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Early Identification System (EIS) Intervention Hub | Rural SMH Center Site

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The EIS intervention hub connects to interventions across 7 risk areas known to be related to later mental health problems.

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Important Books to Explore Bullying and Ally Behavior

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Big (Ages 4-8) This book traces a child’s journey to self-love and shows the power of words to both hurt and heal. With spare text and exquisite illustrations, this emotional exploration of being big in a world that prizes small is a tender portrayal of how you can stand out and feel invisible at the same time.

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Please make a copy

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Practices for cultivating the social, emotional, and ethical well-being of school staff members

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The Foundations of Mental Health curriculum provides psychoeducation and instruction about mental wellness and mental health conditions, de-stigmatizes mental health topics and help-seeking behaviors, and helps students understand how to access appropriate mental health support.

This FREE 8-lesson introductory series meets requirements for CA SB224 and CA Educational Code 51925 for Health classes at the secondary level. It was developed with guidance from Sonoma County youth, educators, On the Margins and more than 35 local youth- and community-serving agencies.

The curriculum includes detailed lesson plans with teaching notes, slides, handouts, and an educator guide. It can be modified for those who want to go deeper or tailor the lessons to meet the needs of their school communities. The goal of the curriculum is to be anti-racist, culturally responsive, inclusive and accessible. It is intended to be delivered by educators. You do not have to be a mental health provider.

Access the Curriculum

To access Foundations of Mental Health, enter your name and email below. Our team will only email you with curriculum updates or expansions, and you may opt out at any time.

Implementation Support

Register here to participate in a virtual Community of Practice which provides training and ongoing support for educators providing Tier 1 mental health education.

Email our team at fmh@scoe.org if you have any questions or need additional support.

Collaborating Agencies

Alliance Medical Center

Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma-Marin

CA Health Education Community of Practice

Catholic Charities - Diocese of Santa Rosa

Center for Wellbeing

Chop's Teen Club

City of Santa Rosa

Cotati Rohnert Park Unified School District

County of Sonoma

Credo High School

Disability Services and Legal Center

Drug Abuse Alternatives Center

Graton Rancheria

Habitat for Humanity Sonoma County

Humanidad Therapy and Education Services

Keystone Therapy and Training Services

LandPaths

La Plaza - Nuestra Cultura Cura

Latino Service Providers

LGBTQ Connection

Mendocino County Office of Education

NAMI Sonoma County

North Bay Bohemian

North Coast School of Education

On the Margins

Orange County Department of Education

Petaluma City Schools

Planned Parenthood Northern California

Positive Images

Raizes Collective

Santa Rosa Community Health

Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

SOS Community Counseling

SummerSearch

University of California, San Francisco

Verity

Voices Youth Center

West County Health Centers

West Sonoma County Unified High School District

Windsor Unified School District

Zero Breast Cancer

2023-2024 Educator Pilot Participants

Amy Wilson, Geyserville New Tech Academy

Ana Talavera, Roseland University Prep

Andy Bunnell, Elsie Allen High

Caitlin Carciere, Credo High

Claudia Camacho, Roseland University Prep

Gene Sandwina, Windsor High

Janell Robinson, Santa Rosa High

Jesus Garcia, Roseland University Prep

Julie Lawson, Johanna Echols Hansen High

Melanie Wodhams, Casa Grande High

Rachel Messenger, North Bay Met Academy

Rebecca Byrne, Casa Grande High

Rebecca Jankowski, Healdsburg High

Sarah Blaser, Petaluma High

Sharon Pollack, Healdsburg High

Shereen Jackson, Petaluma High

Sophia Corbett, Rancho Cotate High

Sophie Bihn, Windsor HS

Thomas Warf, Healdsburg High

Troy Ballinger, Montgomery High

Questions may be directed to:

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SCOE - Sonoma County Office of Education

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The mission of the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) is to foster student success through service to students, schools, and the community.

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​​​Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Toolkit (2021)​​​

This toolkit has been created to help local districts ​in their evaluation and adoption of new instructional materials that align with the 2008 Health Education Standards, the 2019 Health Education Curriculum Framework, and current CA Education Code and State Statutes. Local educational agencies (LEAs) - school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education - have the authority and the responsibility to conduct their own evaluation of instructional materials and to adopt the materials that best meet the needs of their students. This toolkit will​​​ help guide that process.

California Healthy Youth Act Compliance Assessment Tools​ and Resources​
​​​Menstrual Equity for ​All Act Handbook (2023) ​

​​​​ Mental Health Education Instructional Materials Assessment Tools​​​ (2022)​​ ​

The California Healthy Kids Resource Center, together with the Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group, conducted an intensive review of growth development and sexual health curriculum in accordance with the California Healthy Youth Act. A total of nine publishers submitted curricula to be reviewed. The table in the link lists the curriculum reviewed along with the information on where it can be borrowed or purchased. The Compliance Assessment Tools are specific to each curriculum that was reviewed. Also included is a California Healthy Kids Curricula Review Introduction Methodology that describes the law, review process and the Compliance Assessment Tool grading.​ ​Click HERE to access a blank Compliance Assessment Tool.

The Menstrual Equity for All Act (AB 367 of 2021) makes access to free menstrual products for students of all genders in public schools a reality. The Menstrual Equity for All District Handbook will help guide school districts and school communities in implementing a robust menstrual product program that supports all students who menstruate and helps remove the stigma around menstruation. It includes an overview of the law, a 101 on menstrual products, information on how to fund menstrual product programs for schools, tips for engaging your school community, an FAQ of commonly asked questions, and much more.

​ Toolkit for Building a Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol (2022)​

The Human Trafficking School Safety Protocol Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to help schools (1) identify students that may be experiencing trafficking or may have an increased risk for trafficking, (2) ensure educators and other staff comply with mandatory reporting laws, (3) ensure the safety of students, educators, and other staff when reporting human trafficking and other forms of violence, and (4) help students connect to service providers and/or programs intended to reduce further exposure to violence and victimization. This tool kit was developed by the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC).

Supporting LGBTQ+ Students (CDE, 2023) - Instructional guidance, law, and policies for local educational agencies to support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) students and provide safe learning environments that protect the health and safety of LGBTQ+ students.​

CREATING SAFER SPACES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH: A Toolkit for Education, Healthcare, and Community-Based Organizations​​ (Advocates For Youth, 2020) - This Toolkit has been developed to assist individuals, community-based organizations, providers, healthcare staff, educators, and others that see the value of incorporating key safer space components into their organizations so that young people survive and thrive. ​​

Creating Safe Schools for LGBTQ+ Youth​ ​ (CDC, 2022) - This brief provides key learning objectives that schools and school districts can incorporate in their PD offerings to help teachers and other school staff build core competencies for supporting LGBTQ+ youth in schools.

Protecting Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory​ (2021) - This Advisory offers recommendations for supporting the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. While many of these recommendations apply to individuals, the reality is that people have widely varying degrees of control over their circumstances. As a result, not all recommendations will be feasible for everyone.

3 Things Schools Can Do to REALLY Improve Student Health​​ (SHAPE America, 2022)

​​Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): 2021 YRBSS Data Highlights​

California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys​ (CalSCHLS): A tool supported by the California Department of Education to help districts meet Local Control Accountability Plan priorities to improve school climate, pupil engagement, parent involvement, and academic achievement.​

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​​​Health Education Instructional Materials Evaluation Toolkit (2021)​​​ This toolkit has been created to help local districts ​in their evaluation and adoption of new instructional materials that align with the 2008 Health Education Standards, the 2019 Health Education Curriculum Framework, and current CA Education Code and State Statutes.

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Behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids 0–12.

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Behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids 0–12.

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BrightLife Kids - A CalHope Program by Brightline

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BrightLife Kids is a virtual mental health platform for California families with children ages 0-12. Support your kids’ behavioral health and wellbeing with digital tools, resources and virtual support from experts in youth mental health.

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Soluna | California's Mental Health App for 13 - 25 year olds

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Soluna is a free mental health service for 13 - 25 year olds in California. Chat confidentially with 1:1 coaches or explore tools. Download Soluna today.

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Behavioral health coaching for parents, caregivers, and kids 0-12.

No costs attached. No insurance required. No referrals needed.

California cares. That's why California is paying for 100% of the care your family gets through BrightLife Kids.

Real coaches. Real simple. Really free - for all California families.

Families have questions. We have answers.

Infants & Toddlers

Coaching for new(ish) parents/caregivers

Learn how to build non-verbal communication skills, navigate milestones, teach toddlers how to share, solutions for separation anxiety, and more.

Kids

Coaching for kids and parents/caregivers

Develop more patience, encourage independence, solve sleep issues, support making friends and showing kindness, and more.

Tweens

Coaching for preteens and parents/caregivers

Manage friendships, stress, and social pressures, and learn how to navigate your tweens' growing sense of independence - together.

I often feel like a failure as a parent, but Brightline has been giving me hope that it can get better.

- BrightLife Kids parent

Our Mission

To help all kids see a bright future, we provide no-cost, expert behavioral health support for California families with children ages 0-12.

Our Approach

We make it easy for parents and kids to get the help they need with live coaching sessions via video, secure chat, and on-demand digital resources.

Our Care

Our bilingual coaches come from diverse backgrounds, have experience with LGBTQ+ and BIPOC populations, and are trained in personalized coaching.

What does BrightLife Kids offer?

What does BrightLife Kids help parents and caregivers with?

We are here to help you become the parents/caregivers you want to be. How? With a dedicated coach who communicates directly with you and your child to provide expert behavioral health guidance (along with on-demand resources). It's all yours - anytime and from anywhere.

Parents/caregivers of infants/toddlers ages 0-4 learn how to:

Identify "normal" development and when it's time to seek help

Help kids make friends and show kindness

Help toddlers work through frustration/tantrums

Build patience with defiant behavior

Get their kids to try new things, places, and foods

And much more

Parents/caregivers of kids ages 5-8 get help with:

Learning to express big emotions like sadness, worries, and anger in healthy ways

Encouraging age-appropriate independence and responsibility

Balancing alone time with social time

Finding organizational skills that work for your child

Eating healthy foods that are good for brains and bodies

And much more

Parents/caregivers of kids ages 9-12 partner with coaches to learn how to:

Set boundaries online/on social media (how to use it safely and reduce arguments about where/when/how much is okay)

Stay true to themselves when peer pressure starts

Build communication skills, manage conflict, and increase confidence

Manage relationships at home and friendships at school

Foster inclusivity and self-acceptance

And much more

Our provider really helped our son navigate his big feelings. She was kind and patient and provided many tools that he uses to manage his emotions on a day to day basis.

- BrightLife Kids parent

Frequently Asked Questions

Parenting is hard, and the stakes are high, and now I feel like I have a parenting coach. Improving my parenting and my relationship with my kids pays off in terms of my quality of life SO much.

- Brightlife Kids parent

Get the app

All clinical services are provided by licensed physicians and clinicians practicing within independently owned and operated professional practices. For patients in California, this is known as "Brightline Medical Associates of California, Inc." For patients in New Jersey, this is known as "Brightline Medical Associates of NJ, PA." For patients in Kansas, this is known as "Brightline Medical Associates of KS, PA." For patients in all other states, this is known as "Brightline Medical Associates, PA". Brightline, Inc. does not itself provide any physician, behavioral health professional, or other healthcare provider services.

© Brightline. All Rights Reserved. 2024

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BrightLife Kids - A CalHope Program by Brightline

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BrightLife Kids is a virtual mental health platform for California families with children ages 0-12. Support your kids' behavioral health and wellbeing with digital tools, resources and virtual support from experts in youth mental health.

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Ohio's Statewide Family Engagement Center

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Ohio's PBIS Family Engagement Rubrics - Ohio's Statewide Family Engagement Center

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The Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Family Engagement Rubrics provide school PBIS teams with information and a consistent way to measure family engagement within their PBIS framework. They are designed to assist school teams with identifying the areas relating to PBIS and family engagement that are well established and those areas that need to [...]

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Oh yes! This creative idea is what you think. A Teacher vs. Student Beanboozled® Jelly Belly jelly bean challenge. Make this a public challenge for your classroom or challenge the pricinpal at an assembly.

Proceed with caution. Some of these flavors are out right disgusting!

Price: Inexpensive

Category: Privilege

Submitted by: Rachel Brooks (Moline, IL)

Students can participate in a canvas painting party.

See pictures from Rise Academy's canvas party on Twitter.

Price: $5 or More

Category: Privilege

Submitted by: Rise Academy, Covington, GA

Choose Video Conferencing Virtual Background

Student chooses the virtual background the teacher will use during video conferencing with the class

Price: Free

Category: Privilege

Students can enter into a monthly drawing/raffle to win a Door Dash lunch delivery.

In distance learning, this can be delivered to their home, instead of to them at the school.

Price: $5 or More

Category: Tangible

Submitted by: Esperanza Soria (Wrenn Middle School, TX)

A schoolwide PBIS celebration. Group student to match the number of rooms you have and have them work together to solve puzzles to find the next clue. Find all the clues in within the time limit to save the day.

Check on this post on Instagram.

Price: Inexpensive

Category: Privilege

Submitted by: Katie Ritchie, Oglesby Washington Jr. High (IL)

A game of "reality" Hungry Hungry Hippos. Students are rolled into the ball area to fetch and retrieve balloons with a laundry basket. Game(s) could be played tournament style or as a single.

Watch a video.

Price: Inexpensive

Category: Privilege

Submitted by: Donny Sikora, Warren Woods Middle School (MI)

Students enjoy a limo ride and lunch.

Check it out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BSkPrLaBP_D/

Price: $5 or More

Category: Privilege

Submitted by: Madison Elementary School (Marshfield, WI)

Teachers can create personalized backgrounds for students based on the qualities they wish to recognize.

This is easy to do using Canva, a digital product/print creating platform that has a free upgrade for educators. Educators can use already created Zoom templates and individualize them to match the student.

Price: Free

Category: Recognition
Value:
Submitted by: Tiffany Garbiso (Santa Ana High School)

Student(s) can redeem this rewards and get a fun, silly, or energetic photo ( or video) with their friends that is shared by the teacher or school. This could even be shared via social media by the school, PBIS team, or teachers.

See example on Instagram

Price: Free

Category: Privilege
Value:
Submitted by: Mrs. Ashton, Rio Vista Elementary in Anaheim, CA

Spirit Week

Participate in a Spirit Day activity, i.e.:

Elementary:  Monday - Wear Pajamas, Tuesday - Crazy Hair, Wednesday - Crazy Socks, Thursday - Dress Like Your Teacher, Friday - Hat Day

Secondary: Monday - Wear Pajamas, Tuesday - Wear School Colors, Wednesday - Crazy Socks, Thursday - College Gear, Friday - Hat Day  Being on time for video lessons

Price: Free

Category: Privilege

Spoon Balancing Challenge

Students can challenge the teacher or other students with the spoon balancing challenge. Place the spoon on the bridge of your nose so that the handle is pointing down towards the floor and whoever can get the spoon to stay on their nose for the longest period of time wins!

In distance learning, this can be adjusted to be during a Zoom/Classroom video session.

Price: Free

Category: Privilege
Value:

Allow students add X test points for use on a future test of their choice.

Price: Free

Category: Privilege
Value:
Submitted by: Maria Price, Nimitz Sr High School, Houston, TX

Turkey Trot

Teachers dressed as turkeys run a race against the students. See the story and photos here.

Price: $5 or More

Category: Privilege

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PBIS Incentives for High School Students | PBIS Rewards

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Oh yes! This creative idea is what you think. A Teacher vs. Student Beanboozled® Jelly Belly jelly bean challenge. Make this a public challenge for your classroom or challenge the pricinpal at an assembly. Proceed with caution. Some of these flavors are out right disgusting!

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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What is ISF?

How to Address Mental Health in Schools

Education and mental health leaders understand the need to establish one system of social-emotional and behavioral supports in schools. The Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a way to blend PBIS with mental health supports in schools. This framework guides state, district, and community leaders to fund and modify policies and procedures to help every system work more efficiently. Clinicians - supported by integrated district structures - become part of multi-tiered school teams to address the social-emotional and behavior needs of all students. ISF expands the PBIS framework as a way to assist teams and enhance their efforts.

The ISF Implementation Guide

‍

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Education and mental health leaders understand the need to establish one system of social-emotional and behavioral supports in schools. The Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a way to blend PBIS with mental health supports in schools. This framework guides state, district, and community leaders to fund and modify policies and procedures to help every system work more efficiently.

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Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools

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Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools

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Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools

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Youth Mental Health Resources Hub - California Health and Human Services

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Mental Health Resources for Youth We all need help sometimes. You are not alone. It's okay to not feel okay. We all feel sad, anxious, upset or angry sometimes. If you, your family or friends need someone to talk to, contact any of the following organizations: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Operating Hours: 24/7 If you ...

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MPUSD Health and Wellness Options (1) (1)

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Social Emotional Health of District level Staff

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Social Emotional Health of District level Staff

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Monterey County Mental Health Resources 

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Monterey County Mental Health Resources 

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Stop Bullying on the Spot

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

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StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on bullying, cyberbullying, prevention and response.

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A curated list of educational videos about cyberbullying, digital citizenship, and more that can be used in assemblies and presentations.

Sameer and I regularly give presentations to students about the importance of using technology safely and responsibly. Due to time and resource constraints, this is often done in large school assemblies. By themselves, assemblies likely don't accomplish all that we would hope for in educating young people about these issues, but they can serve as one important component of what would ideally be a multi-pronged approach to teaching digital citizenship.

We've learned over the years that it is crucial to be open, honest, and real with students about what they are doing, seeing, and experiencing online ( here's how we do it!). Attempting to scare them away from technology by offering only the worst-case scenarios (sex offender registries and suicide), doesn't seem to resonate with students (and may also be counterproductive). It's like warning them about going out in the rain by telling them that they will be struck by lightning. That could happen, but it isn't likely. There are, however, other reasons not to go out in the rain.

We've also learned that we need to convey the information in a way that is interesting and entertaining ( here's what we mean). We can't just get up on stage, stand behind a podium, and lecture to them in a monotone voice for an hour about what they should and shouldn't do online. In our presentations, we try to be dynamic, energetic, and interactive. We use PowerPoint to illustrate what we are talking about. When possible, we use flash polling so that students can participate in the discussion via their mobile devices and see their aggregated responses to various questions appear instantly on the screen.

In addition, we also often include one or two short videos to help break up these presentations. Many students and adults have asked us over the years for links to these videos so I thought I would list some of our favorites here (see others on our YouTube Channel).

Below is a list of videos that discuss or provide informative content for Cyberbullying in fun and interesting ways. If we find new ones that are great, we'll add to this list. If you have some suggestions for new videos that you have found resonate well with youth, please offer them in the comments!

Sameer first found this video on cyberbullying on a trip he made to the UK several years ago. This is an older video (by technology standards), but it's still a very good overview of the issues (especially for younger students). We still sometimes show this to upper elementary and middle school students. I have to admit that when we first watched this it really looked like the story was going to end very badly. And frankly, if it did end that way (with Joe committing suicide), we would not show it (especially not in schools). There are too many of those kinds of fear-based videos out there and we try to avoid them.

Discussion questions:
1. How did the bullying start in the first place?
2. Why did Joe resist telling adults in his life about what he was experiencing?
3. If you were on the bus when Joe was being made fun of, what could you have done?
4. Why were the police called to the school at the end?
5. The ending is a bit abrupt: one minute Joe is being mistreated by his friends, the next they are all friends again. What do you think happened during that time to resolve this? What could you do if something like this happened to you?

This video on cyberbullying was submitted to Trend Micro's annual "What's Your Story" video contest. After viewing, you can see why it was the winner. It is compelling, eloquent, creative, and totally relatable and engaging to students. Middle and high school students really appreciate the unique way important messages are conveyed in this video.

Anti-Bullying Learning and Teaching Resource (ALTER) Catholic Education Office, Wollongong
May 30, 2012

Australian researcher Donna Cross introduced me to this wonderful video on cyberbullying created by students and staff at a Catholic school in New South Wales, Australia. What I love most about this video is its simplicity. The students acknowledge the problem and then offer suggestions for what to do.

Discussion questions:
1. Can you think of any other ideas for what to do when you see bullying?
2. This is an example of something that was largely student-directed and created. What can you do in your school to help stop bullying?

Joy and Heron
February 12, 2018

GI 3D Animated A Joy Story: Joy and Heron Short Film by Passion Pictures Australia.

Discussion questions:
1. How can you tell when someone else is having problem that you don't know about?
2. How can you provide support when someone is struggling?

"We Are All Daniel Cui"
October 31, 2012

Daniel Cui was a freshman soccer goalie from Hillsborough, California. During his first season, a lot of students were blaming him and bullying him online for his team losing all of their games. To show support for Daniel, his teammates and dozens of other students changed their Facebook profile pictures to one of him making a great save. Others tagged, liked, and commented on the photo posts to encourage and cheer Daniel on. He came back the following year and played with a new sense of confidence, helping his team to many victories. This shows what can happen when we demonstrate to others we believe in them and build them up, rather than hate on them and tear them down. This video was produced by Facebook to highlight the importance of standing up for others (online and off).

This is another great spoken word poem. Written by Shane Koyczan, this is based on a very popular TED Talk. It is a bit long so we don't show it in school assemblies, but it can be good when you have more time to spend with students.

Discussion questions:
1. How do nicknames define who we are?
2. Do you think it is true that words spoken or typed don't hurt as much as physical bullying?

For younger students, this video on cyberbullying depicts a day in the life of a normal kid who faces bullying, family problems, and other issues but fights to stay true to his heart.

This video on cyberbullying features a high school's effort to promote positivity by using "Smile Cards." They were distributed to lift the spirits of students in creative, fun ways.

This video depicts how a high school in Brentwood, CA decided to show love towards their awesome campus police officer.

This video is for younger students, and provides interviews with kids as to what digital citizenship is, as well as a fun re-enactment of an animated video involving kids for a Common Sense Media contest.

This video is very hard-hitting and not for younger audiences, but powerfully discusses how students are labeled in derogatory ways, which compartmentalizes them into pre-established, historically-judged groups and perpetuates hateful stereotypes.

This video involves older teens, young adults, and adults - and discusses how we put people in boxes - and how that makes them feel and promotes isolation, loneliness, and division. It then shows how there are so many commonalities to the human condition, and how that brings us together in wonderful ways.

This video discusses what youth are doing online on an average day through the viewpoint of a typical American teen.

This video discusses what youth are doing online on an average day through the viewpoint of a typical American tween.

This video, set to a tremendously catchy TSwift song, can be used to promote conversation about meanness among students and in society, the role of resilience in deflecting hate, and how schools can use technology to promote positive messages across campus.

Shares a story of how a college wide receiver sought to impact a boy's life when he saw him sitting alone at lunch during school, and provides inspiration as to why we need to look for the lonely and step out boldly to include them and be a friend to them.

Flash Mobs, Lip Dubs, and Other Creative Group Efforts

Many schools and other youth groups across the globe have created amazing public awareness campaigns using music and dance. Here are some that we like (just search YouTube and you can find dozens of others!):
David Lloyd George Elementary School, Oakridge Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada Freeport High School Cypress Ranch High School Anti-Bullying Lip Dub "Who Do U Think U R?" Clarksville Jr High Shake It Off Lip Dub
Discussion questions:
1. Do you have an idea for a public display to help bring awareness to this problem?
2. If you had unlimited resources (money, time, people), what would you do to prevent cyberbullying and promote kindness?

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Image source: http://bit.ly/2BCRfEn

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Cyberbullying Videos to Use in Presentations

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A curated list of educational videos about cyberbullying, digital citizenship, and more that can be used in assemblies and presentations.

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In this lesson idea, the short video "Cyberbullying" is explored through teaching strategies such as pre-viewing, anticipation guides, four corners, evaluating Internet resources, fishbowl and levels of questions. By learning about cyberbullying and how students in Watchung are taking a stand against online bullying, students may think more deeply about this in their own community.

This lesson is part of the Not In Our School Video Action Kit, a comprehensive toolkit featuring films, lessons, and resources designed to motivate students to speak out against bullying, and create new ways to make their schools safe for everyone.

Pre-viewing - Before watching the video, identify the core issue the students are attempting to address: cyberbulling. What does it mean to be bullied online? What does friendship mean in person vs. in a social network such as Facebook? How can students move from being bystanders to becoming an upstander?

Then ask students to respond to the following questions:

What strategies might students use to address these issues?

What are the risks, if any, to taking these steps?

What challenges might students confront?

What would "success" in addressing these issues look like? How could "success" be measured?

What resources do students need to be successful?

What might be the consequences of doing nothing?

Anticipation guides - Anticipation guides ask students to express an opinion about ideas before they encounter them in a text of unit of study. Often teachers ask students to return to their anticipation guides after exploring new material, noting how their opinions may have shifted or strengthened as a result of new information. Here are examples of statements you can use to encourage students to think about the ideas addressed in this video:

Students are the most powerful influence on their school's tone and climate. They decide what kind of behavior is acceptable and unacceptable.

Stepping in when you see someone treated unfairly is easier in person than online.

It is unrealistic to think that social networks (such as Facebook) can be places where all students are treated fairly and kindly.

If someone is verbally or physically attacking another student - someone you do not know - the best thing to do is stay out of it.

Cyberbulling is less harmful than face to face bullying.

Bystanders have the power to stop injustice.

If bullies knew their behavior was unacceptable, they would stop acting that way.

The best way to stop teasing, harassment and bullying is to have a stronger system of enforcement and punishment.

(Note: Many teachers use the Four Corners strategy to structure a conversation about controversial statements.)
Not in Our School: Sample Anticipation Guide:
Directions: Read the statement in the left column. Decide if you strongly agree (SA), agree (A), disagree (D), or strongly disagree (SD) with the statement. Circle your response.

3. Stepping in when you see someone treated unfairly is easier in person than online.

SA A D SD

6. It is unrealistic to think that social networks (such as Facebook) can be places where all students are treated fairly and kindly.

SA A D SD

Using web resources on school climate, bullying and hate crimes: After having students watch the video you might want to have them explore some of the following resources to learn more about school climate, bullying and hate crimes. Students can report back to the class about what they found. Or, you can use information from these websites to create a short lecture.

Bullyinginfo.org

National School Climate Center

Cyberbullying Research Center

Students' Reports of Being Called Hate-Related Words and Seeing Hate-Related Graffiti (2009, National Center for Educational Statistics)

Bullying at School and Cyberbullying Anywhere (2009, National Center for Educational Statistics)

Southern Poverty Law Center

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hate Crimes Division

"Combating Hate," Anti-Defamation League

You could also ask your students to use online search engines to locate information from credible sources on bullying and/or hate crimes. In addition to the general search function, Google provides searches that present information in different ways. You can find these functions on the bottom left navigation list and/or by clicking the heading "More search tools."

"Wonder wall" breaks down a topic into sub-topics via a concept may display. Click here for an example of a Wonder Wall search for the term "bullying." Students could be assigned different spokes of the wheel to explore in greater depth.

"Timeline" presents information organized by year. This function allows students to trace the history of bullying or hate crimes, as reported by the media.

"Nearby" provides information relevant to your particular area. This function allows students to focus on bullying or hate crime incidents in their region.

Fishbowl - After students have had the opportunity to process the video independently or in small groups, facilitate a whole-class conversation. Here are some specific questions with which you might consider having students grapple:

What were students responding to in this video? What problem were they trying to solve?

What did they do? What strategies did they employ? What community or school resources did they draw from?

What risks did they take? What challenges did they confront?

What do you think of their response? What did they accomplish?

What advice would you offer these students? What could be some next steps these students could take to further address this problem?

What more do you want to know about this situation? If you had the opportunity, what would you want to ask the students in this video?

What do you think the new immigrants gleaned from this experience? How could this project be expanded and deepened?

Fishbowl: Fishbowl is a strategy that helps students practice being active listeners and participants in a discussion. Half the class can debrief the video while the other half observes. Then students can switch roles.

Levels of questions -- Here is an example of the kinds of questions you can use with this strategy:

Level one: What were students responding to in this video? What action did they take?

Level two: What do you think of their response? In what ways was it effective? What else could they have done to address the problem they saw in their school or community?

Level three: What power do you think young people have to change attitudes and actions? What gives young people power? What limits the power of young people to create change?

Related Facing History Resources:

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Lesson Idea: "Students Take On Cyberbullying"

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Created by Facing History and Ourselves Overview In this lesson idea, the short video "Cyberbullying" is explored through teaching strategies such as pre-viewing, anticipation guides, four corners, evaluating Internet resources, fishbowl and levels of questions.

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What is cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying is the use of digital media (such as apps, text messages, and websites) to intimidate, upset, or harm someone. It includes repeatedly sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, or mean content about someone else on purpose.

Usually, with cyberbullying, there are other people who see cyberbullying happen. In these situations, people can be bystanders, allies, or upstanders.

A bystander observes the conflict or unacceptable behavior but does not take part in it.

An ally is someone who responds to the bullying situation by supporting the person being bullied (checking in with them, being a friend to them, etc.).

An upstander tries to stop the bullying by directly confronting the person who is doing the bullying or by telling a trusted adult.

Cyberbullying differs from face-to-face bullying in several key ways. For one, it can feel harder to escape because it can happen anywhere, anytime. It's also harder to detect because so much of kids' digital media use is not monitored by adults. At the same time, cyberbullying can also be very public: Large numbers of people online can see what's happening and even gang up on the target. Though the target is usually exposed publicly, the people doing the cyberbullying can hide who they are by posting anonymously or using pseudonyms. And since cyberbullying isn't face-to-face, the one doing the bullying may not see or even understand the implications of their actions.

What Forms Can Cyberbullying Take?

Unfortunately, cyberbullying can take many forms. As popular social media apps for young people shift and proliferate, so have the ways kids can harass each other-or become victims themselves. Spreading rumors, sending hateful messages, or sharing embarrassing materials can occur across platforms and devices, but there are some other specific forms of cyberbullying to be aware of:

Catfishing: Someone sets up a fictional persona online to compromise a victim in various ways, often exploiting a victim's emotions. The perpetrator's goals may be to lure them into a relationship or to intentionally upset a victim, among other reasons.

Cyberflashing: When someone receives an unsolicited sexually graphic image, they've been cyberflashed. This can occur on peer-to-peer Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth Airdrop, in or outside of school.

Ghosting: When people cut off online contact and stop responding, they might be ghosting. Refusing to answer someone's messages can actually be a way of communicating a shift or upheaval among a group of friends. Often, instead of ever addressing the issue head-on, people will just ignore the targeted person.

Griefing: There are people who harass or irritate you in multiplayer video games. They kill your character on purpose, steal your game loot, or harass you in chat. Repeated behavior like that is called "griefing."

Hate pages: On platforms like Instagram, teens may create fake accounts to harass victims, posting unflattering photos of their target, exposing secrets, or sharing screenshots of texts from people saying mean things. It's hard to trace who created the account, and the people doing the bullying can simply create a new "hate" page if one is shut down or removed. Sometimes, these anonymous accounts may be collections focused on rumors or other malicious materials targeting students schoolwide.

Outing: This occurs when someone reveals someone's gender identity or sexual orientation without their consent. What makes this particularly malicious is the risk this may pose for teens who report higher levels of mental health struggles and are at greater risk for self-harm.

Note that kids and teens probably use all kinds of terminology to describe the digital drama or harassment that's happening, so it's best to just ask questions than to use specific terms.

How common is cyberbullying?

Reported data on how many kids experience cyberbullying can vary depending on the age of kids surveyed and how cyberbullying is defined. According to a 2022 Pew Research report on teens and cyberbullying, nearly half (46%) of teens reported experiencing at least one type of cyberbullying, and 28% have experienced multiple types, which represents a steady uptick over the last 15 years.

A summary of research by the Cyberbullying Research Center on cyberbullying in middle and high school from 2007 to 2021 indicated that, on average, 29% of students had been targets of cyberbullying. Nearly 16% of students admitted to cyberbullying others.

Yet not all groups of teens are experiencing cyberbullying equally, as some kids are more vulnerable than others. The Common Sense study " Social Media, Social Life" also found that girls are more likely than boys to experience it. A separate study showed that kids with a disability, with obesity, or who are LGBTQ are more likely to be cyberbullied than other kids.

Even if kids aren't the target of cyberbullying (and the majority aren't), chances are high they've witnessed it, since it often happens online and publicly. Common Sense reports that 23% of teens have tried to help someone who has been cyberbullied, such as by talking with the person who was cyberbullied, reporting it to adults, or posting positive stuff about the person being cyberbullied.

How can I tell if a student is being cyberbullied?

Be aware of your students' emotional state. Do they seem depressed? Fearful? Distracted? Pay attention to what's happening for students socially at lunchtime, in the hallways, or in other areas of your school campus. Has their friend group changed? Do you sense a conflict between students? Are you overhearing talk about "drama" or "haters" (two words kids might use to describe cyberbullying situations)? Don't be afraid to check in with students directly about what's going on. And reach out to their support networks, including parents or caregivers, the school counselor, a coach, or other teachers.

When and how should I intervene in a cyberbullying situation?

Obviously, cyberbullying is something to take seriously. At the same time, it's important to remember that, depending on their ages, kids are still developing skills like empathy, self-regulation, and how to communicate respectfully online. These situations can be learning opportunities for everyone involved.

School, district, and/or state policies might determine what actions you take once you've verified that cyberbullying has in fact occurred. Sometimes the recommended response is different depending on whether the bullying occurred on a school-issued device, and whether it happened outside of school hours or during the school day. Be sure to involve the students' families, school administrators, and counselor as appropriate, to ensure the intervention is effective and follows policy.

Here are a few resources to support teachers and schools in responding to cyberbullying:

What's my responsibility as a teacher in preventing cyberbullying?

As educators, it's our responsibility to teach students how to use digital media in respectful and safe ways. This includes helping kids learn how to identify, respond to, and avoid cyberbullying. Given the demands on teachers to meet school, district, and state goals, it can be a challenge to figure out where these lessons fit into the school day. Fortunately, as technology becomes part of every aspect of our lives, including how we teach and learn, more schools and districts are giving teachers the time and resources to prioritize these skills. Here are a few ways to approach cyberbullying prevention in the classroom:

Promote a positive and safe classroom culture. Whether or not you have technology in the classroom, setting norms of respectful communication sends a message to your students about what is and isn't acceptable. Find ways to demonstrate that your classroom is a safe, emotionally caring environment. Provide resources in the classroom to help students identify, respond to, and avoid cyberbullying. This could be tips on how to respond to cyberbullying (for elementary school or middle and high school) or the phone number for the Crisis Text Line.

Embrace teachable "dig cit" moments. Step up when you encounter a teachable moment related to cyberbullying or respectful online communication. Encourage students to pay attention to "red flag moments"-when something happens on digital media that makes them feel uncomfortable, worried, sad, or anxious. Explain to students the three ways they can and should respond if they witness cyberbullying: support the target of the bullying (be an ally); try to stop the cyberbullying (be an upstander); and/or tell a trusted adult (report it). It may not be part of your lesson plan, and it may set you off track for a bit, but every time you reinforce anti-cyberbullying messages, you're doing the critical work of cyberbullying prevention. And as hard as it may be to admit, ignoring these teachable moments also sends a message your students will remember.

Incorporate lessons on cyberbullying into your existing curriculum. Find connections to the content you're already teaching and make time to address cyberbullying directly. From setting norms of online communication to using historical examples of propaganda and hate speech to discussing a bullying situation in a novel you're reading, the possible connections to cyberbullying can be made with a little planning. And since it's possible someone in class is dealing with cyberbullying, it's helpful to stay attuned and sensitive to students.

Advocate for a school- or district-wide digital citizenship program. The most effective cyberbullying prevention strategy has to involve the whole community. A fully integrated digital citizenship program gives teachers the time and resources to tackle these topics head-on, provides kids with consistent and frequent opportunities to build their skills, and supports families as they reinforce the messages at home.

What lesson plans and classroom resources are available to address cyberbullying?

The Common Sense K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum teaches students about the effects of cyberbullying on both themselves and their larger communities. They are encouraged to take the active role of upstander and build positive, supportive online communities, and they can learn how to cultivate empathy, compassion, and courage to combat negative interactions online.

Grades K-5:

Grades 6-8:

Grades 9-12:

How can teachers work with families to identify and prevent cyberbullying?

The first step is to communicate with your students' families about your expectations in the classroom and explain the skills you're helping students learn related to positive, responsible media use. When parents are informed and on board, they're more likely to reinforce the messages at home.

Since families often look to schools for guidance on dealing with cyberbullying, you can offer them the latest advice and resources on the topic. Spark a conversation by sending home these printable Family Tips or handing them out at meetings with parents and caregivers. You can also share resources in a classroom newsletter, on your class website or social feed, or at your next parent event.

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Teachers' Essential Guide to Cyberbullying Prevention | Common Sense Education

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What is cyberbullying? How common is it? And what can teachers do about it? Get advice and resources to support your students.

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YoungMinds and The Children's Society, have carried out a survey of children and young people aged 11-25 to hear about their views and experiences of cyberbullying. Their survey found that:

46% of young people asked said they had experienced threatening, intimidating or nasty messages via social media, email or text.

37% reported having personal experience of online bullying in their lifetime

26% have personal experience of online bullying within the last year.

42% said they had seen somebody be harassed or bullied online.

This survey clearly shows that cyberbullying affects many young people and can have a serious impact on their mental health. At Childnet we have created many adaptable and practical resources for teachers and other educators to effectively prevent and respond to bullying online. Targeted at different ages and groups of young people, these engaging free resources aim to empower young people to create kinder online communities and how they can report if they experience or witness cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying guidance
For school staff
Our cyberbullying guidance is designed to support schools in preventing and responding to cyberbullying. This resource gives clear guidance for school staff and comprises of four main sections;

1. Understanding cyberbullying

2. Preventing cyberbullying

3. Responding to cyberbullying

4. Supporting school staff

This guidance has been shaped by a range of experts in this area who formed part of an Advisory Board, as well as the voice of young people on this subject area.

Crossing the Line: PSHE Toolkit
For use with pupils aged 11-14 years old
Childnet, as part of their work in the UK Safer Internet Centre, have create a practical online safety PSHE toolkit with films and lesson plans to explore online issues with pupils aged 11-14 years old. This toolkit is a PSHE Association Quality-Assured Resource and has sections on peer pressure and cyberbullying .

Throughout the toolkit there are films, lesson plans, guidance and worksheets. The Crossing the Line toolkit is aimed at secondary school student, however the videos used throughout are rated PG and there are activities within the toolkit which are signposted as being suitable for younger years.

Exploring the issue of online hate
Packs for use with 3-11 year olds, 11-19 year olds and parents
Our Safer Internet Day 2016 education packs tackle the issues around online hate. These resource packs are tailored for different ages, there is a pack for 3-11 year olds (primary) and 11-19 year olds (secondary), as well as the parent and carer pack, and Welsh translations of each.

These packs provide lots of great ideas to help schools, youth groups, libraries and other organisations talk about online hate.

Let's Fight it Together
For use with 11 to 15 year olds, adaptable for KS2 students
Childnet's award winning film, Let's Fight It Together, helps sensitise people to the hurt and pain that can be caused by cyberbullying. The film shows ways in which cyberbullying can occur, who it involves, how it can affect different people, and what can be done to prevent and respond to it.

The Let's Fight It Together film is designed to be used with 11 to 15 year olds, however many KS2 teachers are now also using the film with their classes.

The Adventures of Captain Kara
Videos for 7-11 year olds
These films follow the adventures of Captain Kara and her SMART crew as they navigate the online world.

The SMART rules are designed to teach primary school pupils about the things they should remember when going online. The T in SMART stands for Tell, meaning that young people should tell an adult if they are concerned about anything that they see online.

Smartie the Penguin
To be used with children aged 3 to 7 year old
Smartie the Penguin is an online safety story for 3 to 7 year olds. In the presentation you and your students can learn Mummy Penguin's song and help teach Smartie about online safety issues such as cyberbullying.

Digiduck's Big Decision
To be used with children aged 3 to 7 year old
Help arrives just in time for Digiduck® when faced with a difficult decision. This book allows you to follow Digiduck® and his pals in this story of friendship and responsibility online.

The Digiduck® collection has been created to help parents and teachers educate children aged 3 - 7 about how to be a good friend online. The collection now includes a book, PDF and interactive app.

For SEN students

The STAR toolkit
To be used with young people with autism spectrum disorders
Childnet have created the STAR toolkit to give practical advice and teaching activities to help educators explore online safety with young people with autism spectrum disorders in Key Stage 3 and 4.

The STAR toolkit covers the areas of: safe, trust, action, and respect. The respect section looks at being kind online and the importance of being a considerate online citizen.

Be Safe and Smart Online - for deaf young people
To be used with deaf young people
The UKSIC and Childnet's Be Safe and Smart Online is a set of resources created in partnership with The National Deaf Children's Society. They are designed to help and support deaf young people and their parents, carers and teachers to help and remind them how to stay safe online.

Helpline for teachers

The Professionals Online Safety Helpline was set up in 2011 to help the children's workforce with online safety issues.

The POSH Helpline can help with any online safety issues, including;- privacy, online reputation, gaming, grooming, cyberbullying, sexting and inappropriate behaviour on social media.

As the only helpline in the UK solely dedicated to supporting the children's workforce, POSH are unique in their relationships within industry. They have direct channels to escalate concerns to social media companies and many websites. The helpline is available Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm. You can call them on: 0344 381 4772 or email: [email protected]

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Free cyberbullying resources for teachers | Childnet

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YoungMinds and The Children's Society, have carried out a survey of children and young people aged 11-25 to hear about their views and experiences of cyberbullying. Their survey found that: 46% of young people asked said they had experienced threatening, intimidating or nasty messages via social media, email or text.

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MINDBEAT by Effective School Solutions is the definitive go-to podcast for all topics related to school-based mental health, and the first podcast dedicated to this vital topic. From sharing best practices to highlighting innovative school districts to keeping track of legislation, MINDBEAT is the must-have resource for educators and administrators that are implementing (or thinking about implementing) a mental health care continuum.

MINDBEAT by Effective School Solutions is the definitive go-to podcast for all topics related to school-based mental health, and the first podcast dedicated to this vital topic. From sharing best practices to highlighting innovative school districts to keeping track of legislation, MINDBEAT is the must-have resource for educators and administrators that are implementing (or thinking about implementing) a mental health care continuum.

Thoughtful & insightful

Very timely.

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‎MINDBEAT by Effective School Solutions on Apple Podcasts

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MINDBEAT by Effective School Solutions is the definitive go-to podcast for all topics related to school-based mental health, and the first podcast dedicated to this vital topic. From sharing best practices to highlighting innovative school districts to keeping track of legislation, MINDBEAT is the m...

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Creating Equitable Early Learning Environments

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Creating Equitable Early Learning Environments

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Mindful Ozzy Introduces Mindfulness (Pre-k to Grade 2)

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What Does a Trauma-Sensitive Middle/High School Look Like?

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Social-Emotional Learning Programs | Second Step

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Discover Second Step, an evidence-based social-emotional learning curriculum that fosters students’ emotional intelligence, empathy, and problem-solving skills.

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Homeless Services Monterey County - Espanol

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Homeless Services Monterey County - Espanol

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Homeless Services Resource Guide_2023_SP Final

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Homeless Services Monterey County  - English

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Homeless Services Monterey County  - English

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Homeless Services Resource Guide_2023 English

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Supporting Schools During and After a Crisis

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Supporting Schools During and After a Crisis

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This page highlights resources to support the use of a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework to support students, families, and educators during the transitions back to school during and following the global pandemic in a manner that prioritizes their health and safety, social and emotional needs, and behavioral and academic growth.

To learn more about how to use this resource, please view the video Guide to the Guide. If you are an educator just getting started with PBIS or MTSS, please see Getting Started and corresponding content on the District/State PBIS topic.

Guiding Principles

Prioritize equity.

Make student outcomes central to all decisions.

Implement a small number of effective, culturally-relevant practices well.

Use data to inform all decisions (screening, progress monitoring, equitable outcomes, and fidelity.

Continue to invest in systems to support high-fidelity implementation across time.

Key Recommendations

1. Provide Support throughout the Implementation Cascade

To maximize student benefit, provide coordinated support and learn from feedback loops throughout the implementation cascade.

State & District

Guides & Briefs

Webinars & Videos

Action Plan Templates

Additional Resources

School & Classroom

Guides & Briefs

Webinars & Videos

Action Plan Templates

Additional Resources

Family & Student

Guides & Briefs

Webinars & Videos

Action Plan Templates

Additional Resources

2. Leverage Existing Systems

To maximize both benefit and efficiency, enhance and adjust existing systems to support implementation. As educators implementing MTSS, the Implementation Blueprint may be a familiar organizational structure to consider both executive team functions (stakeholder engagement, funding and alignment, policy, and workforce capacity) and implementation functions (training, coaching, and evaluation) of leadership teams. To learn more about how to enhance and adjust systems features, see full guide.

3. Back to Basics: Do What Works, and Do It Well

Go "back to basics" by (a) focusing on a small number of evidence-based and culturally relevant practices, across social, emotional, behavioral, and academic domains, that have an equitable and big impact and (b) doing them well. To learn more about practices, see full guide.

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Supporting Schools During and After Crisis

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This page highlights resources to support the use of a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework to support students, families, and educators during the transitions back to school during and following the global pandemic in a manner that prioritizes their health and safety, social and emotional needs, and behavioral and academic growth.

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California's Multi-Tiered System of Support (CA MTSS) is a comprehensive framework that aligns academic, behavioral, social and emotional learning, and mental health supports in a fully integrated system of support for the benefit of all students. CA MTSS offers the potential to create needed systematic change through intentional design and redesign of services and supports to quickly identify and match to the needs of all students.

The evidence-based domains and features of the California MTSS framework provide opportunities for LEAs to strengthen school, family, and community partnerships while developing the whole child in the most inclusive, equitable learning environment thus closing the equity gaps for all students.
​

​(Access the CA MTSS Framework HERE)
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By embracing the Whole Child approach to teaching and learning, grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT), and utilizing Implementation Science and Improvement Science for continuous improvement, the California MTSS framework lays the foundation for the statewide system of support.

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​​​ California's Multi-Tiered System of Support (CA MTSS) is a comprehensive framework that aligns academic, behavioral, social and emotional learning, and mental health supports in a fully integrated system of support for the benefit of all students.

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Talking to Children about School Violence

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Talking to Children about School Violence

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Talking to children about violence June 2022

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Most young children are aware of death, even if they don't understand it. Death is a common theme in cartoons and television, and some of your child's friends may have already lost a loved one. But experiencing grief firsthand is a different and often confusing process for kids. As a parent, you can't protect a child from the pain of loss, but you can help them feel safe. And by allowing and encouraging them to express their feelings, you can help your child build healthy coping skills that will serve them well in the future.

Kids grieve differently

After losing a loved one, a child may go from crying one minute to playing the next. Their changeable moods do not mean that they aren't sad or that they've finished grieving; children cope differently than adults, and playing can be a defense mechanism to prevent a child from becoming overwhelmed. It is also normal to feel depressed, guilty, anxious, or angry at the person who has died or at someone else entirely.

Very young children may regress and start wetting the bed again or slip back into baby talk.

Encourage a grieving child to express feelings

It's good for kids to express whatever emotions they are feeling. There are many good children's books about death, and reading these books together can be a great way to start a conversation with your child. Since many children aren't able to express their emotions through words, other helpful outlets include drawing pictures, building a scrapbook, looking at photo albums, or telling stories.

Be developmentally appropriate

It is hard to know how a child will react to death or even if they can grasp the concept. Don't volunteer too much information, as this may be overwhelming. Instead, try to answer their questions. Very young children often don't realize that death is permanent, and they may think that a dead loved one will come back if they do their chores and eat their vegetables. As psychiatrist Gail Saltz, MD, explains, "Children understand that death is bad, and they don't like separation, but the concept of 'forever' is just not present."

Older, school-age children understand the permanence of death, but they may still have many questions. Do your best to answer honestly and clearly. It's okay if you can't answer everything; being available to your child is what matters.

When discussing death, never use euphemisms. Kids are extremely literal, and hearing that a loved one "went to sleep" can be scary. Besides making your child afraid of bedtime, euphemisms interfere with their opportunity to develop healthy coping skills that they will need in the future.

Whether or not to attend the funeral is a personal decision that depends entirely on you and your child. Funerals can be helpful in providing closure, but some children simply aren't ready for such an intense experience. Never force a child to attend a funeral. If your child wants to go, make sure that you prepare them for what they will see. Explain that funerals are very sad occasions, and some people will probably be crying. If there will be a casket, you should prepare them for that, too.

Keep in mind that even the best-prepared child might get upset, and their behavior can be unpredictable. "Kids will not behave in a way that you might want or expect," Dr. Saltz notes. "If you decide that a funeral is not the best way, there are other ways to have a goodbye." Planting a tree, sharing stories, or releasing balloons can all be good alternatives for providing closure to a child.

Discussing an afterlife

The idea of an afterlife can be very helpful to a grieving child, observes Dr. Saltz. If you have religious beliefs about the afterlife, now is the time to share them. But even if you aren't religious, you can still comfort your child with the concept that a person continues to live on in the hearts and minds of others. You can also build a scrapbook or plant something that represents the person you have lost.

Don't ignore your own grief

Children will often imitate the grieving behavior of their parents. It is important to show your emotions as it reassures children that feeling sad or upset is okay. However, reacting explosively or uncontrollably teaches your child unhealthy ways of dealing with grief.

Children find great comfort in routines, so if you need some time alone, try to find relatives or friends who can help keep your child's life as normal as possible Although it is important to grieve over the death of a loved one, it is also important for your child to understand that life does go on.

Some specific situations

For many children, the death of a pet will be their first exposure to death. The bonds that children build with their pets are very strong, and the death of a family pet can be intensely upsetting. Don't minimize its importance or immediately replace the dead pet with a new animal. Instead, give your child time to grieve for their dog or cat. This is an opportunity to teach them about death and how to deal with grieving in a healthy and emotionally supportive way.

The death of a grandparent is also a common experience for young children, and it may bring up many questions, such as, "Will my mom be next?" It is important to tell your child that you will probably live for a long time.

After the death of a parent, children will naturally worry about the death of the remaining parent or other caretakers. Reassure a child that they are loved and will always be cared for. It is a good idea to rely on family members during this time to help provide additional nurturing and care. Dr. Saltz also recommends therapy in the case of a significant death, such as the death of a parent or sibling. "Therapy provides another outlet for talking when a child may feel like they can't talk with other family members because they are grieving as well."

Treating serious problems

If you notice that your child seems unusually upset and unable to cope with grief and loss, they may have something called adjustment disorder. Adjustment disorder is a serious and distressing condition that some children develop after experiencing a painful or disruptive event. It is a good idea to consult your child's doctor if you feel that your child isn't recovering from a loss in a healthy way.

How can I help a child grieve the loss of a parent?

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Helping Children Deal With Grief - Child Mind Institute

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Tips for families dealing with grief, from what parents should say to how they can help kids express their emotions in a healthy way.

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Brief Facts and Tips for Children and Adults

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Brief Facts and Tips for Children and Adults

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Learning System Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

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Homepage - Learning System Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support

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What Is Equity?

In education, equity is "when educational policies, practices, interactions, and resources are representative of, constructed by, and responsive to all people such that each individual has access to, can meaningfully participate, and makes progress in high-quality learning experiences that empowers them towards self-determination and reduces disparities in outcomes regardless of individual characteristics and cultural identities."[1][2]

Why Address Equity?

There are different aspects of equity in education, such as academic achievement or placement in special education or gifted and talented programs. In PBIS, the most common outcome is equity in school discipline, or the reduction of risk for exclusionary discipline such as, office discipline referrals and suspensions based on individual characteristics like race/ethnicity or special education status.

Foundational Elements of Equity in PBIS

Instead of ineffective approaches, such as one-time events or disconnected initiatives, PBIS teams are more likely to increase equity in school discipline when they add explicit equity goals to their action plans. Addressing equity works best as a multi-component approach embedded within their existing PBIS system. The components of equity within a PBIS framework are:

Collect, Use, and Report Disaggregated Discipline Data

A foundational component of any effective practice is using data to

Identify the extent of the challenge

Understand why it's happening

Plan interventions

Monitor progress toward goals

This element of PBIS is even more central for assessing and addressing equity. Any school or district committed to reducing discipline disproportionality should adopt data systems that can disaggregate student data by race, ethnicity, and disability and provide instantaneous access to these data for both school and district teams.

Implement a Preventative, Multi-Tiered, Culturally-Responsive Behavior Framework

School systems can either reflect a biased society or provide a protective buffer against it. To make it a protective place, teams should adopt a behavior framework that is preventive, instructional, and flexible enough to be tailored to the strengths, needs, and values of its students, families, and community. PBIS can be implemented with fidelity only when it is adapted to fit the local context, which means attending directly to aspects of culture.

Use Engaging Instruction to Reduce the Opportunity Gap

Racial disparities in academic achievement are commonly called the achievement gap. This label implies the challenge lies within the student, when really it's a lack of opportunity for effective instruction causing the divide. It is more instructive to call this disparity the opportunity gap. Teams can ensure each student group has equitable access to engaging instruction by including these four components

Using explicit instruction

Building and priming background knowledge

Increasing opportunities to respond

Providing performance feedback.

Develop Policies with Accountability for Disciplinary Equity

Even policies making no mention of race or ethnicity (e.g., zero-tolerance discipline codes) can exacerbate inequities because of their impact on student-teacher interactions. Instead, administrators and policymakers should adopt policies with clear definitions and discipline procedures, replace harmful practices with instructional responses to unwanted behavior, and install accountability for improving outcomes.

Teach Strategies for Neutralizing Implicit Bias in Discipline Decisions

Research increasingly shows the influence of implicit bias on classroom and school discipline decisions.[2],[3] There are strategies educators can use to identify and neutralize their implicit biases before they affect decision making including

Identifying vulnerable decision points - specific discipline situations more prone to implicit bias

Learning strategies to help educators respond in line with their values.

Equity in a Tiered Framework

Equity is a Tier 1 issue. Teams cannot address inequitable student outcomes by providing Tier 2 and 3 supports to students from groups who receive disproportionate rates of referrals and suspensions.

Tier 1

School PBIS teams build Tier 1 systems honoring students' cultural strengths by including student voices meaningfully in classroom systems and building positive student-teacher relationships. School personnel can learn about their own cultural backgrounds and personal biases to define and teach school-wide and classroom expectations reflecting the values and norms of their students, families, and communities. To improve relationships, school personnel should use strategies to acknowledge students meaningfully and respond instructionally instead of punitively.

Tier 2

A key equity step for Tier 2 teams is to assess the extent to which access to positive, instructional Tier 2 interventions is consistent across student groups. For example, students from marginalized groups may be under-referred for Tier 2 support, even if their ODR or other screening data indicate a need. In equitable Tier 2 systems, interventions increase instructional opportunities, feedback, and positive home communication with students' families. Teams may also use interventions such as mentoring from local culturally-specific agencies (e.g., church or Pan-Hellenic groups).

Tier 3

Behavior support plans at Tier 3 are individualized and contextualized. Effective Tier 3 systems include processes to involve students and their family members meaningfully in goal-setting and intervention design. It is critical to build trust and establish systems for two-way communication and shared decision-making, without making inaccurate assumptions about home life or family values regarding education.

Get Started...

For most schools and districts, the very first step to start addressing issues of equity will be to examine discipline data to assess disproportionality and identify an existing team that will build a plan and monitor progress.

It may seem daunting to mobilize schools to address a societal challenge like equity. However, schools are the best place to provide environments where each student feels welcome, safe, and encouraged. At the same time, they are the best places to teach each student how to be a caring and productive citizens in a diverse, multicultural society. Although there may not be interventions that are evidence-based for eliminating the discipline gap, there are enough promising practices within a PBIS approach to do the work to achieve equity in our schools.

Resources

There are many resources available for addressing equity in your school. A few basics to get your started include:

This guide offers school PBIS teams a resource for using discipline data to address racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline practices. It describes a framework and steps for identifying levels of disproportionality, analyzing data, and monitoring effectiveness of action plans.

This guide is for trainers and coaches looking to help school teams implement culturally responsive practices to address equity in school discipline.

This guide is for districts and school developing policies and procedures to reduce racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline. It provides examples of key policy elements, ideas on how to apply these elements in schools, and a tool for assessing policies to enhance equitable discipline.

[1]Fraser, N. (2008) Social right and gender justice in the neoliberal movement: A conversation about welfare and transnational politics. Feminist Theory, 9,225-245.

[2]Great Lakes Equity Center (2012). Educational equity: What's it all about? An Equi-learn Webinar presentation by Skelton, S & Kigamwa, J., The Great Lakes Equity Center Retrieved from http://glec.education.iupui.edu/archived-webinar-events.html

[3]Girvan, E. J., Gion, C., McIntosh, K., & Smolkowski, K. (2017). The relative contribution of subjective office referrals to racial disproportionality in school discipline. School Psychology Quarterly, 32, 392-404. doi:10.1037/spq0000178

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Topic Page: Educational systems cannot not be considered effective until they are effective for all student groups. PBIS provides an ideal framework for increasing equity in student outcomes. Research shows that schools implementing PBIS with fidelity have greater equity in school discipline, specifically for African American students.

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PBIS PD. Dr. Ross - Day 1       October, 2022 

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PBIS PD. Dr. Ross - Day 1       October, 2022 

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MPUSD School site Multi-Tiered Supports and Interventions  (7)

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2020-2021 MPUSD Climate of Care & Restorative Re-entry

In addition to keeping our students and staff physically safe, MPUSD also maintains a robust focus on the mental and emotional wellness of its students, staff and larger community.

Fostering and supporting positive mental health is one of the key objectives of our schools, for students, staff and families. This fundamental understanding has the power to not only make our schools more welcoming but also to enhance the lives of our students well into the future. If we harness this understanding and build our next steps based on social-emotional best practices, then all of our students and families will benefit.

As we know, the recent COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to the social/racial tensions in our country, have created a variety of stressors for all of us; our youth are no exception. For example, while some of our students may return back to school in good spirits, our students and families are at risk of experiencing higher rates of:

Homelessness

Food insecurity

Family separation

Mental health related issues

Poverty and economic instability

Exposure to domestic violence

Child maltreatment

Parental substance abuse

Additional potential fallout from COVID-19 and distance learning is the youths/adolescents' daily routines. Teachers can anticipate higher rates of resistance as demands increase with in-person schooling. When this occurs, it is critical that we remember that the behavior exhibited is likely a result of the increased demands, changes in routine or potential skill deficits, rather than an act of willful defiance.

We can remind ourselves..."the student is not giving me a hard time, they are having a hard time."

Experts agree that the true impact of the mental health toll of the coronavirus pandemic is only beginning to show itself and it is too early to predict the scale of the event. Federal agencies and experts warn that a historic wave of mental-health problems is approaching: depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.

As educators, we have the ability and the responsibility to support our students and young people (our most important asset) during this time. We have a small window of opportunity to make our schools "better," trauma sensitive, healing focused, and restorative. We can use this window of opportunity to think differently about our hybrid re-entry into school this year.

Remember that the single most important factor for our students to be successful and thrive is positive relationships with one another and with an adult . This could even be one single adult on your campus, and this adult could be you! These connections and having our students feel a sense of belonging is essential before they can thrive. "We must Maslow before we can Bloom."

The resources we share here are designed to provide context for some of the current issues and insight into the support teachers and students need right now. We offer these concrete tools and resources as an aid to help navigate the current social/emotional and mental health needs of students, faculty and staff.

Thank you!

MPUSD, MTSS Team

School wide and Classroom culture outcomes

Belonging, Sense of feeling connected, Improved behavior, Predictability, Inclusive and engaging environment through a culturally responsive lens.

Student outcomes

Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision Making

Whole person outcomes & Self-Care

Improved Physical and Emotional Health, increased Self Awareness, reduction in anxiety, improved relationships, improved mood, clear thinking.

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2020-2021 MPUSD Climate of Care & Restorative Re-entry In addition to keeping our students and staff physically safe, MPUSD also maintains a robust focus on the mental and emotional wellness of its students, staff and larger community. Fostering and supporting positive mental health is one of the key objectives of our schools, for students, staff and families.

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Tiered Fidelity Inventory - Culturally Responsive

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Tiered Fidelity Inventory - Culturally Responsive

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Our Initiatives

MCHOPES

Prop 47

Stepping Up

Follow us on Social Media

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Youth Mental Health is not as complicated as we make it out to be

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Dr Watson shares her own story of childhood trauma as a way of exploring the root cause of youth mental health struggles like loneliness, depression, anxiety, and addiction. From childhood bombings and abandonment to motorcycle riding and wild partying, she reveals the impacts of early life experiences, and presents a unique approach to claiming your own power, overcoming your own challenges, and living life to your fullest potential.

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"A lot of my teachers, actually, did not do a lot, which was not helpful at all. It makes you feel kind of awkward, makes you feel very, very alone, very not understood." (Student)

School professionals make a world of difference when they reach out to grieving students. This module describes ways students benefit from grief support. It provides strategies for starting a conversation with a student. It identifies common and well-meaning statements that may not be helpful, then offers alternatives to help you feel confident your conversation will be constructive. It outlines ideas for sustaining helpful conversations over time and suggests ways to build effective support among peers when a classmate experiences the death of a close family member or friend. The video includes interviews with students, educators and administrators, as well as four simulated encounters with actors that model approaches educators can use in different situations.

View the video by chapters:

Why you should reach out to grieving students

Strategies for starting the conversation

Navigating reluctance and communicating with empathy

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Talking With Children - Coalition to Support Grieving Students

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Practical strategies for initiating a conversation with a student who has recently experienced the death of a close family member or friend.

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K-12 Toolkit for Mental Health Promotion & Suicide Prevention

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Boston Children's Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships | Break Free from Depression

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Learn about the Boston Children's Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships' Break Free from Depression program.

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As our schools continue to transition from pandemic-induced disruption to a new normal, educators must realize that our most vulnerable students are the ones who've been harmed the most.

Emerging research shows that, as with other disasters, most children and adolescents are exhibiting resilience in the face of this ongoing traumatic event. However, because of the large scale of this disaster, many children are living in households that experienced traumatic events—the loss of loved ones, jobs, housing, and stability, not to mention children's loss of learning and peer socialization. At the very least, many students experienced the pandemic as a period during which they were intensely bored, missing their friends, and academically unmotivated (Korzinski, 2020). So the number of students who will need school-based mental health care, or at least extra attention, this fall will be high.

I suspect that when schools reopened for the 2021–22 academic year, most children appeared to be OK. They returned with smiling faces, played with new friends, and responded to their teacher's requests. But those who were struggling to cope with the trauma and destabilization the pandemic created in their lives soon began to "act out." These children are letting us know they're not OK. As I often say to educators, behavior is the language of trauma; students will show you before they tell you that they are in distress.

Respond to "Acting-Out" with Support

The problem is, because trauma and mental health distress aren't immediately visible, we won't know which students are in a quiet state of psychological desperation. Therefore, it is best to respond to all acting-out behaviors with expressions of support that leave the door open to identifying any underlying issues. I call this responding with universal mental health precautions. Here's what that looks like:

Display nonconfrontational body language, such as holding your arms at your sides with your hands relaxed and not "towering over" a student. It helps to sit on the edge of a desk or kneel, depending on the student's height.

Keep your voice at a normal or slightly lower than normal volume. Stating your directives with a slow, deep, warm voice can reduce a student's anxiety and perception of threat.

Express your desire to meet the student's needs. Say that you want to understand why he is upset, hurt, angry, or sad so you can help resolve the problem.

Listen first. Ensure the student knows she's been heard by restating your understanding of her perspective or needs.

Whenever possible, facilitate the student's sense of safety, agency, and control by providing two non-punitive choices that let her display behaviors that meet your expectations.

Tell the student you value him as a member of the classroom community. Ensure that he feels belonging rather than shame.

When such actions become your habitual response each time students act out, you are providing them with developmental experiences that help them self-regulate.

Keep Students in the General Education Classroom

Remote schooling has painfully demonstrated the critical role that in-person schooling plays in simultaneously meeting many developmental needs. Besides academic learning, in-person schooling provides children with socialization and support from caring adults, peers with whom they can test out various identities as they discover themselves, and access to skilled physical and mental health practitioners. And for too many children, school is where they experience sanctuary from unsafe homes and communities, get reliable meals, and have access to other social services.

The loss of these supports last year, possibly on top of traumatic events at home, means many students will begin this academic year displaying symptoms that could meet the criteria for a range of mental health disorders. It will be tempting to manage the challenges their behaviors create by isolating these kids through extended time outs, separating their desks from the rest of the class, or even removing them from the general education classroom. However, we must resist the pressure to use exclusion and the special education system to manage behavior and learning challenges associated with adversity and poverty.

Four months into the 2020–21 academic year, I met with a group of school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. They expressed alarm at the pushback they were getting from classroom teachers and administrators when they declined to attach behavioral- or learning-disorder labels to students who'd been referred for assessment. These mental health practitioners resisted because it was clear to them that students' challenges were the direct result of how their families had been affected by the pandemic and remote learning.

Special education isn't set up to respond to behavior and learning challenges arising from temporary situational factors. Once special education labels are attached to children, it can permanently alter how they are perceived by educators and the educational opportunities they have. Testing for the purpose of assigning students to remedial or special education classes will only serve the needs of vulnerable students if we do things differently than before the pandemic. If we're serious about using testing as a step in the process of mitigating COVID-19-induced inequalities, it must be coupled with policies for providing students who've fallen the furthest behind with accelerated learning opportunities provided by the strongest educators (Myers, 2021).

The National Association of School Psychologists has clear guidance on identifying children for learning disabilities after the resumption of in-person schooling (National Association of School Psychologists, 2020). Although this guidance focuses on learning disabilities, the principles it details also apply to behavioral disabilities. At the core of their guidance is the need to implement strong Tier 1 interventions for all students, coupled with supplemental interventions for students exhibiting learning delays. As the NASP notes, this fall it will be almost impossible to rule out situational factors, like lack of access to appropriate schooling, until children have had adequate time in a supportive learning environment.

I understand educators' anxieties about how behaviors stemming from mental health distress or trauma can disrupt their attempts to progress through the curriculum. I understand their worries about whether escalated behaviors will make their classrooms unsafe spaces. However, if the underlying cause of students' disruptive behaviors is mental health distress, punitive and exclusionary discipline will worsen both their mental health and their acting-out behaviors. Students need to feel safe with you. They're most likely to feel safe when they know they won't be shamed in front of peers if they make poor behavioral choices.

Accelerated Learning Tip

To create conditions that will enable accelerated learning, change the current anxiety-filled, short-sighted conversation about maximizing instructional time.

The Basics of Relational Discipline

Relational discipline is grounded in research showing that leveraging positive educator-student relationships is more effective than punishment in motivating students to adhere to classroom expectations (Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering, 2003). The strongest educator-student relationships are built on a foundation of understanding each student as an individual and genuinely caring for each one's well-being, although the relationship-building process won't look the same for every educator.

Figure 1 provides examples of relational discipline. Educators who effectively use relational discipline value strengthening student voice, developing social and emotional competencies, and preserving student dignity while correcting behaviors. (This last point is crucial; even one public shaming interaction with a student can have widespread damaging effects.) Relational discipline isn't just about incidences of misbehavior. Its principles permeate decision making around daily routines and procedures, instructional practices, and ensuring that academic content is culturally responsive.

Plan in advance—and practice—responses to challenging behaviors so you can maintain composure and safeguard student dignity in the moment. Here are some behavioral corrections that are not relationally damaging:

Make extended eye contact with a student exhibiting off-task behavior. This is a subtle, powerful way of alerting them to the fact that you see them and their behavior needs correcting.

Make eye contact, then use a physical sign, like a finger to the lips, to indicate the behavior that needs to change. This is most effective when you follow that gesture with another that indicates what you want them to do as a replacement behavior, such as return to their reading.

If a student isn't following instructions, provide a short reminder of what they should be doing—as privately and subtly as possible.

Remind the whole class of the expected appropriate behavior and give students time to self-correct. This will reach the individual student who needs a behavioral correction and prevent other students from beginning to engage in off-task behaviors.

Building and maintaining positive relationships with students, especially those coping with trauma, can be challenging. The same actions won't work for every student—or every educator—nor can teachers have equally strong relationships with all students. An educator may need to seek help from other staff who have stronger relationships with a given student. Students need a network of supportive, collaborative adults throughout the school.

Needed: Engaged Instructional Time

While relational discipline will strengthen classroom management, your classroom will be even more productive when you create a learning environment that prevents behavior challenges.

Many administrators and educators will want a quick return to classroom procedures and protocols that "maximize instructional time." However, past disasters have shown that staff and students need time and support to reestablish the school as a learning community. This will only occur through actively teaching self-regulation and social skills necessary for managing the interpersonal frustrations that are a natural part of being in a community.

I understand the panic over "learning loss." I see it as an educational justice issue; the racial disparities that have widened during the pandemic threaten to wipe out generations of hard earned educational and socioeconomic progress. But we must remember that much more than academic learning has been lost. Behavioral learning loss has also been unequally distributed. Some children live in homes that were able to create a school-like structured learning environment. Some have had months of unstructured time and will require considerable social and emotional supports to relearn classroom routines. Others have been completely absent from the learning environment and will need to incrementally rebuild the behavioral and cognitive stamina required for attending to academic instruction.

To give classroom teachers the time and space to create the conditions that will enable accelerated learning, we need to change the current anxiety-filled, short-sighted conversation about maximizing instructional time. Accountability pressures are causing too many to lose sight of the needs of the students receiving instruction. Indeed, we're in danger of forgetting one of the lessons educators learned during the pandemic: student engagement is everything.

Remote schooling freed students from teachers' ability to physically demand and direct their attention to the often disconnected, often unengaging academic content being taught in most classrooms. Many students expressed their disengagement by not showing up to the remote classroom or showing up as silent black boxes. As we return to in-person learning, we must not equate students' physical presence in the classroom with their engagement in learning.

Figure 2 illustrates how engaged instructional time is a smaller subset of the actual time students are instructed. During engaged instructional time, acting-out behaviors are minimized because students' attentions and energies are focused on academic learning they perceive as meaningful and relevant.

Getting Into the Zone

Educators and students co-construct the engagement zone in Figure 2. We know students are in this zone when we see signs of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, as Figure 3 details.

Emotional engagement is listed first in Figure 3 because when educators focus on students' needs for emotional engagement, they create the conditions for the behavioral and cognitive engagement that facilitates learning. When students are emotionally motivated to learn, the burden of behavioral self-regulation is minimized because they don't have to fight against boredom. They will find creative solutions to obstacles that arise.

The following principles (Pekrun & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2014) can help you plan instruction that will engage students emotionally:

Topic emotions relate to students seeing themselves and their life experiences in the content, thus feeling a personal connection to what they're learning. They may feel excitement or curiosity—or, if they can't see anything related to their reality in the content, alienation, and boredom. To positively engage topic emotions in learners:

Learn about the life and cultural experiences of your students. Use that information to connect your academic lessons to who students are.

Provide opportunities for students to engage in assignments in ways that interest them and reveal more about who they are, such as writing something based on a tale from their culture.

Social emotions are important because students are more engaged when they feel connected to others in the learning process. This includes emotions like happiness, caring, or sympathy. To foster positive social emotions during learning:

Do frequent whole-class verbal check-ins about the learning process and the content using interactive strategies.

When you see a student struggling with an assignment, send a check-in note with words of encouragement and an offer of support ("I noticed you only completed two of the math problems during homework jumpstart. I'll stop by your desk tomorrow to help you work through a couple of problems.")

Achievement emotions, like pride, hope, and joy, relate to the sense of accomplishment that motivates students to keep learning. If a learner routinely experiences academic failure, negative emotions like shame and fear may lead them to avoidance.

Identify students who have yet to experience success or mastery on a lesson or assignment. Create opportunities for them to experience success in your classroom.

Offer ways for students to be affirmed for effort and persistence, not just completion and achievement.

Explore whether a student who seems disengaged from classroom activities is actually feeling fear or lacking self-confidence.

When educators focus on students' needs for emotional engagement, they create the conditions for the behavioral and cognitive engagement that facilitates learning.

Micere Keels

Better for All

By using relational discipline and making instruction more engaging, we can ensure that all students—especially those still feeling the effects of trauma—have a successful return to school and learning. Instead of just returning to normal, we can "build back better."

Reflect & Discuss

Keels says it's crucial now that each student senses they are a valued member of their class, even if they make bad behavior choices. What practices—or visual reminders—could you build into your classroom routines to help each student know they're a valued member of your community?

Keels states that "behavior is the language of trauma." How might this perspective change you or your school's approach to student discipline?

What steps could you take to improve "relational discipline" in your school or classroom?

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What Schools Need Now: Relational Discipline - ASCD

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As our schools continue to transition from pandemic-induced disruption to a new normal, educators must realize that our most vulnerable students are the ones who’ve been harmed the most. Emerging research shows that, as with other disasters, most children and adolescents are exhibiting resilience in

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https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CpkmeTWe_Ed6u6z37pNmkoAUGP2_C7nl

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Absolutely. We have a version of the program that can be access by students, parents, and teachers at home that covers all of the same content. This program specifically assists students in feeling more connected and supported while learning through distance education.

Yes! The program contains a video-based introduction to the material and platform for teachers (approximately 15 mins total). This program has a unique model where professional development occurs in the classroom alongside student learning. There are two-minute audio recordings for teachers to listen to before each lesson, and that is the only preparation required. As they take their students through our courses, teachers have a chance to practice the skills their students are learning in real life scenarios. This helps them truly connect to their students so they can get the most out of them both personally and academically, resulting in a deeper sense of job satisfaction. In addition, there is in-depth teacher training on all aspects of bullying and mental health for schools that wish to up-skill their entire teaching staff, but this is not necessary to run our programs.

Parents are provided with videos and detailed mental health information that accompany the lessons their child is engaged with. These offer tips and tools for reinforcing this learning at home and boosting the wellbeing and resilience of their child. Parents are able to access these resources anytime - even after the program is finished, so they can continue to support their child through any struggle they may face.

Yes! The program was built upon the bullying intervention research of Dr Hayley Watson, and Columbia University Teacher's College is our research partner, and is engaged in ongoing validation of our programs. Our findings so far indicate an increase in mental health literacy, self-efficacy, and self-awareness in students, and teachers report increased engagement, connection, and focus in their classrooms.

Talking about mental health can be upsetting for young people, especially if they are struggling themselves or have struggled in the past. In our culture we often want to shy away from things that trigger us, which is part of what reinforces the stigma and sense of isolation experienced by young people facing mental health challenges.

In Open Parachute programs, no student is ever pushed to share more than they want to, and at the same time they are given an opportunity to explore real issues (that they have already been or will soon be introduced to through social media/online) in a safe, supportive environment where they can dispel myths and build real skills for resilience both now and in the future.

In addition, in every school where our programs operate, there are clear pathways set up for students to seek extra support from school counsellors/psychologists should they become upset by any topics shared in class. In this way, the program serves as a method for highlighting and targeting active mental health concerns that might otherwise be missed in busy school schedules where students often hide their true feelings.

One aspect that we pride ourselves on is the flexibility of our program. We know that every school curriculum is set up differently, and every population has slightly different needs, so we tailor our curriculum to suit your schedule. Our program is designed to fit into between 3 to 8 class sessions of 40 mins-1.5 hours in length, and teachers can elect to cover more or less of the content based on the needs of their students, and the space they have available in their curriculum.

We have different programs across the grade levels, covering from Grades 6 to 12 in North America, and Years 5 to 12 in Australia. In each program we cover a variety of topics based on the maturity level of students. Our topics include bullying, trauma, mental health, peer struggles, body image, social media, addiction, sexual consent, grief, loss, abuse, depression, anxiety, identity, and racism/prejudice. Please contact us to discuss the unique programming structure that would work best for your students.

Our program builds the following core psychological skills:

Resilience in the face of adversity

Cognitive shifting & creative/critical thinking

Empowerment & personal awareness/accountability

Empathy for others & social responsibility

Inclusion & respect of differences

Self-esteem/positive personal & cultural identity

Interpersonal skills & healthy relationship engagement

Positive behaviour & self-care

Boundaries & safety

When young people face mental health challenges, these arise as a result of a variety of factors including biology, trauma history, and current stressors at home, school and/or in relationships. Hearing about the struggles of others will not cause mental health concerns to arise in youth. The purpose of introducing stories of other teenagers who are facing mental health challenges is so that students can process these issues in a safe, secure, supported environment. In the world we live in today, young people can access a plethora of information on all things related to mental health, however the resources they turn to are often full of misinformation and stigma. Therefore, introducing these topics in the classroom provides a platform to dispel myths and establish awareness about real issues that students often keep hidden from their parents, teachers, and friends.

Absolutely! The program was developed based on the bullying intervention research of our founder, Dr Hayley Watson, which discovered that establishing an ethos of empathy, emotional awareness, and perspective shifting creates school environments where students feel safe and their relationships flourish.

Our programs are being run in schools across the US, Canada, and Australia.

The program is currently being run in Grades 6 to 12 in North America, and in Years 5 to 12 in Australia, and we are in the process of developing programs for younger ages.

The program is priced on a per student basis, with discounts for larger schools/districts. Our aim is to make our programs as widely accessible as possible to all populations. Please contact us for a quote.

Definitely! We have developed our content to meet the newest curriculum requirements of Australia, Canada, and the US, and we are constantly progressing to meet the changing demands placed on schools. We pride ourselves on creating tailored programming for our clients, so if there is a curriculum requirement that you need addressed, we can ensure it is included in the rollout of your program.

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Absolutely. We have a version of the program that can be access by students, parents, and teachers at home that covers all of the same content. This program specifically assists students in feeling more connected and supported while learning through distance education. Yes!

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Tier 2

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Strategies for a Successful Return

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Thriving YOUniversity - Strategies for a Successful Return Library -  Bitmoji Shortcut Slide

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There's More Than One Side to Every Story

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Restorative Justice: A whole school approach

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Restorative Justice: A whole school approach

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Restorative Circle Questions for Students

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"Who or what inspires you to be your best self?"

This is hardly the question that most Angelenos would ask at 9:30 in the morning on a gray, rainy Saturday. But for the 80+ adults and youth who gathered on March 2 at Mendez Learning Center in Boyle Heights, this introspective query kicked off "Circles," a rich, daylong exploration of Restorative Justice.

Restorative Justice (RJ) seeks to cultivate both peacemaking and healing by facilitating meaningful dialogue. Practiced through conversation circles, whose norms include "listen with respect" and "speak from the heart," RJ provides contexts for sharing feelings and perspectives related to community issues and conflicts. Individuals directly engaged in altercations, as well as bystanders and other community members, gather to discuss inciting incidents, understandings, preferences, past experiences, ideas, and advice.

According to one Circles participant, a senior at Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, RJ works. He and a peer had a falling out this past fall -- he had criticized the peer and then they began fighting. Both were invited to a RJ circle to work it out. The circle, populated by fellow students and facilitated by a trained RJ counselor, gave the two young men a space to air their grievances and, importantly, get to know each other. In Aceves's opinion, this was critical. Now the former combatants are good friends, hanging out together practically every weekend.

While this rosy outcome isn't typical, RJ increases the likelihood of such a relational development. Compared to traditional responses, like turning a blind eye, assigning short-term mediation, or sentencing wrong-doers with detention, suspension, or expulsion, RJ's odds of building interpersonal bridges is infinitely superior.

Traditional justice systems use punishment, such as zero-tolerance, to deter students from breaking rules, whereas RJ assumes that strong relationships and community investment function as deterrence. Traditional justice systems are reactive and atomistic, meting out consequences to perpetrators of discrete, forbidden acts -- for instance, suspending the student who threw the first punch. But RJ is proactive and collectivistic, engaging a network of students before and during negotiations of conflict. RJ is also restorative, aiming to support participants in healing, problem-solving, and making amends.

Omar Ramirez, a visual artist with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and who served as a Circles small group leader, frames RJ as a means to shut down the "school to prison pipeline." RJ might help to do this in several ways.

Because RJ is a dialogic alternative to suspension and expulsion, it breaks the cycle of disproportionately meting out punitive disciplinary consequences to students with disabilities and students of color. This stops the implicit messaging that these students are unwelcome in school, and helps to keep them off the streets. According to The California Conference for Equality and Justice, a suspension at any point during high school makes a student three times more likely to drop out than a peer who has never been suspended.

Additionally, it's possible that RJ participants who acquire tools for communicating and managing emotions will find it easier to resist criminal activity. Participating in RJ also might help youths to engage in perspective-taking and practice empathy, both of which boost negatively predict bullying and boost students' social and emotional competence. This is critical, since researchers from Sonoma State University have contended that "deficits in emotional competence skills appear to leave young people ill-equipped to cope effectively with interpersonal challenges." ¹

Due to RJ's capacity to both support students' social-emotional health and contribute to school climate change, members of the Building Healthy Communities - Boyle Heights (BHC-BH) collaborative have championed its practice. Building Healthy Communities is an effort of The California Endowment to support 14 communities' holistic health; Boyle Heights, as well as Long Beach and South Los Angeles, are among these communities. Forty non-profits and community-based organizations comprise the BHC-BH collaborative. Its mission, according to BHC-BH's campaign literature, is to "meet with resident and youth leaders to establish efforts that will improve the health narrative of Boyle Heights."

Pilot RJ programs launched in Long Beach and at Boyle Heights's Roosevelt High School this 2013-2014 academic year. But to scale up RJ and implement it in every school in Boyle Heights (not to mention every Los Angeles Unified School District institution), funding is necessary -- specifically, funding to support the salary of each school's full-time RJ counselor.

In this context of state-wide budget deficits, locating any money at all requires creative activism. BHC-BH has identified as its RJ funding solution the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Introduced in California's 2013-2014 budget, the LCFF provides grants for schools that serve foster youth, English Language Learners, and/or youths eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal. This describes many of Boyle Heights' students.

Las Fotos Project presented the Circles workshop, in partnership with several community-based organizations: The Greenlining Institute, the California Conference for Equality and Justice, InnerCity Struggle, Khmer Girls in Action, Violence Prevention Coalition, and Alliance for California Traditional Arts. ² Together, they defined the workshop's objectives, which included raising attendees' awareness of the BCH-BH, educating them about LCFF, and inviting them to urge officials to direct local LCFF funds towards RJ. According to Eric Ibarra, founder of Las Fotos Project, the March 2 workshop also was inspired by his pride in his students' photo essays.

Ibarra's Las Fotos Project seeks to empower Latina youth through photography, mentorship, and self-expression. Whereas five of Ibarra's students last year premiered their photo essays online, this year Ibarra yearned to share his students' projects with live audiences as well. Moreover, since this year's photo essays examined RJ, Ibarra wanted audiences to explore RJ hands-on, learn about how RJ can be funded locally, and access pathways to activism.

That's precisely what the Circles workshop offered. After attendees shared who or what inspired them to be their best selves, they watched a photo essay created by Las Fotos Project participant Lorena Arroyo. A 17-year-old Roosevelt High School student, Arroyo documented cheerleader Gaby's explorations of RJ within her squad. Following the photo essay presentation, Arroyo proudly bowed to Circles attendees' thunderous applause. Four more of these media projects, highlighting the respective RJ journeys of two students, a parent, and a school staff member, will be forthcoming from Las Fotos Project participants.

Explained Ibarra, Circles represents "the efforts of a lot of really passionate people ... We believe in the importance of collaboration and sharing resources to work together for a common cause."

Rich in geographic, ethnic, and occupational diversity, Circles attendees seemed to share that collaborative ethos. For example, Circle #3, facilitated by Ramirez, included three high school students, a community organizer, a nun, a PhD candidate [myself], a high school teacher, and an editor [of KCET Departures], all of whom eagerly embraced RJ's community spirit. Establishing our own dialogic circle gave us a space to learn about RJ and each other. We shared and, more importantly, deeply listened to personal stories about a Native American grandmother, a growing daughter, an insensitive coworker, a resilient student, and a passion for '80s fashion. We also discussed RJ definitions and how to conduct circles for addressing teacher-student conflicts.

To close the workshop, each Circle group practiced and promoted RJ through the use of a different art form, e.g., collage, journaling, breakdancing. Articulated members of the spoken word circle, "I am a beautiful dreamer, I am a strong fighter." Members of the songwriting circle entitled their tune, "We Want to Restore Justice." Together they sang the refrain, "This is ours/People power."

In the view of 20-year-old Anaheim community organizer Carlos Becerra, the implications of this people power can be revolutionary. Stated Becerra, "Restorative Justice, when implemented in our global community, has the potential to create world wide peace and prosperity."

_____
¹ Buckley, M., Storino M. & C. Saarni. (2003). Promoting emotional competence in children and adolescents: Implications for school psychologists. School Psychology Quarterly, 18(2), pp. 177-191.
² In partnership with Building Healthy Communites Boyle Heights, Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA, People's Yoga, East LA Women's Center, and KCET Departures. The event was funded by The California Endowment.

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Circles: Healing Through Restorative Justice

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"Who or what inspires you to be your best self?" This is hardly the question that most Angelenos would ask at 9:30 in the morning on a gray, rainy Saturday. But for the 80+ adults and youth who gathered on March 2 at Mendez Learning Center in Boyle Heights, this introspective query kicked off "Circles," a rich, daylong exploration of Restorative Justice.

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Respect Agreements

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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School behavior support systems can serve to perpetuate oppression or be a force for dismantling systemic racism and promoting equity. At the Center on PBIS, we are committed to improving outcomes for each student, and given centuries of oppression, violence, and segregation, we must increase our commitment to improving outcomes for each Black student. To dismantle systemic racism, we must:

Increase the voice of students and families in their educational systems

Use strategies to make every student feel safe and welcome

Examine school-wide expectations and teaching matrices for hidden biases and to increase cultural responsiveness

Disaggregate data to assess and address disproportionality in exclusionary discipline

Use engaging instruction that builds on students' prior knowledge

Support educators in replacing exclusionary responses to problem behavior with instructional responses

Revise punitive policies that disproportionately harm students who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color

Identify our own biases about student behavior and replace deficit thinking with a strengths-based approach

The Center on PBIS is committed to partnering with the Black community and providing resources to help educators make Black lives matter.

Resources

This field guide outlines an integrated framework to embed equity efforts into school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) by aligning culturally responsive practices to the core components of SWPBIS. The goal of using this guide is to make school systems more responsive to the cultures and communities that they serve. This guide is part of a 5-point intervention approach for enhancing equity in student outcomes within a SWPBIS approach.

The purpose of this study was to examine discipline disproportionality among schools implementing SWPBIS compared to the entire population of schools in the U.S. Examining patterns in a large-scale evaluation of schools implementing and not implementing SWPBIS could help determine the extent to which implementation of SWPBIS is related to lower, higher, or unchanged discipline disparities.

This evaluation brief describes how Wisconsin is implementing an equitable multi-level system of supports (MLSS) framework, also known as a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), and how schools implementing this framework with both a behavior and reading focus have shown positive outcomes for all students. The data analyzed in this brief were derived from a small, Wisconsin RtI Center staff directed project. The focus was on the impact of an equitable multi-level system of supports (MLSS).

This guide is designed primarily for use by district teams seeking to reduce racial and ethnic disproportionality in school discipline, regardless of whether they are implementing SWPBIS. It provides examples of content that could be included in board policies or district administrative rules and regulations. School teams may also use this guide in developing school- specific policies and procedures. This guide is not intended to replace legal counsel for policies required by local, state, and federal legislation.

Presentation explaining the steps the Ferguson Florissant School District took to maintain a positive learning climate using trauma informed practice and PBIS after Michael Brown was fatally shot in their community.

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PBIS.org | A Commitment to Racial Equity from the Center on PBIS

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School behavior support systems can serve to perpetuate oppression or be a force for dismantling systemic racism and promoting equity. At the Center on PBIS, we are committed to improving outcomes for each student, and given centuries of oppression, violence, and segregation, we must increase our commitment to improving outcomes for each Black student.

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Online Coloring Mandala

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Online Coloring Book for Kids and Adults for free

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Have fun with this online coloring of Mandala. You can also save your picture and share with your friends or print a blank coloring and create your picture of Mandala with your own coloring box. All colorings are for free!

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Mandala - Online Coloring Book for Kids and Adults for free

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Have fun with this online coloring of Mandala. You can also save your picture and share with your friends or print a blank coloring and create your picture of Mandala with your own coloring box. All colorings are for free!

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Collect office discipline referral data and make active, data-driven decisions to create the kind of school where every student is successful.

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Spectrum of Community Engagement Tool2 8.10.17

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ucla center for mental health in schools

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UCLA School Mental Health Project Homepage. The UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools is one of two national training and technical assistance centers focused on mental health in schools.* Our center approaches mental health and psychosocial concerns from the broad perspective of addressing barriers to learning and promoting healthy development.

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August 2020

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Positive Reinforcement through Distance Learning

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Introduction

All students deserve access to welcoming, supportive, and safe schools and classrooms. Successful school climates and student discipline involves setting all students up for success by meeting their academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs and ensuring schools have the necessary tools to assist students with addressing any behaviors that could otherwise interfere with their learning or others' learning or impact school safety. It also means preventing and eliminating discrimination in the administration of student discipline.

The Department recognizes and appreciates school administrators, teachers, and educational staff across the nation who work to provide a safe, positive, and nondiscriminatory education environment for all students, teachers, and other school staff. The Department is committed to protecting our students' wellbeing, and we recognize that a strong foundation in building healthy and productive relationships with others helps students thrive. A key component of supporting schools is ensuring they have information and guidance about their obligations under federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by states, local educational agencies, and schools that receive federal funds. The Department has taken steps to address the needs of schools by providing substantial resources to support the challenging work of setting all students up for success and meeting their academic, behavioral, and mental health needs.

Administrators, educators, students, parents, guardians, and other stakeholders can find on this site tools, data, and resources to:

Meet students' social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs;

Help schools understand and comply with Federal laws, including laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin, sex, and disability; and

Find information and resources for promoting welcoming and safe schools.

Featured

Supporting Students' Social Emotional, Behavioral, and Academic Well-Being and Success:

Strategies for Student and Teacher Support Teams English [PDF, 1.6M] | Español [PDF, 1.3M] (May 26, 2023)

Strategies for Educators and School-Based Staff English [PDF, 1.4M] | Español [PDF, 1.4M] (May 26, 2023)

Strategies for Schools to Enhance Relationships with Families English [PDF, 1.9M] | Español [PDF, 1.2M] (May 26, 2023)

Letter from Secretary Cardona Calling for End to Corporal Punishment in Schools (March 24, 2023)

Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates (March 24, 2023)

A letter from Secretary Cardona to our nation's Educators, School Leaders, Parents, and Students about the importance of supporting the needs of students with disabilities. (July 19, 2022)

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discipline; discrimination; school safety; disadvantaged youth; school climate

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School Climate and Student Discipline Resources

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Information and guidance related to school climate and student discipline

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Culturally Responsive Practices in Tier 1

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Culturally Responsive Practices in Tier 1

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Part one of a three-part series. Read parts two and three.

"The crisis component of a tiered support system allows for students who are experiencing disruptions in their health, mood, behavior, and/or skill development to receive support immediately."

By Dawn Foreman, M.Ed. and Renee Prince, LCSW

Now, more than ever before, schools are charged with understanding the impact of trauma and working collaboratively to address and meet the needs of students and staff - especially as it relates to the collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Turmaud in Psychology Today, collective trauma is defined as a traumatic experience that affects and involves entire groups of people , communities, or societies. Collective trauma particularly impacts young people, sometimes leading to significant changes in how they are being educated and the level to which they can socialize with their peers. Children may react to or feel the impact of the stress on their caregivers and teachers. Some signs of this impact include difficulty in focusing, displaying work-avoidant behaviors, or demonstrating disruptive behaviors.

Prior to the collective trauma caused by C OVID -19, many schools across the country treated academic and social-emotional needs separately and failed to acknowledge the integrated and nature of development. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) makes it clear that schools must utilize an integrated, comprehensive approach to address the complex needs of all students, in order to facilitate positive academic outcomes. Both science and practitioner experience confirm this recommendation; when students receive targeted services and supports that are attuned to their holistic needs , both inside and outside of school, significant improvement to learning and experience at school is demonstrated (Cantor, et. al., 2018).

Tiered Supports

One way schools can operationalize this vision is through the implementation of a system tiered support . The purpose of a tiered support system is to provide a framework for an adaptive, responsive continuum of integrated supports for all students. There are three tiers of support:

Tier 1 supports are universal and are applicable to all students

Tier 2 supports are designed to provide selective supports to individuals or groups of students whose needs are not being met by Tier 1 supports

Tier 3 supports are designed to provide more intensive, individualized supports for students whose needs are not met by Tier 1 or Tier 2 supports

The Crisis Component

The crisis component of a tiered support system allows for students who are experiencing disruptions in their health, mood, behavior, and/or skill development to receive support immediately. Having a crisis plan is not just important in this moment, but also long-term, given the scope of student need in our country. Each year in the United States, These experiences may come in the form of abuse and neglect, exposure to family and/or community violence, lack 35 million children cope with some form of traumatic experience. ing basic resources and homelessness, experiencing systemic oppression, discrimination, and more , lead ing to a unique set of needs that schools must be prepared to meet.

Due to the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and ongoing systemic oppression and racism, schools must expand their capacity to support not only additional children, but also staff and family members. Meeting the unique needs of this moment will require a proactive, integrated, multi-faceted approach . It will be imperative that leadership, student support staff, and teachers work collaboratively in the design (or redesign) of a school crisis plan.

Tools and Resources

Turnaround for Children has curated a set of tools and resources to drive the creation of a school crisis plan. Two of the resources are :

Imminent Risk and Tier 3 Referral which supports schools in identifying the crisis indicators that would warrant a student in need of an immediate Tier 3 level of support

their re-entry plans. Incorporation of these considerations will allow for staff, students, and families to Re-entry Guidance for School Leaders , who are ultimately responsible for the wellbeing of their staff and students. Th is document provides some considerations for a le ader to design One key component of this guidance document is for leaders to ensure they have a crisis team in place and that they schedule a standing meeting for this team to assemble. move from surviving to thriving and will lead to positive student outcomes.

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Responding to Crisis Within A Tiered Supports System: The Importance of A School Crisis Plan | Turnaround for Children

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Part one of a three-part series. Read parts two and three. "The crisis component of a tiered support system allows for students who are experiencing disruptions in their health, mood, behavior, and/or skill development to receive support immediately." By Dawn Foreman, M.Ed.

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Self-Care for Educators in Uncertain Times MPUSD (2)

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Teachers adjusting to teaching from home while schools are closed may need to work out new routines to stay grounded.

atracurium_ / Alamy Stock Photo

As a teacher of online courses for many years, I've grappled with working from home. Whether we're planning and teaching virtually or managing projects, working from home for extended lengths of time can be challenging as work time blends into personal time. It's too easy to slip into being on call 24/7 as we tackle emerging challenges and requests from learners anywhere and at any time.

But setting boundaries that separate work time from personal time is only a first step. To help and support others, we must become avid caretakers of ourselves.

Tending to our personal health seems important but also really difficult in situations like the current pandemic, when our time feels consumed with urgent work issues. We may feel that if we don't get a task done, our students will suffer or programs will fail. However, if we become mentally exhausted, overtired, or drained of energy, we risk a complete shutdown mentally or physically-and at that point, no tasks will get done.

Fortunately, there are many ways that we can take care of ourselves so that we can meet the needs of others from home. The following are my suggestions for personal care and sharing with others. They are just suggestions: The most important thing is to think about the three areas-physical, mental, and social care-and do what works best for you and what you know you'll be able to do regularly.

Physical Care: Sleep and Exercise

Tending to basic needs is important for managing stress and replenishing the energy reserves needed for tackling tasks. Numerous studies reinforce the value of adequate sleep-seven to eight hours a night for adults. One value of sleep is that it helps " maintain many vital functions " of the body, giving cells and tissues worn out by daily life time to recover, according to a research review by the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Pair sleep with good eating habits and an exercise routine. It's no secret that exercise can promote good sleep, as well as provide the energy needed to perform throughout the day.

Maintain a routine that includes a consistent bedtime. Plan to get the rest you need so that each day you can better address your students' needs.

Explore sleep apps that offer real-time data regarding your sleep hours and patterns. Apps vary in accuracy, but they may capture a picture of your depth of sleep and wakefulness. The site Tom's Guide offers an updated list of sleep apps. Sleep Cycle is my current go-to. Some fitness bands include sleep tracking.

Establish an exercise schedule. This could include quick successes such as a walk or bike ride. I sometimes walk up and down the stairs in my house for 30 minutes or ride a stationary bike. Too busy? Set aside 15 or 20 minutes a day to walk or pace inside or outside.

Try out fitness apps like DownDog and Peloton, YouTube videos, or fitness console games like Just Dance or Ring Fit Adventure. An extra feature of many fitness apps is the ability to document your food intake, which can be important especially if you're concerned about stress eating.

Simple ideas for getting better sleep and regular exercise include:

Mental Care: Mindfulness and Learning

Set up blocks of time for work and family-but also for yourself. Loved ones see you at home working and naturally want your time. Share meals and walks, or other breaks from work, but while family and work colleagues both need your attention, protecting some personal time can help you recharge and be present for them.

Schedule activities that promote calm: meditating, growing spiritually, doing yoga, completing puzzles, or playing digital or physical games. I play Minecraft to relax and subconsciously generate ideas for creative learning. There are helpful apps that support a Zen state of mind-my favorite is Calm.

Try to keep learning by reading articles, listening to podcasts or favorite playlists, and watching instructional videos. Growing your professional practice and hobbies is valuable to rejuvenating yourself.

Social Care: Stay Connected With Others

Teachers are generally very able to keep track of time in the classroom, but we may be more challenged when working at home. Between lesson planning, researching learning experiences, and attending professional meetings, it's possible to forget to eat and stay connected with friends and family. Since a strength of virtual learning is access to the world, use those same resources for personal growth.

Stay in contact with family and friends by using video conference tools like Zoom, Google Hangout, Skype, WhatsApp, and FaceTime. Video meetings are better than a phone call-when you have a good connection-because you can see the people. Communication is more than voice-it benefits from facial expressions and other visual cues.

Have meals and conversations online with family and friends. Every Tuesday, my family has lunch with my parents using FaceTime or Zoom on a phone or tablet. Seeing each other and sharing updates really lifts my parents' and my kids' spirits. There are other avenues for socializing at a distance: Participate in discussion groups or book clubs. You might really benefit from seeing a smile, even if it's just on the screen. Social distancing doesn't have to mean social isolation.

We are role models for our students and our children, and we can set an example and practice what we teach about lifelong learning-which is now more important than ever. Managing our physical, mental, and social well-being can give us the energy to be present to those we are responsible for and set an example for them of how to cope with our tough current situation.

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Prioritizing Self-Care While Working From Home

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Teachers adjusting to teaching from home while schools are closed may need to work out new routines to stay grounded.

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CHC Resource Library | CHC | Services for Mental Health and Learning Differences for Young Children, Teens and Young Adults | Palo Alto, San Jose, Ravenswood

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After a tragic event, you may find yourself struggling with how to talk to your child about their feelings and fears. The resources on this page help parents, educators and other caring adults gain a deeper understanding of what trauma is and how to recognize the signs in children and youth. Get age-appropriate tips for talking to your child about their concerns and guidance on how you can provide comfort and reassurance and restore their sense of safety.

Books

When the World Feels Like a Scary Place

Something Bad Happened: A Kid's Guide to Learning About Events in the News

Voices of Compassion Podcast

Talking With Kids About Violence

Articles

Coping With Traumatic Events

APA Resources for Coping with Mass Shootings, Understanding Gun Violence

Children Are Bombarded With Violence in the News - Here's How to Help Them Cope

Help Your Children Cope with Traumatic Events

War, Crisis, Tragedy: How to Talk With Kids When the News is Scary

Resources with Downloadable Tip Sheets or Handouts

How Parents Can Help Children Cope With Trauma [downloadable]

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Disasters and Other Traumatic Events

Helping Youth Cope After a School Shooting [downloadable]

CHC is here to support families and children who have been impacted by trauma. If you have concerns about your child or teen, CHC Care Coordinators can arrange a free 30-minute consultation so you can explore options with an expert. We invite you to call or email us at 650.688.3625 or careteam@chconline.org to set up an initial Parent Consultation appointment. CHC teletherapy services are available now.

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Resources for Responding to Trauma - CHC Resource Library | CHC | Services for Mental Health and Learning Differences for Young Children, Teens and Young Adults | Palo Alto, San Jose, Ravenswood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
After a tragic event, you may find yourself struggling with how to talk to your child about their feelings and fears. The resources on this page help parents, educators and other caring adults gain a deeper understanding of what trauma is and how to recognize the signs in children and youth.