North Merrick Everyday Health
February 2021
Reimagining and Reinventing the School Year
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Cynthia Seniuk, continues to praise the North Merrick school community for their resilience and creativity in reimagining and reinventing this school year. To date, the district has remained open for in-person instruction as well as maintained a robust remote learning experience for families who requested it. The central administrative team meets with members of the North Merrick Mental Health and Wellness Coalition on a periodic basis to ensure the district is addressing the social-emotional needs of students and staff during the ongoing pandemic.

Social-Emotional Learning Survey Results

North Merrick Guidance Counselor Explores Self-Esteem with Sixth Graders
Guidance Counselor Jacqueline Sekunda continues to interact with K-6 classes on a rotating basis. While each lesson differs by grade level, she has introduced the core ideas of identifying feelings, coping skills, empathy, having a positive attitude, and self-esteem to all classes. Ms. Sekunda more deeply explored the lesson on self-esteem with the sixth grade classes. She discussed how self-esteem is developed and impacts how we feel about ourselves, our willingness to try new things, and be confident. The sixth graders filled out a survey so they could gauge their own level of self-esteem and connect with areas they felt were high or low. They discussed ways to raise self-esteem and focused on positive affirmations by creating fortune tellers displaying the personal affirmations students chose for themselves. They also partnered with other students to share these positive affirmations. Discussion has ensued on communications skills and being assertive, especially important traits for the sixth graders as they soon transition to middle school.
Parent Resource: Help Support Your Child's Self-Esteem
