This month’s Meet a Mom, is author Julie Fragnito! She recently wrote a book ‘Bully-ve in Yourself,’ based on the principles of Social Emotional Learning. Her book teaches the importance of perspective and empathy and is a wonderful teaching tool for children in grades K-3! Her book is available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble! Get to know Julie below!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I am originally from Long Island – where I was born and raised for 25 years, I graduated from Oceanside High School (maiden name: Julie Foglietta). I went to Fordham University for my undergraduate degree in Business Administration and graduate degree in Mathematics Education. I met my husband, Marco, at Fordham and we lived on Long Island until we got married. We now reside in Connecticut where we live with our daughter, Vanessa.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Our daughter, Vanessa, is 19 months old! She is the best part of our lives and I’m not sure how we ever lived without her.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I am a math and physics teacher, the youngest child of five, and a singer/piano player.
Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
I couldn’t do it without my mother and the 57 phone calls I give her a day. She made raising 5 kids look easy. She is my rock, my inspiration, and my greatest role model. Seeing her with our little Vanessa is one of my favorite and most beautiful sights to see.
Favorite things to do with your kids?
Our favorite thing to do is
take Vanessa to the local farm for ice cream. They also have the best coffee shop and they have donkeys for the kids. It’s the little things in life that bring us the most joy… nothing like a good cup of coffee and some donkeys.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
When I became a mother I started honing into what it means to be a good person and finding tools to help my daughter grow into a good person. This is when I started studying Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and delving into the 5 principles: Self-awareness, Self-management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. I then took a course and received a certificate in Social Emotional Learning from Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence. And that’s when I decided to write my Children’s Book Series: A Tale of Two Stories.
The first book in my series, “Bully-ve in Yourself” (Believe in Yourself) was released on July 1, 2021. My series, A Tale of Two Stories, is built on the foundations of SEL and is intended to be a teaching tool in K-3 classrooms and homes. The thing that makes my books unique is that there are TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY…literally. So when you read the book one way, you hear one character’s point of view, and when you flip the book over and read it the other way, you hear another character’s point of view of the same story. This helps to emphasize the importance of perspective to our young readers and it also places a big emphasis on empathy… not really knowing how someone feels until you listen and truly hear them.
“Bully-ve in Yourself” (Believe in Yourself) is based on the SEL principle: managing relationships and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Target. Follow me on Instagram @juliefragnito.author or on Facebook: Julie Fragnito, SEL Children’s Author, M. Ed.
Stay tuned for the second book in my series set to release in November! This one will be on the SEL topic: self-management (specifically: anxiety).
A quote that I live by, that drives my mission to get my books in the hands of every teacher and parent… “Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults.” – Abraham Lincoln.
How has the mom community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I am surrounded by mothers who are strong, dedicated to their families, loving, smart, and so driven – and it’s definitely true that “if you surround yourself with people who have dreams, desire, and ambition; they’ll help you push for, and realize your own.” Special shoutouts to my mom, sisters, mother-in-law, cousins, and aunts – I couldn’t do it without you.
