Creating a classroom where students feel safe, accepted, and supported is essential to their personal and academic growth. Join Jim Kestner, a nationally recognized specialist in classroom management and youth character development, for a practical, hands-on professional learning experience focused on supporting students impacted by trauma and challenging life circumstances. Participants will explore the science of trauma and learn strategies for building positive classroom environments grounded in empathy, consistency, predictability, and hope. Through practical approaches to classroom management and character development, educators will learn how to address challenging behaviors, strengthen student relationships, and empower students to develop self-respect, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Topics will include:

• Understanding the science of trauma and its impact on students
• Using character-based discipline to support positive behavior and personal growth
• Facilitating interpersonal communication, collaboration, and problem-solving
• Responding to confrontational student situations
• Maintaining consistency while accounting for exceptional circumstances
• Incorporating trauma-informed practices into everyday classroom policies
• Establishing a safe, trusting, and supportive classroom environment
• Encouraging open communication and developing student self-respect
• Adapting the physical classroom environment to promote safety and success
• Helping students set goals and navigate uncertainty
• Supporting students experiencing changes in parent and custodial relationships

Who should attend? This session is for teachers, school administrators, school counselors, social workers, and other student support professionals who want to strengthen their classroom management approaches and better support students experiencing adversity. Join us to explore practical strategies to build classroom environments where students can develop positive relationships, navigate challenges, and feel safer, more connected, and more hopeful. Time will be provided to take lunch on your own. Registration closes on Monday, Feb. 22nd, at 3:30 p.m.

Join SEL coach Erin Shook from ROE 40, who focuses on an important aspect of supporting today's adolescents: understanding the teenage brain. Teenagers aren’t just “big kids”; their brains are still under construction. In this session, we’ll explore what makes the developing teenage brain unique, the challenges that come with adolescence, and what research tells us about how teens learn, regulate, connect, and make decisions. Participants will leave with practical ways to create classrooms and schools that better support the developing teenage brain. Registration closes 2/26/27 at 4:00 p.m.

We have heard a lot about trauma and its effects on our students and families over the years. During this session, Kevin McNicholas, SEL & Mental Health Coach for ROE 40, will take a deeper look at resiliency—what it really means, how it develops, and how we can help students and families build the skills needed to navigate adversity and thrive. This session pairs well with the earlier “Understanding the Teenage Brain” session, offering a natural next step from understanding adolescent development to supporting students as they build resilience. Registration closes 2/26/27 at 4:00 p.m.

You already love Canva for creating engaging lesson graphics—now it’s time to unleash its power in your students' hands! In this high-energy session, you'll discover how to effectively set up and manage your students and projects while creating a collaborative digital learning environment. We'll share essential best practices and survival tips for managing students in real-time digital spaces, and use Canva's Design School to help students confidently navigate the platform, enhancing their computer literacy and digital navigation skills along the way. We'll also explore Canva's newest features, including the Learn Grid, packed with standards-aligned lessons and templates; Live Learning for real-time collaboration; and AI-powered Student Activities that connect directly to your curriculum. Join us to learn how Canva can increase engagement, foster creativity, strengthen essential digital skills, and empower students to produce professional-quality projects in your classroom. Please note: Canva Education is free for K-12 school districts, and it is highly recommended that your district set up Canva for Schools prior to this session. You can find details at canva.com/education/schools.

ISBE Regional Financial Consultant Sarah Healy will facilitate this free roundtable session.  This session supports both veteran and novice bookkeepers. Rationale for the roundtable: Share best practices and problem-solving strategies across districts Support newer bookkeepers transitioning into these critical roles Support veteran bookkeepers in improving consistency in financial operations and compliance procedures Reduce isolation and build professional relationships Stay current on regulatory changes and new software/systems Strengthen collective knowledge to benefit all our districts Help support each other regardless of your bookkeeping software systems Potential Topics: State reporting requirements(procedures, timelines, deadlines) Audit review and best practices FOIA requests and records retention Software tips, tricks, and troubleshooting for vendor management Payroll and benefits administration tools Budget development timelines and quarterly changes Budget-to-actual reports for your Supt. Tax responsibilities and W2s Record retention guidelines Salary schedule implementation Grant management and tracking Multi-year forecasting strategies 6% bumps and other credible/non-credible earnings Section 125 Plans and other tax benefit plans CPPRT allocation requirements Capitalization thresholds