Dear Friend,

Long before the first bell rings, a school's culture is already taking shape.

This month, some schools are just setting up classrooms and preparing for faculty meetings, while others are getting ready to welcome students back for a new year. Regardless of where you are on the calendar, every school is engaged in the same important work: creating the conditions for a community where every person feels seen, valued, and connected. Beneath the logistics and lesson plans lies something even more fundamental: the opportunity to intentionally shape the kind of community we want to become.

This year, that work feels especially important. As schools begin the year, many will also prepare to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11, reflect on the third anniversary of October 7, and navigate the weeks leading up to the midterm elections on November 3. Each of these moments carries the potential to evoke strong emotions, different lived experiences, and deeply held perspectives. They also remind us that schools are not isolated from the world around them. They are where young people learn not only history and current events, but also how to listen and question, engage across differences, and care for one another.

Over the summer, I've had the privilege of meeting with school leaders from across the country as they prepare for the year ahead. What has struck me most is their shared commitment to investing in their communities before challenges arise. Rather than viewing belonging as a single workshop or initiative, they are embracing year-long programming that supports students, faculty, staff, administrators, parents, and trustees alike. They understand that healthy school communities are built through consistent attention, shared responsibility, and a willingness to keep learning together.

At Pollyanna, we believe that Building Stronger and Kinder Communities begins long before difficult conversations arise. When that foundation exists, communities are better equipped to navigate challenge with curiosity instead of fear, empathy instead of assumption, and courage instead of silence. The strongest school communities are not those that avoid difficult moments. They are the ones that prepare for them by investing in relationships every single day.

As your school year begins, I encourage each of us to ask a simple question: What kind of community are we building before the first bell rings? The answer may shape every conversation that follows.

Warmly,

Casper Caldarola

Founder

As one school year comes to a close and another is just around the corner, it's a fitting time to reflect on the transitions that shape our lives. We're pleased to share Lonely Graduation: The Journey After the Milestone, the debut book from Christopher S. Dennis, PhD. Dennis gives voice to a feeling many graduates and high achievers quietly experience: the unexpected stillness that can follow the excitement of reaching a long-awaited goal. Written for students, career changers, and the educators and families who support them, the book offers reassurance for the question so many face but rarely voice: Now what? We encourage you to read it, share it with your school community, and spark meaningful conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and students. Together, we can help create communities where loneliness is understood, discussed openly, and even recognized as an opportunity for growth. Learn more on Amazon or at www.campusculturegroup.com.

 

Paper Clips is the inspiring true story of a middle school in rural Tennessee whose students set out to better understand the Holocaust by collecting six million paper clips, one for every Jewish person murdered. What began as a simple classroom project grew into an international movement, with contributions arriving from around the world and Holocaust survivors sharing their stories with the students.

The documentary explores the power of education, empathy, and remembrance, reminding us that even the smallest actions can make a meaningful difference. Paper Clips offers a hopeful and deeply moving example of how curiosity, compassion, and human connection can help build stronger and kinder communities.

"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion."

Paulo Coelho

Pollyanna, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation 501(c)(3).

© 2026 Pollyanna | New York, NY 10075