We find ourselves in the midst of a snowy and wintery February which is also both Kindness Month and Black History Month. To celebrate Black History Month, we are featuring examples from two different New Jersey school districts who are doing exemplary work. You will find Denville highlighted below (Spotlight School section) and we encourage all to have a look at the Sparta School District Student Support Services Newsletter: Racial Equity Vlog Edition. The Racial Equity Taskforce (a subcommittee of C3, a district-wide climate team) has done a tremendous job of partnering with others in the district and incorporating community and student voice. Please take time to watch the Our Voices United Vlog. It is inspiring to see the courage of the students, the participation of the community, and the sincere commitment to raising awareness about the challenges many are facing.
In addition to being kind to others we all encourage you to be kind to yourself! You have all done the most tremendous job of supporting your students and families. Give yourselves a pat on the back for what you have accomplished. You deserve it!
We hope to see many of you at our upcoming School Support Network meetings and coffee chats. Don't forget to sign up for SEL Day on March 26th (see below for details)! And there is still time to register for our first School Culture and Climate Virtual Conference: Opportunities Born from Challenges.
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SEL Coaching
At Tenafly Middle School and Woodmont Elementary School, small groups of teachers have been meeting monthly to receive personalized SEL coaching support. During this process, teachers have identified and shared their core values, set goals for themselves and their students, problem-solved issues coming up in their classrooms, and gained support and ideas from their colleagues and an SEL coach. These meetings have enabled teachers to have a strong, reliable support system that they can turn to during a turbulent school year, while also receiving ideas for best SEL practices they can bring to their students.
“The teacher coaching we’ve received has been an outstanding resource and an instructional oasis and lifeline for our classroom teachers in this very challenging school year. Our consultant, Erica, has quickly gained the trust of our teachers by offering practical strategies for supporting students in the classroom, and perhaps most importantly, an opportunity to bond with colleagues in this year of separation for everyone. We are very grateful to have this opportunity!” -- Doug Stech, School Counselor at Woodmont Elementary School
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Motivated by keeping their finger on the pulse of our society as well as their month long celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Riverview Elementary School, and Denville Township Schools in general, have been taking a more proactive approach to the topic of racial equity. They looked at the topic of racial equity in education from both district and school-wide perspectives. From a district perspective, the district has created a District Responsive Practices for Student Equity Committee that includes school board members, community organization members, administrators, parents, counselor and teachers. This group discusses important topics related to increasing their cultural awareness, rethinking teaching practices of certain holidays and historical topics, and increasing their staff’s self-awareness in regards to the topic of race. Their Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Sandra Cullis has organized all three district-wide professional development days dedicated to the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competency. As a staff they are self-evaluating their classroom environments, teaching practices, and unintentional biases so that they can be constantly improving as a district. The district is also hosting a poster contest for Black History Month as well as hosting various virtual assemblies for the students.
From a school perspective, Riverview Elementary School has used Martin Luther King Jr. Day to kick-off an important service learning initiative. Their Social-Emotional Learning Staff team who meets weekly and consists of teachers, counselors, and administrators, created a video, educating and inspiring the students and staff about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Riverview’s teachers were presented with various materials to educate the students in developmentally appropriate ways about the topics of civil rights and diversity. They culminated student learning with a district-wide food drive, emphasizing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life of service. At a faculty meeting, Riverview Elementary’s School Improvement Panel (SCIP) Team also presented to our staff various ways to have productive, honest conversations about race in their classrooms. This school and district are emphasizing the need to continue the promotion of racial equity throughout the entire year, not just during one day or month.
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School Support Network (SSN) meetings are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Share with your colleagues! |
Compassion Fatigue: When the Distress of Others Becomes Contagious
February 17 - 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Compassion fatigue is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion often coupled with intrusive thoughts and feelings of ineffectiveness. It happens slowly over time when helping professionals are exposed to the traumatic stories of others. Education has always been a demanding field and the current circumstances have only exacerbated feelings of stress and anxiety. Learning about compassion fatigue is a protective factor and early detection can prevent symptoms from reaching incapacitating levels. Participants in this virtual session will explore the signs and symptoms of the onset of compassion fatigue and will explore various prevention strategies and techniques.
Presented by:
Amy F. Moritz, M.Ed., Independent Consultant and Director of Marketing and Communications for the School Culture and Climate Initiative
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Coffee chats are virtual gatherings that allow schools to connect with one another. Participants have shared successes, challenges, and ideas with their colleagues during our past coffee chats. Coffee chats are open for all to attend - share with your colleagues!
March 3 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
March 24 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
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These coffee chats where we bring together educators in similar roles. While collaborating with colleagues in diverse roles has its advantages, gathering with those in the same professional role allows you to explore more in-depth job-specific concerns, issues and potential strategies.
School Counselor Network
March 10 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Administrator Network
March 31 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
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2021: A Year for Healing and Restoration
Presented by: Stacey Alicea
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Join us in celebrating on March 26th! |
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Sign up today to showcase, promote, advocate for and support SEL (broadly defined) in your school and community. All you need to do is create an artifact and send it out on social media with the hashtag (#SELday) on March 26th. The goal is to have #SELday trending worldwide. Spread the word about what SEL is and why it's so critical!
If you create an artifact (which many New Jersey schools did for SEL Day last year!) it would be wonderful if you could send a copy of your artifact (video, photos, blogs, podcasts, etc.) with the theme of your artifact included in the subject line with one or two words (for example Kindness, Connection, Staff Morale, Student Voice, Respect) to SEL4NJ and to the School Culture and Climate Initiative. We will be sure to tweet and share the artifact on SEL Day.
We are excited to showcase and highlight the amazing SEL (broadly defined) work taking place in our New Jersey schools!
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The 2021 Sustainable Jersey for Schools Grants Cycle funded by the PSEG Foundation will be announced the week of February 22.
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School Culture and Climate Conference 2021 |
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Join us for the School Culture and Climate Virtual Conference 2021: Opportunities Born from Challenges!
This conference will be different than most. Our goal is to guide educators on the journey towards optimism while honoring the hardships that we have all endured. We are creating the time and space for learning but also for listening, exchanging new ideas and inspiring you to act on those ideas.
Sessions will be relevant and helpful to administrators, counselors, school psychologists, teachers and all who work with or on behalf of students and families. Our keynote speaker will turn your world “upside down” and introduce you to a new way of looking at yourself and others. Come prepared to be transformed, to share your ideas, to laugh with colleagues and ultimately, to be ready to start a learning revolution in your community.
Registration Deadline: February 19th
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Keynote Speaker, Dave Rendall |
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Resources, Webinars and PD
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Thousands of school staff across the nation have completed the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s new, free course, Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty and Stress, prioritizing the importance of maintaining their own and their students’ mental well-being.
As educators and school staff continue to grapple with the challenges related to the pandemic, social and political divides, and economic uncertainty, we are confident that this course will provide helpful insight and skills that they can leverage to navigate these emotional times. We are encouraged to see early participants report that they are already benefiting from practical application of the knowledge and strategies addressed in the course.
Delivered by leading experts in the fields of psychology, education, and research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, this course enables participants to complete coursework at their own pace and create an action plan to enhance their personal and professional growth.
“This was an extremely relevant and valuable tool for me as a professional and as a person in general.
The concepts that were presented were culturally and chronologically relevant, research-based, authentic,
and presented in such a way as to harness the interest of the learners while keeping them wanting more.
I think that this may truly be one of the best PDs on SEL I have ever taken.”
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CASEL CARES Webinar "Building Partnerships Inside and Outside the Classroom"
February 19 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Authentic school-community partnerships help create and support positive student experiences both in school and out of school. But how do you align in-school and out-of-school work on social and emotional learning? That’s what the Partnerships for Social Emotional Learning Initiative (PSELI) sought to uncover in a multiyear project across six school district communities. Join CASEL, the Wallace Foundation, and district and community leaders from Palm Beach County as they share findings about how school and out-of-school time partners can work together to align and implement SEL. Attendees will gain insights about how to support the adults in the community, improve school climate, and create seamless experiences for students. Register here
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Here Are 3 Top SEL Strategies That Can Help Improve Student Engagement Right Now
“Successful learning environments are all about the choices teachers make, so it’s important to question your methods and try new approaches for learners who aren’t ready ‘yet.’”
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"Youth Mental Health First Aid"
The Northeast and Caribbean Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) can provide Youth Mental Health First Aid to your school or organization at no cost. "Youth Mental Health First Aid" is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders."
If you are interested in receiving training, please email us.
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