We blinked and it's the end of November - temperatures changed quickly (and quite dramatically!) and now our thoughts are turning to how much we have to be grateful for. Given the ups and downs of the last two and a half years, coupled with all the new experiences (both positive and negative) we have all experienced, it is more important than ever to take a few minutes to reflect and give thanks. At our end, we have quite a list! At the very top are the many relationships and connections we have formed with all of you over the last dozen years or so. Not only has it been fun, but it has also been a privilege and an honor supporting your efforts to make your schools places where all feel connected, safe, and respected. Please be sure to check out our resources and supports in the newsletter - especially our Well-Being and Emotional Resilience Workshop Series and SEL Coaching. We are incredibly grateful to our wonderful team who are the heartbeat of the Initiative. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving - breathe deeply, laugh often, and enjoy! |
The School Culture and Climate Initiative offers high-quality professional development for educators and the wider school community. This includes community-based and faith-based organizations that are committed to working with and on behalf of students and families. All of our PD topics support our commitment to improving a school’s culture and climate and integrating social-emotional and character development in the classroom and school-wide. PD is encouraged in the context of a longer-term partnership in order to maximize its effectiveness. We listen to your needs and customize PD that best meets the needs of your school.
Workshops are delivered by our expert partners and are designed to bridge the gap between research and practice. They can be delivered with small or large groups and the length of each session can be adjusted to fit your schedule. Most workshops can also be provided both in-person or virtually.
Workshop Series:
“Building Within: Cultivating Well-being and Emotional Resilience in Educators”
From December 2022 through April 2023 (December 14, January 11, February 15, March 15, and April 19) from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET via Zoom for a total of five 1-hour sessions.
Series topics include:
- Understanding, accepting, and positively responding to emotions
- Cultivating the perseverance, patience and courage needed to manage change
- Strengthening compassion and gratitude for the self and others
- Building strong, healthy classroom communities
"Foundations of a Systemic Approach to Positive School Climate"
A new professional development workshop series for school and district leadership
Every other Thursday from January through March (January 19, February 2, February 16, March 2, March 16, and March 30) from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET via Zoom for a total of six sessions.
- Explore a framework for an integrated, systemic, and sustainable approach to positive school climate.
- Discuss examples of what this approach looks like in practice.
- Discuss common challenges and solutions involved in implementing the approach.
- Craft a communication plan to apply this model locally.
Check our website for a full list of PD offerings. Contact us to discuss how we can customize PD to meet your needs!
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The Academy for SEL in Schools, a partnership between Rutgers University and Saint Elizabeth University, offers certificate programs for educators and educational leaders in social-emotional and character development.
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School Support Network (SSN) meetings are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Share with your colleagues! All meetings are held virtually from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET. |
There will not be an SSN Meeting in December - enjoy the holiday season! |
January 18
"Planning for Sustainability of SEL from the Start: Lessons from the Field"
Presented by: Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Rutgers University
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SAVE THE DATES
February 15
March 22 (tentatively in-person from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.)
April 19
May 17
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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 a.m. - 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 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Administrator Coffee Chat
School Counselor Coffee Chat
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"Integrating SEL and School Climate Improvement Work into Your School Using Framework of Core Values"
Presented by: Liz Warner and Trish Heindel, School Culture and Climate Initiative Co-Directors
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The book addresses two key barriers to school improvement that are currently impacting educators and school leaders. The first is the churn of constant change in the form of multiple initiatives and compliance overload experienced by today’s educators. It is not uncommon to hear a teacher say, “I can’t focus on the kids; there are just too many things to do. I’m overwhelmed.” Has change itself become a distraction? Has it forced educators to move not toward but away from their primary focus – student learning? The second barrier is a dependency on outdated assumptions, or roadblock thinking, that cause schools to act in ways contrary to sound educational practice.
This book challenges educators to embrace forward thinking. Instead of depending on the next newest innovation or program or falling back to “the way we have always done it,” the CAR provides a framework that allows educators and school leaders to equitably and coherently address student learning by engaging in the deep conversations that are vital to effective practice. The book offers a universal blueprint that coherently and strategically connects curriculum standards, student learning, professional learning, and school culture to achieve meaningful and sustainable change that directly impacts student outcomes.
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Funding for School Climate Actions |
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New Sustainable Jersey for Schools Funding Opportunity!
The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), a Sustainable Jersey for Schools program Underwriter, is contributing $180,000 to support a Sustainable Jersey for Schools Grants Program cycle. The cycle offers ten $10,000 district and school sustainability project grants and forty $2,000 school green team grants. The funding supports efforts to implement projects that help participating schools make progress toward a sustainable future and gain points needed for Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification. Specific climate actions that are fundable include:
- Inclusive Environments Where All Can Thrive
- School Culture and Climate Needs Assessment
- Social-Emotional Integrated Unit
Deadline Extended for 2k Applications: Friday, December 9, 2022
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The SEL4NJ School Provider and Quality Implementation (SPQI) Work Group Needs Your Help! |
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SEL4NJ and the Newark Trust for Education have launched the School Provider and Quality Implementation (SPQI) Work Group. The work group seeks to expand understanding of SEL implementation needs, challenges, and opportunities related to school-provider partnerships in New Jersey in order to inform stakeholders across the state.
The purpose of the survey is to collect data to inform the development of a customized framework for effective school-provider relationships that support high-quality SEL implementation based on existing research and new data collected from NJ stakeholders between June and December 2022. It takes only 10-15 minutes to complete.
If you would like to find out more information about the work group, please read the brief. If you’d like to become a work group member, become a collaborating organization, or volunteer to take our survey, please sign up here.
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Professional Development, Webinars, and Resources |
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CASEL Webinar "Advancing Social and Emotional Learning Research, Practice, and Policy: A New Journal for the Field"
November 29, 2022 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. ET
Meet the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Kimberly A. Schonert-Reichl, and Associate Editor, Dr. Vicki Zakrzewski, of the recently launched journal, Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy. This new editorially independent, open-access journal, sponsored by CASEL, is the primary international destination for research on the science, practice, and policy in the field of social and emotional Learning (SEL).
The vision for this new journal is novel as it is deliberately designed to attract and engage SEL research, practice, and policy thought leaders in ways that enhance the development and use of research on SEL impact and implementation; improve the ways practice is shaped and supported as well as provide empirical evidence and perspectives that inform policy discussions.
Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy features:
1. Original empirical articles from researchers, evaluators, and practitioners regarding practice, policy, SEL implementation, and rigorous outcome research
2. Articles that address critical perspectives about SEL as a field of research, practice, and policy
3. Articles, commentaries, and summaries of recent developments in SEL practice and policy.
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3 Ways to Make Gratitude a Habit in Your Classroom
When teachers are intentional about building a culture of appreciation and acknowledgment, the whole classroom community benefits. Read more and watch the video.
What’s the Role of Teachers in Supporting Student Mental Health?
As student mental health issues reach crisis proportions, schools and teachers are playing a larger role than ever providing support. Is it too big an ask? Read more
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"Emotions Come and Go in Waves. We Can Teach Our Students How to Surf Them."
Two education researchers lay out the pros and cons of eight different emotion regulation strategies. Read more
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U.S. News and World Report "Service Learning in K-12 Schools"
When done well, these projects connect classroom learning with community problem-solving. “Students participating in service learning are also practicing social-emotional learning, building empathy and developing workplace skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication.” Read more
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SEL4NJ is a state-wide coalition that promotes high-quality SEL throughout the state. Sign up now to join this effort and to stay informed about national and state SEL news!
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School Culture and Climate Initiative
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