March/April 2022
New season, new beginnings.
As Adam Grant, author and professor at the Wharton School of Business, at the Philadelphia branch of the University of Pennsylvania, says, “The most important quality in a mentor, teacher, or coach is not how much they know. It’s how much they care. Caring is more than taking pride in your success. It’s feeling joy as you progress. The people you want in your corner are the ones who celebrate your growth.”
In the spirit of growth, use this newsletter’s information, resources, and stories to breathe new life into your heart, mind, and spirit.
The ESC of Northeast Ohio Student Wellness Department
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Violence Prevention Resources and Guidance | |
On November 30, 2021, a 15-year-old student at Michigan’s Oxford High School fired 30 shots, killing four students and injuring seven people. This act of violence was premeditated with videos, drawings and even witness evidence. As a result of this tragic event, districts across the country, including here in Ohio, are reviewing their safety protocols and systems for school-based crisis preparedness.
The ESC of Northeast Ohio’s Student Wellness Department offers support to schools and districts seeking to improve violence prevention measures. Two such offerings include professional development in restorative practices and crisis prevention programs (CPI). Interested? See below for more information.
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Restorative practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. The Student Wellness Department can help train district staff in Restorative Practices to proactively improve climate and culture and focus on repairing harm in schools. Please contact Student Wellness Consultants Meghan KanagaRaj (meghan.kanagaraj@escneo.org) or Heather Corcoran(heather.corcoran@escneo.org) for more information.
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CPI: Crisis Prevention Institute teaches professionals the skills to identify, prevent and de-escalate crises in the workplace. We offer differentiated trainings, which are designed to meet the needs of participants. More information can be found here. Please contact Meghan KanagaRaj (meghan.kanagaraj@escneo.org) or Dan Ogilvy (dan.ogilvy@escneo.org) if you have questions.
Say Something Week
Each year, thousands of schools and youth organizations nationwide participate in Say Something Week, a national call-to-action. With this year’s theme being “Celebrating Student Upstanders and Trusted Adults,” the week provides a great opportunity to raise awareness about the Say Something program and to plan some engaging activities. Sandy Hook Promise will recognize participants nationwide during the week March 14–18, 2022, but in order to provide maximum flexibility, schools are encouraged to select a week that works best for them.
Locally, Lakewood City Schools has participated in Say Something Week. Former Harding Middle School Assistant Principal, Robin Beavers, reports that she has seen a difference in her students, who are taking a more proactive approach regarding social media posts. "They aren't afraid to report something now," said Beavers. "Now they're more alert for things. They'll come and see if something is important. They'll report it or if they see a message online they'll check with the office to make sure something inappropriate isn't happening. So it's made a big impact."
CLICK HERE for more information and ideas on how you can bring this awareness campaign into your school buildings.
STOP School Violence: Safety Assessment Intervention Training
Did you know that ODE is offering free safety assessment intervention training to school employees across the state? Using funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance grant, allocated through the STOP School Violence Act, the goal is to train schools and communities to be able to identify and assess threats, signs, and signals to hopefully stop gun violence before it starts. Teachers, administrators, counselors, psychologists, social workers, community leaders, and resource officers all can participate in this training. The anticipated start date for in-person trainings is March 2022.
CLICK HERE for more information and CLICK HERE to register for an upcoming training.
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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month | |
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time when child advocates across the nation focus on ways to prevent abuse and neglect, recognizing the importance of strong families and communities working together to keep children safe.
Everyone can have a role helping keep children safe. The Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is asking families, friends, neighbors, and professionals to be a hero to a child. There are many ways you can be a #CuyahogaHero; by simply helping a struggling parent or family so they can parent safely, reporting suspected cases of abuse or neglect, and donating or volunteering with a local organization that helps children and families. If you are game for an even bigger commitment, you can join the team and work for DCFS or become a foster parent.
Throughout the month of April, DCFS will provide multiple virtual opportunities to learn more about all the ways you can be a #CuyahogaHero, including:
- Mandated Reporter Training
- A Conversation on Foster Care and Adoption
- What it takes to be a Child Protection Specialist, and
- How to help children and families involved in the child welfare system.
For more information on Child Abuse Prevention Month activities visit the DCFS website. Details will be added as we get closer to April.
The website also has helpful information on neighborhood collaboratives, a community resource guide, support services available to families, mandated reporting guidelines, how to make a report to the 24-hour hotline, and how to become a foster or adoptive parent.
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CLICK HERE for resources on:
- Gender Equality Month
- Self Harm Month
- Sandy Hook Promise/Say Something Week March 14-18
- School Social Work Week March 7-13
- National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week March 21-27
- Self-Injury Awareness Day March 1
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CLICK HERE for resources on:
- National Autism Awareness Month
- Child Abuse Awareness Month
- Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
- National Youth Violence Prevention Week April 25-29
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Supporting Students During the "Third Quarter Slump" | |
Have you heard of the “Third Quarter Slump?” It’s a common occurrence in schools at the end of February or the beginning of March, when a number of students’ grades dip and moods decline. The slump can be attributed to a number of factors, including a long stretch of days without a significant break, cold, overcast weather, an increasing level of difficulty in the academic content, and of course, the ongoing uncertainty associated with the COVID pandemic. The good news, however, is that there are ways teachers and counselors can support their students during this time of year that will invigorate their energy and motivation. Here are some suggestions:
- Encourage students to create short-term goals and write them down. Whether as simple as getting out of bed to the first alarm or as ambitious as achieving all A’s for the quarter, goals, when achieved, provide boosts of confidence and build energy and enthusiasm.
- Assist students in analyzing their grades to determine what strategies and work habits are helping them achieve success in their strongest classes. They can then apply these habits to their more challenging subjects.
- Suggest that students form a study group. As the saying goes, “misery loves company,” and studying with friends can make school work fun.
- Recommend studying in short, frequent blocks, instead of tackling a large amount of material at one time. This helps us to learn more, while avoiding boredom and overload.
- Show students how to use active study strategies for information retrieval. A few of these include sketching concepts, explaining what has been learned to someone else, and making notes of the main points in one’s own words.
- We all need something to look forward to. Encourage students to plan small rewards for themselves AFTER completing their work.
Most of all, it’s important to remember that the “Third Quarter Slump” is only temporary and quarter four is not far behind. This is good news for all.
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The "Daily Dedication"
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) emphasizes building a healthy school culture, where all students feel safe, accepted and valued. We recently read an article by humanities teacher Henry Seton, in which he describes a simple daily classroom ritual that is designed to build community among students. Called the “daily dedication,” the ritual is a brief presentation delivered by a student, where the day’s learning is dedicated to an individual who has been an inspiration to the presenter. The featured individual could be a parent, a friend, someone learned about in a news story or even a character in a book. Students are encouraged to share a picture and to describe the significance the individual has had in their life. Seton states that, “these brief moments become the seeds for deeper relationship building, starting points for future conversations.” You can read more about how to implement this unique and effective practice in this article from Edutopia. If you give it a try, we would love to hear from you!
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Districts Launching Sources of Strength Program in their Schools
Sources of Strength Ohio is a strengths-based prevention program for students in grades 3-12 that focuses on suicide prevention, substance abuse, bullying, and violence. The American Journal of Public Health describes the program as “the first suicide prevention program connecting adult advisors with diverse peer leaders to enhance protective factors associated with reducing suicide at the school population level.”
Locally, Recovery Resources, an agency that helps people triumph over mental illness, alcoholism, drug and other addictions, was awarded a Sources of Strength Ohio Network SFY22 grant in October from The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation & PreventionFIRST! with funding through OHMAS.
They are currently offering assistance to local school districts in Cuyahoga County for the implementation of the Sources of Strength program. Interested schools should reach out to Prevention Specialist Jason Steckel, at jsteckel@recres.org, to learn more about the training and to discuss next steps.
High schools and middle schools interested in going through the Sources of Strengths training are required to provide space and time for the one- or two-day session provided for adult advisors and peer leaders. There is also an expectation of two meetings per month. Interested elementary schools will simply need to provide classroom time for presentation of the curriculum. Schools outside of Cuyahoga County are encouraged to reach out to Jason so they may be connected with the appropriate Ohio Sources of Strength Network Leader.
Bay High School in Bay Village, Ohio, recently launched the Sources of Strength program. Led by Athletic/Activities Director Matt Spellman and a team of 10 faculty and staff members, the program teaches students skills to help them focus on what gives them strength. Each month, a new source of strength is highlighted (e.g., family support), and activities are organized around that theme. Some of these include creating collages, making a video, launching an art display, assisting other clubs in the building, and writing uplifting notes for all high school students. To follow their journey, visit them on Instagram @bayhighsourcesofstrength.
CLICK HERE for Sources of Strength Ohio’s pamphlet.
CLICK HERE for Sources of Strength Ohio’s comprehensive brochure.
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ESC of Northeast Ohio Trainings | | | | |