HSI NEWSLETTER SRPING 2021
The Other Side It is hard to believe that it has been a year since the pandemic began but the sun is beginning to shine. With vaccines becoming widely available to everyone, case numbers going down, and schools reopening, we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This last year has been tragic on so many levels: Pandemic, loss of life, economic
Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
disadvantages, students not in school, political unrest, and racial disparities. Anyone of these could and have been life changing for many of us. So much of this year has brought so much to the surface that my life, and many of our lives are forever changed going forward. It has become overwhelmingly clear this year that academics alone will not prepare our students to be successful in the future. Knowing how to recognize and manage our feelings are key skills that will prepare us to lead healthy, happy, successful lives, personally and professionally. As I look back over the year, I continue to be amazed with
Aristotle
all that has been accomplished during these paralyzing times in the MPCSD:
Back to School – The entire school district
Pandemic Response – The immediate work of the District
banded together and at a staggering speed
Wide COVID-19 Task Force set in motion the purchase of safety
developed a robust plan of coming back to
equipment, the needed upgrades to ensure safety for students
school as soon as possible. By October 2020, we
and staff, and detailed procedures that followed the guidelines
were one of the first school districts back
of the county health department. The ongoing work of our
teaching our students in person in some form.
nursing and custodial staff has b1een critical to our success.
Thank you to our amazing teaching and support
Fact: The MPCSD COVID numbers were consistently low
staff that took a chance and supported the
throughout the year. We even had a 7-week streak without a
process.
case.
Equity – The district had already been working towards making
Social-Emotional Learning – During the
critical changes to address equity and unconscious bias but due
month of February 2021, 20+ staff from 5
to the uprising of events in the spring of 2020, the District
schools engaged in an online training to learn
leadership knew changes needed to happen sooner and with a
how to bring the RULER Approach to the
louder voice. This began with the Parent Speaker Series that
schools. The focus is not to just bring another
touched on needed uncomfortable conversations; the
program to the school but to build a common
development of an Anti-Racism Committee that is actively
language across all schools that is built into
making changes to the professional development for staff,
what we do every day. Recognizing our
changes for a more inclusive curriculum, and making sure
emotions and knowing how to be our best self
diverse hiring practices are given intentional focus. Two of our
inspires us, gives us hope, builds compassion,
PD days this year already started the work on equity grading
and motivates us in what we do every day.
and Diversity.
HSI NEWSLETTER SPRING 2021
Grant Partners Through the financial support of Sequoia Healthcare District, we have been able to access many of our grant partners even in the pandemic. A big Thank You goes out to their partnership. As we look forward, we are excited to continue those partnerships and get back to those in person experiences of our other partners (Jasper Ridge and Project Cornerstone). Kognito - Our middle school staff was able to
Digital Well-Being Task Force - Being part of this
access an online training through Kognito to
grass roots group has shown that when a community
support their understanding of what a trauma
comes together, we can solve problems. Thank you to
informed classroom looks like, and to be able to
the group leaders who maintained the energy and
recognize signs of suicide in students. This
made everything happen: Sequoia Union High School
simulated program was interactive and provided
District, Kaiser, and Common Sense Media. I can’t wait
staff with different scenarios where they could
for next year when we can really build on the ideas of
practice. Given this past year, this was an invaluable
our youth in navigating this new digital world.
kognito.com
training that supported staff in supporting students.
Circle Up - More than ever, the conversations round Care Solace - Thank you to the Sequoia Healthcare
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and INCLUSION need to be raised
District, the San Mateo County Office of Education,
with a louder voice. MPCSD is so excited about our
and the Peninsula Healthcare District for bringing
work with Circle Up that we want to build upon our
Care Solace to all 23 districts in the county.
relationship for the future.
Removing the barriers of connecting families with
Recognizing our own biases and how
local mental health related programs and
it impacts others is the most
counseling services has been valuable to so many of
important SEL work we can do as we
our families.
circleuped.org
build relationships with everyone.
Chris Arrington is the Wellness Coordinator/Mental Health Lead for the MPCSD. He has worked over 30years as a school psychologist and spent the last 18 years in Menlo Park. You can reach him at carrington@mpcsd.org.
rulerapproach.org
Parent Green Folder/Community Resources
mpaef.org
MESSAGE FROM SEQUOIA HEALTHCARE DISTRICT Dear Healthy Schools Initiative (HSI) families, Wearing masks and social distancing have become the social norm and they have made our communities
Please contact your healthcare provider, doctor, clinic, or school nurse, should you have questions about the safety of the vaccine.
safer, healthier, and more tuned into protecting those
I'd like to extend a special thanks to the HSI Wellness
who are most vulnerable. Vaccines have become
Team for their coordinated efforts in their respective
increasingly available, yet they are still beyond reach
districts' re-opening process. I am extremely proud of
for far too many members of our community – a
our collaborative efforts to bring timely and relevant
health equity issue that the Sequoia Healthcare
initiatives, programming, resources, and financial
District is currently addressing. Also, there are some
support to the school community.
who are concerned about the safety of the vaccines, and SHD is one of many health organizations aiming to educate the public about the necessity of being
Karen E. Li, MD Director of School Health Healthy Schools Initiative
vaccinated with the reassurance that this will not only protect them, but their loved ones as well.
Parent Resources
Additional information to help safeguard your family and community
Substance Use Prevention
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Stanford Prevention Toolkit: Cannabis
The Anti-Racist Parent Webinar
San Mateo COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
Cannabis Use and the Young Brain - Dr. Tauheed Zaman
Courageous Conversations About Race and Systemic Racism
Vaccine Safety Spanish Community Forum
Addiction Webinar Dr. Anna Lembke
Diversity in Healing Bandages
Vaccine Safety Vaccine PSA
The Parent Education Series
NEW Parent Forums: Spanish & English Video Library
See Something Say Something Do Something
Parent Green Folders
Spanish & English
CircleUp Trainings in Schools
NEW 24/7 Mental Health Online Resource for All County Students, School Staff & Families
Care Solace