Educating Emotionally Resilient, Socially Skilled Students with Phyllis L. Fagell

ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN!

(Click on "Registration" (blue hyperlink under the date) to begin the process.)

This workshop is for those working in middle & upper schools — teachers, counselors & administrators.
Each attendee must enroll separately. There is no group discount for this workshop. To register for ISACS events, you MUST be signed into the Member Portal. Please see "Registration Tips" located at the bottom for more information.

Questions? Contact the ISACS Professional Learning Team at programinfo@isacs.org.


Empower students to grow socially, emotionally & academically.

Join Phyllis Fagell, a practicing school counselor, therapist, and celebrated author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers who will share strategies and activities to help students acquire social skills, manage executive functioning challenges, resolve conflict, meet behavioral expectations, cope with stress and disappointment, self-advocate, and take academic risks. (It may seem like a lot to cover, but it's all interrelated!)

Whether you’re a middle or upper school classroom teacher, counselor or administrator, this workshop will prepare you to help students get their arms around a broad range of typical stressors, including loneliness, procrastination and performance pressure. Leave with a better understanding of adolescents’ needs and behavior and gain practical strategies that can be implemented one-on-one, in small group settings or at the classroom level. Incorporating such ideas will reduce stress for students and staff alike—making each educator’s job easier, not harder.

The day's agenda:

  • Morning: Many stressors can be managed and reined in if students are armed with essential, practical, teachable skills. The focus will be on adolescents’ needs, stress-reduction, and self-regulation strategies. Hear concrete, implementable ways to help students feel less overwhelmed, better equipped to manage academic and behavioral expectations and more resistant to peer pressure.  Activities to use with students will be shared – including a stable decision-making framework, using the power of the group to create a more pro-social culture, and proving that “doing the right thing” is less risky than they may think.
  • Afternoon: The focus will shift to social challenges and academic risk-taking — which is a social risk, too! Hear specific ways to foster social skills, help students consider others’ perspectives and foster a sense of belonging for all. Explore common social scenarios and learn how younger adolescents distinguish between funny and mean. Hear about the power of role-playing and why it’s so challenging for students to sort out interpersonal challenges. Leave with phrases to use in a range of scenarios to help students sustain optimism and feel a sense of agency. 


Presenter:

Phyllis L. Fagell, Author & School Counselor


Phyllis L. Fagell is a licensed mental health therapist at Chrysalis Group, Inc. and certified school counselor at Landon School. She is the author of Middle School Matters, The 10 Key Skills Kids Need to Thrive in Middle School and Beyond – and How Parents Can Help, and Middle School Superpowers, Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times. Fagell also is a contributor to The Washington Post, CNN, U.S. News & World Report, and her ideas have been shared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Chicago Tribune, and NPR.


Accommodation at Virgin Hotel Chicago

Virgin Hotel Chicago
203 N Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL
View Hotel Directions / View ISACS Classroom Directions

Event Room Rate: $149/night* + tax
The rate includes guest Wi-Fi, access to the hotel’s gym, and one complimentary drink voucher per room.

*This rate is valid for the night of Thursday, December 4, 2025. Rooms must be booked before midnight, November 24. Room Block availability is limited and may be reached prior to deadline. We recommend booking as soon as possible. 

  • Book your room here using the discounted ISACS rate or call (312) 940-4400 and mention the ISACS Room Block to receive the discounted rate.
  • Please note if you need a room with two beds or want to extend your stay, please contact programinfo@isacs.org for assistance.

Is Your School Paying for Your Accomodations? 
A credit card is required to make a hotel reservation. At check-in, guests must present a credit card in their name—either a personal or school credit card—to cover hotel charges. If a guest does not have a school credit card and the school intends to pay for the hotel charges, please contact karen@isacs.org several weeks prior to arrival. This will allow time for a school representative to complete the hotel’s credit card authorization form. Once the form is submitted and approved for all charges (room, tax, and incidentals), the guest will not need to present a credit card at check-in.

Cancellation
Hotel cancellations must be made 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid one night room and tax charge.

Overnight Parking
The overnight valet rate at the Virgin Hotel Chicago is $79/night (inclusive of tax). Rates are subject to change.

Stay in The Know
Learn more about the Virgin Hotel's complimentary Loyalty Program "The Know".

Hotel Scam Alert
ISACS does not reach out to attendees and sponsors directly to book hotel rooms. If you receive calls or emails from third-party companies, we recommend you do not provide these solicitors with any personal information including, but not limited to, making new or changing existing reservations and do not provide your credit card. If you have any doubt about the information that you are receiving regarding any ISACS room blocks, please contact programinfo@isacs.org.


ISACS Policies & Disclaimers

During onilne registration, you will be prompted to acknowledge the ISACS Policies & Disclaimers for Professional Learning Events. ISACS reserves the right to revoke the registration and end the participation of any registrant, school, or school community that does not follow these policies and disclaimers.


Workshop Enrollment

Registration Fees:

  • $275 per person for ISACS members / $375 per person for non-members
  • The workshop includes coffee/tea, continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments.

Important Details:

  • Each attendee must enroll separately.
  • There is no group discount for this workshop.
  • To register for ISACS events, you MUST be signed into the Member Portal. 
  • Once registration is complete, the registrant will receive a confirmation email with details and a separate email that includes a paid receipt or an invoice. ISACS will send a final confirmation approximately one-week prior to the workshop

Cancellation Policy for ISACS In-Person Workshops
Cancellations for workshops held at the ISACS classroom must be received by email to programinfo@isacs.org ten business days prior to the event to receive a refund. ISACS will determine the refund amount, if any, on a per workshop basis and may be unable to determine the refund amount until the workshop’s conclusion. At any time, registration may be transferred to another member from the same school. If a workshop has a waitlist and ISACS can identify a replacement, a full refund will be provided. ISACS reserves the right to cancel the workshop for insufficient enrollment. In this case, participants will be notified and will receive a full refund. If you feel ill or are experiencing flu-like symptoms, please remain at home.

Questions?
Please contact programinfo@isacs.org 

 

More information
When:  Dec 5, 2025 from 09:00 AM to 03:00 PM (CT)