This Month was first inspired by a series that we co-produced for another THENCE publication Holiday wellness. In this interactive video module “Ashley’s Calendars” our THENCE founder and CEO interviews THENCE Partner Ashley Causey-Golden who founded Afrocentric Montessori and Co-founder Gather Forest School.

The four part interview covers much ground and is extremely helpful for educators in the run-up to winter school holidays. Ashley Causey-Golden discussed key concepts such as school belonging, culturally responsive practices for creating a classroom where families of students really feel included and seen. We highlighted this in the run-up to the November and December Holiday season, just before the Winter school break because often the students and their families are celebrating many traditions and spiritual observances. However for many religious and ethnic groups the important cultural and spiritual observations and celebrations happen in January, February, March and beyond. Thus honoring and inviting families to visit the classroom to educate about these days can add to a child’s feeling of belonging and being seen beyond the December holiday season. This is why we include again in Ashley’s Calendars in This Month for the months of January and February. Enjoy!