Reopening and Beyond
The MVPS SEW/MH Subcommittee recommends the following for reopening Martha's Vineyard Public Schools. Please click on the pull down options below to see the checklist for each priority topic.
Embedded Files
MVPS SEL Plan Reopening and beyond (FINAL-8:28:2020).pdf(a) Social-emotional learning and mental health literacy instruction
Embedded within academic instruction and other programming
CHECKPOINTS- Does your school have...
❏ Plan to put social-emotional learning programming first (including anti-racism instruction) in the reopening phases (for ALL grade levels) with at-home educational resources available for families that are culturally responsive;
❏ Universal staff training for faculty on social-emotional programs like Responsive Classroom, including mental health literacy, and how to facilitate/oversee reopening safety protocols in classrooms.
❏ Training for staff on how to identify students who require additional supports, and how to refer students for supports/services across tiers;
❏ A resource center of strategic social-emotional and mental health practices/documents for staff to use with students;
❏ Communicated explicit expectations for what social-emotional practices/skills faculty are responsible for teaching and embedding into their instruction to promote optimal conditions for learning (grade level/content appropriate, culturally appropriate);
❏ Information is collected to determine the staff’s levels of comfort, knowledge, commitment, and application of teaching/supporting social-emotional skills in classes prior to the start of the school year/welcoming of students;
❏ Plan to provide ongoing professional development for teachers on topics of SEL throughout the year and in response to teachers’ needs (low comfort, knowledge, and or commitment) by providing access to coaching, workshops, resources, etc. for SEL practices; and or
❏ A plan to monitor students’ social-emotional skills and wellbeing throughout the year (e.g.,Closegap)?
(b) Staff Wellbeing
Staff can access supports and resources to support their own social-emotional wellbeing and mental health
CHECKPOINTS- Does your school have...
❏ Information on staff needs and a plan to monitor ongoing levels of wellbeing since school closure and after reopening;
❏ Plan to use collected information from staff to inform staff supports and programming;
❏ Plan to guide staff in supporting one another and re/building positive relationships;
❏ A clear and updated central resource center (or Newsletter) for MVPS employees that includes information on health-related benefits and social supports (e.g., Employee Assistance Programs); and or
❏ Established times in the school day for guided wellness practice/breaks (i.e., support self-compassion).
(c) Re/building Community
Coming back together and looking out for one another
CHECKPOINTS- Does your school have...
❏ Planned opportunities to build social connections/relationships for staff and for students;
❏ Policies that consider/respond to student and family needs specific to COVID circumstances (with guided language from Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent/school lawyer/DESE); and
❏ Established a clear channel for referral to school-based services and wrap-around tiered services, including community-partnered services?
(d) Social-emotional Wellness Team
Together, looking at school-, system-, and community-wide information to inform practices and programs
CHECKPOINTS- Does your school have...
❏ A clear vision for social-emotional wellness that is built from research and promotes teaming across schools;
❏ Multidisciplinary teams to look at social-emotional wellness and mental health services/programs across schools, including community agency staff, that makes recommendations for youth programming school and community-wide based on reopening data monitoring.
❏ A family partnership model that promotes cultural inclusion and two-way communication informed by regular family feedback on basic needs; and or
❏ A tiered approach to social-emotional wellness in schools (see tiered promotion and intervention protocol) that includes community-partnered support (see National Center for School Mental Health Curriculum pp. 140-141).
(e) Communication
Ongoing, updated, and timely two-way communication that is user-friendly and culturally appropriate
CHECKPOINTS- Does MVPS and its schools have...
❏ A social-emotional wellness and mental health communication plan that is centrally organized for ongoing updated information (e.g., newsletters in Constant Contact or RemindMe) and is this plan available to all school and community members (e.g., posting to the websites or embedding a Reopening Website in the school or MVPS sites);
❏ A MVPS decision making tree to address future school closure; and
❏ Standards for culturally appropriate signage and communication practices to promote access and engagement for caregivers and students?
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) recommends that as schools and districts reopen, three topics remain a priority:
Parity and Interdependence of Physical and Emotional Safety.
Equity and Racial Justice.
Collective Care.
See here for the full document: http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/sel/
National Association for School Psychologists in partnership with the American School Counselor Association recommends that the following areas are priorities for reopening schools at all three phases: before reopening, reopening, and after.
Multidisciplinary decision making
Addressing social and emotional learning and mental health needs
Relationships and transitions
Potential for trauma
Addressing physical and psychological safety
Discipline
Addressing staff needs
Family engagement
Access to school-employed mental health professionals and school nurses
Plan for unpredictable and evolving context
See here for the full document: NASP Reentry
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