Belonging First: Cultivating Connection in Schools
A Professional Learning Experience Hosted by Buncombe County Schools, 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 in-person professional learning experience, educators will explore how to center relationships in a caring school community. Participants 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 upcoming school year.
Primary goals of this institute:
Details
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM–2:30 PM (lunch provided)
Location: Buncombe County Schools, 175 Bingham 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: Putting It All Together: Integrating Academic and Social Development
11:30 AM–12:15 PM: Lunch (provided)
12:15–2:00 PM: From Self to System: Centering Emotional Intelligence
2:00–2:15 PM: Transition
2:15-2:30 PM: End of Day Reflections & Closing Circle
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.
Peter Brunn is the Vice President of Organizational Learning at Collaborative Classroom. Previously at Collaborative Classroom, he was the director of professional development, director of staff development, the assistant director of the Reading Project, and a staff developer. Before coming to Collaborative Classroom, Peter was a staff developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and worked in New York City public schools helping teachers implement reading and writing workshops in their classrooms. Peter received his master’s degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, and his undergraduate degree in history from Marquette University. Peter is also the author of The Lesson Planning Handbook: Essential Strategies That Inspire Student Thinking and Learning, published by Scholastic.
A special thank you to ClickView Education for providing participant resources!
