Amid effort to focus on more than just academics, schools change approach to discipline

Joining classmates in a circle for a class meeting, a second-grade student confided they were sad because a pet hamster died.

Another student was scared because their sister is going to be entering kindergarten next year. And another was hyper because it's almost the end of the school year.

Sharing emotions is one part of the morning meeting called by elementary school teacher Cassie Day, and is a chance for her to understand what is going on in her young students' lives that they are bringing with them when they enter the classroom. It's a concept that is part of a new approach to working