SEL Health/Wellness Committee

  • SEL Health/Wellness Committee Progress Report, July 23, 2020

      

    • Committee using CASEL’s “SEL Roadmap for Reopening School” as a framework for our reopening strategies:

     

    • Committee developed action items for each of these 4 SEL Critical Practices
      • SEL Critical Practice 1: “Take time to cultivate and deepen relationships, build partnerships, and plan for SEL” Action Items: 
        • Using a tiered approach, make sure every single child has a caring relationship with at least one school adult
        • That adult monitors mental health, support needs, etc.
        • Equitable family engagement
          • Universally accessible webinar series for parents about SEL topics
          • Increased support for high-need families
        • Engage mental health professionals from community for partnership in range of ways
        • Have school adults run ongoing small groups of students using evidence-based practices for:
          • mental health support/first aid
          • anti-racism/bias training

     

      • SEL Critical Practice 2: “Design opportunities where adults can connect, heal, and build their capacity to support students” Action Items: 
        • Superintendent Conference Day: 
          • Present SEL framework to all staff members
          • Discuss expectations regarding how to prioritize SEL in the first two months of the school year
          • Develop shared agreements
          • Discuss the impact of both Covid-19 and Racial Injustice and outline plan for staff as to how this will be addressed throughout the school year

     

        • Building Level Meetings: 
          • Address specific strategies by developmental level regarding SEL, mindfulness and self-care
          • Discuss building-level supports for staff
          • Review strategies and supports that staff can use to promote SEL and develop relationships:
          • Class expectations
          • Morning meetings
          • Mindfulness strategies
          • Scripts to promote safe discussions about Covid-19 and racism
          • Providing teachers with self-care strategies and retreat opportunities when teaching

     

        • Teacher Surveys:  
          • To be sent in August to all staff
          • Teacher survey assessing trauma
          • Teacher survey assessing self care
          • Teacher survey assessing social emotional skills
          • Data used to develop upcoming PD

     

      • SEL Critical Practice 3: “Create safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments that promote all students’ social and emotional development” Action Items: 
        • Conduct universal screening to identify and support students in need
        • Provide students and staff with specific strategies to encourage relationship building and feel connected to others
        • Create opportunities for non academic interactions that will help build relationships and community 
        • Create “toolbox” for teachers to support students, staff and families (race, ethnicity, equity, anxiety, loss)
        • Revise existing protocols for MTSS referrals 

     

      • SEL Critical Practice 4: “Use data as an opportunity to share power, deepen relationships, and continuously improve support for students, families, and staff” Action Items: 
        • Baseline data collection re: environment/connection from students and parents
        • Survey related to SEL; careful choice of survey to collect the best information
        • Instagram/allowing students to plan events that allow connection
        • Look for more ways to connect students to help students who are feeling disengaged
        • Transition students back to a “new way” of schooling
        • Videos and other preparations to prepare students to come back

     

    • Next Steps: 
      • Committee will reevaluate strategies based on the reopening strategy set forth by the District and begin to identify resources and timelines for implementation.

     
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  • SEL Health and Wellness Progress Report, July 16, 2020 

     

    • New committee goals based on recent guidance from New York State related to SEL:  
      • Design orientation and transition period to support social and emotional well-being and resilience before phasing in academic content.

      • Revise school counseling/guidance program to plan, develop and implement a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

      • As part of an MTSS framework, SEL, mental health, and well-being supports offered at all levels to reflect schoolwide implementation of effective, efficient, and evidence-based practices and strategies that all students can access.

      • Offer all staff opportunities to heal together, to build strong, mutually supportive relationships, and to process their own emotions

      • Leverage Transformative SEL to support the work of adult anti-racism and anti-bias work

     

    • Committee discussed definition of SEL, “core competencies,” and District’s work to date using the CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) framework. 
      • CASEL currently has a “roadmap” for reopening schools and addressing SEL, titled “Reunite, Renew and Thrive:SEL Roadmap for Reopening School” https://casel.org/reopening-with-sel/

     

     

    • Priorities established based on needs of students, staff, families: 
      • What do staff members need to know to help students transition back to learning in the fall?
        • What resources/training can we provide staff members?
      • How can we better support parents and families?
        • What resources/training can we provide?
      • How can we communicate SEL strategies and initiatives with all stakeholders?

     

    • Key ideas, questions and takeaways discussed:
      • Build relationships and making connections at start of the year 
      • Facilitation of SEL days in person and virtually to make sure students are receiving positive interactions
      • Facilitation of parent relationships, support groups
      • How to make ALL feel safe and welcomed when re-entering the building
      • Discussion circles and frequent “check-ins”
      • Staff training on how to have meaningful conversations with students on current events (covid-related, racial justice)
      • Possibility of pass/fail ro reduce stress on students and staff who are trying to spend the appropriate time needed on SEL
      • Focus on mindfulness, meditation, wellness for staff
      • Mental health training for staff
      • What supports are already available
      • What are expectations of staff
      • How to address anxiety and depression
      • How are we utilizing specialists within our community
      • Diversity training and acceptance among staff
      • Identification of a universal screener for mental health 

     

    • Next Steps: 
    • Continue to unpack the roadmap, seek out and compile resources that will benefit students, staff and families. A folder will be shared among the group.

     

     
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  • SEL Health/Wellness Progress Report, July 9, 2020

    • Priorities Agreed Upon for this Committee:
      • Create an SEL Health/Wellness resource database for students, staff and families
      • Identify a universal screener to measure social, emotional, and behavioral functioning and identify students at risk or in need of interventions
      • Create and implement professional development for staff to address social-emotional well-being of students and staff
        • Mindfulness
        • Relaxation techniques
        • Stress management
        • Meditation
        • Anxiety
        • Virtually and in person

     

      • Provide ongoing, meaningful and positive social interactions for students
        • Virtually and In-person
        • School spirit and individual

     

      • Establish procedures for requesting assistance
        • For families, students, staff
        • Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
        • Clearly defined interventions
        • Progress monitoring
        • How will this be communicated with all stakeholders?

     

    • Committee members shared experiences related to SEL, health, wellness during remote learning
      • Strengths
      • Challenges

     

    • Dr. Brady will reach out to try to get some teachers added to this committee; teachers are often the “first line of defense” in terms of student SEL needs

     

    • Future work:
      • Review results of Panorama Survey that assessed SEL for students in grades 3-12
      • Cross-reference survey results with strengths and challenges identified above to determine next steps for committee work
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