HSI NEWSLETTER FALL 2020
Meet our Portola Valley Wellness Team! Portola Valley Unified School District consists of 2 schools, Ormondale serving grades K-3 and Corte Madera School, grades 4-8. Our Wellness Team consists of CMS Principal Kristen Shima, Ormondale Counselor Tamryn Miller, CMS
Counselor Todd Patterson, and PV School Psychologist Lisa Scigliano. The PVSD Wellness Committee is
committed to the mental health of all staff, students, and families, especially during these challenging times. Our district’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Program follows the CASEL standards and framework and started the year specifically focusing on self care and coping strategies. In addition, students participate in weekly
At Corte Madera School, all staff received
guided lessons and discussions around monthly life skills
training using the Kognito program to increase
led by the school counselor.
awareness and skills around mental health and suicide prevention. In addition, this year we completed the
Staff, students and families have access to meetings and
trauma informed practices simulation to help us
sessions with the school counselors/psychologist virtually
better support students whose behavior might be
and this has been a valuable tool for families that are
related to sources of trauma or distress. Thank you to
struggling. In addition, even though our campuses were
the Sequoia Healthcare District for sponsoring the
closed at the start of the school year, at-risk/ vulnerable
Kognito program for our staff.
students were able to return to campus on Wednesdays for on site, live, counseling support sessions. Support has
This year, PVSD has joined the parent education
been given to students to support anxiety, stress
consortium, Common Ground. Parents of our students
management, organization, and executive functioning.
have the opportunity to attend monthly parent
Parent Meetings focusing on supporting behavior during
sessions with topics ranging from Building Teen
Distance Learning and strategies for success were held in
Resiliency to Raising Anti-Racist kids. The goal of our
spring and fall by our counselor and school psychologist.
parent education program is to provide engaging,
In addition, members of our Wellness Team served on
helpful information and resources to our families
our PVSD Pandemic Recovery Working Group to create
especially during these trying times. Thank you to the
content regarding mental health resources and support
PTO for sponsoring Common Ground for the PVSD
services offered by the district/community.
Community.
casel.org
kognito.com
commongroundspeakerseries.org