JCISD: Whole Child
June 2018
School District Highlight: daVinci
The daVinci Institute has been making strides in addressing whole child needs by increasing mental health services, raising awareness of mental health, improving processes in their schools, and connecting students and families to needed supports.
daVinci partners with Family Services and Children's Aid to provide Cognitive Behavior Interventions for Trauma In Schools (CBITS/Bounce Back) groups for students and on-site individual mental health services. FSCA provides services at each of daVinci’s three building locations. Working with Family Services and Children's Aid has allowed the district to analyze and re-design their referral processes and streamline their systems in order to successfully connect their students to services and supports right at school. Both parents and students note how beneficial this is. It provides students local access to services, eliminates the barrier of transportation, and reduces the amount of time a student is away from the academic setting.
Another new whole child support that daVinci has added this year is the hiring of a Community School Engagement Specialist (CSES). Jennessa Cole serves as the CSES at daVinci and is able to screen students and assess need, refer students to services, work with families to identify additional needs and connect them to community resources and supports. Jennessa is building relationships with students and families so that they know somebody is there to help them and provide them with the help and information they need.
Community Partner Highlight: DHHS P2P Success Coaches
The Pathways to Potential program is built upon the premise that everyone has the potential to achieve their dreams and that sometimes extra support and assistance is needed. In an effort to help people find a path to their fullest potential the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services created Pathways to Potential(P2P) as a way to break down barriers and deliver services where people need them.
The Pathways approach places “Success Coaches” in local school buildings. These staff target five outcome areas: attendance, education, health, safety, and self-sufficiency. They also work with a number of support networks and partners to wrap their arms around children and families to help them succeed. In Jackson and Hillsdale Counties, we are fortunate to have seven P2P Success Coaches. They are placed throughout the counties in Jackson Public Schools (Frost and Cascade Elementary buildings and 4th Street Learning Center), Northwest Community Schools (Early and Upper Elementary buildings), East Jackson Schools (Elementary building) and Hillsdale Community Schools and are tasked with supporting students and families in the schools. The P2P Success Coaches have become part of the school, are integrated into the staff, and function within the structure of the school building. P2P Success Coaches monitor attendance, participate in the Student Study process, assess needs of the student and help connect students and families to needed supports. Our local Principals find great value in having Success Coaches in their buildings. Some of them share the following:
“Our Success Coach is “a wealth of resources for parents and students.”
-Marty Dubois, Frost Elementary School
“Our Success Coach has helped students, families and our staff members by providing additional support and facilitating the use of community resources. The relationships she has developed and her accessibility are key to assisting our families. As a result, they are learning that our school community cares about not only the students but their families as well.”
-Heather Jacobs, East Jackson Elementary School
“ I don't have ANY males in my building -- his presence with students is phenomenal. He has built relationships with these students. Parents appreciate being able to get answers quickly.”
-Marti Kuhn, Cascade Elementary School
P2P staff are a valuable piece of the whole child support puzzle. If you are interested in finding out more about Pathways to Potential CLICK HERE
Calming the Classroom Through Mindfulness
Many schools are adopting a new kind of classroom management strategy called mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of attending to the present moment. As students learn the techniques of breath awareness and paying attention to the present, they experience reduced stress and anxiety, increased compassion and improved overall well being. Brain research around mindfulness practice in young children shows that the frequent practice of mindfulness actually leads to structural changes in the brain that allow for a number of positive outcomes like better listening, increased executive function, better impulse control, and longer attention spans...all things that impact learning and academic success. Here are a few simple ways that teachers can begin introducing mindfulness into their classrooms:
Create and introduce mindful moments into your classroom: These can be 30 seconds to 5 minutes or more. The idea is to get your students to pause and rest their minds. They can close their eyes, just feel their breathing, and notice their inhales and exhales
Take a mindful walk: These mindful walks can take place as you transition throughout the day. Ask the student to use all their senses as they walk. Guide them to observe the world around them and ask what do they see, hear, feel, and smell? Reflect on what they say.
Support mindful eating: Encourage students to eat slowly and taste every bite of their food. You might even have a chance to discuss where their food comes from
Crease calming sanctuary spaces: Create a designated space in your classroom where all students feel safe. Provide coloring books, colored pencils, drawing paper, comfortable seating, favorite books, and maybe stuffed animals, depending on the age of your students
Share stories of mindfulness: Read books to your students about mindfulness
If you would like more information about mindfulness and about how you can integrate this practice into your classroom or building, contact the Whole Child Team. We can connect you with certified trainers who work with schools and provide you more resources. Consider exploring this strategy as one of your Tier One Interventions in your Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for students.
-Adapted from Huffington Post article, “4 Simple Ways to Teach Mindfulness in Schools” by Becca Wertheim
Including Student Voice as an Approach to Improving Your School
Understanding the perspective of parents and students and including their voices in our decision making is a powerful way to move the needle of school climate in a positive direction. We all know that power lies in giving voice, but authentically engaging students and families can feel like a daunting task. Jessica Bucklin, School Improvement Consultant at the Jackson County ISD, shares some valuable insight and practical ways to engage students in her ASCD Express article, “How Capturing Student Voice Can Improve a School.” Click here for article
In her article, she shares an example of some ways one Michigan district is working to include the voice of students in the decision making of their school. Engaging students, and incorporating their voice has improved the climate of the building and the attendance, academic performance and behavior of the students.
For more information and resources on engaging families and students, contact the Whole Child Team.
Avoiding the Attendance Slump
While average attendance rates per month are fairly consistent between September and April, in some schools, a troubling pattern starts in May and worsens in June. The reasons for this attendance slump vary. Sometimes families don't fully understand the value of the final weeks of school.
Schools can find valuable resources and information to address this attendance slump at the Attendance Works website. (Click below for more information). This website provides tools and strategies to increase learning time and attendance rates, minimize summer learning loss, and accelerate performance in the next grade.
Lessons from a Depressed Child
Janelle Buchler
Email: janelle.buchler@jcisd.org
Website: www.jcisd.org
Phone: 517-787-5903
Kara Klotz
Email: kara.klotz@jcisd.org
Website: www.jcisd.org
Phone: 517-990-3623
Caitlin Williams
Email: caitlin.williams@jcisd.org
Website: www.jcisd.org
Phone: 517-768-5264
Ravenn Moore
Email: ravenn.moore@jcisd.org
Website: www.jcisd.org
Phone: 517-936-2836