Ages 5-10 · Book 1, Accountability · 4,299 places
The First Week of School
What gets established in five days runs for ten months. This is the five days.
Built on Ellis Abel and the Red Block — “Big feelings. Small choices. Real accountability.” A character series, not a curriculum with a worldview attached.
The five sessions
- Session 1
Pick the one moment in the day that goes wrong most often
- Session 2
Read the story and name what is actually happening in it
- Session 3
Write the routine down in three steps a child can say back
- Session 4
Run it for a week without changing it, even on the bad days
- Session 5
Come back to it and let the child say what got easier
Questions leaders ask
Is the first week of school in your area a religious program?
No. Ellis Abel is a character series. Each volume carries one named core value — this one is accountability — and the story does the teaching. There is no doctrine in it, nothing to opt out of, and it is used in public schools, libraries and secular programs as readily as anywhere else.
What ages does this work for?
Ages 5-10. The story is read aloud, so a child who cannot read yet is fully in it, and the discussion prompts are written in two bands so one adult can hold a mixed-age room.
How long does a session take in a your area classroom?
Twenty to thirty minutes, structured as read-aloud, small group, and one step each child names out loud before they leave the room.
Does this need a specialist to deliver?
No. It is written for the classroom teacher, the counselor, or whoever has the room that period. The leader script carries the questions and the follow-ups.
The rules that make it work
This is a character story, not a behaviour plan
Ellis Abel is a core-values series. No child is assessed, scored, diagnosed or labelled anywhere in it. It gives a room shared language, and it stops there.
Big feelings are not misbehaviour
A four-year-old at full volume is not defying anyone. Treating the feeling as an offence teaches a child to hide it, which is the opposite of the skill.
Name first, always
Every attempt to fix a feeling before naming it fails, and it fails loudly. The order in the book is the order in the room.
Ownership is small and specific
"Be responsible" means nothing at four. One job, done alone, every day, means everything, and it generalises on its own.
Adults go first
The adult naming their own feeling out loud in front of the child does more work than any session. Children copy what they see under pressure.
Routines beat reminders
A routine a child can recite is theirs. A reminder an adult repeats is the adult's, and it has to be repeated forever.
First Week by metro area
Northeast
- First Week — New York, NY
- First Week — Philadelphia, PA
- First Week — Boston, MA
- First Week — Pittsburgh, PA
- First Week — Providence, RI
- First Week — Hartford, CT
- First Week — Buffalo, NY
- First Week — Rochester, NY
- First Week — Bridgeport, CT
- First Week — Albany, NY
- First Week — Worcester, MA
- First Week — Allentown, PA
- First Week — Poughkeepsie metro area, NY
- First Week — Syracuse, NY
- First Week — Harrisburg, PA
- First Week — New Haven, CT
- First Week — Portland, ME
- First Week — Scranton, PA
- First Week — Lancaster, PA
- First Week — York, PA
- First Week — Springfield, MA
- First Week — Waterbury, CT
- First Week — Reading, PA
- First Week — Manchester, NH
- First Week — Trenton, NJ
- First Week — Atlantic City, NJ
- First Week — Utica, NY
- First Week — Norwich, CT
- First Week — Erie, PA
- First Week — Binghamton, NY
- First Week — Barnstable, MA
- First Week — Burlington, VT
- First Week — Kingston, NY
- First Week — Amherst, MA
- First Week — Chambersburg, PA
- First Week — Bangor, ME
- First Week — State College, PA
- First Week — Vineland, NJ
- First Week — Lebanon, PA
- First Week — Johnstown, PA
- First Week — Pittsfield, MA
- First Week — Glens Falls, NY
- First Week — Altoona, PA
- First Week — Lewiston, ME
- First Week — Williamsport, PA
- First Week — Watertown, NY
- First Week — Gettysburg, PA
- First Week — Ithaca, NY
- First Week — Elmira, NY
Midwest
- First Week — Chicago, IL
- First Week — Detroit, MI
- First Week — Minneapolis, MN
- First Week — St. Louis, MO
- First Week — Cincinnati, OH
- First Week — Kansas City, MO
- First Week — Columbus, OH
- First Week — Indianapolis, IN
- First Week — Cleveland, OH
- First Week — Milwaukee, WI
- First Week — Grand Rapids, MI
- First Week — Omaha, NE
- First Week — Dayton, OH
- First Week — Des Moines, IA
- First Week — Madison, WI
- First Week — Akron, OH
- First Week — Wichita, KS
- First Week — Toledo, OH
- First Week — Springfield, MO
- First Week — Lansing, MI
- First Week — Fort Wayne, IN
- First Week — Youngstown, OH
- First Week — Flint, MI
- First Week — Canton, OH
- First Week — Davenport, IA
- First Week — Ann Arbor, MI
- First Week — Peoria, IL
- First Week — Lincoln, NE
- First Week — Rockford, IL
- First Week — Green Bay, WI
- First Week — South Bend, IN
- First Week — Sioux Falls, SD
- First Week — Duluth, MN
- First Week — Cedar Rapids, IA
- First Week — Evansville, IN
- First Week — Fargo, ND
- First Week — Kalamazoo, MI
- First Week — Appleton, WI
- First Week — Champaign, IL
- First Week — Topeka, KS
- First Week — Rochester, MN
- First Week — Lafayette, IN
- First Week — Columbia, MO
- First Week — Joplin, MO
- First Week — Elkhart, IN
- First Week — Springfield, IL
- First Week — St. Cloud, MN
- First Week — Racine, WI
- First Week — Saginaw, MI
- First Week — Iowa City, IA
- First Week — Muskegon, MI
- First Week — Eau Claire, WI
- First Week — Oshkosh, WI
- First Week — Bloomington, IL
- First Week — La Crosse, WI
- First Week — Terre Haute, IN
- First Week — Waterloo, IA
- First Week — Kenosha, WI
- First Week — Janesville, WI
- First Week — Bloomington, IN
- First Week — Jackson, MI
- First Week — Traverse City, MI
- First Week — Rapid City, SD
- First Week — Monroe, MI
- First Week — Jefferson City, MO
- First Week — Niles, MI
- First Week — Sioux City, IA
- First Week — Bismarck, ND
- First Week — Wausau, WI
- First Week — Manhattan, KS
- First Week — Springfield, OH
- First Week — Battle Creek, MI
- First Week — Ames, IA
- First Week — Mansfield, OH
- First Week — Lawrence, KS
- First Week — St. Joseph, MO
- First Week — Sheboygan, WI
- First Week — Muncie, IN
- First Week — Sandusky, OH
- First Week — Michigan City, IN
- First Week — Kankakee, IL
- First Week — Grand Forks, ND
- First Week — Mankato, MN
- First Week — Fond du Lac, WI
- First Week — Bay City, MI
- First Week — Lima, OH
- First Week — Dubuque, IA
- First Week — Decatur, IL
- First Week — Cape Girardeau, MO
- First Week — Columbus, IN
- First Week — Kokomo, IN
- First Week — Midland, MI
- First Week — Grand Island, NE
- First Week — Minot, ND
South
- First Week — Dallas, TX
- First Week — Houston, TX
- First Week — Atlanta, GA
- First Week — Washington, DC
- First Week — Miami, FL
- First Week — Tampa, FL
- First Week — Orlando, FL
- First Week — Charlotte, NC
- First Week — Baltimore, MD
- First Week — San Antonio, TX
- First Week — Austin, TX
- First Week — Nashville, TN
- First Week — Virginia Beach, VA
- First Week — Jacksonville, FL
- First Week — Raleigh, NC
- First Week — Oklahoma City, OK
- First Week — Louisville, KY
- First Week — Richmond, VA
- First Week — Memphis, TN
- First Week — Birmingham, AL
- First Week — Tulsa, OK
- First Week — Greenville, SC
- First Week — New Orleans, LA
- First Week — Knoxville, TN
- First Week — Sarasota metro area, FL
- First Week — McAllen, TX
- First Week — Charleston, SC
- First Week — Baton Rouge, LA
- First Week — El Paso, TX
- First Week — Columbia, SC
- First Week — Cape Coral, FL
- First Week — Lakeland, FL
- First Week — Greensboro, NC
- First Week — Little Rock, AR
- First Week — Deltona, FL
- First Week — Winston-Salem, NC
- First Week — Palm Bay, FL
- First Week — Augusta, GA
- First Week — Durham, NC
- First Week — Fayetteville, AR
- First Week — Jackson, MS
- First Week — Chattanooga, TN
- First Week — Port St. Lucie, FL
- First Week — Huntsville, AL
- First Week — Pensacola, FL
- First Week — Lexington, KY
- First Week — Killeen, TX
- First Week — Wilmington, NC
- First Week — Corpus Christi, TX
- First Week — Ocala, FL
- First Week — Savannah, GA
- First Week — Brownsville, TX
- First Week — Gulfport, MS
- First Week — Myrtle Beach, SC
- First Week — Lafayette, LA
- First Week — Asheville, NC
- First Week — Naples, FL
- First Week — Mobile, AL
- First Week — Spartanburg, SC
- First Week — Beaumont, TX
- First Week — Tallahassee, FL
- First Week — Fayetteville, NC
- First Week — Montgomery, AL
- First Week — Shreveport, LA
- First Week — Hickory, NC
- First Week — Lubbock, TX
- First Week — Huntington, WV
- First Week — Gainesville, FL
- First Week — Clarksville, TN
- First Week — Columbus, GA
- First Week — Roanoke, VA
- First Week — Hagerstown, MD
- First Week — Fort Walton Beach metro area, FL
- First Week — Kingsport, TN
- First Week — Waco, TX
- First Week — Longview, TX
- First Week — College Station, TX
- First Week — Tuscaloosa, AL
- First Week — Laredo, TX
- First Week — Slidell, LA
- First Week — Amarillo, TX
- First Week — Lynchburg, VA
- First Week — Daphne, AL
- First Week — Tyler, TX
- First Week — Lake Charles, LA
- First Week — Hilton Head Island, SC
- First Week — Macon, GA
- First Week — Fort Smith, AR
- First Week — Panama City, FL
- First Week — Charlottesville, VA
- First Week — Gainesville, GA
- First Week — Athens, GA
- First Week — Monroe, LA
- First Week — Punta Gorda, FL
- First Week — Jacksonville, NC
- First Week — Johnson City, TN
- First Week — Lexington Park, MD
- First Week — Warner Robins, GA
- First Week — Auburn, AL
- First Week — Florence, SC
- First Week — Charleston, WV
- First Week — Houma, LA
- First Week — Bowling Green, KY
- First Week — Dover, DE
- First Week — Midland, TX
- First Week — Burlington, NC
- First Week — Abilene, TX
- First Week — Jackson, TN
- First Week — Greenville, NC
- First Week — Blacksburg, VA
- First Week — Odessa, TX
- First Week — Vero Beach metro area, FL
- First Week — Homosassa Springs, FL
- First Week — Decatur, AL
- First Week — Hattiesburg, MS
- First Week — The Villages metro area, FL
- First Week — Florence, AL
- First Week — Dothan, AL
- First Week — Sherman, TX
- First Week — Valdosta, GA
- First Week — Winchester, VA
- First Week — Wichita Falls, TX
- First Week — Rocky Mount, NC
- First Week — Alexandria, LA
- First Week — Dalton, GA
- First Week — Texarkana, TX
- First Week — Albany, GA
- First Week — Morgantown, WV
- First Week — Hammond, LA
- First Week — Harrisonburg, VA
- First Week — Jonesboro, AR
- First Week — Wheeling, WV
- First Week — Cleveland, TN
- First Week — Salisbury, MD
- First Week — Staunton, VA
- First Week — Morristown, TN
- First Week — Elizabethtown, KY
- First Week — Lawton, OK
- First Week — Goldsboro, NC
- First Week — San Angelo, TX
- First Week — Brunswick, GA
- First Week — Anniston, AL
- First Week — Owensboro, KY
- First Week — Steubenville, WV
- First Week — Sebring, FL
- First Week — Pinehurst, NC
- First Week — Beckley, WV
- First Week — Sumter, SC
- First Week — Gadsden, AL
- First Week — Paducah, KY
- First Week — Rome, GA
- First Week — Victoria, TX
- First Week — Hot Springs, AR
- First Week — Hinesville, GA
- First Week — Parkersburg, WV
- First Week — Enid, OK
- First Week — Eagle Pass, TX
West
- First Week — Los Angeles, CA
- First Week — Phoenix, AZ
- First Week — Riverside, CA
- First Week — San Francisco, CA
- First Week — Seattle, WA
- First Week — San Diego, CA
- First Week — Denver, CO
- First Week — Portland, OR
- First Week — Sacramento, CA
- First Week — Las Vegas, NV
- First Week — San Jose, CA
- First Week — Salt Lake City, UT
- First Week — Fresno, CA
- First Week — Tucson, AZ
- First Week — Honolulu, HI
- First Week — Bakersfield, CA
- First Week — Albuquerque, NM
- First Week — Boise, ID
- First Week — Oxnard, CA
- First Week — Stockton, CA
- First Week — Colorado Springs, CO
- First Week — Provo, UT
- First Week — Ogden, UT
- First Week — Spokane, WA
- First Week — Reno, NV
- First Week — Modesto, CA
- First Week — Santa Rosa, CA
- First Week — Visalia, CA
- First Week — Vallejo, CA
- First Week — Salem, OR
- First Week — Santa Maria, CA
- First Week — Salinas, CA
- First Week — Anchorage, AK
- First Week — Eugene, OR
- First Week — Greeley, CO
- First Week — Fort Collins, CO
- First Week — Boulder, CO
- First Week — Kennewick, WA
- First Week — Olympia, WA
- First Week — Merced, CA
- First Week — Bremerton, WA
- First Week — San Luis Obispo, CA
- First Week — Bend, OR
- First Week — Yakima, WA
- First Week — Santa Cruz, CA
- First Week — Prescott metro area, AZ
- First Week — Bellingham, WA
- First Week — Las Cruces, NM
- First Week — Lake Havasu City, AZ
- First Week — Yuma, AZ
- First Week — Medford, OR
- First Week — St. George, UT
- First Week — Chico, CA
- First Week — Billings, MT
- First Week — Coeur d'Alene, ID
- First Week — Yuba City, CA
- First Week — Redding, CA
- First Week — El Centro, CA
- First Week — Idaho Falls, ID
- First Week — Pueblo, CO
- First Week — Grand Junction, CO
- First Week — Logan, UT
- First Week — Maui, HI
- First Week — Santa Fe, NM
- First Week — Hanford, CA
- First Week — Flagstaff, AZ
- First Week — Mount Vernon, WA
- First Week — Napa, CA
- First Week — Albany, OR
- First Week — Bozeman, MT
- First Week — Missoula, MT
- First Week — Wenatchee, WA
- First Week — Sierra Vista, AZ
- First Week — Twin Falls, ID
- First Week — Farmington, NM
- First Week — Longview, WA
- First Week — Cheyenne, WY
- First Week — Corvallis, OR
- First Week — Helena, MT
- First Week — Fairbanks, AK
- First Week — Pocatello, ID
- First Week — Grants Pass, OR
- First Week — Great Falls, MT
- First Week — Casper, WY
- First Week — Lewiston, ID
- First Week — Walla Walla, WA
- First Week — Carson City, NV
Cities and all 3,143 US counties are covered too — every place page is live. The campaign sitemap lists every one.
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