Regulating for Success

Coming to A.W. Cox Elementary School, the Regulation Station project, led by school social worker Jyl Lozier-Oman, will equip classrooms with calming boxes designed to help students manage emotions and stay engaged in learning.

Each classroom will receive a portable box filled with developmentally appropriate sensory tools and fidgets that support students when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or distracted. Rather than leaving the classroom or losing valuable instructional time, students can use these tools to calm their minds and bodies and refocus on learning.

Elementary-aged students often experience big emotions that can make it difficult to concentrate, participate in class activities, or maintain positive relationships with peers. The Regulation Station provides teachers with practical, accessible tools they can integrate into everyday classroom routines, giving students immediate support when they need it most.

Beyond helping individual students, the project supports a more focused and positive learning environment for the entire class. As students develop the ability to recognize and regulate their emotions, they build important social-emotional skills such as resilience, empathy, and self-awareness.

The initiative also aligns with Guilford’s Portrait of a Graduate competencies. By learning strategies to manage stress and respond productively to challenges, students strengthen their ability to become adaptable learners, empathetic individuals, and responsible collaborators.

GFFE was pleased to support this project with a grant to provide calming boxes for classrooms at A.W. Cox. By giving students the tools to pause, reset, and return to lear

ning, the Regulation Station helps create a classroom environment where every child can feel supported and ready to succeed.