K12prWell is all about imagining a life we want and taking the steps to get there. But as simple as that may sound, habit change is hard work.

Bad days are part of school PR. Even on your worst day, there is something going well. Gratitude is a practice with real, actual benefits.

We hear it all the time: Unplugging from technology is key to wellbeing. But in school PR, drawing healthy boundaries around tech use can be tricky.

K12prWell is turning 5 this year, and we've got lots of fun planned. Some people celebrate their birthday week ... we're doing a whole birthday year!

The work of high-performing school PR pros (that means you!) doesn't necessarily slow down for summer. It's time to be intentional about recharging your battery.

Yesterday’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, is tragic beyond words. Our hearts are breaking for the loss of innocent lives — and for every person whose whole world has changed forever.

For some, School Communicators Day can feel awkward. Is it easier to be celebrating others than celebrated yourself?

Whether you have kept the party quiet — or led a parade through the middle of town (photos please!) — we believe YOU are worth celebrating.

Have you ever gotten to a weekend — or long-awaited vacation — and then wondered as it started why you felt … messy? Overwhelmed. Anxious. Irritable.

*raises hand*

Yes, February is the month of love and affection. But in the world of school PR, it can feel like yet another round of getting beat up in the arena. Here is some love and truth compiled just for you.

One year ago, the hope we felt was palpable: vaccines were coming, along with gatherings, travel, parties — in-person everything! As we know, 2021 turned out to be more complicated than we expected, with new challenges in our communities and new stress in our lives. But we decided to pause now with gratitude for some of the good that 2021 brought.

You’ve heard the expression, “Work Smarter. Not Harder.” In school PR, our jobs can only be described as hard, so working smart is all we’ve got!

A well-run comms operation promotes a healthy balance between professional excellence and personal wellness.

Anyone who's worked a few days in school PR knows that life can launch into warp speed without warning. Your ability to move quickly, respond thoughtfully and create a sense of calm for your district are your superpowers in these moments.

We have always sought to make K12prWell an inclusive conversation, where each person feels seen, understood and valued. This evening, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to our KanSPRA friend, Rachel Thomas, for sharing her personal experience with us, and allowing us to share here.

Times have changed, and the K12prWell community has grown beyond even our wildest dreams. And we could not be more excited to send this email and finally share the official K12prWell logo with YOU!

A while back, Kristin sent me a card and inside was a sticker that read: “Rest is not earned.” I stuck it on my laptop to remind myself that rest shouldn’t only come after an intense period of hard work. Rest is essential, and it is not something we earn through hard work — or anything else, for that matter.

For those of you who have joined the k12prWell over the past year, hello! We are so glad you’re here. And for those of you who joined us back in the old days (before masks and zooms were the norm), hello again!

If your answer to this question begins with a big sigh or choice word, we get it. Oh boy, do we get it! As we prepare for several k12prWell presentations in the coming weeks and months, we need your help.

Not long after the COVID-19 care package went out, we found ourselves overwhelmed with workload, concerned about the health of loved ones, consumed by the ever-changing news, and exhausted navigating difficult family dynamics day in and day out. (Sound familiar?) Our wellness -- and often just straight-up survival -- meant this list took a back seat for weeks, and then months.

Sometimes we hear from friends we've met through #k12prWell about a message that needs to be shared. A great NCSPRA friend of ours, Molly McGowan Gorsuch, reached out last week about her own COVID-19 experience, and we are very thankful that she has volunteered to share her perspective to help others.

I see you right now. In ways this COVID-19 world reminds me of the months in 2009 leading up to H1N1 – school district and community planning that included such outlandish contingency plans as self-isolation for employees and a decision matrix for closures.