Welcome to the last edition of our Student Success Department Newsletter. We hope that our monthly Smores have been beneficial and helpful to you throughout the school year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication to our Gadsden ISD students. With just a few weeks left of school, we hope your school year ends strong. Have a wonderful summer!! 🌞

Director for Student Success

jaduggan@gisd.k12.nm.us

575-882-6792

👉Staff can create groups (intervention or static) for next school year in Panorama so that group plans are in place on Day 1 of the 2023/24 school year.

👉School Leadership teams should complete the reflection on their 90 day plan and identify desired outcomes for next school year.

Coordinator for District Testing

sjconstant@gisd.k12.nm.us

(575) 882-6791

• NM-MSSA testing closes on Friday, May 12, 2023
• NM-ASR testing closes on Friday, May 12, 2023
• DLM testing closes on Friday, May 19, 2023
• iMSSA testing closes on Friday, May 26, 2023

👉Principal Verification Forms are due Thursday, May 25, 2023. Please do not date or submit earlier than this date.

👉All schools should have labels with scores for their AVANT testing, please make sure they get placed in your students CUM folders. An email will be coming out this week with specifics about what we will look for during our audit.

District Intervention Specialist

575-882-6777

edwmartinez@gisd.k12.nm.us

👉Administrators and intervention teachers, please connect to discuss what subjects and grades will be serviced for next year.

👉Intervention teachers will receive PD and materials this month with Mrs. Antunez-Gamon and Mrs. Parra in the areas of Reading, UFLI (University Of Florida Literacy Institute).

👉Intervention teachers will begin closing out and completing intervention plans via Panorama.

👉Intervention team monthly EOY PLC May 19, 2023, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM at GAC in the bistro.

Coordinator for Parental Involvement, Community and Tutoring

Federal Programs, GISD

(575) 882-6793

ecumplido@gisd.k12.nm.us

Thank you so much for promoting our High-Dosage Tutoring initiative. Tutoring registration for Fall 2023 is now open.

SEL Coordinator

ejacquez@gisd.k12.nm.us

575-882-6768

👉Elementary school administrators that are implementing Capturing Kids Hearts (LLE, BE, CHE), please submit a list of your certified staff new hires from August 2022 - present.

Berino Elementary was recognized as a CKH Rising Star. I would like to thank Ms. Carnevale and Ms. Plaza for their leadership at Berino Elementary. Their hard work in implementing SEL strategies including Capturing Kids Hearts has paid off. Congratulations on winning the National Rising Star Recognition for Capturing Kids Hearts. Good things are happening in our district!! 😊

As May comes around, we celebrate National Teachers and National Nurses week. Thank you, teachers, for all you do and a big thank you to our nurses who work behind the scenes making sure our students are well to perform their best.

As we wrap up the school year, we might notice our fuel light is close to empty and this goes for our students as well. Sometimes we need to step back and take a breath or a break.

We all need to have a Brain Break!

👉The Watson Institute definition of a brain break is:

Brain breaks are mental breaks designed to help students stay focused and attend. The brain breaks get students to carry blood and oxygen to the brain. The breaks energize or relax. The brain provides processing time for students to solidify their learning.

Below are some quick and easy activities to help your students re-energize, refocus and give their brains a boost.

The benefits of brain breaks for high school along with creative ideas and activities to increase attention and learning in the classroom.

As we wrap up our last Student Success newsletter for this school year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all the wonderful work you are doing in Gadsden ISD. As some of you may know, I will be retiring from Gadsden at the end of this school year. It has been a pleasure to serve you all as an SEL Coordinator and as a school social worker for over 26 years. I truly have enjoyed working with administrators, teachers, IA's, office staff and the community. I take with me a big part of Gadsden and you all in my heart. YOU HAVE ALL NOW BECOME PART OF MY STORY OF MY LIFE. I wish you all nothing but the best in life and may blessings be poured upon you. Thank you once again.

Lead Counselor

aaforti@gisd.k12.nm.us

575-882-6782

This Mental Health Month, challenge yourself to examine your world and how it can affect your overall health. Look around, look within – from your neighborhood to genetics, many factors come into play when it comes to your mental health. This year's 2023 Mental Health Month toolkit includes information about how an individual’s environment impacts their mental health, suggestions for making changes to improve and maintain mental well-being, and how to seek help for mental health challenges.

Our surroundings play a significant role in shaping our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and overall health, and learning about the impact of our surroundings on our mental health is a valuable way to take control of our own well-being. Check out the information, resources, and tools provided to get started.

In Crisis? Find Help Now

Sometimes help can’t wait.

If you or someone you know is in danger or having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You’ll be able to speak with a trained crisis counselor any time of day or night.

Use the SAMHSA Helpline

This Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential help. You can get treatment referral and information about mental health and drug or alcohol use disorders, prevention, and recovery in English and Spanish.

• Call: 1-800-662-4357
• TTY: 1-800-487-4889
• Text your ZIP code to: 435748
• Visit SAMHSA's National Helpline

Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.

Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

Recent news reports and survey results indicate that high school students across the country are experiencing a mental health crisis. But report findings also show that schools can take several steps to help support and protect students’ mental health and well-being, from providing safe and supportive learning environments to ensuring connectedness within the school community.

Click below to download your own free eBook, 10 Ways Schools Can Protect and Support Students’ Mental Health, providing practical and effective strategies that schools can implement to ensure safe and supportive learning environments and increase school connectedness among students and educators.