Ms. Amanda Jones
315.338.6518
amjones@romecsd.org
https://www.romecsd.org/counselingservices

Communities and schools are facing unprecedented challenges as they respond to the compounded difficulties of a global pandemic, an economic recession, and civic unrest in response to structural racism. These challenges also offer unprecedented opportunities to re-envision and renew the capacity of our schools and communities to be welcoming, supportive, inclusive, and equitable environments. To meet these challenges, individuals must start with the inner work of healing their own hearts and minds, finding the capacity within themselves to support healing for students, families, peers, and communities.

It is unrealistic to expect that students will return to instruction as they left it months ago. Students have experienced an extremely stressful, and for many, traumatic experience while isolated from school, friends, and community. Some students have had positive experiences during school closures, learning, growing, and discovering new identities as activists, caregivers, and leaders in their communities. Schools should support and nurture new skills and mindsets. Students known to be vulnerable, as well as those not previously on district and school radars, may return to instruction anxious, fearful, withdrawn, grieving, and/or unprepared to self-manage new or exacerbated negative behaviors. And some students have thrived in an on-line environment, as school anxiety has lessened. Schools and districts must be prepared to meet students where they are, regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

The following considerations are intended to assist in creating a welcoming and caring school community that ensures its members are met with compassion and the support they need to achieve and thrive. Academic learning cannot be effective until the basic human needs for physical and emotional safety are met. This is an embodied practice. Breathe, notice, feel, and be present. Except where otherwise noted, the considerations outlined below are relevant for students and staff, and regardless of whether instruction is in-person, remote, or hybrid.

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM

School Counseling Programs in New York State are required to have the components described in The New York State Education Department Commissioner's Regulation Part 100.2(j) Guidance Plan. This regulation, in place since the 1970's, requires each public school district, “shall have a guidance program for all students” that is reviewed annually and updated as necessary, filed in district office and made available for review by any individual. Rome City School District School counselors work together with students and parents to promote personal success by enhancing the development of academic skill, interpersonal skills and self-understanding. As leaders and advocates, school counselors work as collaborative members of the educational team to examine the changes in educational policies and regulations and seek solutions to help each child maximize their educational experience. In partnership with school district leaders, teachers, student support personnel, families and community stakeholders, school counselors work in the spirit of collaboration to promote the academic missions of their schools as well as the goals of the New York State Department of Education. For a complete copy of our Comprehensive Counseling Plan, please visit our website at: https://www.romecsd.org/CSCP

MENTAL HEALTH AND TRAUMA-RESPONSIVE PRACTICES

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma can have a negative impact on young people’s social emotional well-being, and consequently, their capacity to learn. Students and adults are grappling with new and exacerbated traumas that can have far-reaching impacts on health and educational outcomes. In addition, anxiety and depression may present or worsen in response to these additional stressors and traumas. Trauma-responsive practices help shift negative reactions to inappropriate student behavior to thoughtful responses that consider the root causes of behavior and help to support individual student needs to address those causes.

MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT (MTSS)

MTSS is an evidence-based approach to comprehensive program delivery that addresses academic and behavioral challenges including proactive activities for all students (universal interventions), targeted activities for students identified at-risk (secondary interventions) and intensive activities for students identified at high risk (tertiary interventions). MTSS is grounded in the belief that all students can learn, and all school professionals must be responsive to the academic and behavioral needs of all students. MTSS focuses on evidence-based practices, relies on student progress data to inform instructional decisions, and ensures that each student, based on their unique needs, receives the level and type of support necessary to be successful. It is an important means of addressing equity and most importantly, ensures that all young people are provided with the support they need to thrive. The supports represented in the universal tier are foundational to secondary and tertiary supports. In general, universal interventions should be effective for most students, but targeted and intensive supports will be needed to address student needs that could not be met with universal interventions. A strong foundational tier helps ensure that schools are not over identifying students and adults for tier 2 and 3 supports, which allows them to more strategically allocate resources for the higher tiers. An example of aligned social emotional well-being supports in chart format is included on page 42 of Social Emotional Learning: Essential for Learning, Essential for Life (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/SEL).

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines SEL as, “the process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.” By developing core intra- and inter-personal competencies, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making, students and adults build capacity to thrive by building a variety of protective factors, including increased resilience, stronger empathy, heightened self-efficacy and agency, and more. SEL is not synonymous with mental health, but it does provide a foundational set of competencies that serve as tools to navigate challenges in healthy, productive ways. SEL must be culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining to equitably meet the needs of our young people and adults. Transformative SEL elaborates on the core competencies from an educational equity lens and envisions their operationalization to better prepare young people and adults for critical, active citizenship, and considers the roles and implications of culture, identity, agency, belonging, and engagement. Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and Project-Based Learning (PBL) offer opportunities for young people to shape their own learning and can support transformative SEL. A variety of resources for understanding SEL, including developmentally appropriate benchmarks and a whole school implementation guide are available on NYSED’s SEL web page (http://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/sel.html).

RESOURCES

• Guidance Programs and Comprehensive Developmental School Counseling/Guidance Programs Commissioner’s Regulation §100.2(j) ~ (http://nyssca.org/wp-content)

• Social Emotional Learning: A Guide to Systemic Whole School Implementation ~ (http://www.p12.nysed.gov)

• Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning Roadmap for Reopening School ~ (https://casel.org)

• NYSED Social and Emotional Wellness Resources ~ (http://www.p12.nysed.gov)

• Advancing Adult Compassion Resilience: A Toolkit for Schools ~ (https://compassionresiliencetoolkit.org)

• SEL Online Learning Module: Creating a Well-Rounded Educational Experience ~ (https://www.air.org/resource)

• NYS Mental Health Education Resource & Training Center ~ (https://www.air.org)

• NYS Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Centers ~ (https://www.nys-ssstac.org/)

• Connected Community Schools Self-Referral LINK ~ (https://connectedcommunityschools.org/selfreferral)