareness, self love, self confidence, self compassion, self respect, just overall SELFFULNESS, I've begun to feel the happiest I've ever felt in my life. I am now able to show up in relationships as I truly am...who I was before the world told me who to be. Happin