Happy Valentine's Day!
With Valentine's Day in mind, we want to reiterate how much we appreciate all of you and what a difference you make day in and day out to the students and families within the state - thank you!
We're one month away from #SELday (March 10) - be sure to sign-up! Now is an excellent time to start creating the artifact you plan on sharing via social media on SEL Day! Additional information about SELday is provided throughout this newsletter.
We look forward to seeing many of you at one of our regular coffee chats this month - please join us if you haven't dropped in yet! We're also hosting an in-person School Support Network meeting next month at Saint Elizabeth University (details below) - we'd love to catch up again in-person and hope you'll join us!
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"What Does DEI in Educational Practice Truly Look Like?"
March 22 from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET
Saint Elizabeth University
2 Convent Rd, Morristown, NJ
Annunciation Center - Flex Rooms
Presented by: Patrick Fennell, Consultant, School Culture and Climate Initiative
There is an old adage that says, “If you can see it, you can achieve it”. For some, the vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in educational practice is unclear and confusing while for others, it feels uncomfortable and daunting. This interactive session will:
- Create common language around what DEI truly is and why it is important for all stakeholders in the school community.
- Identify practical and tactical challenges.
- Share best practices and considerations in the development of positive culture and climate, equitable discipline policy and inclusive classroom management.
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"Uplifting Hearts, Connecting Minds"
By Jennifer Ly and Dr. Maurice Elias
March 10, 2023, is International SEL Day, an annual celebration that promotes social-emotional and character development in our schools and communities. SEL stands for “social-emotional learning.” The theme this year is Uplifting Hearts, Connecting Minds. Since the inception of SEL Day, no state in the U.S. has done a better job than New Jersey in learning through various showcases of efforts in cultivating SEL in their community and schools. Read more
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School Support Network (SSN) meetings are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Share with your colleagues! |
February 15 (virtual)
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET
"The Extraordinary School: Insights into What Fuels Connection and Belonging in the Workplace"
Presented by: Amy Moritz, Learning and Development Strategist, Moritz Consulting
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March 22 IN-PERSON Meeting
8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. ET
"What Does DEI in Educational Practice Truly Look Like?"
Presented by: Patrick Fennell
See description on the left.
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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 held from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. ET and are open for all to attend.
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These are 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. These coffee chats are held from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. ET.
Administrator Coffee Chat
School Counselor Coffee Chat
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Join Us in Celebrating SEL Day 2023! |
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Uplifting Hearts, Connecting Minds
March 10, 2023
It is a wonderful, fun way to celebrate all the great work happening in NJ schools! 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 10th. The goal is to have #SELday trending worldwide!
If you create an artifact (which many NJ schools did last year for SEL Day!), 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 to SEL4NJ (i deally one or two words...for example kindness, connection, staff morale, student voice, respect). We of course will be sure to tweet and share the artifact on SEL Day.
We are so excited to showcase and highlight the amazing SEL work taking place in schools throughout New Jersey!
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Professional Development, Webinars, and Resources |
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What Is Complex Trauma?
"When people think of trauma, they often imagine a specific experience, like a natural disaster or a violent attack. And it’s true that a very upsetting or life-threatening experience can lead to PTSD and other mental health challenges. But there’s another form of trauma that involves chronic negative experiences like abuse, neglect, or violence. This is known as complex trauma, and its profound impact on kids is often misunderstood." Read more
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Strategies for building deeper relationships with students through academic content
By MindShift
"Targeting deeper relationship-building in our lesson planning should have a strong tie-in to what we want students to achieve. We run into difficulty when we do not make a clear connection between how teachers and students interact with each other and the way that relationships play into the establishment of a safe learning space. We are very aware of the need to make students comfortable in class, particularly at the start of an instructional period, but sometimes that priority does not bear out for the remainder of the class." Read more
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"Engaging Staff, Students, and Families: A Schoolwide Approach"
A look at how school leaders can get started bringing their community together to work toward shared goals. Read more
"3 Ways to Integrate SEL Into the Curriculum"
To ensure that social and emotional learning has the greatest impact on learning, embed SEL in academic instruction. Read more
"Encouraging Executive Functioning Skill Development in Middle School"
A fun multiweek project can support the development of the crucial skills that drive academic success for middle school students. Read more
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Rutgers University Upcoming SEL Webinars
Click here to access Rutgers webinar page.
- SEL and Equity 101: A Practical Approach
- Academy Overview: How and Why to Obtain a Certificate in SEL Instruction and/or SEL School Leadership
- How to Integrate SEL into Social Studies/Civics/History and other Academic Areas via Students Taking Action Together (STAT), and into Tier 2 Interventions via the Social-Emotional Learning Lab (SEL Lab)
- How to Instruct Students in ANY SEL/Character Program Effectively
- Leading SEL Implementation in Schools
- Principles of Staff Development for Expertise in SEL/Character Instruction
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School Culture and Climate Initiative
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