Year 3: Coping with Transitions

This year we have officially returned to in-person schooling. Remote was no longer an option with the exception of snow days and parent teacher conferences or a covid class quarantine. With that being said, the school community faced many social challenges that impacted the average work day. Staff members were in fear and frustration having to take a vaccine that they may or may not agree with while no longer having the option to work from home to stay away from potential "germs". The most challenging part for me as the social worker were the students lacking appropriate social skills.

Without a doubt, I believe year three at PS 287 was the most challenging year of my entire Career working with youth in education. Primarily for aforementioned factors, but also because the burden of healing our staff and teaching the students seemed to fall on the Social Worker. Yet, I persevered and continued to adapt be flexible and roll with what was most needed.

Below you will see evidence of SEL monthly professional development for staff.I, believes that in order for our school to function as a more cohesive team, trust needed to be re-built and SEL skills needed to be modeled for them. That learning was facilitated by me. Additionally, I coordinated enrichment and therapeutic opportunities for students to appropriately express themselves. While also, supporting staff with behavior management in their classroom. I was intentional about developing socio-emotionally competent teachers, so that we can also have well trained practitioners to assess their student SEL using the DESSA. The thought behind it is that Self Aware teachers can teach their student how to be self-aware etc.

EVIDENCE OF STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNED & FACILITATED BY MS. MUSCHETT, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER

Ms. Muschett Models Relationship Building With Staff

Staff Present Their Intro Presentations

I not only provided staff with experiential opportunity to build relationship with each other; I, also provided this checklist of accountability based off of Doug Lemov's least invasive techniques to behavior management in the classroom. The checklist was also paired with resources of how to create a Strong Start with Routines and Structures in the classroom. As well as a guideline of when social support may be need as opposed to a consequence.

Suicide AwarenESS LIASON

As the designated Suicide Awareness Liaison, it is my responsibility to ensure that information pertaining this matter is shared with both staff and students. This was specifically, significant to me as students have entered the Calm Room for suicidal ideations and thoughts. Considering, staff feelings about not having enough time during PD, I began doing videos to support staff with information and providing them with a form to assess what they learned from the PD for attendance and accountability purposes.

STAFF SEL PD: ICE BREAKER

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Ice Breakers are small 3-5 minutes activities that can be implemented in a classroom culture and staff culture at the beginning of the day or a training to maintain relationship building, create a space for joy and self-care. I incorporated and Ice Breaker at every Staff SEL PD and encouraged other staff member yo facilitate their own Ice Breaker. In the video on the left, you will see an Ice Breaker being facilitated by one of our Teaching Assistants Ms. Martino.

REcess Shut Down

In October of 2021, I decided to shut recess down as a result of many student being injured during recess. Injuries was cause from rough play, overcrowding in the park area, peer conflicts, and lack of clear expectations. Therefore, I took intiative to freeze recess and train the lunch team and students on how to appropriately play using structured games as a requirement. For three weeks, we learned a new game, watch it modeled and then students were able to practice. The video to the right is a how recess looked during week three of the shut down.

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Restorative Approaches to Misbehavior

Due to the many varying factors, students struggled to socialize on many levels. Self-Awareness and Self-Management were huge challenges. Therefore, I implemented the beginnings of a behavioral process that student must adhere to when they have made a mistake. This process was inspired by Restorative Justice and Trauma Informed practice. Doing these restorative meetings and consequences, I quickly recognized that students needed to be in a girls and boys groups again.

Form Teacher must be completed when issuing a student a detention or "recess reset"

Each of these are artifacts from the 5th grade girls who were having issues with the boys in their class. There was a fight that took place. Instead of going to suspension as a consequence, students were giving a peer mediation, an opportunity to reflect on their circumstance and behavior in a written composition. Once complete, the composition needed to be signed by a parent.

Fall 2021 Honor ROll

I was able to continue coordinating the honor roll virtually. Students were highlighted for their amazing academic work. Most notably, you will see one of my highlighted student, RM made the honor roll.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ExPLORATIONS

I supported Middle school applications by coordinating "Chat and Chews" with middle schools in the district. So, that our grade 3-5 students can have a more informed opinion about where they would like to go to middle school and why. Urban Assembly Institute for Girls, has committed to maintaining a positive relationship, in that our girls are able to interact with thier current students.

Town Hall Anniversary

Town Hall has become a staple in the PS 287 Community. I took a moment in January to celebrate 3 years of its existence. One major addition to Town Hall and the students has been journal writing. Each student is provided with an SEL Journal where they can reflect on what they have learned during town hall, topics discussed in smaller circle time groups and moments where they were in crisis, every student had a journal and an opportunity to express their feelings in writing. I believe this also supported the student's writing skills.

SEL JOURNALs IMPLEMENTED SCHOOLWIDE

Feedback is provided to students to hold them accountable to taking notes during town hall.

This student had a conflict with another student. He was able to reflect on why he was angry, so we can plan appropriate coping skills morving forward.

MF

MF is one of my highlighted students, used his SEL journal to advocate for a less harsh consequence, for a fight that he was in. His request was honored.

RESILIENCE CAMP @ PS 287

Resilient Young Minds Inc.( RYM) is a non-profit organization that teaches youth and families how to fight trauma with resilience. Principal Bishop was able to provide RYM an opportunity to serve the PS 287 students by facilitating their well known Resilience Camps. With me as the corrdinator.

Boys Group

Boys circle time was a weekly group that included are most at-risk male students in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. I invited male teachers and in the community to pour into our students and discuss various topics. Conflict resolution was a staple skill that the we worked on. As well as, being accountable for one another. " My Borther's Keeper".

Girls Group

Girls circle time was a weekly group that included are 4th and 5th grade female students. This group was inspired after the girls struggled with getting along with the male students in their class. We discussed topics on body image, self-esteem and conflict resolution. I also coordinated positive female role models in the community to poor into them as well.

Big Boys Group

This Boys group is a therapeutic setting that I have provided for the older, seemingly more mature boys in 4th and 5th grade. The boys who are usually doing the right thing. This space allowed the m to reflect on the men they would like to be and how they could display that leadership. quality in school every day. This group of boys were also tasked to mentor boys in the smaller group, a responsiblity they took very seriously.

Little Girls Group

Girls group is a therapeutic setting that I have provided for girls at my school to express themselves unapologetically about their challenges, as well as provide them with opportunities to explore their interests, gifts and talents. In honor of Black History Month, a few of the girls from Girls Group invited me to join them in singing a cover of Powerful by Jussie Smollet and Alicia Keys from the show EMPIRE. Congrats to these 2nd grade and 4th grade girls for taking a risk

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Morning Words Of INspiration

I began the tradition of chanting postive words of affirmation in the form of songs when student enter the building. Along with our infamous ISTRONG school song, co-written by me and Principal Bishop, students chant GOOD MORNING, LEMONADE, Good Better Best and Hey 287! Songs that encourage positive energy, academic excellence and emotional empowerment. When I was not present to lead, her Social Work Interns initiate this morning tradition.

After School Coordinator

After School Program Schedule

I was tasked to coordinate after school activities. I specialized in creating enrichment focused and socio-emotional learning activities. I was able to collaborate with school staff and her MSW interns from Stonybrook and LIU Brooklyn to facilitate afternoon circle time on topics like girls group, but also conflict resolution, while school staff faciliated activities such as Art Club, Dance and Free Play. On the left is an image of Ms. McNeill, Social Work Intern, facilitating a girls self-esteem building during after school.

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V.J's Talent

Velin found his belonging in Media and Broadcasting. While participating in after-school, Velin found a sense of self and enjoyment pretending to play different parts of a role. Velin was motivated on behaving so that he could participate in creating commercials for the school as evidenced above.

Parent Collaboration

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I was able to collaborate with parents, after the transition of our beloved Parent Coordinator Ms. E. Our dedicated PS 287 parents on the PTA stepped up and in to fill in the gaps where our PC would have stood in. See evidence below on how parents supported the school social worker.

STudent Government 2021-2022

After an amazing student government election , in person as highlighted to the right. Ms. B, parent of MF, and a former employee of local politician, Laurie Cumbo, volunteered her time to advise the student government in my place. The goal for me was to duplicate myself and turn-key the structures she had put in place to another school leader. Unfortunately, a staff member was not able to take on the role, so Ms. Bryant did. She held workshops and even organized a councilman debate where our students were able to ask current running candidates questions abobut issues that were important to them.

SGA FUNDRAISER

Ms.B supported the student government through donating cupcakes for SGA to sell during their fundraiser to raise money for a schoolwide party! SGA was able to raise $215. As result, they were able to host their "Winter Wonderland" party for students who were able to spend 50DJP to purchase a ticket to attend. NYPD 84th Precinct donated snacks to the party as well.

THE SCHOOL STORE

Ms. F and Mr. S are parents who volunteered to support the maintenance of our PBIS school store. The store has been a significant Tier 1 restorative strategy to prevent student misbehavior and re-enforce positive behavior daily through the acquisition of Dojo points. Students can use their dojo points to purchase cool items of their interest in the store. Ms. Floyd and Mr. Scarborough committed themselves to ensure the store was filled with inventory and that students were able to access it every week as promised.

College & Carrer Week 2022

I, was able to coordinate the 3rd Annual College & Career week at PS 287. With the theme being Marvel Professions with Global Power. I was able to meet with professionals to plan their sessions for each day of the week. I was able to create all the above created flyers for the week.

However, in the midst of the most challenging school year; I learned harshly the consequences of all work and no self-care. Due to a medical recommendation a few days before the event, I was not able to facilitate CC Week as usual. Therefore, school staff and social work interns were able to move the event forward.

This demonstrates that I was able to display strong operations and structural skillsets that allowed anyone on the team to follow through with the implementation of the event.

SEL DESSA COODRINATOR

Considering that I have been ahead of the game in writing my Trauma Informed Proposal at the end of year 1, it was inevitable that I would be appointed the Socio-Emotional Learning Coordinator. This role required me to participate in 13 hours of training, turn key training points to staff and support them in adminstering the Dessa and tracking interventions or SEL lessons that were taught throughout the spring semester. At the end, teachers were expected to rate students a second time to assess if they have show growth in their socio-emotional competence via a composite score. See evidence of schoolwide SEL Growth for SY2021-2022.

This graph shows that in our pre-assessment, 27% of PS287 students needed instruction in SEL or were below average. 57% were average and 16% were above average or exceeding expectations for socio-emotional competence. There is and overall 9% growth in socio-emtional comeptence in the second graph simply by seeing that there is a decrease in the number of student who need instruction and an increase in the number of students who are average and above avaerage.

This graph demonstrates overal SEL growth by grade. Kindergarten made the most growth in SEL competency from having 25 % of students need instruction to not having any. 2nd grade made the second greated amount of growth begin that 83% of their students were average, and 22% increased to above avaerage. This is signigicant, because second has been exposed to my SEL and Trauma informed approaches, since kindergarten and have participated in the most circle time groups.

The Dessa Competencies that we demonstrated the most growth in as school are Self Awareness we grew and overal 21% reducing the number of students who need instruction in this area to 16% from 23% and increasing the number of student who are above average from 0 to 15%. We also have shown significant growth in Relationship Skills, Optimistic Thinking and Goal Directed behaviors. Each are competencies that are universally taught and practiced in Town Hall.

D13 Confidence Pedagogy Book Club

During the Spring 2022 semester, I had the pleasure of participating in a District 13 Parent and School Community book club. The purpose of the club was to engage parents and teachers in the idea of confidence pedagogy, what that means for themselves and their children. My role was to be one of the facilitators of a breakout room during our monthly book club mass meeting. Each meeting focused on a number of chapters. All teacher leaders and myself that were facilitating, co-planned days before each session and brainstormed appropriate discussion questions that we led during our breakouts. Theses meetings took place virtual during the week night. Not only was reading the book a rewarding experience. Collaborating with the other teachers and staff from he district was very positive, affirming and refresshing.

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