(uplifting music)
- [Teacher] Miss Denise, would you check in with Tim?
Hi, Tim. - [Tim's Dad] Hello.
- [Teacher] How are you doing today?
- Is this how you..? - Yeah.
- Yeah?
What about another?
Do you want another?
(child mumbles)
- We had a rough morning this morning.
- We did have a rough morning, you're mad?
- Swear he did not want to come to school.
- A lot of things feel different right now.
- Come here Jay.
- Jay, daddy's gonna say goodbye.
- Listen, I'm going to pick you up today
- You're doing a great job.
You're doing a great job.
It's real hard.
- See you later okay.
- Circle Preschool is a part of greater Richmond SCAN,
which is an agency dedicated to supporting children
who've experienced early trauma.
About nine years ago, SCAN got some folks together
to do a study on why there
were so many preschool expulsions.
And what they found is, that there was a high correlation
between children who were getting expelled from preschool
and the experiences of early trauma.
We realized that,
these children really needed
a place where they could come to heal.
The impact of the trauma can be huge,
or it can be even subtle and can build over time.
So without treating it or healing experiences,
it can really continue into adulthood.
- What is it that Circle preschool does that is different
from what other preschools do?
- We, one have a very different set of practices
within the classroom itself.
So we have all been trained in how to respond to trauma,
to support children and to support healing with trauma.
- I'm noticing Jay is looking at that kind face
and his mouth is smiling at it.
Today in our journals, we are going to draw
a picture of you feeling kind to your friends.
- We have a way of talking with them that is much calmer
than typically you would hear in a school.
My hair?
Can you draw my hair?
- (child mumbles)
It's also very focused on their feelings
and what their reactions are
when they're having a difficult time.
We want to help them to develop a voice,
to talk about what's going on for them inside.
- How do you build trust with the children?
You don't know them when they first start here,
how do you build trust with them?
- We're very responsive to the children's needs,
as opposed to reactive.
They might be sad, they might be angry
or having huge tantrums.
And our goal is to help those children be able to have those
feelings, as they need to be, whether they're angry or sad
and help them to learn safe ways to manage that.
- I'm gonna move this over for you Jay.
Do you want that part?
- No
- Or the bottom part?
(kids chattering)
- Try your broccoli or your rice.
(child stomping)
(child crying)
Want your rice?
- (indistinct) rice.
- No rice.
You could put your broccoli in your ketchup.
I'll see if there is more chicken.