How one principal trained five staff on Social Stories in a fortnight

The Background

A school stretched thin

Eastside Primary is a busy P–6 school with a growing number of students who need extra support. Principal Dana Okafor wanted every staff member confident with Social Stories — a practical tool for helping kids navigate change and big feelings.

The will was there. The time and budget were not.

The Challenge

No time for a PD day

A full professional-development day meant relief teachers, a day off the floor, and — in Dana’s experience — training that half the staff had forgotten by the following Friday.

“I can’t pull five teachers out for a whole day. And the one-day workshops never stick. I needed something that fit into a real teaching week.”

Dana Okafor — Principal, Eastside Primary

The Solution

Five seats, ten-minute Bricks

Dana funded five staff on a Stackable Team plan and pointed them at the Social Stories Stack. Teachers did a Brick at a time — on the train, in a free period, over a cuppa at lunch.

From the admin dashboard, Dana could see exactly who’d done what, and nudge gently where needed. No release days. No relief budget.

The Transformation

Confident staff, calmer classrooms

Two weeks in, all five staff had finished — a 100% completion rate Dana had never come close to with a workshop. Teachers were writing their own Social Stories within the month, and the language spread through the staff room.

“Two weeks, everyone done, and I could prove it. Honestly, the best professional-development money I’ve spent.”

Dana Okafor — Principal, Eastside Primary