Important Updates from EUSD
May 14, 2021
_______________________________________
Updates in this communication include:
- Health & Wellness Resources
- Masks: Information and Reminders
- Cloud Learning for 2021-22
Dear Families,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Health and well-being are critical to student success and learning. We recognize that COVID-19 has had dramatic effects in our society and community due the impacts of illnesses, school closures, isolation, and economic challenges. Families and students have faced many adversities over this last year and mental health needs have increased in all communities. I wanted to take this opportunity to share resources within our district and the community.
TRAC Support
Teambuilding, Regulation, Acceptance, and Community (TRAC) teachers provide social emotional learning lessons weekly or biweekly to all students in the district from Kindergarten through 6th graders. The lessons follow the framework provided by CASEL (the Collaborative for Social, Academic and Emotional Learning), which is based around 5 core elements: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making and relationship skills. TRAC teachers also provide small group lessons for students who benefit from additional support in this area. The lessons provide students with strategies to recognize and manage their emotions, behaviors and strengths, demonstrate empathy for others, handle conflict, work well in teams and make healthy and ethical decisions about their own behavior.
Yoga/Health and Wellness
Yoga/Health & Wellness is part of every student’s week. We recognize that education and health are interdependent. Students are better learners when they are healthy, well, and feel good both physically and mentally. Our Health & Wellness program teaches students to move with control and confidence through yoga-based exercises, and relax by connecting breath with movement. The calm breathing techniques learned in Health & Wellness classes is a portable tool students can use to increase their ability to self-manage and regulate emotions.
Counseling in schools
Each of our schools has a full time school psychologist who can provide short term counseling supports to students in need.
Crisis counseling in schools
When a student is in crisis, our school psychologists can provide supports and resources to help. The district has suicide risk protocols and threat risk protocols to support students in crisis. We can also facilitate access to community supports.
Well-being Committee
Currently, our Well-being Committee is working to create additional actions and practices to implement for the 2021-2022 school year in order to best support the physical, social, mental and emotional well-being of students and staff.
Local Resources
Please find the list of community resources at this link. Additional articles and apps are listed at the end of the document.
The mental health and well-being of our students and employees remains a priority as we work together to heal beyond this current pandemic. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, the principal or the school psychologist if we can be of assistance.
Stay well!
Warmly,
Andrée Grey, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Additional Well-being Resources & Apps for Families
Information for Families
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry– Facts for Families
Healthy Children.org (from the American Academy of Pediatrics) - Emotional Problems
National Association of School Psychologists – Information for Families
Apps for Well-Being
Calm- Find your calm, sleep more, stress less, and live better.
Clear Fear provides you with a range of ways to manage the symptoms of anxiety.
Happify- App for stress and worry
Headspace- App for meditation and sleep
Insight Timer- App for sleep, anxiety, and stress
Intend- A simple, powerful way to focus your intention, raise awareness, change behavior, and elevate mood. What do you intend to do today?
Mindshift TM CBT is a help you learn to relax and be mindful, develop more effective ways of thinking, and use active steps to take charge of your anxiety.
Masks: Information & Reminders
You may have heard the recommendations announced yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxing face covering guidelines for individuals fully vaccinated against COVID-19, suggesting they may be removed in most but not all indoor and outdoor settings.
While this is encouraging (and exciting), it’s important to remember that we are still required to comply with state and local health orders, which have not yet relaxed their requirements on face covering guidance for indoor settings or for schools. Until that time, all of our educational facilities will continue to adhere to state and local requirements, which continue to require the use of face coverings by all individuals while on school property.
We will continue to monitor the state’s guidance as they are likely to make changes in response to the CDC’s recommendations, and will keep you posted on any changes that impact school operations.
Cloud Learning for 2021-22 School Year
Cloud campus families wanting to continue in a Cloud learning environment for next school year will meet for an information session on Wednesday, May 19 at 5:00 p.m. The RSVP and meeting information link is available here. Please note the 2021-22 program will be a small scale distance learning independent study option.
Encinitas Union School District
Website: www.eusd.net
Location: 101 South Rancho Santa Fe Road, Encinitas, CA, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncinitasUSD/