Pumpkins & Apples Take the Cake
This week featured, among other things, a full fall focus with pumpkin studies (great job on Big Works Wednesday!), a shared apple cake treat (thank you Ms. Tana), a special baking project led by Ms. Mindy with our English Language Learner Families, and the ever present raining down of the beautiful fall-colored leaves! It’s a short week, and with that this will be a relatively brief newsletter.
We hope our families enjoy a little extra time together this weekend – with today’s Professional Development Day for staff, the children have an extra day to rest and relax. Here at school, today was jam-packed with workshops and collaboration time. We began our day with Eric Mann from the Southeastern Regional Education Service better known as SERESC. Eric led us in a discussion of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with an emphasis on supporting and modeling self-awareness and self-regulation in order to support the regulation in children, especially during this very challenging time. We discussed the value of establishing and embedding SEL-connected common language and practices across all levels of our organization.
Our afternoon workshop was led by the folks at Connor’s Climb Foundation. Linked to the new NH law around suicide prevention among young people, this workshop is required of all staff to attend. Connor’s Climb provides suicide prevention education to NH youth and the community by raising awareness, reducing the stigma around mental health, and equipping youth, educators, and communities with tools and resources focused on the vulnerable age group of 10-24 year olds.They collaborate with teachers and schools, the public, and the mental health system to ensure that the young people of NH have the life-saving resources needed to prevent suicide. Some of you may remember Kara LaMarche who was our beloved Art Teacher a few years back. She is at Connors Climb and is a great partner in this work.
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