We recognize that the social emotional well-being of our students and staff during these challenging times is critically important.
The school district has made available resources and referrals to address mental health, behavioral, and emotional needs of students, faculty, and staff when school reopens for in-person instruction. Professional development for staff will include opportunities for faculty and staff about how to talk with and support students during and after the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as provide support for developing coping and resilience skills for students, faculty, and staff.
Students will continue to have access to counseling through district staff and the school district’s partnership with Saratoga Center for the Family.
Instructional staff will receive professional development as they return to school in recognizing and addressing the needs of students. We will continue to implement Responsive Classroom practices as a district-wide initiative for our elementary students.
The school district has established two advisory teams to address the needs of students and staff. The Advisory Team for Instruction will have a subgroup addressing the needs of students as we reopen school and throughout the coming year. It is anticipated the team will focus on all students including those returning for full time in-person instruction, those receiving instruction in a hybrid model, and those children learning remotely. A second advisory team, Employee Supports and Assistance, will focus specifically on the needs of staff members in the school district. Its focus will be to identify individuals with specific needs and connect those staff to meaningful employee assistance.
We will leverage our partners including the school district’s physicians, the Schenectady County Department of Health, and Saratoga Center for the Family to identify community resources.
Finally, social emotional well-being has been identified as a regional need and planning with Capital Region BOCES and its component school districts to develop and share resources is ongoing.