Belonging First: Cultivating Connection in Schools
Hosted by Collaborative Classroom and Come Home Collective
Research tells us that we cannot expect our students to excel academically unless they experience a sense of safety and belonging. During this one day in person learning experience, educators will explore how to center relationships in a caring school community. They will engage in a process to reflect on current practice, identify high impact action steps, and plan for the first day, week, and month of the school year.
Event Goals
Details
Date: July 31, 2025
Time: 9 AM–2:30 PM
Location: West Buncombe Elementary School 175 Erwin Hills Rd, Asheville, NC
Cost: Complimentary, but you must register in advance.
Schedule
8:30–9:00 AM: Arrival and Registration
9:00–9:30 AM: Welcome & Morning Circle
9:30–11:30 AM: Teaching the Whole Child: Defining the Why & What of Social Emotional Learning
11:30 AM–12:15 PM: Lunch
12:15–2:00 PM: From Self to System: Centering Emotional Intelligence as we plan to launch the school year
2:00–2:15 PM: Transition
2:15-2:30 PM: End of Day Reflections & Closing Circle (edited)
Facilitators
Griffin Gervais is a former school administrator with over a decade of experience supporting students and educators across diverse learning environments. He is the founder of Come Home Collective, an organization dedicated to revolutionizing education through emotional intelligence.
Come Home focuses on developing emotionally intelligent leaders, educators, and schools by prioritizing adult learning and providing real-time implementation support. Through strategic partnerships with schools, districts, and higher education institutions, Come Home helps embed EI and SEL into the culture, climate, and instructional practices—not as a standalone curriculum, but as a deeply rooted way of operating and leading that transforms the learning experience and supports the growth and development of the whole child.
Katharine Bonasera is a Manager of Educational Partnerships with Collaborative Classroom for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. She has over 14 years of teaching and leadership experience in urban school environments, serving as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and principal. In addition to her school-based experience, she has coached early career Teach For America teachers and serves as an advisor with Relay Graduate School of Education’s National Principals Academy Fellowship. She is passionate about cultivating school environments that foster connection, equitable practices, and the opportunity for all community members to thrive.
Questions? Please contact events@collaborativeclassroom.org.