From Christy Berger and Lisa Truitt

The Indiana Department of Education is excited to announce virtual, monthly office hours in 2021. The Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness (SEBW) team will be hosting two monthly sessions. The first session of the month will cover a specific topic, while the second session, will be audience-driven.

The first session will occur on February 10, 2021 from 4 to 5 p.m. EST. This session will address ESSER II Funds (COVID funds) and provide ideas on how to spend the funds. Click here to register.

The second session will occur on February 17, 2021 from 4 to 5 p.m. EST. This session will allow educators and administrators to ask the SEBW team questions directly. Click here to register.

Coming in March:

Department of Child Services Decision Tree, Community Partners and Educational Neglect

March 10

4 to 5 p.m. EST

Register Here

Christy Berger and Lisa Truitt will be presenting on Indiana's SEL Competencies: Revised to Address Inequities and Empower ALL

Jess Yoder and Penelope Friday will be presenting on Educator Wellness Toolkit: Inspiring A Culture of Wellness Specific to Our Educators

Register Online Here

The IDOE team is continuing to grow around educational equity. Come learn with us as we read through Coaching For Equity by Elena Aguilar. More information to come.

Purchase your copy of Coaching for Equity by Elena Aguilar now and avoid the rush!

From Lisa Truitt

Three strategies school leaders can implement to help ensure that all staff members manage the stresses of this year.

Click here to access

A school leader shares how he came to understand that work-life balance looks different for different people—and there’s no need to feel guilty about that.

Click here to access

From Jess Yoder

As part of their Project AWARE activities, South Bend School Corporation is hosting a virtual series titled "Timeout Tuesdays." These webinars offer South Bend school community members a virtual option for exploring self-care and mental wellness in partnership with local Community Mental Health Center Oaklawn Psychiatric Center. Click here to view Deslynne Roberts, MSW, LSW, discussing stress and its effects on the brain, and to learn tools for mitigating stress and dealing with mental health challenges.

From Christy Berger

Families First will no longer support some local crisis and suicide hotline numbers. Please click on the link below for more information.

From Michelle Clarke

"...school counselors are often the first ones called in to help address crises and traumatic experiences. As we look to support the mental health of educators, we must also remember the school ‘helpers’ who... place the needs of students, families, and colleagues before their own.”

Click here to access this article.

To access News You Can Use from Michelle Clarke, click here.

From Jolene Bracale

Speaker: Wendy Rau

• Nursing supervisor overseeing 43,000 students and 49 school nurses plus a large unlicensed staff in Nebraska

• Tuesday, February 16, 4 to 5 p.m. EST
• PGPs and CEUs will be awarded
• Click here to see the flyer
• Click here to Register

• Poster contest, offering cash rewards for students ages 9-14
• Purpose is to increase public awareness of radon gas and encourage people to test their homes
• Posters due before March 5, 2021
• Click here to see the flyer

The Indiana Alliance Working for Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE) is working to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria in Indiana. Training materials were created by Oregon AWARE, and updated by the Indiana AWARE Team to provide educators tools to inform students about antibiotic resistance.

• Link to website – https://www.in.gov/isdh/28509.htm
• Presentation – “Bacteria, Antibiotics, and Resistance” – designed for ninth and tenth grade students, 60-minute video, available for free download
• If you would like a presenter to come to your facility and train the trainer, or if you have any questions, please contact Tina Feaster at cfeaster@isdh.in.gov

From Steve Balko and Lisa Truitt

To ensure our education environments are providing equitable teaching and learning environments for all children, it is crucial all schools examine their current policies and procedures for discipline. Please see this resource as a tool to support. Please contact Lisa Truitt or Steve Balko with any questions or concerns.

Title IV, Part A is a federal funding source broken up into three main focus areas under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The three focus areas of Title IV are intended to: (A) Support a well-rounded education by incorporating advanced classes, fine arts, foreign languages, STEAM, and other innovative programming. (B) Create safe and healthy schools through the utilization of social-emotional learning and healthy lifestyle habits. (C) Effectively utilize technology through properly preparing staff as well as provide high-quality digital learning experiences for underserved students. Title IV funds are available to all traditional public school districts and charter schools that receive Title I funding, as well as equitable services for nonpublic schools.

Click here for more information.

Reducing exclusionary discipline is key in supporting safe and healthy schools as well as providing well rounded educational opportunities to all students. Therefore almost all initiatives aimed at reducing exclusionary discipline are considered allowable expenses through Title IV funding

Questions may be directed to Lacey Bohlen or Laura Blaydes, Title IV Grant Specialists.

From Lisa Truitt

The Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) have had conversation regarding educational neglect and how to better provide supports to educators on this topic due to an abundance of calls to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline. This resource is meant to provide additional insight.

Click here to access all past editions.

Stop Suicide Northeast Indiana Coalition is working with its partners to establish a common language to help those thinking of suicide get the appropriate help. One way to have a common language is for all agencies, service providers, educators, churches, etc. to use the same standardized suicide screening tool. Having a common tool can:

• Remove individual interpretation and improve consistency.
• Provide proper identification and accurate level of risk leading to sound decisions about care.
• Ensure a smoother transition/continuity of care between organizations and/or systems because they’re using the same language.

The C-SSRS is a quick & easy tool to screen for suicide risk - click here to register for one of two (not both) options:

Regular C-SSRS Training (for individuals interested in using the tool themselves) - March 2, 2020

C-SSRS Train-the-Trainer (for individuals wanting to train staff/volunteers at their organization or others in the community) - Feb 15, 2020

Winter Edcamp for Indiana Public and Charter School Educators

When: February 9, 2021

Price: FREE

What: Grab your hot chocolate, put on your winter gear and cozy up for PATINS Winter Edcamp 2021! On February 9, we are pairing our weekly #PatinsIcam Twitter chat with a live ski lodge feel in Zoom for conversation surrounding specific education topics.

What is an Edcamp? An Edcamp is a form of "unconference" designed specifically for educators and their needs. There will be two, 20 minute sessions of your choice to attend and actively engage in the conversation. Unlike traditional conferences which have schedules set months in advance, PATINS Edcamp has an agenda that is created by you at the time of registration. All of the space and time are reserved for the topics you want to talk about; your interests, passions and questions.

Register today for the free PATINS Winter Edcamp 2021!

What do you need to know to be prepared for the Lead4Change Challenge 2021?

• Deadlines to enter are February 12 and May 14
  
• Entries are welcome for either round, or both, if your students are doing multiple projects
  
• An entry must clearly show that the students completed the lessons and a service project
  
• Tips for submitting a successful Challenge entry can be found in our short Instructional Video or in the Assessment Tool
  
• No project is too small. Take time to share your students’ work so they can receive Certificates of Completion and Graduation Honor Cords
  
• Direct Questions to Stephanie Morell at 317-443-2954 or stephanie@lead4change.org