MPCSD HSI Newsletter Fall 2022

HEALTHY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE (HSI)

Dear Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) community,

This school year, Sequoia Healthcare District's Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) provided much needed funding and support for our frontline Covid response teams Wellness leads and school nurses from our eight school districts convened on a regular basis to discuss strategies and share information about fighting the ongoing pandemic Without the leadership of these individuals, it would have been difficult for our schools to re open for in person learning Health and safety comes first, and setting this foundation was essential before classrooms opened

In addition, in 2021 22, through the HSI grants program, over half a million dollars ($539,000) were allocated to 22 non profit organizations that work with our school districts Over the past 12 years, SHD has served as a leader in convening partners and providing a network of community supports and resources for students, families, and school staff Please visit seqhd org/hsi to learn more about our Healthy Schools Initiative

Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative

We would like to give a special thanks and recognition to Dr. Karen Li, MD, who recently retired from her position as the District's Director of School Health Since 2018, Dr Li's leadership was instrumental in coordinating school health efforts, especially during the pandemic Her leadership served as a catalyst for the school nurse mentor program and cultivated key community partnerships centered around mental health (CareSolace, Parent Green Folder) and prevention efforts (Tobacco Education Coalition) Thank you for your years of excellent service to our team

M E S S A G E F R O M S E Q U O I A H E A L T H C A R E D I S T R I C T

S P E C I A L T H A N K S

F A L L 2 0 2 2 N E W S L E T T E R

S C H O O L D I S T R I C T S W E S E R V E

IT’S A NEW YEAR

The start of a new year has been exciting for everyone It seems like the craziness of the last 2 years might just be behind us This is not to say that we don’t have typical school chaos. Ironically, this is refreshing.

Last spring, the MPCSD applied for and was awarded a Pivotal Practice Award from the California Department of Education. This award was an exercise in looking back at what the district was doing when schools were shut down that supported the Social Emotional Well Being of Students In the moment, it did not feel like we were being successful but as we looked back, we could see that we were intentionally implementing strategies to ensure relationships continued within the entire school community This award is a direct reflection of the advanced thinking and intentional tools that our entire school community did to support each other The administration, teachers, counselors, staff, students, parents, and community pivoted with more ease and success because each of them had a strong foundation upon which innovation and outside the box thinking could be developed

A LITTLE PAWZ-ITIVITY!

Over the last couple of years, the Menlo Park City School District has been exploring different ways of having Therapy Dogs at school to support the emotional needs of everyone Guided by research, here is what we know about having a facility dog on campus:

Increased school attendance

Positive changes leading to better learning and enhanced motivation Helps reduce stress and anxiety in both students and adults

Growth in confidence levels Development of better and stronger relationships with teachers and peers due to the experience of trust and love with therapy dogs.

Children learn ways to express their feelings and develop more trusting relationships

Helps students and adults after traumatic events and provide comfort

Reduced learner anxiety behaviors, causing improvement in learning outcomes like improved reading and writing skills and levels

EMOTIONS MATTER

MPCSD continues to roll out our social emotional learning tool RULER The RULER approach starts with recognizing and understanding that Emotions Matter and how emotions impact everything we do All of us know about emotions but do we really know how they work? Do we put what we learn into practice? Are we taking care of ourselves? RULER believes that when the adults understand that emotions matter and that they are key in supporting a child’s social and emotional learning, they use their own social and emotional skills to create and set an emotionally supportive tone for learning. They are more attuned to children’s emotional needs, and they are better equipped to guide children through transitions and manage the classroom because they are responsive and sensitive to children’s emotions

These are partners we work with in the district.

PARENT EDUCATION

Why Teen and Tween Sleep Matters, and How Parents and Schools Can Help

Lisa L. Lewis, MS, Author, The SleepDeprived Teen

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

5:30pm – 6:30pm PT Online Event (Live)

In her new book, The Sleep Deprived Teen: Why Our Teenagers Are So Tired, And How Parents And Schools Can Help Them Thrive, author Lisa L Lewis, MS, synthesizes the research to provide parents of teens and tweens with reader friendly information and strategies Register here

Behind Their Screens: What Teens are Facing (and Adults are Missing) Emily Weinstein, PhD, and Carrie James, PhD, Authors, Harvard Researchers

Friday, December 2, 2022

12:00pm – 1:00pm PT Online Event (Live)

In their new book, Behind Their Screens, authors and Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein, PhD, and Carrie James, PhD, explore the complexities that teens face in their digital lives, and suggest that many adult efforts to help “Get off your phone!” fall short Register here

EDUCACIÓN PARA PADRES

Por qué es importante el sueño de los adolescentes y preadolescentes, y cómo los padres y las escuelas pueden ayudar Lisa L. Lewis, MS, autora, The SleepDeprived Teen

Miércoles, 30 de noviembre de 2022 5:30pm – 6:30pm PT evento en línea (en vivo)

En su nuevo libro, El adolescente privado de sueño: por qué nuestros adolescentes están tan cansados y cómo los padres y las escuelas pueden ayudarlos a prosperar, autor Lisa L Lewis, MS, sintetiza la investigación para proporcionar a los padres de adolescentes y preadolescentes información y estrategias fáciles de leer Enlace de zoom aquí

Detrás de sus pantallas: lo que enfrentan los adolescentes (y los adultos que faltan) Emily Weinstein, PhD, y Carrie James, PhD, autoras, investigadores de Harvard

Viernes, 2 de diciembre de 2022 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT evento en línea (en vivo)

En su nuevo libro, Behind Their Screens, las autoras e investigadoras de Harvard Emily Weinstein, PhD y Carrie James, PhD, exploran las complejidades que enfrentan los adolescentes en su entorno digitalvidas, y sugieren que muchos esfuerzos de los adultos para ayudar “¡Quítate el teléfono!” se quedan cortos Enlace de zoom aquí

INICIATIVA ESCUELAS SALUDABLES (IES)

B O L E T Í N D E O T O Ñ O D E 2 0 2 2

Querida comunidad de la Iniciativa Escuelas Saludables (IES),

Este año escolar, la Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables (HSI) del Distrito de Salud de Sequoia proporcionó fondos y apoyo muy necesario para nuestros equipos de respuesta Covid de primera línea. Los líderes de bienestar y las enfermeras escolares de nuestros ocho distritos escolares se reunieron regularmente para discutir estrategias y compartir información sobre la lucha contra la pandemia en curso Sin el liderazgo de estas personas, habría sido difícil para nuestras escuelas volver a abrir para el aprendizaje en persona La salud y la seguridad son lo primero, y establecer esta base era esencial antes de que se abrieran las classes

Además, en 2021 22, a través del programa de subvenciones de HSI, se asignaron más de medio millón de dólares ($539,000) a 22 organizaciones sin fines de lucro que trabajan con nuestros distritos escolares Durante los últimos 12 años, SHD ha servido como líder en la convocatoria de socios y en la provisión de una red de apoyos y recursos comunitarios para estudiantes, familias y personal escolar Visite seqhd org/hsi para obtener más información sobre nuestra Iniciativa de Escuelas Saludables

A G R A D E C I M I E N T O E S P E C I A L

Karen E. Li, MD Directora de Salud Escolar Healthy Schools Initiative

Nos gustaría dar un agradecimiento especial y reconocimiento a la Dra. Karen Li, MD, quien recientemente se retiró de su puesto como Directora de Salud Escolar del Distrito Desde el 2018, el liderazgo de la Dra Li fue fundamental para coordinar los esfuerzos de salud escolar, especialmente durante la pandemia Su liderazgo sirvió como catalizador para el programa de mentores de enfermería escolar y cultivó asociaciones comunitarias clave centradas en la salud mental (CareSolace, Carpeta Verde para Padres) y los esfuerzos de prevención (Tobacco Education Coalition) Gracias por sus años de excelente servicio a nuestro equipo

M E N S A J E D E L D I S T R I T O D E S A L U D D E S E Q U O I A

D I S T R I T O S E S C O L A R E S