Since the spring of 2020, and all of our students returning to in-person learning in the fall of 2021, we noticed as a staff that students were struggling with their feelings and emotions.  We also knew that our staff, students, and families were looking for ways to reconnect. 

We surveyed 200 students in Grades 2 - 7 and 25% of the students indicated that they could not name adults who they could trust with their thoughts and feelings.  In the fall we began with weekly assemblies that focused on how to build trusting friendships at school. 

• Developed a Social-Emotional committee
• Accessed support from a teacher-consultant from the School District named Ellen Hsu
• Put in a Social-Emotional Learning Innovation Grant

In January we surveyed 212 students to see if what we were doing was making a difference. This time 28% shared that they could not name adults they could trust with their thoughts and feelings.

• Motivated staff to move to 1 recess and lunch break
• Beginning activities (badminton, running, games, music clubs at lunch)
• Moving Intermediate assemblies to in-person in the gym for team-building activities
• Starting a Leadership Club called the ‘Connection Crew” with 26 students

Our next steps are to look at developing a common language for our school with values that we will use to guide our decisions.  We will survey our students again in January 2023 to see if what we are doing is making a difference.