Sitting in the Calm
As celebrations and the winter break draw near, everyone’s stress levels go up. Routines are altered. Excitement runs high, and patience runs low. This month’s book excerpts will hopefully bring some calm in the form of self-care for your students—and you. The excerpts include:
  • A meditation exercise for teens and adults
  • A tool for countering negative thoughts
  • Tips to help kids claim their feelings, future dreams, and needs


Below you’ll also find:

Hot off the presses! Check out Smarts! Everybody’s Got Them, a new picture book from Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D., and illustrated by Tim Palin. The book depicts eight ways we’re all smart and shares activities kids can do to get better at each smart.

And for you, we’re sharing a free download, the Circles of Support from the authors of Intentional Teaching in Early Childhood. This quick exercise helps you reflect on your support network and on ways to expand it if needed.
Special Offer
Get 30% off plus free shipping on all stress and anxiety management resources,* plus other books mentioned in this month’s issue of Upbeat News! Sale ends December 31, 2019. Use code DEC30 at checkout.

*Excludes already discounted sets, clearance items, and eBooks.
New Release Spotlight
Great for promoting a growth mindset, Smarts! Everybody’s Got Them by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D., shows kids ages five to nine that being smart is more than just having school smarts. The book encourages readers to explore all their smarts and offers activities to help boost each type of smarts: 
  • Word smarts
  • Music smarts
  • Number smarts
  • Picture smarts
  • Body smarts
  • People smarts
  • Self smarts
  • Nature smarts
Tips & Tools from the Free Spirit Blog
ABCs of Self-Care for Teachers
If self-care were a recipe, it would be as straightforward as ABC: Attitude, Balance, Compassion. Beth Baker, M.S.Ed., coauthor of The PBIS Team Handbook, uses the ABC framework to share three guidelines for taking care of yourself. Read now.
Expanding Your Circles of Personal and Professional Support
Having people to rely on can make a long or frustrating day seem less so. In this blog post, the authors of Intentional Teaching in Early Childhood share how you can expand your support network, both personally and professionally.  Read now.
Grants
Educational grants available for your school or community:

Bostitch sponsors Creativity in the Classroom Grants that support teaching that fosters students’ creative thinking, expression, and individuality. Applicants must submit an original lesson plan that exemplifies creativity in the classroom and shows the impact on learning.

Eligibility: Public, Private, Charter
Prize: $250
Application Deadline: January 20, 2020

Each year, the National Book Foundation awards individuals and organizations that have developed innovative means of creating and sustaining a lifelong love of reading. Applicants should share the foundation’s mission to expand the audience for literature in America. Programs should focus on reading rather than strictly on literacy skills.

Eligibility: Public, Private, Charter, Other (including homeschool, 501 (c)(3) organizations)
Prize: $10,000
Application Deadline: February 13, 2020
Recent Review
“An encouraging, easy-to-navigate map of human ability, replete with opportunities for any reader to see themselves as intelligent and proficient on various levels.” —Publishers Weekly


Leave Us a Review
What’s your favorite Free Spirit title? Tell us! Visit freespirit.com, select the product that has helped you the most in your work with kids, and leave us a review!
Free Download

Building a support network can keep you going, especially after a difficult day, and help you grow as a professional. This month’s download, the Circles of Support from Intentional Teaching in Early Childhood by Sandra Heidemann, M.S., Beth Menninga, M.A.Ed., and Claire Chang, M.A., encourages you to reflect on your existing support system and to find more support if needed.

Find Free Spirit
Upcoming Events and Conferences 

January 24–28: American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia, PA

Did you know we’re on Instagram? Follow us @freespiritpublishing for a behind-the-scenes look at your favorite titles, the Free Spirit office dogs, and more!
“Drink lots of water. It helps lower stress and keeps your brain running efficiently.”